‘Waves of love’ is the theme for the year at St Boniface and Notre Dame. In keeping with this, we are honoured to share a beautiful prayer for the Season of Creation written by Fiona Hutchings from the chaplaincy at St Boniface Catholic College. We are also delighted to share some lovely hand-crafted prayers written by pupils from Our Lady and St Patricks Primary School Teignmouth and Leweston Secondary School, Sherborne Dorset. Warmest thanks to Fiona and to inspirational teachers Cathy Blatchford and Daniel Teague, for contributing these wonderful prayers written by children to be shared across our Diocese, thereby creating ripples of greater connectivity to God and each other.
Dear God,
Help us to learn from our mistakes and improve. Guide us to care for our planet and separate good from evil. People will torment, help us to ignore. We pray that you will help us on our journey with the guidance of the archangels.
Amen
By Jess, Aged 12, Leweston School, Sherborne, Dorset.
Dear God,
We thank you for what you’ve given us: fresh food and water, a place to sleep, and a place to live. You show us that we are strong and no matter what we do we will always be loved.
Amen
By Marnie, Yr 6, Our Lady and St Patricks School, Teignmouth, Devon.
Dear God,
Today we come together to thank you for forgiving us when we sin, protecting us when in danger, helping us when weak and for creating this oh so beautiful world. Thank you God
Amen
By Mia, Yr 6, Our Lady and St Patricks School, Teignmouth, Devon.
We praise the Lord as he guides us through a lighter path, he spreads His name as He houses us as His own on the land He provided.
Amen
By Ivy, Our Lady and St Patricks School, Teignmouth, Devon.
Thank you God for the earth we live upon. Thank you God for the stars, moon and sun. Thank you God for our fun and play, thank you God for a spectacular day!
Amen
By Juliana, Yr 6, Our Lady and St Patricks school, Teignmouth, Devon
A Prayer for the Season of Creation
by Fiona Hutchings
In this season we give thanks for the beauty of Creation
We thank God for sunshine and rain
For giving us crops to grow for food
Flowers to appreciate for their beauty or
To give as gifts to brighten a day
For giving us trees to shade us in hot weather
We thank God for our wonderful natural world
For birds, wild and domestic animals
Butterflies, bees, fish and farm animals;
For slugs, and snails and wasps and gnats
And all animal life that contributes to our ecosystem,
For our loving pets who know us so well
Who depend on us for life and health.
In this season of Creation we look around our world
And marvel at sunsets and sunrises
At full moons and starlit skies
At waves large and small
At rivers, woodland and countryside
We give thanks for the rainbow of colours
That light up our days.
But most of all we give thanks for the miracle
We see in the mirror
What a wonderful unique creation each of us is
There is no one like us
How amazing to have the gift of human life!
Creator God
Help us to notice and be grateful
Creator God
Help us to nourish your creation
Creator God
In my heart name my special natural space, or animal or person
And I thank you
From my heart I send waves of love
And gratitude to all Creation
Amen
Thank you also to Colin Bentley, an artist and photographer based in Sidmouth here in our Diocese, for contributing a beautiful photograph of God’s creation to accompany these creative and heartfelt prayers, inspired and nurtured by this years Season of Creation.