MY SIGNIFICANT LEARNING AND HOW I WILL APPLY IT

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Generally, all communities require a similar way of behaving. We have to be obliging and willing to do things for others instead of being critical and rebellious. To belong to a community we need support and encouragement from others in the same way as they need us.

Some examples of communities are our family, friends, school and global network.

I have learnt that not only do our parents have to love us, provide for us and make sure we grow well but that even we have to contribute towards our family in whatever way we can.

This lesson has encouraged me to start helping around with my sister and encouraging her to clean up our room and do little chores around the house so that the house is neat when our parents come home tired from work. This will make them feel happy and relaxed.

Doing chores will also make us responsible and ability to handle independently other challenges / responsibilities that may come our way.

Another community we must consider is, our friends. We often go to them for companionship, advice and communication. A person’s community of friends varies a lot and different people look to special types of people as friends. Physical distance may often bond us closer to our friends than to our family. Friends are a source of warmth, comfort and a safe haven from the world.

On my part, I must be a faithful friend, provide a listening ear and share in all my friends’ experiences. I must be constructively critical when they do something wrong and show my concern for them with thoughtful and empathetic actions when they need it. From now on, I will try my hardest to be a better friend by doing little things to make everyone I know feel special and loved. For example, I can bake small cupcakes for my friends on their birthday or make them a personal handmade gift or card.

Jesus had close friends (the Apostles) who are examples of what true friends are like. The saying “We are what our friends are” is quite true.

My school is where I am for a considerable part of the day. Here I interact with my teachers and classmates and learn how to behave socially and respectfully towards others. The teachers are responsible for inculcating values which may not be taught at home. It is up to us to make sure that the school is kept clean and un-littered. This teaches us to carry around the sense of cleanliness that will always help us keep our surroundings clean. The school also relies on me to respect the staff and behave in a way that will not degrade the school.

I try to keep the school tidy whenever possible by throwing plastic wrapping or aluminum foil in the garbage bin. There are recycling bins at school where I put bags of plastic or paper in. This helps keep both, my house less cluttered and the environment cleaner.

Apart from this I am part of the huge global community. I might be a tiny speck in the sea of people but everything I do for this immense community matters. As human beings the earth is our responsibility and I was taught that God created us to be stewards and stewardesses of the earth. This calls attention to the fact that we are in charge of the earth just as we look after our own homes.

For my part I will try my hardest to study well so that as I grow up I can find solutions to the problems faced by so many of the earth’s population.

Apart from the various communities spoken about, there is a community whose members are all of us Christians. This is the Christian community who belong to a parish. We are mostly dependent on our parish for the important sacraments such as Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and the Eucharist.

I learnt of a verse in the bible which states that, “Though we are many, we are one body ...

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For my part I will try my hardest to study well so that as I grow up I can find solutions to the problems faced by so many of the earth’s population.

I learnt of a verse in the bible which states that, “Though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body”. This emphasizes what Jesus told us about using our gifts to their fullest. These gifts could be money, talents or other resources and have been given to us by God so that each of us has something to contribute to the church. When we give of the gifts we possess, we are using the different parts of Christ’s body – the Church.

Through the various exercises we did, my eyes were opened to the different things people have to offer Jesus.

I have realized the ways in which I can reflect Jesus through my thoughts, words and deeds. When a classmate of mine needs help with their studies I will use the gift of patience and intelligence to help them understand. When working in a group, instead of pushing all my ideas forward, I can allow everyone to have a say making the work more interesting and creative.

In our Christian community we can never do too much towards helping others less fortunate. Every week when I collect my pocket money I make sure that I gave some of it to the church donations. However little I give I feel happy because I know that I am saving at least on person from starvation and for me that is a miracle in itself.

The Church often celebrates different events in Jesus’ life from large ones such as Christmas and Good Friday to smaller ones like Epiphany and finally ordinary time. Each season has different colors and each color has its own significance.

The Church Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent which is four weeks before Christmas. During this time the church vestments are purple because purple is a sign of penance. During Advent we feel sorry for all our sins and prepare for the coming of Jesus. During Advent I often make lists of what I have done wrong and try to ask God to forgive me. Most of my prayers are done with my family because we see Advent as a time of penance together.

Christmas follows Advent and is the season of peace, joy and love. We rejoice at the birth of Jesus and the colors white and gold symbolize the life and light that Jesus had brought into our lives. Christmas is a time when we celebrate the glorious birth of Jesus with all of our Christian and non-Christian friends. This helps others witness the delight of Jesus’ coming into the world. Christmas ends on the 6th of January which is the Feast of the Magi or Epiphany.

Epiphany is when the three wise men saw Jesus. This is also symbolic because it illustrates how not only Christians can experience Jesus but that everyone even Pagans can be part of Jesus’ love.

After this the Church has Ordinary Time which is when ordinary events of Jesus’ life were celebrated. This includes times when Jesus did miracles and healed people. The Church wears green as a sign of new growth and hope.

Lent is for forty days and is a time of fasting and preparation to commemorate the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. We feel remorseful for our sins and ask pardon from God. It is because of us that Jesus suffered and we repent whole heartedly. We also promise Jesus that we will allow him to live in our lives. The church wears purple as a sign of penance to demonstrate our deep sorrow. During Lent I fast and pray regularly to show Jesus that I am truly sorry for my sins and honestly want to be a better person. I don’t want him to have died in vain so by my own sacrifices it will make his death worthwhile.

The last week of Lent is the holy week and includes days such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. Good Friday is the day Jesus died for our sins and it is a day of mourning. This is preceded by Easter Sunday which is the most important day in the whole of the Church calendar because it is the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

This joyous day signifies the eternal nature of our God and the hope of Eternal Life. The church used white and gold as the colors of its vestments to depict the light that Jesus is and how he shines forth amidst the gloom. During Easter I feel very positive because I feel confident that I am secure in Jesus’ promise of coming back once more to take me with him to heaven.

The Catholic Church is a group of persons who seek to know God through the Scriptures and celebrate the sacrament. Catholic means `universal’ and was started by the apostles. `Universal’ defines the church as a single body and not as separate entities. It depicts the unity of all Christians in Jesus. We as Christians should be the body through which Jesus can continue his work in other peoples lives.

Another reason the church is universal is that Jesus has been accepted as the head of the church. He is a part of our worship and all churches believe in him.

Some ways through which even I can continue Gods work in the world today is by being an active part of all good deeds of the church. I help with the Youth group so that all young people of today can hear the word of God and apply it in their lives. It is a way of spreading the Good News because these young people will go and in turn tell their parents who will be encouraged to be godlike as well.

Even though the embers of a Church come from all over the world and have different cultures they follow the same system of Christianity everywhere. The Sacrament of Baptism is considered important in any church because it was said that one duty of the Church is to “baptize all nations”.

The Church is also called to be holy because through Christ it had been sanctified. I want to be as holy as I can because that for God is a way of showing him how much we love him. It is the small sacrifices we make that profess our love.

The Apostles who founded the Church were sent forth by Jesus to preach the Good News to people all over the world. Till today we continue to practice the teachings bestowed upon us by St. Peter who was the first Pope. Though certain people are called by God to the Sacrament of Holy orders, even I am call to be prophet, priest and king. As a prophet I must spread the word of God to other people so that his love can be manifested throughout the nation. As a priest I should anoint, though this is not always necessary I have still been given the authority. Finally as king, I must be willing to lead. Instead of shirking what I have to be doing I must be bold and brave in the world.

The Catholic faith is beautiful as it is so accepting and undemanding in nature. It has room for change and tries to be as involved in the world as possible. Some of the perspectives of the Catholic Church have particularly captured me because of their uniqueness.

One of these views is that the Catholics believe that God is present everywhere and in everything. All creation is a manifestation of his wonderful love and glory. Due to this lesson I have realized this glorious truth and see wonder in all creation. For example the retreat we went for, was full of beautiful scenery and noises. While sitting quietly I could hear the birds chirping in the trees, singing Gods praise. I could feel the cool breeze and the hot sun. Everything made me think of how magnificent all creation is. This urges me to do good things to other people because I think about how they are images and temples of God. I am sure they see Him reflected in me when I do little things that improve their day.

Another lovely belief is the fact that Catholicism is open to all truth and to every good value, no matter what its origin. This carries on Jesus’ mission of bringing the Good News to everyone, from Gentile to Jew. When they see how accepting we are of their faiths it helps them warm up to our beliefs too. My other non-Christian friends love reading my books of bible stories and I at the same time understand their religion. This makes both of us respect each others faiths instead of disregarding them.

Finally the fact that Catholics believe in shared leadership demonstrates the order accentuated on the Church. It is not a disorderly and unruly faith. It is one where all the members respect each other and hold each other in high esteem. We are devoid of jealousy and hate being here to fulfill only God’s purposes and not our own. The pope and bishops are wise men who are guided by the Holy Spirit therefore making them worthy of leadership. When I attend Church I often pray for these men and women of God who often have to make difficult choices in life. I pray that they follow God’s will in this world where it is so easy to overlook his path and follow your own.

Though I have only spoken about a few there are so many other viewpoints of the Catholics which glorify God’s name in every way. Catholic faith goes a long way back in time and is a fruitful and spiritual way of life.

My favorite part of the lesson was the Beatitudes. They are ways of living which if followed will make us happy. Jesus gave them to us because he wanted the best for us. He was so loving and cared so much for our happiness that he gave us these eight tips on how to live well.

The first Beatitude asks us to be Prayerful and is symbolized by joined hands, which is the symbol of prayer. By this Jesus asks us to give all we have to God and live by the means he will provide us with. We should not rely on worldly possessions, because they are transient and will soon pass away. Instead, we should be like the woman who gave her few worldly possessions to the Lord. This just goes to show that no matter how small our wealth, we must offer it to God. He will provide for us.

The second beatitude tells us to be caring. This means that we must empathize with other people and their suffering. We should not be indifferent to others problems and consider only our selfish interests. When we need help we will have God on our side. His assistance will come from even the most unexpected sources. I try to be as involved as possible in the hurt or need of my companions. If I see someone unhappy, I try my best to provide support and help wherever I can.

The fourth Beatitude tells us to be fair. This is an intriguing statement as we must remember that it does not profess equality but fairness. The difference is that not everyone should have equal standards and allowances for varying needs and wants of people must be considered. I don’t often treat all my friends equally. One might need a listening ear, another assistance in studies and yet another, someone to play with. However, I try to give everyone what they require and need.

These three beatitudes are the ones that impacted me the most. Relying on God for his mercies and using his guidance to live my life and enhance that of others, can surely help me to prepare for eternal life with HIM.

From this essay on what I have learnt and how I wish to apply them I have found out new ways to discover Christ in all beings.