Year six

Is?

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PRAYERS AND

Called to beA People of Hope

Notes for Staff

This module builds on the previous work. If, for example, pupils had not done the work on the ‘Our Father’ or ‘Mary’ they would need to do that first before they could consider this module.

Working towards age related outcomes

With support and prompts and showing in some cases a limited response

Pupils will be able to explain, in a simple way, what prayer is. AT1 Pupils will be able to talk about their own ideas on heaven and hell and compare these

to others AT2 Pupils will know at least one Catholic prayer for the dead and be able to give at least

one reason why we pray for those who have died. AT1

Age related outcomes of the Module

Pupils will be able to consider different people’s responses to prayer and explain the Catholic church’s view on Prayer AT1 & AT2

Pupils will be able to explain their own views on heaven and hell and say what informs their beliefs AT2

Pupils will be able to explain why in November Catholics remember those who have died. AT1

Pupils will be able to show understanding of the meaning of prayers used to pray for those who have died AT1

Pupils working at greater depth within expected standard would be expected to cover the age-related outcomes and in addition may be able to do some of the following:

Pupils will be able to answer the question ‘Does prayer work?’ giving reasons for their answer AT3

Pupils will be able to answer the question: ‘Should we pray for those who have died?’

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Possible Tasks to support these outcomes:

Engage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOHL9CPeGCM&t=5s When pupils have watched this, ask what the Children thought they were doing when they prayed? What did they pray for? Did they believe God answered their prayers.

Ask pupils if they have ever prayed for something and not got what they wanted? Did this make them believe that prayer did not work? Look at the sheet where the person says they prayed for world peace but did not get it. What do they feel about the people who give answers? Are any of them right? Make sure they give reasons for their answers.

Explore and Express

Look at the second sheet. This gives some Christians’ views on what prayer is. Which prayer summarises these beliefs (refer back to year 5 work on the Our Father). Summarise Christian views.

Read the prayer by Charles de Foucauld. Ask the pupils to try to answer the questions asked. This is a powerful statement about trust in God. (Some Gospel passages are suggested so you may want to ensure they have Bibles)

This next section focuses on ideas about heaven and Hell. Remind pupils that in the ‘Our Father’ we pray ‘Our Father who art in heaven’ What do they think heaven is? Quickly sketch or jot down their ideas about heaven and hell. (This is a quick activity not a full lesson).

Read the extract from ‘The Last Battle’ by CS Lewis This might be a little complicated for some pupils so draw out some of the ideas

1. The dwarves during their lives have only thought about themselves. Lucy has always tried to help others. She is still trying to help the dwarves.

2. They all end up in the same place but they do not see the same things. Lucy sees a beautiful place where she is happy to be with Aslan. The dwarves see only darkness.

3. Lucy asks Aslan to help the dwarves. Aslan says he will try but even though he is Aslan (in Narnia God) there are limits. The Dwarves do not want to be helped.

4. Aslan says that while they were alive they spent all of their lives thinking about themselves, refusing to help others now they are so locked into that way of thinking that they cannot break out. They cannot look up and see the light.

Ask does this story help us understand anything about heaven and hell. If this story is too complicated, then tell the story of ‘The Long-Handled Spoons’ (similar meaning)

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Because Catholics believe that life continues after death they believe that everyone, those living and dead are all part of the same family. Because of this it is important to pray for both the living and the dead. In November we set aside time to remember specifically those who have died. Ask the pupils to read carefully the words of Pope Francis. When they have done this ask them to write an article for the school newsletter explaining why in November Catholics pray for those who have died.

Consider specific prayers that Catholics use in praying for the dead. Ask pupils to try and say what they mean.

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I prayed for world peace but it didn’t happen. Prayer doesn’t work God doesn’t exist

Prayers are like magic. You need spells. You

obviously got the wrong words. Use the right ones and you will get

what you want.

You need to bribe God. Tell God you’ll be extra good or promise God

you’ll say extra prayers then you will get what

you want

It is your fault. You obviously were not

praying hard enough or you are not good

enough

God just doesn’t care

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I know this isn’t easy for you but I don’t

think prayer is about getting God to do stuff

like that

I think we pray to try to get closer to God. We

are asking God to change us to try and

help do God’s will

.When Jesus prayed, he didn’t ask God to make everything

better, he prayed that he would be able to do what God

wanted. If we all tried to do God’s will, world peace might happen because we would all

be trying to live in the way God wants

Whatever we are, wherever we are, God loves us and is with us. Prayer helps us realise that. Prayer helps change us.

Gives us strength to do the right thing

The Prayer of Charles de Foucald

Charles de Foucald was born into an aristocratic family of Strasbourg, France on September 15, 1858. His parents died while he was still quite young, leaving him a large fortune. He spent money on anything he wanted. Then he decided to join the French Foreign Legion. He left because he didn’t like being told what to do. He drifted around for a bit and began to feel his life was empty. Eventually he came to believe in God and became a Catholic, but it wasn’t enough. In 1901 he became a priest. He still felt he had to do something with his life. It took him a while, but he came to realise that what he needed to do was to serve the poor. He went to the Muslim people of North Africa to live among them as a hermit. For fifteen years he lived outside of Tamanrasset, a village of the Touareg tribe, a Berber people of the Southern Sahara Desert, where temperatures could rise to 120 during the day and plummet to near freezing at night. His days were spent in manual labour trying to help the tribe and he also began translating the gospels into the Touareg language. The area was remote and there were some violent people around. On December 1, 1916, he was murdered.

This is a prayer he wrote and prayed daily.

Read the prayer carefully

What parts of Jesus’ life do you think he had in mind when he wrote the prayer?

Can you link any of it to the events of Jesus’ life in the Gospels? (Think about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus on the Cross, for example)

How does this link to the life of Mary? (Think about the Annunciation. What did Mary say there?)

What is he asking for in his prayer?

How do you think the prayer may have influenced his life?

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Father,I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.Whatever you may do, I thank you:I am ready for all, I accept all.Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;I offer it to youwith all the love of my heart,for I love you, Lord,and so need to give myself,to surrender myself into your hands,without reserve,and with boundless confidence,for you are my Father.

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From CS Lewis the Last Battle (adapted)

This part of the story takes place towards the end of the book. Lucy and the others have come to what is really heaven. They see a place of great beauty and feel really happy but then they come across a group of dwarves. These dwarves were on the side of the baddies but they too have ended up in the same place. However, for the dwarves it is different.

Lucy led the way and soon they could all see the Dwarfs. They had a very odd look. They weren't strolling about or enjoying themselves. They were sitting very close together in a little circle facing one another. They never looked round or took any notice of the humans till Lucy and Tirian were almost near enough to touch them. Then the Dwarfs all cocked their heads as if they couldn't see anyone but were listening hard and trying to guess by the sound what was happening.

"Look out!" said one of them in a surly voice. "Mind where you're going. Don't walk into our faces!"

"All right!" said Eustace indignantly. "We're not blind. We've got eyes in our heads."

"They must be darn good ones if you can see in here," said the same Dwarf whose name was Diggle.

"In where?" asked Edmund.

"Why you bone-head, in here of course," said Diggle. "In this pitch-black, poky, smelly little hole of a stable."

"Are you blind?" said Tirian.

"Ain't we all blind in the dark!" said Diggle.

"But it isn't dark, you poor stupid Dwarfs," said Lucy. "Can't you see? Look up! Look round! Can't you see the sky and the trees and the flowers? Can't you see me?"

"How in the name of all Humbug can I see what ain't there? And how can I see you any more than you can see me in this pitch darkness?"

"But I can see you," said Lucy. "I'll prove I can see you. You've got a pipe in your mouth."

"Anyone that knows the smell of baccy could tell that," said Diggle.

"Oh the poor things! This is dreadful," said Lucy. Then she had an idea. She stopped and picked some wild violets. "Listen, Dwarf," she said. "Even if your eyes are wrong, perhaps your nose is all right: can you smell that?" She leaned across and held the fresh, damp flowers to Diggle's ugly nose. But she had to jump back quickly in order to avoid a blow from his hard-little fist.

"None of that!" he shouted. "How dare you! What do you mean by shoving a lot of filthy stable-litter in my face? There was a thistle in it too. And who are you anyway?""she is the Queen Lucy,” said Tirian sent hither by Aslan out of the deep past.

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"Well if that doesn't beat everything!" exclaimed Diggle. "How can you go on talking all that rot? Your wonderful Lion didn't come and help you, did he? Thought not. And now - even now - when you've been beaten and shoved into this black hole, just the same as the rest of us, you're still at your old game. Starting a new lie! Trying to make us believe we're none of us shut up, and it ain't dark, and heaven knows what."

"There is no black hole, save in your own fancy, fool," cried Tirian. "Come out of it." And, leaning forward, he caught Diggle by the belt and the hood and swung him right out of the circle of Dwarfs. But the moment Tirian put him down, Diggle darted back to his place among the others, rubbing his nose and howling:

"Ow! Ow! What d'you do that for! Banging my face against the wall. You've nearly broken my nose."

"Oh dear!" said Lucy, "What are we to do for them?"

A brightness flashed behind them, Aslan himself, and already the others were kneeling in a circle round his forepaws and burying their hands and faces in his mane as he stooped his great head to touch them with his tongue.

"Aslan," said Lucy through her tears, "could you - will you - do something for these poor Dwarfs?"

"Dearest," said Aslan, "I will show you both what I can, and what I cannot, do." He came close to the Dwarfs and gave a low growl: low, but it set all the air shaking. But the Dwarfs said to one another, "Hear that? That's the gang at the other end of the stable. Trying to frighten us. They do it with a machine of some kind. Don't take any notice. They won't take us in again!"

Aslan raised his head and shook his mane. Instantly a glorious feast appeared on the Dwarfs' knees: pies and tongues and pigeons and trifles and ices, and each Dwarf had a goblet of good wine in his right hand. But it wasn't much use. They began eating and drinking greedily enough, but it was clear that they couldn't taste it properly. They thought they were eating and drinking only the sort of things you might find in a stable. One said he was trying to eat hay and another said he had a bit of an old turnip and a third said he'd found a raw cabbage leaf. And they raised golden goblets of rich red wine to their lips and said "Ugh! Fancy drinking dirty water out of a trough that a donkey's been at! Never thought we'd come to this." But very soon every Dwarf began suspecting that every other Dwarf had found something nicer than he had, and they started grabbing and snatching, and went on to quarrelling, till in a few minutes there was a free fight and all the good food was smeared on their faces and clothes or trodden under foot. But when at last they sat down to nurse their black eyes and their bleeding noses, they all said:

"Well, at any rate there's no Humbug here. We haven't let anyone take us in. The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs."

"You see, " said Aslan. "They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.

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November: A time of Remembrance

Praying for the dead is, first and foremost, a sign of appreciation for the witness they have left us and the good that they have done. It is giving thanks to the Lord for having given them to us and for their love and their friendship.

We pray with Christian hope that they may be with God in Paradise, as we wait to be together again in that mystery of love which we do not comprehend, but which we know to be true because it is a promise that Jesus made. We will all rise again and we will all be forever with Jesus, with Him. (Pope Francis Nov 30th 2016)

But today we are called to remember everyone, to remember everyone, even those who no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many "little ones" of the world crushed by hunger and poverty. We remember the anonymous who rest in common graves. We remember those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We remember so the world will not forget that things are not right. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have died over the last year.

By remembering the dead, we are witness of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death is not the last word because we are destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfilment in God. (Nov 2nd 2014)

While it’s sad to think about our own death or that of a loved one, we can never be truly hopeless because of Christ’s resurrection, when we pray for others who have died it brings us hope and also reminds us that we too will die so it is important to think about others now and help others while we can

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Prayers and readings for those who have died

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38-39)

All-powerful and merciful God,we commend to you N., your servant.In your mercy and love,blot out the sins he/she has committedthrough human weakness.In this world he/she has died:let him/her live with you forever.Through Christ our Lord.

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