Welcome back to school! It was wonderful to see you all arriving this morning. It probably feels a bit strange being here again and we know it will take a few days to get used to being in school again. You might be feeling a bit nervous. You might be wondering what it will be like.

But I hope you are excitied too. Excited to show everyone how you have grown and what you have learned while you were at home and excited to greet all your friends and hear their news.

This is a new time and we will be taking the next steps together;  learning and growing together. Let’s make sure  we look after each other and  treat everyone with kindness.

To start off our day, let’s join with Dan and Emily to continue our Lenten journey.

Today is the feast day of St David, the patron saint of Wales. Let’s say a special prayer for everyone who lives in Wales.
We begin the second week of Lent. I hope your Lenten promises are going well. Thank you to Tasmaih who sent in this picture of the Lenten Cross she made.

This week, shine your light so that everyone can see the good that you do.
Join with Dan and Emily in today’s prayer:

Last week on Ash Wednesday it was the beginning of Lent. Did you make a Lenten promise? It’s not too late to make one now.  Maybe you could promise to do something extra each day, or give up something you like but don’t really need.There are some ideas on the Lent Blog.

During Lent  this year, we will be joining with Dan and Emily from OneLife Music for our daily prayer.

Today we remember that we are the people of God. He chooses us and he calls us.

Jesus the Teacher

Jesus taught us how to live by his stories and by his example of love. People listened to him and trusted him. Your teachers are very important. They help you to learn about all sorts of things.  Who else helps you to learn? Family or friends perhaps?

Many of us are not able to go to school at the moment because of coronavirus. It can make us feel sad and sometimes lonely.  Here is a school in Bagladesh. Can you draw a picture of you in your classroom to remind you of your teachers and all your friends?

Some children live in places where they can’t go to school even when coronavirus isn’there. it isn’t safe for them to travel  or the school is too far away. Some  schools have no roofs, so when it rains the pupils and teachers  get wet. Some schools  have no seats and it is hard to get books, paper and pencils.

Let Us Pray
God of hope,
through your Son Jesus you teach us to love and care for all our brothers and sisters
wherever they are in the world.
Help us to work together with others to make sure
that all children have a chance to go to school and dream of a brighter future.
Amen.

Let’s sing together:

The Presentation in the Temple

Tomorrw, 2nd February, is the feast of Candlemas. It is the day Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be presented to God. They met Simeon and Anna who had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Watch the story here:

The story of Simeon in the temple

Here is the prayer that Simeon said. It is called the Nunc Dimitis

Jesus called his disciples to follow him. They left what they were doing and went with him straight away.

A reading from the Gospel according to St Mark

As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, catching fish with a net. Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” At once they left their nets and went with him.

He went a little farther on and saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat getting their nets ready. As soon as Jesus saw them, he called them; they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went with Jesus.

The gospel of the Lord.

We can follow Jesus by living our lives as he would want us to. By being kind to others, sharing all that we have, and caring for all people, especially those who are poor or sick, so that the world becomes a fairer place for everyone to live in. How will you follow Jesus this week?

Each year the Pope writes a World Peace Day Message. This year he wrote about how caring for one another and for creation is important if we want to work for peace. He says that by teaching us how to look after other people, Jesus shows God’s love and care for us
To explain how we all have a role to play, Pope Francis asks us to think about all being in a boat; we all need to row together to reach our goal – peace

Copy this picture into your book and  write in the boat different ways that we can show we care for one another and spread peace.

A Prayer for Peace