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Personally I do not take time to pray and when I do it is at school. I don’t really feel a connection with praying at home however I do feel somewhat of a connection when praying at the end of every school day. When reciting the college prayer I feel a connection to the words and to my classmates and teachers. I like the prayer as it describes becoming the best person we can be, not only to ourselves but to others – “That we will be instruments of peace; that we always find joy in the simple things; that we serve others with compassion; that we respect all your people on earth and all of creation”. I also connect to the prayer as it says to put all your trust in God and that he will watch over us. This relates directly to my belief in spirituality as I think he is higher power that I can trust and is always near to help me and help others when in need.

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God we pray:

That we will be instruments of peace;

That we always find joy in the simple things;

That we serve others with compassion;

That we respect all your people on Earth and all of creation.

May everything we do be grounded in love,

As we place our trust in you.

Saint Francis, Saint Clare and Elizabeth Hayes

Watch over us.

In the name of the Creator, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

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1. Lighting of college and house candles

During a liturgy the first part of mass I feel spiritually connected to, is the lighting of a candle. Although the mass has technically already commenced I feel as though this really marks the beginning as fire represents the presence of God.  I feel a spiritual connection because I feel as though through the presence of God he is there with me, listening to my prayers.

2. Breaking of the bread

The breaking of the bread is another part of the mass I feel a connection to. As well as the bread representing Jesus’ body, to me the bread also represents growth and life and the act of breaking the bread as a community is a sense of common celebration of  life.

3. Reflection/quiet time

Reflecting after the Eucharist gives me an unbelievable sense of spiritual connection. I feel as though when I pray after coming back from receiving the Eucharist my prayers will be answered and that someone or something is listening to me. After praying and reflecting a feel like I have left my worries behind and I no longer need to be concerned about them and I can go on.

4. Dismissal

To me, dismissal is probably the most meaningful part of mass. I feel like I’m at inner peace during and after the dismissal. I feel particularly relaxed, renewed and ready to go forth for the rest of the day with a positive mindset and connected more aware person

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A spiritual practice that I find to be particularly meaningful is walking the labyrinth. Walking this path makes me feel relaxed, renewed and connected. I find it especially meaningful to have an intention, something I am worried about or stressed over to have in mind before walking the journey. Focusing on the path and finally reaching the middle makes me feel as though I am ready to take on these challenges and it reassures me I will be able to overcome these worries. I think I feel this connection with God when walking because I try to put my faith in him. Slowly letting go when I’m walking allows me to do this and really trust I will get what I need out of the process. I think when walking taking my shoes off allows me to feel more spiritually connected, as I am able to really feel the path and follow it slowly. Being focused on just walking the path slowly taking my time to me means all my concerns escape my mind for just a few minutes. Although, those minutes can make me feel renewed and ready for the rest of the day. I feel uplifted and a sense of accomplishment after I complete the path and it overall makes me feel calm and more spiritually connected and aware.

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Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This particular passage from Romans really means a lot to my sense of spirituality. I like this passage because I think it is so important to stay true to myself and my values and beliefs. Especially at our age I think it can be quite easy to be influenced and stray away from these values. I believe that it is of paramount importance to be able to stay strong and true to what you believe in, even if someone close to you has different views. This passage also talks about God testing you and challenging you, “by testing you may discern what is the will of God”. I think God would not test me on anything if he didn’t think I handle or push past this to become a better version of myself and I often think about this when I feel challenged and like I can’t do anything more.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and be courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

I also feel a spiritual connection to this verse from Joshua. I think everyone feels alone sometimes especially in low times and I feel a unique feeling of happiness and hope knowing God is with me wherever I may go and will be there to help me even at the lowest of times. It gives me a sense of belonging and a connection with others, as I know he is with them to do the same. It also makes me feel compassionate and empathetic towards others as I know what they may be experiencing at that moment I may experience at one point or another and I want to be there to help.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Above is one example of the artists Christo’s incredible pieces of artwork. This piece was done in Venice where he created a path out onto the water and wrapped it in bright cloth. What I really like about his work is that it is there one minute and gone the next. The message I get from this is to live in the now and really embrace the gift of the present because it will be over soon enough. He wraps other popular sights and drastically changes the appearance of the sight for just a small amount of time. People come together to see work and as seen above in this piece it allowed people to do something they weren’t able to do before – walking on water. I think this has a really spiritual connection to being connected with others and to live in the present. It makes me realize I should not be dwelling on the past or be thinking about the future too much because the present will be gone in a second and I will miss out. I think God gives us these special moments that will last a lifetime and we should stop to take it in and embrace it. This relates to my spirituality as I think God gives us these moments and it is up to us to make it special. Such moments could be like experiencing Christo’s artworks in person and feeling that nothing else matters but this moment and this experience, which is why I love and feel connected to his work so much.

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Somewhere over the rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahr069-fzE

‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ is a very well known song across the globe that many people are able to connect with due to the soft music and meaningfully deep lyrics. To me this song is one I feel a special connection to and I often find myself listening to. I interpret the song, as being about hope and that the bad days will be over soon enough. I think this message is shown through lyrics throughout the song, with many meaningful passages, in particular the lyrics - “And the dreams that you dreamed of,dreams really do come true”.

I find this incredibly helpful when I am struggling or am feeling quite sad. Listening to the soft music and lyrics makes feel as though I can push through.  This song reminds me that at the edge of dark times I have hope and can put this hope into God and trust it. It helps me to feel connected with the earth and with others. “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world”

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Spirituality to me means to belong to something that gives me a sense of purpose in life, to be able to put my faith and hope into this manifested power and trust it can help me through life. I believe in God as a higher power and trust that he is always near to help me and help others when in need.