QUESTIONS
- According to the article and from your own thoughts, what are some examples of experiences that people share around the world?
- What does commercialised mean?
- What effect do you think commercialism has on different celebrations or religious occasions?
- How has lockdown been like the destruction of the temple in 70CE?
- What does knowing you have a global family and knowing ‘we are in it, working together’ mean to you?
ACTIVITIES
Friends from afar: Find a school or a parish from another country. Send an email or write a letter asking if there are any youth who would like to be pen-pals with you. You can do this with your class or youth group, with a friend or individually. Attach a letter that describes what your experience of living your day-to-day life as a is like in your country. Include some questions to ask about what school is like for them or how they live their day-to-day life. You can include photos, drawings, maps, diagrams. Make sure to include your contact details so whoever receives your letter or email can send a reply.
Trust circle: Stand in a circle. Everyone faces to the left. Hold on to the shoulders of the person in front of you. On the count of three, slowly sit on the lap of the person behind you. As a class, reflect on what makes this circle work. How do you think this circle reflects our global family? In what ways do different countries rely on and connect with eachother?
Panel: Invite three people from your local community to come and speak to the class about their works in the community. You can centre the conversation around what community means to them, and whether it has changed over time. Give students time to ask questions.
Breaking language barriers: There is a unique opportunity thanks to the global pandemic and like John O’Leary from Cape Town South Africa did, we invite you to participate in a different country’s liturgy. Find a livestreamed liturgy from another country, even one in another language. Can you follow the mass the same as at home? Did you know when to sit, stand, kneel, pray? Was there anything different about how the mass was celebrated in the music, the church’s décor?
Biblical reflection: Read Romans 15:4-13 out loud. In this scripture, St Paul is encouraging Gentiles and Jews to come together and glorify God with one mind and one voice. Research who Gentiles are and who Jews are. Why did St Paul encourage them to accept one another despite their differences?
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you re-read Romans 15:4-13. Sit quietly with the scripture. Pause on any words that catch your attention. Ask God what He wants to show you through this scripture. What is God telling you through these verses about Himself? What is He telling you about how to live your life?
FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS
Incursion: Go on an incursion to another classroom in your school. Ask the students to take notes on a clipboard of things that are the same and of things that are different in the other classroom. Prompt students with questions like: Does the teacher ask questions in the same way? Are the rules the same? Do they have school work displayed around the room too? Are the students wearing the same uniform? Are the students the same age? Are they studying the same topics? Are they learning the same material? How do you know that this is a classroom? What makes you think this classroom is from the same school as your classroom?
When you’ve returned to your classroom or gathered together in the playground, make a circle. Tell the students that visiting other places around the world can be like visiting a different classroom in the same school. Even though there might be some small differences in language, or in the way the room is decorated, or in the music that is sung, we can know that we are all part of the global family.
Excursion: To make this activity a pilgrimage, tour local Catholic parishes or the local Catholic Cathedral. Alternatively, visit one local parish and watch online footage of masses around the world. Take notes on what is the same in each parish and what is different. Ask the students how we know that all these churches are Catholic. Tell the students that even though there might be some small differences in language, in the way the church is decorated or in the music that is sung to praise God, we can know that all Catholics are celebrating the same faith.