1. Led by St Joseph’s Guardian Archangels

2. 'Christians have guardian angels to encourage and guide them‘
Prayer
On October 2nd 2018, Pope Francis was saying a mass commemorating the Universal Church's Feast Day of Guardian Angels.
He said……
'Christians have guardian angels to encourage and guide them‘

3. Angels
He added, Christians should heed their guardian angel and listen to 'their inspirations, which are always from the Holy Spirit.'
Let us pause for a moment and think about the words said by our Holy Pontiff

4. Annunciation
Monday 25th March was the Feast of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel Appeared to Mary to tell her she was going to have a son.
He was to be called Jesus and would be the son of God!
What a special day!

5. Angels We now want to read to you a beautiful and moving poem.
It is written from the point of view of the blessed Archangel Gabriel when he is chosen by God to be the one who is to appear to Mary and bring her the good news.
Close your eyes and listen carefully….

6. Gabriel’s Annunciation By Jan Richardson
For a moment I hesitated on the threshold. For the space of a breath I paused, unwilling to disturb her last ordinary moment, knowing that the next step would cleave her life: that this day would slice her story in two, dividing all the days before from all the ones to come.
The artists would later depict the scene: Mary dazzled by the archangel, her head bowed in humble assent, awed by the messenger who condescended to leave paradise to bestow such an honor upon a woman, and mortal.

7. Gabriel’s Annunciation
Yet when the time came, when I had stammered the invitation (history would not record the sweat on my brow, the pounding of my heart; would not note that I said Do not be afraid to myself as much as to her) it was she who saved me— her first deliverance— her Let it be not just declaration to the Divine but a word of solace, of soothing, of benediction
Yet I tell you it was I who was dazzled, I who found myself agape when I came upon her— reading, at the loom, in the kitchen, I cannot now recall; only that the woman before me— blessed and full of grace long before I called her so— shimmered with how completely she inhabited herself, inhabited the space around her, inhabited the moment that hung between us.
I wanted to save her from what I had been sent to say.

8. Gabriel’s Annunciation
for the angel in the doorway who would hesitate one last time— just for the space of a breath torn from his chest— before wrenching himself away from her radiant consent, her beautiful and awful yes.
Let us pause for a moment’s silence…

9. Archangels
As St Joseph’s Archangels, we too have been thinking about how God has chosen us to bring good news to everyone here at St Joseph's and to the wider community.
We think about how we too can be the best Angels we can be through the love of Jesus.

10. Archangels
We ask the parents and staff here today and our St Joseph’s family to pray for us.
We ask that through your prayers of intercession, we will be guided by the Holy Spirit and all the angels in heaven to help us lead all our school through their spiritual and Catholic journey.
Please join us as we say;
Hail Mary…

11. Holy Spirit Guidance Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit O Lord,
and they shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that by the same Holy Spirit
we may be truly wise
and ever enjoy His consolations,
Through Christ Our Lord,
Amen.