On the 12 November, four of our Liturgy Captains, Tamar Mazmanian, Eva Vumbaca, Emily Hansen and Gemma Gibbons, traveled to St Mary’s Cathedral for the annual Archbishop’s Student Leadership Forum. The forum was an opportunity for these leaders to join students from around the Archdiocese and discuss how they can be modern, contemporary and effective Catholic leaders. Our students had an opportunity to speak with Archbishop Anthony Fisher and who listened intently to their feedback and suggestions. The forum concluded with a 'Q&A' with the Archbishop followed by a prayer service.
A large percentage of the feedback from students focused on the challenges and distractions that they face in our fast-paced, secular world. They discussed the many difficulties of being a Catholic and Catholic leader in this climate. Many students talked about their peers, phones, social media, gaming and commercialism as significant distractors from their faith and from others. No doubt many of these facets of modern Australia distract all of us from living a Christ-centred life. The ABC program, Four Corners, ran an extremely engaging program last week on the effects of technology on literacy results in Australia. The effect technology especially smartphones has had in the last five years is evident in NAPLAN and other standardised testing, as our students are becoming skim readers due to their scrolling habits. The program interviewed two teenagers who stated that on average they spend 6 hours an evening on their phone or computer. A key element of living a Christ-centred life is the need for patience and contemplation. The practice of lectio divina is a contemplative way to read short passages of sacred text and discover meanings running deeper than the literal layer.
With the first reading of the sacred text, listen with your heart’s ear for a phrase or word that stands out for you.
During the second reading, reflect on what touches you, perhaps speaking that response aloud or writing in a journal.
After reading the passage a third time, respond with a prayer or expression of what you have experienced and ask yourself what this passage calls you to.
Finally, after a fourth reading, rest in silence.
Throughout our RE curriculum, we have incorporated lectio divina that helps to improve students becoming more aware and present to the world around them. However, finding silence, finding time to think, to listen, is a skill that we seem to be losing.
As the psychologist, Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” He wrote this over 25 years ago and I fear with the instant gratification of our secular, consumer world with all of us posting pictures of our ‘best life’ on Insta; have we stopped listening to each other and to God? How can we recapture this? And what advice can we provide young people today who are searching for meaning and purpose? In our faith, we turn to the Gospels and to Jesus, to find the truth, the way, and the life.