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A YEAR OF VIRTUES
IN SAFE, CARING and INCLUSIVE SCHOOL
COMMUNITIES
A Note to Educators:
WHY VIRTUE FORMATION?
The notion of virtue is deeply rooted in Catholic Christian tradition. It is in a community
of caring, committed partners that we find the space and time to become our best selves.
The main thing to remember is that virtue is increased by two things: practice and prayer.
By practicing the virtues, we develop habits of goodness that help us to resist the
temptation of vice. Practicing virtue also gets us ready to contribute to the good of all
people. In a school community, virtue formation contributes to a healthy positive
learning environment by fostering a climate in which all members feel safe, confident and
hope-filled about themselves, their relationships and their futures.
By praying, we receive the grace of God to continue to concentrate on finding ways to
follow Jesus’ example in all that we say and do.
INTRODUCING THE VIRTUES PROGRAM AT YOUR SCHOOL
Welcome back again, to a great new school year in a great school <name:___________>.
As this year goes by we will work together and grow together. We’ll become an even
greater school. We’ll try to become a more virtuous school and ultimately a safer school.
A virtue is a habit or established capability to perform good actions according to a
moral standard. In other words, a virtue is a habit that shows people and God that I am
a good person.
Each month we will look at developing one of these virtues:
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Faith
Empathy
Conscience
Hope
Self-control
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Respect
Kindness
Love
Acceptance
Fairness
We’ll pray about these virtues, we’ll talk about them in the classroom and we’ll practice
them in the hallways and cafeteria. We will make the effort to treat other students and the
adults in our school according to the demands of these virtues. And we will celebrate the
progress we make to be a more virtuous Catholic school—a place of safety, caring and
inclusivity for all.
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SEPTEMBER
~Faith
To begin the new school year, we’ll focus our attention on the first of our virtues – faith.
Faith is the great virtue of believing in God and trusting that God is with us.
A faithful person believes that we are created, guided by and destined to be reunited with
God.
A faithful person believes that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe, especially
at school.
A Faithful person…
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Prays regularly and reverently
Learns from Scripture stories
Honours people’s God-given names
Assumes that there is good in everyone
Accepts the God-given worth of themselves and others
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OPENING PRAYER
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
You have loved us since before we were born.
From our mothers’ wombs to our eternal place in heaven
you have given us the gifts to live and grow in safety.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength
to follow your plan and to form a safe, caring, inclusive community
here at <school name>.
May our faith in you and your plan lead us to know and feel your presence among us.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
READING
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Hebrews
(Heb 11:1-3, 6)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is
seen was made from things that are not visible.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION… What can I do today that would please God?
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PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy.
• For continued faith in God, the creator of all.®
• For renewed faith that God’s plan for us is good.®
• For bold faith that God’s plan includes the right to be safe at school.®
• For the souls of those who have lived and died with faith in God’s plan.®
• For all who have trouble keeping their faith in God and God’s plan.®
OUR FATHER…
As people who trust that a safe, caring, inclusive school is part of God’s kingdom now,
we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR SEPTEMBER
Let us now pray… for the grace and strength to be people of faith – people who can truly
believe that God’s plan for us includes the right to be safe at school.
AMEN
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OCTOBER
~Empathy
This month we will focus on the virtue of empathy.
God has given us the ability to form connections with each other - to live together.
Empathy helps us to connect and live together in safe, caring, inclusive communities.
We understand empathy to mean the ability to identify with and feel other people’s
concerns. We believe that in a faith community we are nothing without relationships.
Relationships that grow in a spirit of communion- an understanding that we share an
identity based on being created in the image and likeness of God and being imbued with
one Spirit. We are many parts of one body.
An empathetic person believes that we all share one Spirit; that we are many parts of one
body because we are all created in the image and likeness of God.
An empathetic person…
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Listens attentively
Watches people’s body language
Notices and responds when someone is upset
Can name her/his feelings
Can see a situation from another person’s point of view
Knows that different people may feel differently about the same thing
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OPENING PRAYER
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
You made us to live together in communities.
We are nothing without relationships.
You have given us the virtue of empathy to ensure
that we are able to identify with and feel other people’s concerns.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength
to follow your plan and to form a safe, caring, inclusive community
here at <school name>.
May your gift of empathy lead us to know and feel your presence among us.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
READING
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A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
(2 Cor 1:3-7)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the
God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to
console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are
consoled by God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also, our consolation is
abundant through Christ.
If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being
consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the
same sufferings that we are also suffering.
Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also
you share in our consolation.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION… How will I know that someone needs me to show empathy today?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy.
• For continued empathy for all of creation.®
• For renewed empathy for those in our school.®
• For bold empathy that guides us to stand up for the right to be safe at school.®
• For those who struggle to recognize feelings of empathy.®
• For all who have trouble seeing empathy as a gift from God.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you told us “judge your neigbour’s feelings by your own, and in every matter be
thoughtful.”
As people who trust we can learn to be sensitive to the cares and concerns of those
around us, we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR OCTOBER
Let us now pray… for the grace and strength to be people of empathy – people who can
really identify with and feel the concerns of those around us.
AMEN
NOVEMBER
~Conscience
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This month we will celebrate the virtue of conscience.
God has given us the ability to know the right and decent way to act and then to act that
way. We trust that the common Spirit we share inspires us and guides us to make good
decisions if we allow our conscience to be well-formed.
A person of conscience allows prayer and scripture to influence him/her.
A person of conscience…
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Chooses to do the ‘right thing’ and feels good about it
Can see how his/her actions may hurt others
Admits his/her wrong-doing and feels badly
Says ‘sorry’ and tries to make up for mistakes
Keeps promises
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OPENING PRAYER
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
During this season of remembrance, we remember how you have gifted us with free will.
You have given us the virtue of conscience to ensure that we will
know the good and decent way to act and then choose to act that way.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength
to form and to follow our conscience in order to bring to life your plan
for a safe, caring, inclusive community here at <school name>.
May your virtue of conscience free us to make decisions that serve the good of all your
people.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
READING
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 24:10)
The governor motioned to him and Paul replied, “I know that you have been a judge over
this nation for many years and so I am pleased to make my defense before you.”
I worship the God of our ancestors and I believe everything that is in accordance with the
law and written in the prophets. I have the same hope in God as they themselves have that
there will be resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. Because of this, I always
strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION… What trials or troubles would I be willing to put up with in order
to follow my conscience?
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PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who are willing to teach what is good and decent.®
• For a renewal of our desire to make God’s will our will.®
• For a bold conscience that guides us to stand up for the right to be safe at
school.®
• For those who struggle to recognize the call of their conscience.®
• For all who have trouble seeing conscience as a gift from God.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the gift of freewill guided by a carefully formed conscience. As people
who trust in the God-given ability to recognize and act according to what is good and
decent, we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR NOVEMBER
Let us now pray… for the grace and strength to be people of conscience – people who
know the good and decent way to act and then choose to act that way.
AMEN
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DECEMBER
~Hope
(Advent)
This month, we will celebrate the virtue of hope.
We believe that God comes to us as a real human who can show us the way of life.
We understand that both the world and its people are from God and so are essentially
good. Furthermore, God has given us this Advent season year after year in order to focus
our minds and our hearts on the good all around us.
Year after year, we are reminded the God chose to send his Son to us because we are
worth it. God knows how great we can be when we all come together.
When we look at the world through the eyes of God we see it becoming more and more
like the reign of God that Jesus describes.
People of Hope…
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Keep up a positive attitude
Can bounce back from tough situations
Set and stick to their goals
See the good in others even when they make mistakes
Work to include others
Let others know that they are good people
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OPENING PRAYER
Gracious and merciful God of all creation,
During this season of hope, we remember how you sent your Son to be a beacon of
goodness and light in the world.
Give us eyes of hope to see the good in everything and everyone around us.
Give us the grace and strength to be beacons of hope and light for all who enter this
school.
Let all who visit share our hope that this school will remain a safe, caring, inclusive
community.
May your virtue of hope guide our decisions for the service of all your people.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
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READING
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans
(Romans 15:13-14)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound
in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of
goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
How will I remember to keep a positive, hope-filled
attitude about everyone around me?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to keep a positive attitude at all times.®
• For a bold hope that guides us to make everyone feel like they belong at our
school.®
• For those who struggle to keep a feeling of hope.®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of a hopeful outlook.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of hope.
As people who trust in the promises made through your Son, Jesus, we pray, Our
Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR DECEMBER
Let us now pray … for the grace and courage to be people of hope – people who can see,
participate in and contribute to God’s goodness emerging around us.
AMEN
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JANUARY
~Self-control
This month we will celebrate the virtue of self-control.
God has given us the ability to choose.
We are able to control how we react to what happens around us.
We me feel pressure from inside or from outside ourselves to react violently to a
situation. We’ve all “lost it” at one time or another. We are never proud of those
moments. As soon as they happen we make a promise that they will not happen again.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at controlling our reactions. We can
get better at showing self-control.
Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that we will regret.
Self-control helps us to resist the temptation to do something that will harm ourselves or
others.
Self-control is one of the marks of a spiritually mature person.
When we all use self-control, we can be sure that our school will be a safe, caring and
inclusive place to live and to learn.
A person with self-control…
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Is patient
Knows how to wait his/her turn
Can calm him/herself down and think before reacting to situations
Knows how to avoid physical aggression (hitting, kicking, pushing, fighting, etc.)
Can think things through and do what is best for everyone
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OPENING PRAYER
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
Sometimes life is easy… sometimes life is challenging.
We know that you do not want us to suffer.
We know that you do not want us to make other people suffer.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to keep a sense of self-control.
We hope that by remaining calm in the middle of difficult situations, we can contribute to
making our school a safer, more caring, and more inclusive community.
May your virtue of self-control help us to make decisions that serve the good of all your
people-- in our families, neighbourhoods and school community.
We ask this in name of Jesus, your Son, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
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READING
A Reading from the book of Proverbs
(Proverbs 14:29; 16:32; 25:28)
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and one whose temper is controlled [is better] than one who captures a city.
Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
How will I remember to keep my temper when something
is irritating me?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to keep a positive attitude at all times.®
• For self-control that guides us to make good decisions.®
• For those who struggle to control their anger.®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of controlling their anger.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of self-control.
As people who trust in the promises of freedom made through your Son, Jesus, we pray,
Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR JANUARY
Let us now pray… for the virtue of self-control so that we will resist the temptation to
cause harm to ourselves or to others around us.
AMEN
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FEBRUARY
~Respect
This month we will celebrate the virtue of respect.
God has given us the virtues of friends and companions to keep us company and to help
us out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God – and so every person is our brother or
sister through Jesus Christ.
As brothers and sister who share one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We all
deserve to be shown courtesy, consideration, sensitivity and thoughtfulness, which are
different ways of saying respect.
That respect should come first and foremost from ourselves. We have to respect our
selves and then we will be able to respect others. We should also be able to expect to be
treated with respect by everyone we meet – our brothers and sister in Jesus.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at respecting ourselves as well as
respecting those around us.
A respectful person…
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Treats himself/herself and everyone else with equal consideration and courtesy
Uses a positive tone of voice and body language
Avoids swearing, name-calling, put-downs, and inappropriate gestures
Says ‘Excuse me’, ‘Please’, ‘Pardon me’
Avoids gossip
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OPENING PRAYER
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
Among your greatest gifts are our friends and acquaintances.
They are the yeast in the dough of life – they make life lively and interesting.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to keep a sense of respect.
We hope that by recognizing and honouring the shared Spirit in everyone we meet, we
can contribute to making our school a safer, more caring, more inclusive community.
May your gift of respect help us to live each day with the confidence that we are in
company of people who are not strangers but who are our spiritual brothers and sisters.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
READING
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A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
(1Cor 12:20-25)
As it is, there are many members, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I
have no need of you.”
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor,
and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;
whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the
body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension
within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
How will the people around me know that I consider them
my spiritual brothers and sisters?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to show respect for all.®
• For an attitude that shows respect for ourselves and others.®
• For those who struggle to show respect®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of showing respect.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of respect.
As people who trust in the promises of brotherhood and sisterhood made through your
Son, Jesus, we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR FEBRUARY
Let us now pray… for the virtue of respect so that everyone we meet will feel like we are
their brother or sister in Christ.
AMEN
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MARCH
~Kindness
(Lent)
This month we will celebrate the virtue of kindness.
God has given us the gifts of friends and companions to keep us company and to help us
out along the way.
Every person in our lives carries the Spirit of God – and so every person is our brother or
sister through Jesus Christ.
As brothers and sister who share one Holy Spirit, we are all valuable to God. We all
deserve to be shown concern for our welfare and our feelings. We have all been given the
fruit of the Spirit called kindness.
Kindness can only be seen through actions. It’s not enough to say I will be kind or I am
kind. We must show that we are kind by our words and our actions.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at showing kindness to everyone we
meet.
A Kind Person…
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Says nice things about others so they feel good about themselves
Sticks up for people who are picked on or need help
Refuses to join others who are insulting, intimidating, mean or hurtful
Watches and looks for ways to help those in need
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OPENING PRAYER
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to keep a sense of kindness.
We hope that by recognizing and honouring this fruit of the Holy Spirit, we can
contribute to making our school a safer, more caring, more inclusive community.
May kindness, the fruit of your Spirit, help us to feel the courage to act on behalf of
people around us who are in need.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
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READING
A Reading from the book of Proverbs
(Prov. 21:20-23; 31:26)
Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool devours it.
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor.
One wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted.
To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
Who can I think of right now that would really benefit from
an act of kindness?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to show kindness to everyone around us.®
• For an attitude of willingness to step up and look out for the good of others.®
• For those who struggle to show kindness.®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of showing kindness.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of kindness.
As people who trust in the promises of unity made through your Son, Jesus, we pray, Our
Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR MARCH
Let us now pray… for the virtue of kindness so that everyone we meet will feel like we
are looking out for their good.
AMEN
APRIL
~Love
(Easter)
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This month we will celebrate the virtue of love.
God has given us many guidelines and examples of how to live our lives. He sent his Son
Jesus to make sure that we could see what life could be like.
Jesus made one lesson clear above all other lessons – the lesson to love. Love is not about
us – it is about forgetting ourselves and looking out for the good of the other. That’s what
Jesus did – he forgot about himself on purpose. He chose to give up his life for the good
of others – us!
Becoming a truly loving person is challenging. It takes prayer and concentration to get
used to making little sacrifices for the good of others. Making little sacrifices on purpose
so that others will have a bit of food, a bit of shelter, a bit of peace, a bit of quiet, a bit of
fun, a bit of friendship.
Through prayer and concentration, we can get better at showing love to everyone we
meet.
A Loving Person…
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Wants the best for others
Is willing to make sacrifices for the good of others
Learns from the heroic lives of saints & holy people
Knows that we are all lovable
Prays for others
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OPENING PRAYER
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to love.
We want to love like Jesus loved -- without holding back; without wondering what’s in it
for me; so that everyone around us will know what your love looks like.
May we find the courage to forget ourselves on purpose for the good of your people.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
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READING
A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark
(Mark 12:28-34)
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that
he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.”
Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one,
and besides him there is no other’;
and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the
strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ — this is much more important than all
whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the
kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
What would happen if I chose to give away something I
own to make someone else happy?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to show love to everyone around us.®
• For an attitude of love without reserve – putting others first on purpose.®
• For those who struggle to show love.®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of showing love.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of love.
As people who trust in the promises of salvation made through your son, Jesus, we pray,
Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR APRIL
Let us now pray… for the virtue of love so that we will never be satisfied until all are
satisfied.
AMEN
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MAY
~Acceptance
This month we will celebrate the virtue of Acceptance.
One of the great wonders of the world we live in is that no two people are exactly alike.
We may share biological families or national identity or cultural and ethnic identity but
we are all very unique and distinct creations. God breaks the mold every time!
And that is a fantastic fact of life!
It can also be a challenging fact of life if it makes us afraid. Sometimes differences are
scary – especially if we haven’t learned about or don’t understand how people are
different.
The virtue of acceptance describes our ability to look at the attitudes and actions of those
around us and then just stop and consider without judging them. The virtue of acceptance
means that we look beyond what we see- a person’s skin colour, ethnic background,
religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and see a person created and loved by God.
It’s especially important for us to stop and think if what we are made uncomfortable by
seeing or hearing others act differently then we might choose to act.
An accepting person…
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Is friendly and open to all God’s people, regardless of age, beliefs, gender,
culture or ability
Sees the positive traits in all people even if s/he disagrees with them
Avoids judging or stereotyping others
Understands that there may be more than one way to do things
Sticks up for the ‘underdog’
†
OPENING PRAYER
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to be accepting of others.
We admit that we can never fully know your plan for the people around us.
Grant us the strength to admit that our role is to invite others to participate in your saving
plan and then to accept the choices that they make in their own lives.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
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READING
A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians
(1 Cor.12:26-30)
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then
deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various
kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
ON REFLECTION…
Why do I like to have people do things my way?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy.
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to be tolerant of everyone around us.®
• For an attitude of acceptance – trusting that others will hear God’s voice in their
own way and in their own time.®
• For those who struggle to show acceptance.®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of showing acceptance.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of Acceptance.
As people who trust in the promise that you are always with us, made through your son,
Jesus, we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR MAY
Let us now pray… for the virtue of Acceptance- the strength to trust that God is at work
in everyone’s life despite what we think.
AMEN
20
JUNE
~Fairness
This month we will celebrate the virtue of fairness.
When we spend a lot of time immersed in a variety of different media – TV, movie,
magazine, radio we can sometimes forget that life is not a competition
We are made by God to live together, to share and to help each other. You can’t be a
Christian alone. Christianity is all about living together in community – ideally, one big
happy family.
When the urge to be superior takes over a person’s life then fairness can go out the
window.
Fairness, the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed, is not always about
making things exactly equal. Some people need a bit more time, space, money, and
support to have an equal chance to succeed. And they deserve that chance.
Jesus spent a major part of his time on earth showing us about the preferential option for
the poor and weak. He spent an extraordinary amount of time showing how to follow
God’s rules, the rules of the kingdom. The sick, the lame, the blind, the bad sinners all
need a fair chance to succeed – to overcome their disadvantages and disabilities in order
to succeed.
In today’s terms, that could be called good sportsmanship. A good sport makes sure the
rules of the game give everyone an even chance to participate.
Not everyone has to win.
Everyone deserves a chance to be in the game.
A Fair Person…
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Listens to all sides before forming opinions
Shows good sportsmanship at all times
Knows that the same rules apply to everyone
Refuses to twist rules to avoid consequences
Works to bring about peaceful solutions to problems
Cheers on the successes of others
Can balance their own rights and responsibilities with those of others
21
OPENING PRAYER
†
Dear God,
You have done such a marvelous job of creating us and the world around us.
You have placed this creation, including all the people we meet, in our care.
We come to you now asking for the grace and strength to be fair.
Everyday we are tempted to show that we are a little bit superior to those around us.
Grant us the strength to resist that temptation. Keep our minds and our hearts focused on
your great plan for all people instead of our own small plans for ourselves.
We ask this in name of Jesus, our brother, who lived to show us your way.
Amen.
READING
A Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew
(Matthew 20:1-16)
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to
hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;
and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’
So they went.
When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.
And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to
them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the
vineyard.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers
and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’
When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also
received the usual daily wage.
And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have
borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with
me for the usual daily wage?
Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious
because I am generous?’
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
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ON REFLECTION…
Does it matter to me whether I win or lose?
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
® Lord, have mercy
• For a community of people who can see the light of Christ in one another.®
• For a renewal of our desire to be fair to everyone around us.®
• For an attitude of fairness – trusting that God’s rules are more important then
our own ®
• For those who struggle to show fairness. ®
• For all who have trouble seeing the value of showing fairness.®
OUR FATHER…
God, you gave us the virtue of fairness.
As people who trust in the promise that your kingdom will come, made through your son,
Jesus, we pray, Our Father…
AMEN
†
OUR DAILY PRAYER FOR JUNE
Let us now pray… for the virtue of fairness- the desire to live by the rules of God’s
kingdom everyday of our lives.
AMEN