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Parish Pastoral Councils:
Training Day, November 2016
Let us pray…
The Parish Pastoral Council
A recognised structure mandated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in 2004
‘The Parish Pastoral Council is a faith-filled leadership group
through which priests and people work together as co-responsible partners in furthering the mission of
Christ in their own parish.’
Prayer for Parish
CouncilsGROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER
The Parish Pastoral Council
Pastoral. It is about caring and listening. It is entrusted with the faith life of the parish family.
Oversees. It represents and thinks about the parish as a whole, not just a particular group or activity.
Leadership. It is there to plan for the future, to manage change and provide leadership and vision.
The Parish Pastoral Council models good christian relationships which are characterised by a spirituality of communion which respects difference and is open to the spirit at work in everyone.
Identity
The work of parish leadership is the
Lord’s work.
God is sharing responsibility with us
by inviting us to be partners in the
divine task of transforming all things in Christ.
“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain
do the builders labour” Psalm 127
Praying together is the heartbeat of every parish group. If there is no prayer,
the group has lost sight of what it is about.
Why is this prayer time together
important?
Why might people find it
difficult?
Some reasons…..
People are used to “saying” prayers
Meditating on their own
Some people think it is the Priest’s job
Some people think its eating up valuable time.
Spirituality ... arises from a creative and dynamic synthesis of faith and life, forged in the crucible of the desire to live out the Christian faith authentically, responsibly, effectively, and fully
-Alister McGrath, Christian Spirituality, p. 9
is a lived experience, a quest throughout our lives that involves
- the weaving, a dynamic synthesis, of the elements of the deposit of Christian faith(beliefs and values) into the fabric of our lives so that they animate, give fire to our lives
- a growth, development, and flowering of our lives; a transformation of our consciousness and lives
The Holy Spirit
derived from Hebrew ruach, which had a range of meanings:
- spirit
- breath
- wind
- that which gives life and animation to something
The Spirit animates a
person's life of faith
it moves a person's faith to greater depths and perfection
Spirituality of Communion
…means an ability to think of our brothers and sisters…as those “who are part of me” to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and to prize it and see it as Gift to me and others.
Apostolic Letter Novo Millenio Ineunte2001
Pope John Paul II
Pope Benedict
… “being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction
The Parish Pastoral Council…
is a living communion when it looks outwards..
“Let us have no illusions: unless we follow this spiritual
path, external structures of communion will serve very little purpose. They would become mechanisms without
a soul, “masks” of communion rather than its means of
expression and growth.
Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est, God is
Love P.1
Prayer helps the group focus on their vision and purpose.
Prayer helps us to “gather” ourselves
and recover a sense of our purpose and overall direction.
What are we about?
Prayer unites the group in one spirit.
PPC members have varied life experiences.
Praying together has the power to bring a spirit of unity and togetherness.
Prayer provides an opportunity for group members to bond
People can have the opportunity to share both their hopes and anxieties about their work bringing a new depth of relationship within the group.
Prayer enlightens the group and makes members less anxious about…..
“doing” and achieving and to
be more aware of “being” in a particular way, as a group
who identify themselves as followers of Christ.
Prayer (and Reflection)
Prayer means different things…
It can take a variety of forms…rosary, scripture, music, song, movement, silence
In the context of the PPC it is more communal than personal
It involves making space so as to communicate with God.. speaking to God and listening to God which has the power to change us.
Gather us O God
Body Spirit, Soul and Mind
Gather us O God
One in Union now with you.
Prayer is both comforting and challenging.
It regenerates motivation and
commitment. In the midst of complacency, prayer
challenges members to personal renewal and building
faith community
Prayer and Discernment Jesus Christ must be central
to all that is planned and done.
It is important that members nourish their faith by praying
together.
The Holy Spirit will guide them
and to where God is leading.
Where and how
is God calling?
The Pastoral Council discerns what is best for the parish in the light of the gospel, church teaching and what the Holy Spirit is saying through the people of God.
Prayer and Discernment
It is a time honoured process within the Christian tradition through which individuals and groups try to
reach decisions which will guide their response to the
call of God at a particular time and in a particular
circumstance.
Only a group which is united in faith and prayer, with a
sense of common purpose/mission will be able to discern.
Remain in Me… Remain in me, as I also
remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15
Effects of Prayer
Praying together buildsfellowship which breathes life into a parish..
There will be a qualitative difference to what you do and howyou do it when you give attention to prayer and reflection.
Leading the prayer
Take time to prepare and move forward gently…prayer time needs to be a positive and non-threatening experience for everyone.
Begin by working in twos.
Start with very straightforward prayer, focusing on the text and not too much focus on silence or spontaneous shared prayer.
The Introduction and Focusing
The first words spoken by the leader are key to setting the tone for what is to follow. It is important to help
people to focus on the theme. It might be
appropriate to play some music and/or slowly read
the focus text on the prayer sheet, if there is one.
Music can enhance the prayer experience, by
supporting the theme or by helping people enter into
a time of reflection. It can be instrumental or sung.
Aim for the participation of all..
through sharing out prayers and readings and allowing for spontaneous prayer. It would enhance participation if members were given a copy of the prayer text. Members can take home the text for private use if they like.
Reading(s) and/or Reflection(s)
Readings should be slowly and carefully read, with plenty of time for pauses. Explore the images and mood of the text.
Movement/Gesture-At times the group may be invited to do such things as light a candle, pick up and hold one of the symbols from the sacred space, share a sign of peace or stand.
Quiet Time/Silence-Silence is necessary some times. Without silence our prayer is weakened. If we have no silence, how will we hear God speaking to us? Sometimes it is necessary to inform the members when there is going to be a time of silence.
Shared Prayer/ Reflection
Sharing should come freely from members. The leader may invite sharing and there may be a poor response, but people will share when they feel more familiar with the pattern of prayer.
Intercessions can be read by the leader or other members or prayed spontaneously. Have a simple response so that the group to respond with one voice.
Concluding Prayer This prayer may be said by the leader or everyone may be invited to join and pray. The group could finish the prayer by making the sign of the cross. Once the prayer begins, trust and let go. And let the Spirit work!
Time is not wasted
Prayer time can eventually develop from 10 min-20 min
duration as people become familiar with the format.
The Sacred Space
The Sacred Space… refers to a central, visual, focus for the group. It reminds the group of the presence of the Lord among them. It may be as simple as a candle placed on a cloth in the middle of the group.
The Setting… Mood and atmosphere are very important. Setting includes the lighting, heating and seating arrangements
What is chosen will depend on the images within the text of prayer and/or the time or season of the year.
Review the experience Tensions or concerns about the prayer or its leadership can be raised and
members can share the experiences and benefits of prayer in the group. Reviewing prayer reminds members not to take prayer for granted.
In and through the prayer..the PPC is giving itself a
very conscious reminder of the reason for being
together. It is also making a clear statement about what it chooses to do and how it chooses to go
about its work.
Without prayer the group will loose its vision and
motivation.
To summarise…
The very dynamic of prayer has at its core Godcalling us and our response underscores the collaborative spirit in which we are all called to engage with one another in the parish.
The direction in which prayer leads us sets us on the path of God’s work, a work greater than our selves but a work in which we are all called to participate in for the building of the kingdom
in the places in which we dwell.
Prayer for Autumn Days
God of the seasons, there is a time for everything;
there is a time for dying and a time for rising.We need courage to enter into
the transformation process.
God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.We, too, have our moments of surrender,
with all their insecurity and risk.Help us to let go when we need to do so.
God of fallen leaves lying in coloured patterns on the ground,
our lives have their own patterns.As we see the patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them.
