# data[].attributes.body
'Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.'
Gautama Buddha

Gautama Buddha was a spiritual leader whose teachings were said to of founded Buddhism. It is said that he taught and shared his wisdom mostly in the eastern part of ancient India between the fourth and sixth centuries BCE. Gautama Buddha was known for practicing ahimsa, ahimsa is one of the five Yamas which are ethical and social guidelines. Ahimsa is to practice non-violence in all aspects of life mental and physical. Non-violence is defined by compassion and true love.

This quote from Gautama Buddha speaks of Being mindful of your current state of personal spirituality, it is important to your journey as it allows you to be free of any other stressors from your past or future and to solely focus on the now and what you need to do in that moment. Giving your full attention to one sole purpose will assist you to progress in whatever you may be doing at that time.

# data[].attributes.body
According to google the definition of spirituality is: 'Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.'

2017 Oxford University Press

This definition from Oxford University in some ways sums up my definition of spirituality.  My personal definition of spirituality is heavily based on the lack of material and physical things; this is why I relate to the definition. In my mind, spirituality is something bigger than ourselves. I believe that in order to grow as a spiritual being one needs to let go of the physical and material aspect of life and begin to focus on what they consider to be important, what they value as a human being.

# data[].attributes.headline
Critique of Mount Alvernia College Opening Mass

# data[].attributes.subject
Critique of Mount Alvernia College Opening Mass

# data[].attributes.body
Early February, Mount Alvernia College held their opening mass which happens at the start of each academic year and is open to any and all members of the Mount Alvernia community. This mass is an annual occurrence and is important for all Catholics. For me, the purpose of the mass is to refresh my spiritual connection to the school and bring me once again together with the community here at school. I connect mostly with the liturgy of the word, as it is put into terms and relates to the things happening in my life. When I think back on the mass the aspect that I remember most was the 'we go' portion of the mass. This whole part of the mass is about applying what we heard to what we do in our everyday lives and how we can go and change the world for the better. This for me really solidifies what the mass was all about and makes it a memorable experience.  At the beginning of every college gathering, we recite the acknowledgment of country and light both our college and aboriginal candles to symbolize the sharing of land and to acknowledge the presence of other cultures within our community. I have always found this to be such a special and spiritual part of any gathering. Acknowledging previous custodians of the land and any aboriginal presence within the room shows a great sense of togetherness and gathering, this is one of the many reasons I enjoy the 'we gather' part of the mass. The 'we do' section of the mass, I believe is vital to understanding the theme and meaning of the mass as it provides a visual and interactive aspect to the mass and requires the audience to not only get involved but also to think. 'We listen', part of the mass Is the bulk of the gathering and provides all of the information and the meaning of the gathering. This is where the mass is related to the Bible and when we hear gospel passages and other scriptures from the Bible. Without this part of the mass, it would not have its content or meaning. This is a vital part of any religious gathering.

# data[].attributes.body
The peace prayer of St Francis of Assisi, in my opinion, is considered to be a very well known prayer used by a lot of Franciscans. the peace prayer I one that I grew up with and heard a lot in my younger years. the peace prayer is what my spirituality is heavily based upon and I consider it t be a very sacred prayer.

The theme of the prayer is peace and kindness within all people, it talks about changing the negative as you see it to the positive E.G. where there is doubt, faith. I like this prayer as it not only preaches about peace and kindness but implores you to do something about the darkness that you may come across in your day to day life. I have been reading this prayer from a very young age and believe that it has played a vital role in sculpting my spiritual beliefs.

# data[].attributes.body
One act that I partake in regularly is meditating. I meditate to calm me down and let go of my stressors. Doing this restarts my body and allows my to think of things in a different way. Meditating is not something that is done in my family so I tend to do this alone in my bedroom. I like to spend at least 10 minutes a day to take some time for myself and focus on my state of mind just to make sure I am doing okay and to remind myself of all that I am grateful for.  Doing this daily makes me a happier and more balanced person, and I notice that if I miss a meditation I will become stressed and overwhelmed with what my day entails.

# data[].attributes.body
'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,'
Galatians 5:22

This particular quote from Galatians was written by Paul the Apostle and is known as the ‘Fruit of the Holy Spirit’. It can be found in the New testament in the ninth book named Paul’s letters. The letters were most likely to of been written approximately 55-56 C.E. The New Testament, in my opinion, is more focused on love and peace. This is because the New Testament is written after the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is why this quote is based so strongly around the fruit of the spirit.

This scripture Passage from Galatians 5:22 speaks to me on a deeper level. The passage states that the fruit of spirituality is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. This to me means in the core of every one spiritual being is kindness love and peace. I completely agree and connect with this statement and think it to be true. Entering into a state of peace is highly important in the journey that is life. This state of peace can be with oneself or with those around you. I think to fully understand and fulfill your spirituality as a person you first need to enter this state of peace with your life and you will, therefore, be able to continue on.

# data[].attributes.body
This song, Imagine by John Lennon, in my opinion, talks about peace within all people. He expresses his thoughts about not having violence and conflicts within today's society and also goes on to sing about not having a heaven or hell. My belief is that John is explaining his thoughts about minimizing conflict, He goes into detail about having no religion and no countries. John hopes the world will come together in unity one day.

I personally connect with this song on a spiritual level as it talks about peace and kindness evident in every human being. learning to be kind to those around you is considered to be an important stage of growing up and becoming a better person, I completely agree with this and think that this part of growing up is vitally important. In my opinion being kind and peaceful towards others and to yourself is an important part of growing as a spiritual being. This is because it does not just effect your spiritual experience but that of the ones around you, and you learn to consider and appreciate the people around you.

# data[].attributes.body
This artwork by Banksy was featured heavily in his 2005 'wall and peace book' and is seen in Jerusalem. It is in Jerusalem because in 2005 an LGBT+ parade was held and attacked by protesters. The piece of art shows a masked man about to throw a bunch of flowers instead of a weapon. The painting is in black and white apart from the bunch of the flower, they are the only bit of colour within the artwork.

This piece of art represents the violence that is occurring within our world in a way that shows kindness and peace. It depicts current events in a mature way, which I believe is extremely important realizing that violence and anger are not going to solve the world's problems. Although it is something that is said to us as a child 'violence is never the answer' actually coming to terms with this and living a life free from harm is a new level of spirituality that is hard to achieve.

# data[].attributes.body
Spirituality to me is defined as something that is bigger than ourselves. This could be something we are hoping to achieve, for example, self-actualization or something we look up to and consider sacred. My belief is that spirituality should not involve physical or material aspects of life and should not include things such as money or career.

My belief is that from a certain age you begin to work and live your life aiming for a certain goal or following the teaching of a certain person. Although spirituality is commonly associated with religion, the goal or person does not have to be religious. The person could be your parents and the goal could be to complete a yoga pose. Spirituality could be a big or small goal and is not defined by any one religion.