www.tcdsb.org • #TCDSBelongs

FAiTHTALK: A Joint Initiative of TCDSB and Radio Maria in celebration of our pastoral plan, Rooted in Christ: we Belong, we Believe, we Become, students in Grade 7 – 12 TCDSB were invited to submit a two-page (500 word) proposal (in any format, essay, brochure, infographic, video, etc.) about how they are ‘living their faith’ today. Topics could include: Faith and Social Media, Religion in our Classroom, Inclusion and Equity, Virtues of the Month, Catholic Graduate Expectations in Today’s World, Catholic Social Teachings, Parish Connections, Christian Meditation, Rooted in Christ: we Belong, we Believe, we Become, Acts of Kindness etc.

Based on those submissions, one student was selected to be on air, at Radio Maria Canada for a 30 minute segment speaking about their own personal faith journey during Catholic Education Week May 5-10, 2019.

The winner was Marcia Dubsky, a grade 12 student at Dante Alighieri Academy.

All the submissions are highlighted in this digital scrap book, which will serve as a lasting reminder of the impact of faith on the lives of our students.

www.tcdsb.org • #TCDSBelongs

32 Luca C. Virtues of the Month

34 Marianne C. Faith Talk

35 Matthew C. Rooted in Christ

36 Maya N. Inclusion and Equity

37 Saruja S. Why is Helping People Important?

38 Simon L. Catholic Social Justice

40 Sion L. Faith Talks

42 Sydney D. Participation and Subsidiarity

43 Tiago V. Virtues of the Month

44 Tomas P. Religion in My Classroom and in My School

45 Trinity O. Living my Faith

46 Vincent P. Faith Alive = Church Alive – Refl ection

16 Hazel O. Faith and Social Media

17 Hephzibah A. Catholic Principle of Social Justice

19 Isabella I. Faith Talk

22 Jathusa S. My Faith Journey

23 Jay Matthew J. Faith Talk

24 Jean-Luc P. Faith Talk

25 Jessica A. Faith Talk

26 Joshua A. Catholic Graduate Expectations:

27 Kaitlyn Marie L. My Parish Connections

28 Kathy M. The 12 Virtues of the Month

29 Katie D. Living my faith

23 Laura P. Faith Talk

Contents

1 Marcia D. - Winner How I live my Faith Today?

3 Andrea W. Catholic Social Teachings

4 Anita A. Virtues of the Month

6 Asyl J. Catholic Social Teaching

7 Cameron E. Faith a nd Social Media

8 Claudia S. Religion in Our Classroom

9 Emily K. Living my Faith

10 Emma B. Virtues of the Month

12 Eric K. Faith Talk

13 Eric R. Faith and Social Media

14 Giulia C. Faith

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL

BOARD TRUSTEES 2018 - 2019

Wards

1. Joseph Martino 416-512-3401

2. Markus de Domenico 416-512-3402

3. Ida Li Preti 416-512-3403

4. Teresa Lubinski 416-512-3404

5. Maria Rizzo, Chair 416-512-3405

6. Frank D’Amico 416-512-3406

7. Michael Del Grande, Vice-Chair 416-512-3407

8. Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408

9. Norm Di Pasquale 416-512-3409

10. Daniel Di Giorgio 416-512-3410

11. Angela Kennedy 416-512-3411

12. Nancy Crawford 416-512-3412

Taylor Dallin, Student Trustee 416-512-3413

Joel Ndongmi, Student Trustee 416-512-3417

Rory McGuckin, Director of Education

Maria Rizzo, Chair of the Board

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Marcia DubskyDante Alighieri Academy

WINNERHow I live my Faith Today?

I am an 18 year old International student from Brazil. I am currently in grade 12 at Dante Alighieri Academy in Toronto. We are rooted in Christ since we are babies, and as we grow up, we eventually fi nd our purpose and mission. Every step that we take is a sign of faith, but how do we turn faith into action? How do I live my faith each day and become a “faithing” person?

Every action, and every decision that we make can cause a huge impact on the world around us.

My unique experience with faith is not perfect. I am not perfect. However, every step that I take is about making a diff erence; and that’s how each one of us needs to live our faith today. My feelings are an expression of my faith, because every sign, detail and simple moments that I live on earth are part of my connection to others, and as such my connection to Christ.

My faith is not based on the things that people think I should do, but it comes naturally from the essence of my heart. I live my faith by following my natural instincts to help others and show kindness to those around me. My experiences as a volunteer at Good Shepherd Ministries has taught me I have a servant’s heart and responsibility to treat my fellow human beings with compassion and humility. This is because each person motivates me to live my faith today. That person is a representation of God, just like we all are.

It is for that particular reason that I continue my faith journey. We are all connected in Christ. Th e colour of our skin, our skills, our social status, our story does not mean anything in the end, as long as we hold fast to our faith in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Th ere are moments that I sit in my room, after a long and busy day, and I fi nd myself in tears trying to fi nd a reason to move on - I usually feel something strong inside of me as if my veins will explode.

Watch Marcia’s session on Radio Maria Canada:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDsv2OKikLk&feature=youtu.be

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Marcia D., Dante Alighieri Academy

However, there is something that I carry with me daily that allows me to follow my faith, pursue my dreams and reach my goals and expectations: the image of Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins. No matter the circumstances of my life, and your life: his love for me, or you and all of the people around the world is endless. I take comfort and inspiration in His supreme sacrifi ce for me and use this as a daily reminder that I must be an inspiration through my actions each day.

As an International student from Brazil, I feel very fortunate to be in a country such as Canada, because it provides me an opportunity to witness Christ in the city of Toronto just as impactful as Christ the Redeemer that sits atop the mount in Rio De Janeiro. I have had the privilege to meet many wonderful people that have made me feel a sense of belonging. I live my faith by working with my fellow students on a variety of school-based initiatives such as student council, leadership, faith days, and concerts.

Being part of the Dante Family has made me feel at home, even though my biological home is very far away. I feel very accomplished to have the chance to live my faith in this incredible community. Th e refl ection of my faith is also the ability and courage to say no to the various temptations that the world has to off er me. I avoid these temptations which would only lead to negative consequences in my life. I strive to be my best self each day and follow the example of Christ on earth. He walked on simple sandals and wore simple clothes, and that’s how I want to be remembered: a humble person.

I would never imagine myself: a simple girl from a simple city from Sao Paulo, to have the privilege to live my faith in a diff erent country: in a diff erent faith community. I have always questioned myself about the way I should live my faith, but I guess after going through all of these experiences that have opened my mind, to live my faith is to listen to what other people have to say and focus on their needs. I do not defi ne myself using materialistic things, but try to fi nd beauty in everything and everyone I meet. I live my faith through the daily smiles I off er to those around me as well as the words of comfort and advice in their times of darkness. I seek to be a light to other people in that darkness.

In the end, I live my faith through my thoughts, words and actions. My faith has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember, yet I do not take this for granted. It is something I work on daily and honestly believe that my faith has manifested in to the person I am today. Catholic Social Teachings.

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Andrea W.Michael Power St. Joseph

Catholic Social Teachings “Catholic Social Teaching is a collection of teachings that are designed to refl ect the Church’s social mission in response to the challenges of the day.”

“Catholics try to think, act and live in a way that is faithful to the teaching of Jesus and to the example he set for us since we are by nature social beings that clearly includes building a more just society”. A society where the hungry are fed the homeless fi nd shelter and most importantly the dignity of every person is recognized and respected but what exactly can ensured Catholic Christians do about building a more just society?

A key principle of Catholic Social Teaching is human dignity. Th e dictionary says dignity is the state of being worthy of honour or respect. “Human dignity is sometimes described as the cornerstone or the foundation of Catholic social teaching.” Th e source of church teaching on dignity is the Book of Genesis, from Genesis 1:26-27, the church teaches that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “every human person created in the image of God has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being.” If you are described as being the image of someone it usually means you look like them, based on what i have read we do refl ect God. Th e image of God means that human beings refl ect God. For example, in our ability to be creative,to make free rational decisions and to love. “Catholic Social Teachings says that since God is refl ected in every person the dignity of every person must be respected.” “Th e Vatican II document Gaudium Et Spes says about human dignity that there is a growing awareness of every person’s exalted dignity everyone must consider their every neighbour as another self-taking into account the means necessary to live with dignity.”

Catholic believes that human life is something sacred a gift of God and that we are all God’s children. Pope John XXII wrote: “there will be no peace or justice in the world until we return to a sense of our dignity as creatures and children with God.” We can respect human dignity by considering other people’s needs, pray for them,uphold their rights, act in solidarity, care for the earth because it was given for everyone.

Catholic Social Teaching asks everyone to treat other people with dignity. Th ere are so many experiences that we can learn from the bible. Th e experiences that people learn from the bible experienced are the same things that are experienced daily people in people’s live. We experience unconditional love from our living God, we experience healing which could be either be physically or spiritually. Th ese experiences enable people to be people of faith because there is a living God who will never forsake us no matter what we experience in our daily lives.

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Anita A. St. Elizabeth Seton C.S.

Virtues of the MonthGreetings honourable judges, members of the RadioMaria Contest, teachers, staff ,

worthy competitors and interested audience.

Christians are called to be the salt and light in an unsalted, sinful, darkened world. What better way to remind the students about “Virtues” than educating them about what it means and how we can live a life full of it.

Biblical virtues are traits that leads to good behaviour, good manners, kindness, generosity, wisdom and most importantly care and love for others. In the bible, Paul said: “Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, and lovely and of good report, if it is anything praiseworthy – that we meditate on these things.

Let’s begin by talking about September’s Virtue of the Month, - “Hospitality”. Hospitality is making people feel welcome. It is treating guests in a warm, friendly, and generous way. Let us make everyone feel welcome in our school so they feel accepted and loved.

October’s Virtue is -“Gratitude”. It is giving thanks to God for all he has provided; being grateful for those in our lives, our parents, teachers and staff in our schools. Th ere are numerous passages in the bible that talk about gratitude; this is to encourage us to give thanks in all circumstances and to be content in everything that we have. Th e Greek philosopher Cicero once declared; “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others”

November’s Virtue is “Peace”. According to Pope John Paul II “It is not just the absence of war, it involves mutual respect and confi dence between people and nations. Students can remember this and use this in dealing with confl ict with fellow students. In Matthew 5:9 it is written: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Sons of God.”

December’s Virtue is “Charity”. It is loving one another as Jesus loves us; helping to provide the needs of others. It is a supernatural virtue that helps us to love God and our neighbours more than ourselves. It helps the students remember to be generous to the poor and needy

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“Courage”. January’s virtue, can help the students remember that Courage is being brave and overcoming our fears; being generous to the poor and needy. It is a moral strength in the face of danger that is a virtue if we choose to do good especially when it is most diffi cult.

February’s Virtue is Love. It is cooperating with God’s grace to bless others, to be self-sacrifi cing, compassionate and just. Like charity, this helps students strongly love each other at school as God’s children.

March’s Virtue is “Forgiveness”. It is forgiving someone; letting go of anger or of being upset over a situation. Forgiveness is something all of us want to receive but all of us hesitate to give. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 6:14-15, if you do not forgive others, your father will not forgive your sins.

Justice is April’s virtue of the month. Th is helps students make education an important vehicle promoting equity, equality, fairness and social justice in society at large, and to help schools to be caring and inclusive learning places in which students see and experience equality and social justice in their daily life.

May’s virtue is “Compassion” To show regard or consideration for others. Th e students can learn that compassion alludes to kindness and sympathy, but there is something deeper and more powerful, it means a strong desire to help the suff ering

Lastly, June’s virtue of the month is “Faithfulness”. It has the same meaning with loyal, true, constant, fast and steadfast. As a child or even as a student, you can already practice faithfulness when you say, keeping your word, staying loyal as a friend and even fulfi lling responsibilities and commitments to both home and school.

Living these virtues in our everyday lives makes us a true follower of Christ and the more we do good the more the world can be a better place for everyone.

Th ank you all for listening and I hope you learned as much as I did while researching about these virtues. God bless you all.

Anita A., St. Elizabeth Seton C.S.

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Asyl J.

Catholic Social Teaching - Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: What is a Catholic Social Teaching?

Catholic Social Teaching touches upon many diff erent aspects of life, from the family to international development, how we think of those who are homeless to how we care for the environment, and from how we shop and consume to the rights of workers and the dignity of work. It is important not only to pray and love God but to also put good deeds to action. All the diff erent areas that Catholic Social Teaching touches upon have developed from practical refl ection on the realities of modern life in the light of the principles and themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Th ere are 7 themes; Life and dignity of the human person, call to the family. Community and participation, right and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, solidarity and care for God’s creation. I chose to do option for the poor and vulnerable.

What is the Option For The Poor And Vulnerable?As followers of Jesus Christ, we are challenged to make an option for the poor,

namely, to create for marginalized voices to be heard, to defend the defenseless, and to assess lifestyles, policies and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor. Th e option for the poor is to strengthen the whole community by assisting those who are most vulnerable. Th e needs of the less fortunate are to be taking in consideration over the poor. Homelessness and poverty are becoming such an issue and it is up to us to help and save these people. Th at is what the Option For Th e Poor And Vulnerable is. It is to help those in need by educating students so they can further take action. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” - Proverbs 31:8-9.

How Can you help? Donate: If you have the chance and see a homeless person, even donating a few cents still helps out greatly.  And remember you’re doing a good deed. Volunteer: Volunteering at a food drive or charity is a great way to help out your community and the homeless. Volunteering will make you happy and it shows your selfl essness for others. Be respectful: Even if you don’t directly help them, you should always treat people the way you want to be treated. Even if they have less, you should not devalue them as a person for that.

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Faith a nd Social MediaToday’s society is highly infl uenced by social media and online trends. Th ey are

infl uenced so much that it even aff ects how they dress, act, talk and it can impact their faith in some ways. Th ese changes can be good and bad in others. For example, someone could be scrolling through their phone and see a video talking about the eff ects of the fur industry and how many animals are tortured and brutally killed for their fur. So then that person will pledge to never wear real fur again and to help out with trying to stop these terrible industries. But they’re also negative eff ects from viewing social media. For example, someone could be scrolling through Instagram and see a video of someone famous that they like, stealing from a store or making fun of other people. Th en this person might think to themselves that in order to become as cool or respected as them they must do this. But this act this person is about to do is unholy and is a form of sin which our faith tells us to avoid at all costs, but since this is a famous person social media infl uences you to act like him/her and disobey Gods wishes. One major topic that social media is trying to push is equality and equal rights.

Th is topic is being spread all over social media and more people are joining this movement each day and trying to preach that things need to change and they need to change fast. Many Catholics are joining this movement due to the fact that God says that we are all brothers and sisters who need to work together to make the world a better place and to respect everyone because we are all made in the image of God.

Recently there have been videos going around of people doing terrible things to other people like beating them up for no reason, making fun of people with Down syndrome or other mental problems and other messed up things. But as a catholic living in today’s society I have been taught by the church and my family to do the thing god would’ve wanted me to do and stand up to the bullies and tell them how bad their actions are and that their words have a huge eff ect on that person’s life. Sometimes people get bullied so much on social media that it ends with the person ending their own life. But the bullies don’t realize that when they are bullying this person they’re slowly murdering the soul which is just as bad as physical murder. Th ese topics that I went over are just some of the many that I could talk about but overall I believe that people’s faith and beliefs have a high infl uence on the way they view, see and act on social media.

Cameron E.Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

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Claudia S.

Religion in Our ClassroomI think religion plays a big role in our school and our community. As Catholics,

God is very important to us. I think some ways we show religion in our classroom are when we pray every morning which shows that we think about God every morning. Another way we show religion in our school is at the masses we hold at our school because it shows how much eff ort we put into as a school to come together and be with God. I think this because there are so many people who dedicate their time and energy into this. For example, the priest, the choir and all the students who volunteer to read.

Other ways we can improve religion in our classroom and school is saying prayers at the beginning of fi rst period and at the end of second period to thank God for a good day and pray for everyone to get home safe. We could also write prayers to God once or twice a month to pray for our family and friends and anyone else who might need it.

A few ways we can show religion in our community are going to church once a week, volunteer at our churches and get together with everyone else in our parish once or twice a week to celebrate God. We could have discussions about God and the Bible. At our school, we could also hold trivia nights about God or the Bible a few times a year.

Another way to show respect to God is by setting up a contest for all the religion classes. At the end of each semester, whichever Gr. 9 religion class has the highest average gets to go to St. Francis Table in June to help serve the less fortunate who need our help. Th is will show the Gr 9’s that there are people who are a lot worse off then we are and the students will have some more sympathy and be more serious about the subject. It will teach them to be grateful for what they have and to not take things like going to mall or the movies for granted because the people at St. Francis Table might not have had the chance to do things that we do every week. If that doesn’t interest them, then the teachers could give them 5 volunteer hours. Th ese are just a few ways we could encourage them to take religion seriously in school and our community. Th ese simple ideas might make them more committed to God and have a deeper relationship with him.

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Emily K.St. Joseph Morrow Park C.S.S.

Living my FaithI am a grade twelve student at. I never really understood what my faith meant and

constantly asked myself these questions: What does it meant to be a Catholic and how should I be living my life as one? As I grew older, I began learning about what it means to be a Catholic and I continuously live my faith everyday by talking and listening to God, detaching myself from temptations and being myself.

When I was little, I used to think that talking to God could only be done in church. Little did I know that God is present in our churches, homes, hearts and everywhere we go. I always try to talk to God every night before I go to bed. I tell him how my day went, what I hope to accomplish in my life and what I wish for the world in the near future. Talking to God is my way of dealing with all the stresses and diffi culties reality gives me. Th is allows me to calm my mind and take time out of my busy day to talk to him and tell him how I am feeling. Even though I cannot see God physically, I know that he is always there listening to me and telling me about the plan he has for my life. I live my faith through communicating with God and accepting what he has in store for my life.

As humans we are tempted to do things that are not right and this is God’s way of testing us. I try everyday to detach myself from temptations. Whether it be taking the fi ve- dollar bill I see lying on the fl oor at school, cheating on that test or even lying to my teachers about doing my homework. Th ese temptations are sins and I have never done these things before. If I was ever in these situations, I would ask myself what would God want me to do and I would not give in to these temptations. I believe that in order to live my faith I must separate myself from temptations because that is what God wants me to do and it is my job as a Catholic to show how I faithful I am to the values God presents.

I believe that I can truly live my faith by being who I am. I would consider myself to be a good daughter, sister and friend. I am a very kind, caring, and friendly person. I am a hard worker; good listener and I believe that my faith is part of I am. I have gotten to understand my place on this earth through praying, going to church, and spending time with my family and friends. God put me on this earth and shaped me the way he has so that I can live my life the way I am destined to. By being myself, I am living my faith with God right beside me.

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Emma B.

Virtues of the MonthTh e virtues of the month are a set of characteristics the Catholic school system uses

to highlight the expectations of students throughout the school year. Th ere are ten virtues in total, and each virtue represents a month. Th e ten virtues are respect, thankfulness, justice, patience, responsibility, compassion, forgiveness, stewardship, tolerance and honesty. In this essay, I will be explaining a bit about each virtue and what they mean to me. Th ese virtues all represent characteristics that Jesus wants us to have so that we can be the best Catholics and follow His teachings.

Th e fi rst virtue is respect. To me, respect is having human decency towards others regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or career. We should be kind to everyone as Jesus was, even to Pontious Pilate.

Th e second is thankfulness. It is important to be thankful for what you have because many people don’t have the luxuries, or even the necessities we have. We should always be humble and not take things for granted because God can take everything from us in an instant.

Th e third is justice. I believe everyone should stand up for what they think is right, but also keep an open mind to what others are saying. If we all stand up for ourselves and use our voices, we can truly make a diff erence in the world.

Th e fourth is patience. We sometimes think that because what we want is not happening currently, won’t happen in the future. God has a plan for us all and we just need to be patient and trust in Him to lead us along the way.

Th e fi fth is responsibility. As we grow older, we have more responsibilities to take care of and people that trust us in fulfi lling those responsibilities. Even though we trust God with our lives, we need to take care of ourselves as individuals as well.

Th e sixth is compassion. We should always be compassionate to everyone we meet because we don’t know what they’re going through and they may really need someone to be there for them.

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Emma B.

Th e seventh is forgiveness. Although you should be aware of people who are trying to use you, you should know that people do change and you shouldn’t hold grudges against others.

Th e eighth is stewardship. To me, that means to care for others and take pride in helping others. People who demonstrate stewardship are leaders.

Th e ninth is tolerance. Tolerance is when even though you may not agree with something, you don’t say anything for the sake of being peaceful. It’s easy to start a fi ght but not easy to resist from argument.

Th e tenth and fi nal one is honesty. Being honest takes a lot of courage and maturity to do. It’s easy to make up stories and lie but it’s obviously not the right thing. In addition to being honest with others, we should be honest with ourselves and trust our conscience.

Th ese virtues are very important to me and help me consider my actions.

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Eric K.

Faith Talk

For this faith talk I will talk about the role of faith in our school/classroom we have a very diverse and vibrant ways of celebrating our faith as Christians. The way we practise faith is through extra curricular groups like God Squad and Coldest Night of the Year. We also help practise faith doing daily prayers and attending masses throughout the year. Another way we practise our faith is by us having to do 4 credits of religion throughout our years in high school. The last way to show our faith is thru performing kind actions as well as others. These are the ways faith are practised within my school.

There are also many ways I think the way we celebrate our faith in depth. For instance, first way we celebrate our faith is with our extra curricular activities that help and inspire and do good or help do things which good which God would want us to perform. Another way we practise our faith is through prayer during the announcements which usually public schools do not perform as well as doing mases throughout the year so that we may show our faith to God thru praying to him as a school. The other we like to show our faith is through kind actions which God wishes us to perform daily. The mandatory way we celebrate our faith is thru the 4 mandatory years of religion which helps give us a deeper connection with god allowing us to find more about our place and importance to worship and how we were influenced by the bible and importance of God‘s destiny for us. The last way we celebrate our faith is through following God’s teachings like to forgive those who have done wrong to us as well as following god image of taking care of the environment as God would like us to perform. These are the ways we represent our faith within our school.

These are the main ways we represent faith within our school like thru doing acts that God has instructed us to perform. Like performing extra curricular activities which shows God’s love to all now mater race or gender or culture. Or the other way we celebrate our faith is through attending mases unlike in public schools as well as performing daily prayers. The Other way we show gods love is taking care of God’s creations and taking four mandatory years of religion to come and connect closer with God. But most importantly following his important teachings that God has provided. These are the ways we connect and show our faith with the lord in the highest.

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Eric R.

Faith and Social Media In today’s life on the web, and social media. We shame god by sometimes using his

name in vain or to get something out of someone. A lot of people nowadays don’t like to see like God and are to naive to listen to His words of wisdom. Now there are people that post and follow in the path God gave them to do the good for the community but because there’s more people, and kids this age, that choose to ignore God, the ones following are overruled. Back to the point where a lot of people are using His name in vain and disrespecting Him and that in itself is breaking one of the commandants God was willing to let us have.

Th e social web can or can’t be toxic and those who choose to be faithful to Him are given gifts. Others are penalized and shunned to be a son of God to the extent of they don’t break the Decalogue. He who helps us is our savour and we’ve lost the way of God. Drifted away slowly after all these years and decades, not realizing that the web is our God and whatever the web says is the way of it. We made a fake God bringing the social web into His planet and creation. Yes, some people used it in the name of God but, unfortunately, many didn’t want to follow His ways. And because of it this planet His creation is slowly dying and leaving in the eyes of God, it’s grave sin to stray from Gods ways.

I think if we want to get closer to God we should go to church more than once a week and really make an eff ort to be in His eyes a good person. I also believe that we should follow His gifts like the Decalogue and the Beatitudes, as if they are the rules of life.

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Giulia C.St. Simon C.S.

FaithHow do you live your life in faith? When I was asked to write about faith, I fi rst

thought about what faith is and what it means to me. A google defi nition is “complete trust or confi dence in someone or something.” Faith to me is much more than just trust and confi dence. Faith has to do with believing that God has a plan for everyone and that plan will help lead you to where you need to go. Faith is also about having strength during hard times to persevere through challenges. Having faith involves trusting and putting confi dence into or towards someone or something. Without faith how are we as Catholics or people who believe in any other religion able to put trust in their God? How are we able to live a life without fear of the unknown? How are we able to believe?

Growing up, I wasn’t the type of person to be excited to go to church. I remember that I would try to make up excuses not to go or I would use the phrase “I’ll go next week”. Now that I’m older, I have grown to have a deeper appreciation for God and even though our daily lives can intervene with our relationship with God it’s important to try and keep that bond strong. I speak from experience when I say that sometimes it’s not easy to make time to believe that having faith is possible. Especially this year, when I’m about to graduate elementary school. I’ve been stressed out with choosing a high school, extra extracurricular, home life, maintaining grades up to my standards, and on top of all that, my social life. Even when everything seems to be going well and that you have everything under control, life throws you a curveball. I think that those curveballs are meant to test your belief and your faith.

Last year right before the Christmas break, I tore a ligament in my knee at school while playing basketball. I was on crutches for about 5 months and even when I got off them my knee wasn’t the same. Th is was my major curveball. Me tearing my ligament was a major setback for me and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. I missed my schools basketball tournament, missed out on volleyball matches, and I wasn’t even able to try out for my school soccer team. I felt useless, unable to help with anything, and even worse everyone saw me as the girl with the broken knee. I prayed and prayed, that I would be able to heal fast and get my life back to where it was. God answered my prayers and I was back to normal by that summer. “And whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”- Matthew 21:22

Mainly this year, I’ve learn a lot about understanding faith and my faith in general. I have struggled with believing that with faith and believing that good things can happen. Th ere are things I regret like taking risks and having faith that everything that happens is for the best.

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Giulia C., St. Simon C.S.

An example of that is choosing a high school. I had my heart set on going to one high school even though I was out of the district. If I applied to this school I might not have a chance of getting in and if I didn’t get in, I could get redirected to another high school. I didn’t take the chance of applying to the school, instead I applied to a school closer to home and got in. My friend ended up applying to the out of district school and she got in. Even Th ough I am happy with my choice of high school, I wish I would’ve had faith and took the chance.

Th roughout this assignment, I kept asking myself the same question over and over- “How can I be more faithful on the daily?” In all honesty, it’s hard. It’s hard to believe that with faith everything will be okay especially when other things crowd your judgement, the cons overweight the pros, or they are just too many negative “what if ’s”. I’ve come to realize that faith is a lot about positive thoughts instead of only thinking of the bad. You can’t turn into a faithful person overnight; it takes time.

How can you start to live a faithful life? Well, you can simply start off by praying to God before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning. Praying doesn’t need to be rehearsed you can simply thank God for all the wonderful things that happened during you day and you can set future intentions. Next, when you are faced with a challenging point in your day, you can think about what God would want you to do or you can ask God for guidance. Another thing you can start to do is to attend mass at a nearby church every Sunday. However, sometimes you can’t make the mass. In that case, God will understand, as long as it’s a good reason.

Th ere are many diff erent ways to start to live your life in faith. Th e ways I mentioned above are some of the most important ones that help me to live my life in faith. Hebrews 11:1 teaches us that faith involves “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t see.” Th is quote explain the importance of believing in what we want and that with having faith it shall come to us. Over the course of me writing this assignment, I’ve come to realize two things. Th e fi rst thing, is that everything happens for a reason- the good and the bad and with faith you can get through your challenges. Th e second thing is that faith helps to strengthen your bond with the Lord. By believing and putting your trust into God, the bond between the two of you will grow. Being only in eighth grade, I still have a lot to learn about faith and how I can better myself using faith? Th at will come from time. Time that I will use to learn about who I am, as a person and mostly importantly who I am going to become. I can fi gure that out with the guidance from my friends, my family, and God. To all the people who are struggling to fi nd their faith, it will happen with time. As long as you persevere and believe in God. I struggled before and sometimes I struggle now to get back in touch with my faith, but as long as you put trust in yourself it is possible. Th at’s how I live my life in faith. Th ank you.

16

Hazel O.St. Simon C.S.

Faith and Social MediaFaith a word defi ned by Google is complete trust or confi dence in someone or something.

To me faith is more than a word, faith is how you project your beliefs in your everyday life. It is how you show your values and belief in God, and his Word. But how can faith be tied to social media? Faith can be tied to social media in so many diff erent ways. I am going to write about how I am living my faith using/with social media. I thank you for the time you have taken to read this hopefully it will be time well spent.

I use social media every day. I use it to chat with friends, like pictures, and take funny pictures on Snapchat with the ever famous dog fi lter. But in this word there are two sides to everything. Th ere is the good and there is the bad. Although social media use can be positive there are some negative parts of it as well. An example of somethings that I’ve come across that aren’t so positive are; images of people being decapitated, girls grinding on men twice their age, threads about people wanting to kill themselves, plane and car crashes, and some very graphic images either dealing with nudity or very gory scenes. How does this tie into my faith? After all the stuff I see I often pray to God that he grant me protection so that I do not end up on the breaking news report and that whatever is said or done against me shall not prosper. In Philippians 4:8-9 these verses talk about how you should put to practice whatever that is noble, true, right, pure, and lovely in what you do, learn, and hear and God shall be with you as you do so. Th at is why whatever I like, comment, and repost I make sure that they are all positive or that they represent my faith.

In my life time I’ve seen seen and heard about people sending nudes. Nudes or pictures featuring nudity. I dont send nudes because from a young age I learned that your whole body, from your head to your feet, belong to God. So I honour God by taking care of my body. And nothing on the internet whether it be sending a message, posting something, or sending pictures can ever be deleted. But I can judge people for their mistakes because we have no write to judge others. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV). So even if you do something wrong or something that you shouldn’t do our God is a merciful God and he will forgive us. Th at is how I am living my faith today with social media. And one thing that I always remember is 1 Samuel 16:7 “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. Th e Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV). What I interpret from this verse is that God see what is in your heart, not how many followers/fans you may have, what you post or like, and how many nude pictures you can receive. Th ank you once again for your time. Hopefully you enjoyed this piece and may God bless you exceedingly in Jesus name.

17

Hephzibah A.

Catholic Principle of Social JusticeEquity: A condition or state of fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people. Equity does not mean treating people the same without regard for individual diff erences.

Inclusive Education: Education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students. Students see themselves refl ected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured and all individuals are respected.

Diversity: Th e presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within a group, organization or society. Th e dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, physical and intellectual ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, 2009, Reach Every Student Quick Facts

• We have made a lot of progress as human beings. We are more accepting and open to one another’s culture. Th e problem is that despite civilization we are nowhere close to where we should be in terms of equality. Th ere are groups who dedicate their time to causing havoc and chaos. Th ese groups usually arise due to inequality. Th ey commit all sorts of atrocities to quench their thirst for revenge. We continue to fi ght and hurt each other, in the ever-burning furnace we call our world. A world burning down with a fi re fueled with nothing but hate and prejudices towards one another.

18

Hephzibah A.

• Despite the events that go on around us. Th ere is still hope; hope for humanity, hope for the human family. Little do we acknowledge that our actions aff ect the younger generations after us more. We slowly spark the fi re of hate and prejudice within them by constricting their will to be free and their ambitions for everyone around them. We teach them about diff erences but impose the notion that they divide us, that they are the walls between each nation, each tribe, each family and each person. And yes, we should educate them, but doing this doesn’t mean we should teach them how to isolate themselves from their fellow human beings. It means we should teach them how to break down the walls and build bridges. It means we should teach them to fi x the cracks, the cracks in our broken crooked world. To fi ll those cracks with love and hope for a better future for the generations after them.

• It might be overwhelming but, there are many ways one can help:

- A way I fi nd most prevalent is educating people on their mistakes and not excluding them for their wrong doing because this only continues the cycle of hate.

- Being a buff er to whatever situation that you sense could become toxic. Remember that leaving a problem for drama to unfold between your neighbours is very toxic

Our faith has brought us together as one in Christ Jesus and using that faith we incorporate it into our daily lives. Our schools are a place who Inclusion and Equity are fostered and where good values are nurtured. We need to include these teachings not only in our schools but in our environment and in various communities.

19

Isabella I.St. Simon C.S.

Faith TalkOur FAITH as people is the one thing that ties us all together spiritually,

emotionally, and irrevocably. Our roots, blood, personalities, traits, love, and most importantly our religion relates back to our faith. Our faith is in our blood; it’s how we present ourselves within our everyday lives. Th e best thing about “faith” is that no matter how diff erent we humans are and no matter how much our personalities diff er, our faith is the force that has the power to bring each and every one of us together.

Faith as said in the dictionary is “complete trust or confi dence in someone or something”, and that “someone” is God. We have the choice on how we want to show our faith daily in our everyday lives, and that “choice” is what ends up guiding our lives. Living your faith in the modern world we live in today can be anywhere ranging from easy or diffi cult depending on who we are as people. We must learn to show our faith and display the acts of kindness needed to make a diff erence in this world. Faith is key.

Faith in your classroom. Embracing your faith everyday can make the biggest diff erence in your life, and in your classroom. In school, we have the luxury of being able to learn about diff erent subjects concerning our world today, and we retain this knowledge with the peers that surround us. For me being a part of a Catholic school board is truly an honour that the majority of students take for granted. Being a part of this school board allows us all the show our faith proudly because all of our values line up with the students, peers, and teachers around us. How do we express our faith, you ask? Well, there are many ways to do so all surrounding faith. We all know the story of Jesus Christ our Lord and how he gave up his life on the cross for our salvation. It was out of the love in his heart and kindness that he was able to perform such actions, allowing us all to live happily on earth. “Living in your faith” means to not be afraid to show your religion, and to do daily practices that involve showing your Catholicism. While this may seem diffi cult you’ll later realize it is the easiest thing to do in terms of shielding your love for God. Showing your faith in the classroom in something that each and every person apart of the TCDSB does daily, which is to pray. You doing something as simple as praying to God and thanking him for the world he’s given us means you’re already showing your faith through your words. Praying the rosary, contributing to morning announcements, and even just being kind to others expresses your faith in ways you couldn’t even imagine. Th ere are many ways to express your faith verbally, but showing your faith physically is where your growth as human beings really begins.

20

Isabella I., St. Simon C.S.

Displaying acts of kindness. Th e best way to show your faith within your everyday life is to display the acts of kindness needed to brighten up someone’s day.

Acts of kindness. Th e minds of brilliant humans have developed ways to communicate to one another through diff erent languages, words, and ways to speak. Humans are now able to communicate with each other like it’s nothing, and it’s because of communication we are able to create the things we graciously have today. With positive also comes negative because now people are using their words to say mean things to people of our own kind, and hurt their feelings. Why? I ask myself the same thing every day of my life; one way we can help other people who have been beaten down by these mean comments and show our faith is through acts of kindness. Doing something as simple as comforting someone, asking them if they’re okay, or just smiling at them can make this biggest diff erence in someone’s day, especially if they’re feeling down. A part of living the in Christian faith comes qualities you must live by; one being kindness. As said in the bible “Give and receive kindness. 2 Samuel 9:1-10:19. God has an endless supply of kindness”.

God has shown us kindness in ways that are simply unspoken of, and the least we can do as people is shadow God’s kindness and profess our faith. It is through kindness that we are able to show our faith, it is through helping others that we are able to brighten up someone’s day. Next time you see someone sad about something that happened in their day, be the person to stand up for them, be understanding, be comforting, portray acts of kindness.

Faith and social media. Today we people live in a very modern world where technology and a thing called “social media” takes a big part within all of our lives. Keeping up with all of the latest posts, stats, streaks, and Instagram and Snapchat stories has started to become more of a priority than basic life functions. People are starting to become peer pressured into posting every little thing they do and every single place they go. Sometimes social media can get a little crazy, concerning cyber-bullying or jealousy, and it’s hard to show our faith online. Our feelings get hurt when we see our friends going to parties we weren’t invited to or having fun and going out places when we’re just sitting at home. Th ese things can hurt people to the point where we don’t want to show our faces at school and have any kind of confrontation with anyone. Th at’s where our Christian faith needs to kick in.

21

Isabella I., St. Simon C.S.

Helping out people when their feelings are hurt, standing up for what’s right, telling teachers about nasty comments online, all take part in showing your faith. Being able to help others in need is a part of our faith as followers of God, and with this crazy thing called social media spiraling out of the ground your help will certainly be greatly appreciated. We’ve all been in the position of feeling left out or neglected by someone or something, so lending a helping hand to the people you can relate to makes a diff erence in your life as a human being and the person you’re helping lives. Showing your faith online doesn’t mean posting bible verses on your Instagram, but living by those bible verses and being the bigger person to stand up for what you believe in.

Faith is our most powerful quality that we’ve attained as Christians. We can use our faith to benefi t the world and its beings. It’s truly not hard to show our faith; we just have to comprehend it fi rst. We are all followers of God and he guides us through all of our lives, even th ough the most diffi cult of times. We can use our faith to portray the qualities of God through our words and actions daily. Faith makes us able to help others and contribute all of our best qualities to the world as we follow the light to Jesus Christ. Be able to be proud and show your faith in your classroom, through acts of kindness, social media, and in your everyday lives. Faith opens doors to your future as beings of Christ.

Show your faith. #TCDSBFAITHTALK

22

Jathusa S.Jean Vanier C.S.S.

My Faith JourneyI have been a Catholic for as long as I can remember. I was born to Catholic family

and was baptized as a Catholic. Growing up, I have encountered many experiences and new situations. My faith journey has been full of ups and downs. My faith journey has altered throughout my lifetime based on what I have encountered.

I attend mass with my family almost every Sunday to pray to worship the Lord our God. Every day, I would take the time to count my blessings and to ask for God’s strength in diffi cult times. According to Psalm 46: 1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”. Th is means that God will be with us whenever we are in need of strength. God is always there with me. Even if I had encountered terrible situations, I believe God is trying to make me even stronger and gain courage.

My parents immigrated to Canada as a result of the Sri Lankan Civil War. I was born here in Canada and my parents have always given the best of anything and everything. I thank God for the amazing parents who have cared for me and loved me. Th ey were always there for me in every step of the way. Although my parents struggled to settle here in Canada, I thank God for giving them the opportunity to live life peacefully.

Th roughout my school life, I experienced physical, emotional and verbal bullying by some of my classmates. In the eighth grade, there was a girl who smashed my badminton rackets on the school playground during recess. Th is made me really sad. I ask God why he allows things like this to happen to me. Unknown to me, these experiences have allowed me to help others who have experienced bullying and provide advice to those in need. I am thankful for this.

When I was nine years old, I was diagnosed with infl ammation in my left eye, resulting in blurry vision. Even if I wore glasses, it would not fully help. Despite this, God has helped me learn that there are other children who suff er from illness and diseases worse than what I am suff ering from. Due to this, I am thankful for what God has taught me.

Th rough many of these diffi cult experiences, I do admit that I did lose hope in God at fi rst. When I was younger, I used to believe that God did not really care about me and that this was the reason he was putting me through a lot of diffi cult situations. I am now fi fteen years old and I am more aware about the world around me. I realized that life cannot always be perfect. According to Isaiah 43:2, “When you go into deep waters, I will be with you”. Th is means that God will be with us, even during the tough times. Overall, I am very thankful for all that I have and experienced throughout life.

23

Jay Matthew J.James Cardinal Mcguigan C.S.S.

Faith Talk I am from St. Vincent Ferrer parish in Dipolog City in the Philippines. One very

special memory of back home is of our diocese receiving a new Bishop. A big celebration was held for Bishop Caermare! I came to Canada in summer of 2015 and joined Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Toronto with my family. I enrolled in James Cardinal McGuigan high school which is located close to my home. One special element of Cardinal McGuigan for me was the introduction to Communication Technology. My fi rst experience was the editing of videos using iMovie. My video dealt with the topic of hatred and discrimination against minorities. I realized from this experience that I really enjoy helping the community through the raising of awareness of social injustice through media. In grade 11, I enrolled in the “Communications Technology” course taught by a very creative and innovative teacher. Media production in our school began to bloom. On the feast day of St. Francis, we held a big outdoor Mass that included elementary schools. We also had games, food and music. Our media class fi lmed this school event and created an award-nominated promo video for our school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfc-L-k_pNY&t=13s . I think we really captured the catholic unity of the many secondary and primary students and staff that attended that day. Th e next year, I was honoured to be featured in the video for this event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maYW93h_ZXI&t=13s. Our promotional videos have helped our school image and increased the number of Catholic elementary students enrolling in our school.

A recent class project has been to both radio (P.A. system) and video (new closed-circuit TVs and through our Youtube account) daily school announcements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR2FpU_ZX1g. I was honoured to be a newscaster this year on the videos and helped record our radio broadcasts called Wolf Pack radio. Th anks to my growing knowledge in media production, my faith as a young Catholic has strongly increased. In fi lming, I have felt the unity, love and bond living in our school.  I strive to bring these same things in the message of my productions as our generation relies more on social media. We must also include the Catholic teachings in all our social media. Social media can be used to spread awareness of God’s message which is one of tolerance and love. My grandfather back in the Philippines has shown our productions to his Catholic religious group (Cross of Jesus) and is very proud that I live my faith in Canada and that young people like me still practice Catholic ways.

In conclusion, media production can help spread God’s word and strengthen the faith of Catholic people just like it did for me. Th e use of media and technology also helped me spread Catholic teachings and show viewers the school community’s love for one another. I think maybe God is calling me (and others) to be an advocate in Catholic media production.

24

Jean-Luc P.Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

Faith TalkI’m involved in Nativity of our Lord Catholic Church since I moved to my house

and started school at Nativity of Our Lord School in JK.  I try to go every Sunday when we have time as a family. Also, the church has a youth program that I use to go regularly every other Friday when I was in grade 7 and 8. By going to this program and going to church every Sunday it makes me a better Catholic because I am involved with the community and the people who believe in the same morals and values that I believe in.

I am involved with some activities by going to the church every other Friday night with other people in our community to do some activities, have dinner and hang out with friend. Which help be more involved with my community and be a better person overall. Sometimes there something called spaghetti night for the elders. Th is is important for the community because it gives to the community and helps others get together and talk

Th e church goes for fi eld trips to edge camp which is a camp for the youth, and Jerusalem with people who are part of the church or help the church a lot. Although I have never been to edge camp, I have done some research and my friends have told me lots about the camp. Th e camp is for about a week, they pray every day, they have breakfast lunch and dinner, and they also do fun activities like play in the lake they have a zip line and there is lots more to say about edge camp

Th e people who have gone on the trips to Jerusalem have had an amazing spiritual time. Th ey go to where Jesus lived. Th ey walked the same path that Jesus walked when he carried the crossed and they also saw where the Ten commandments stones where it was a great experience for their minds and hearts. Th ey also went to visit the mountain of olives where is over 150000 graves.

I am living my Catholic faith by following the Ten Commandments and living by true morals and values and beliefs that my parents and grandparents and church community has taught me since I was baptized and I will continue to value all of this faith and continue it on in my future with my own children I hope.

25

Jessica A.St. Nicholas C.S.

Faith Talk“Inclusion is a right, not a privilege for a select few.” - Judge Geary, Oberti v. Board

of Education.

As Judge Geary said, inclusion is not just a privilege for certain people. Th e same goes for equity. Th at is why the staff and students of St. Nicholas Catholic School work to make sure everyone is equal. In this essay, I will be talking about me and my fellow students make people feel included outside the classroom, faith in inclusion and equity, and a school community with inclusion and equity.

In my school, bullying is at a smaller scale because of programs and clubs as Spinclusion and Best Buddies. Th ese programs do have an eff ect on some children, but the student initiative does the most good. Students like me who are leaders in their communities stand up for each other and always know that they can fi nd a friend in anyone. Th ere are always some new children in my school, but they always get acquainted with new friends and it will feel like they were here for years. No one stays the ‘new kid’ for very long!

So, that being said, inclusion and equity are important to us. We all know that, but how do these virtues help us live our faith today? Does God want us to be inclusive and equitable in our daily lives? Well, God does want us to be inclusive and cater the needs of others in our daily lives. As Christians, Jesus wants us to follow the golden rules as best as possible. In God’s eyes, we are all one, and so we should ‘treat others as we want to be treated’. Th at is why we must try our best to set an example of our faith by including and being equitable to others. “Th ere is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither man nor woman, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28). Everyone deserves inclusion and equity.

Now that we know why we must include people and be equitable, how would our community look like if we did so? Well, imagine this: there would be no bullying or teasing, no loneliness, and plenty of strong friendships. A school community would be complete with strong leaders and passionate friends and hardworking students. Now, stop imagining! We can make that image a reality, together! If we start to include people who are lonely or help a student in need, I am sure our goal can be reached.

Th e closest place I have ever seen that resembles that fantasy of that wonderful, inclusive school community is my school. St. Nicholas Catholic School is a place where bullying is a rarity and where friendships last a lifetime. God treats his all children, not only with equality, but also with equity, a quality we all need. Together rooted in Christ, I believe we can not only make an inclusive and equitable community, but we can make an inclusive and equitable world!

26

Joshua A.

Catholic Graduate Expectations: Moulding the Youth of Today Into the Leaders of Tomorrow

Catholic schools started educating children in Canada since 1620. Th e majority of people during this time period were Protestant, and there was an enmity present between these two faith groups because of the Protestant reformation in 1517. Yet the government felt that Catholic schools should be allowed to stay. In this essay, I will be talking about three Graduates Expectations I uphold: being a discerning believer, eff ective communicator, and a collaborative contributor.

One Catholic graduate expectation that I exhibit is being a discerning believer. Th e Catholic church emphasizes on the story of our faith. However, the TCDSB accepts that not all students at a Catholic school are Catholic. In my high school (Neil McNeil) we learn about how Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin, and in grade eleven we learn about religions outside our “comfort bubble”. Th rough the teachings of the Catholic church, I grew to love my religion and became determined to understand God’s calling in my life. I try my best to live out the Christian values in my life, but I know that “God will be with me through it all” (Isaiah 43:2). Another Catholic graduate expectation that I display is being an eff ective communicator. I enjoy reading and writing, skills that aid me in subjects such as English and Religion. My creativity is expressed through art, and I used my skills in drawing to create a design for the #TogetherWithOneVoice TCDSB board initiative. Th is initiative focused on unity by connecting the logos of Catholic schools together. I also speak English and French fl uently, earning second place in the TCDSB regional French speaking competition. I use these mediums to eff ectively present information such as school pride and awareness of mental health in our school to other students.

An additional Catholic graduate expectation that I manifest is being a collaborative contributor. TCDSB schools require students to complete forty hours of community service in order to graduate. At fi rst I volunteered for the hours, but I started to enjoy working as a volunteer. Th e places where I have worked gave me new insights into the lives of people in politics, medicine, and other job fi elds. I gained skills that I struggled to fi nd in myself during my childhood, such as communication and teamwork. I continue to volunteer even after I received my forty hours because I am able to see how it benefi ts many people in my community. Th ree of the Catholic graduate expectations that I demonstrate are unwavering faith, eff ective communication, and collaborative contribution. Th ese are only three of the seven graduate expectations that must be met for a TCDSB student to graduate from a Catholic school. Th ese expectations provide students with the necessary transferable skills to become model employees and faithful Christians in today’s society. My future goal is to achieve the standards of the Catholic graduate expectations, so that I may graduate from high school and make the world a better place.

27

Kaitlyn Marie L.Michael Power/St Joseph High School

My Parish Connections: Between the School and my Parish

I am going to talk about how I live my faith today. Th e topic I chose to discuss is my school and parish faith connections. In school, I practice my faith by helping out with the Christmas Food Drive for those who do not have anything to eat. In my parish, I help to bring canned goods to the Saint Vincent De Paul charity, which helps people without food or clothes. Another thing that I do in my parish that helps other people with no food is that we collect and donate to Share Life, and that goes to he less fortunate. In school, people attend God Squad which is something where you make food for the homeless and give it to them so then they can have food. Th is is ran by Mr. Oppedisano.

Some similar things that I do in my parish is that we have Coff ee Sunday after the masses of every fi rst Sunday of the month and this money goes to those without food to eat. Another example of how my parish does similar things like God Squad, is that we have a bread and soup, but also a fi sh and chips dinners. Th is is for those who are on the streets begging for food, but they can come to Our Lady Of Peace Parish if there in that area.

Th e last thing that I do in my school, is that we have a peer ministry team and it is ran by Ms. Mideo and Ms. Manco. In my parish, I am an altar server and so is my brother, and sister. When I fi rst began altar serving I was in grade 3. Th at’s when I told myself that altar serving would be fun. So I serve with my brother and sister every Sunday at 11:00 am. Th ere are diff erent jobs for serving and they are: cross bearer, candle bearers and then spare. So if I chose to be one of he candle bearers then I would take the small candle to the back light it up and get ready for mass.

Th is job is quite diffi cult because you would have to either be water or wine. Well, if you chose wine when you would have to ring the bells at the appropriate time and also give the wine to he priest. If you chose to be a spare then all you do is just walk behind the candle bearers and I would put my hands together and fold my thumbs on top of another. So then I would walk down the aisle and when I get to the altar I would either bow my head (for candles) or genufl ect (for spare).

Th ank you for taking your time to read this and hopefully you have a great day.

28

Kathy M.Dante Alighieri Academy

The 12 Virtues of the MonthFor Catholics, there are 12 very important virtues throughout a year. Each month

is connected to a virtue. In my school, a person who strongly portrays a virtue is acknowledged by the community. A virtue is a behavior showing high moral standards. I believe that virtues are very important because they show us how we should behave and act towards others. For instance, in the Toronto District Catholic School Board, September celebrates the virtue of Hospitality. “Hospitality refers to the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers”. I believe this means to welcome others into your community with respect and kindness. In October, the virtue of the month is Gratitude. Gratitude means “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. I believe this means to be thankful for what you have, to appreciate your parents for all they do for you, and to be kind to others even if they are not kind to you. For November, the virtue of the month is peacemaking. Peacemaking “is the process of bringing about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries”. I believe that this means to resolve confl icts, and by showing others how to be peaceful. In December the virtue of the month is charity. Charity “is showing kindness and tolerance in judging others”. I believe this means to show kindness and judging someone for who they are and not judging them on there religion, or what they have or don’t have. In January the virtue of the month is courage. Courage means “strength in the face of pain or grief ”. I believe this means to show bravery but also standing up for others who can’t stand up for themselves. In February the virtue of the month is Love. Love means “a great interest and pleasure in something”. I believe this relates back to Charity by being kind and listening to others when they need you most. In March the virtue of the month is Forgiveness. Forgiveness means “the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven”. I believe this means to forgive others for there wrong doings and for others to forgive you because we all make mistakes. In April the virtue of the month is Justice. Justice means “behavior or treatment”. I believe this means to behave in a proper manner and to notice when others aren’t and to correct them in a polite matter. In May the virtue of the month is compassion. Compassion means “sympathetic pity and concern for the suff erings or misfortunes of others”. I believe this means to show concern for others and there well being. Lastly for June the virtue of the month is Faithfulness. Faithfulness means “the quality of being faithfulness”. Th is means to act faithful toward others and to put others before you. Th e virtues of the month are very important and act like a guide line to us.

29

Katie D.St. Simon C.S.

Living my faithMy faith is the most important thing to me due to the fact that I wouldn’t be the

person I am today. Th at is why I practice my faith on a daily by praying and following the word of God. One of the most important things about being a Catholic to me is doing acts of kindness. I feel this is important because not only do you grow as a person, you grow as a Catholic as well. At my school which is St. Simon, I am on the Me to We team.

Being on this team is very important to me because I know I am helping people in my community and all around the world. Every year at St. Simon we have a Christmas outreach program. Th roughout the month of December, we collect toys, clothing, wrapping paper, and canned goods then we pack them up in boxes and it goes to our local church, St. Judes. From there we wrap, decorate, and label all the gifts then on Christmas day they go out to many families. At my school this year we are supporting Kenya. Our main focus is providing them with clean water because they have to walk miles just to get it. We are hosting a mini we day in our gym with stations that will educate students and teachers on this situation.

I also participate in many other activities that help my community. Every few years my family and I donate our clothes. Whatever doesn’t fi t us goes to charity we organize and separate all clothes so that we don’t send any ripped things. Almost every Sunday my family and I go to church. My sister and I, lead our church’s Bible study by helping younger and older kids understand and learn how to be a faithful and Catholic. My aunt is the main leader for our church choir, but I do help her teach everyone the songs.

My family is very important to me so helping them as much as I can is very invaluable to me. On Saturday morning, my mom cleans the house up I like to help her because I know she does a lot for me so I think that helping her makes her life easier. When my mom hurt her shoulder a year ago it really aff ected my family. Th roughout that time I tried my best to cover all the things my mom does such as cooking, cleaning, and packing my lunch and that really helped my entire family.

God gave us this beautiful earth so it is very important that we take care of it. During the summer I plant many l fl owers, small trees, and fresh fruits. I also recycle, do carpools, and ride my bike often in the summer with my friends to reduce air pollution.

Overall my faith is very important to me I don’t know who I would be without it. It’s a part of me that I will never let go of. Doing all these wonderful things brings me closer to God and that is why I will never stop doing them. In addition to that it helps me become a better person not only for myself but for the people around me.

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Laura P.St. John Paul II C.S.S.

Faith TalkA person always knows what is being asked of them in their religion and the most

important factors in a person’s religion are the values and beliefs. When we think about religion, it’s often thought of as something that makes us more insightful in things, but it is clear that the insight cannot be gained if we don’t accept ourselves and ask forgiveness. As my religion, I follow the church and fully invest myself in the teachings of the church. Since I was born, there had been the words of Christ printed in the bible and prayers being read next to my ear. I grew up with it, but I did not understand the signifi cance until I grew older and faced problems in my day to day life. I ‘live my faith’ today by helping others, listening to the words of God and following them as I grow spiritually.

One thing that I live my faith by is helping others in any way possible. I know that it sounds ordinary and reality since that is what most religions encourage us to do, but I feel like it is diff erent for me. I understood that helping others during their hard times is diffi cult because one wants to be independent because according to today’s world, not needing help is associated with being strong. I help people because I see that when I help them, I’m helping God since he himself said that all the things that I do onto others, I am doing to God. I always feel bad and guilty when having acted harsh to someone around me since I hurt them in one way or another. By hurting them, I have hurt God and disrespected him which is not following his guidelines. I give up seats for elders and pregnant women on public transit and help shovel snow on my neighbours’ as well as my own driveway since I think helping your parents is also equal to helping God. Th is way of living my faith incorporates everything I learned when it comes to catholic social teachings. I feel accomplished when I help others and even if no one else appreciates me for it, I believe that God has seen me helping his people and is pleased. Another way I live my faith is by forgiving others. Th roughout my life, I have faced so many people who sin against me and I have sinned against who I am as well, but I believe that you must not only forgive yourself but also those around you. For Jesus, himself has said, “But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-39)

I know that forgiving someone is the hardest thing out there, especially if they have sinned against the trust that you had on them, but the truth is, we don’t have the rights to punish him. God will punish and also forgive since we are being taught to withstand. Th is is another teaching of Jesus that astonishes us every time, how are we expected to forgive when the horrible of sins are committed against us? Th at is what God wants us to follow.

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Laura P., St. John Paul II C.S.S.

I live my faith by forgiving, but it is not always easy for me. I look at those who sin against me and see God in them. I think to myself, they are committing a sin because they are learning and will not commit that sin again.

After many years of life experience, I have grown spiritually in many ways which includes helping others and forgiving them, but it is mostly about choosing the way that God would choose if he was in your situation. Finally, I live my life in humbleness. Jesus had died for the sake of cleaning us of sin and remained humble. I wish to follow his footsteps and I think it has become my identity today as I continue to follow.

Even if I live my faith by helping others and forgiving them, sometimes I feel as though people will forget and not notice. I am learning to be fi ne by that because I believe that God is watching and is happy that I am following him as his child. I make others feel welcome and make them feel happy because even if I am having a bad day, I do not want to throw my sorrow on them and make them feel worse. Living my faith and accepting what the faults are in me has made me God’s servant and I think that no matter what religion it is, you believe. We all have that similarity. We believe and what or who we believe in grants us happiness, safety and loads of love. My faith has told me to be happy with what I have and that those who are oppressed will be brought up to him. It has told me to love others because we all are children of God. It has told me to forgive and be humble. Live by God’s words and eventually, everything will fall into place.

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Luca C.Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

Virtues of the Month

A virtue is a habit or established capacity to perform good actions according to a moral standard. In the Catholic religion, there are three categories of virtues. Th e fi rst category is the Cardinal Virtues, the second is the Th eological Virtues, and the third is the Capital Virtues.

Th e Cardinal Virtues are four key moral virtues that serve as the foundation for all other virtues. Th ese virtues can be acquired by observing others and include Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.

Th e three Th eological Virtues are straight out of the Bible. It is said that these virtues can only be acquired as a gift from God and they include Faith, Hope and Charity.

Th e seven Capital Virtues are the virtues which help overcome the seven deadly sins. Th e Capital Virtues are Chastity, Generousity, Temperance, Brotherly Love, Meekness, Humility and Diligence.

Th e Catholic community share an equal responsibility to educate students on key virtues to help guide them in their personal and academic lives. Th e virtues of the month should be viewed as a monthly learning opportunity to help students acquire virtues, which will help them do the right thing regardless of the consequences.

Th ere are 10 virtues of the month awards in a given academic school year. Every student has an equal opportunity to win these awards. Th e TDCSB has a set of virtues to help students welcome God into their lives. Th ey are as follows:

January is Self-Control/Decision Making, which is given to the student who is good at keeping his/hers thoughts to themselves and knowing when to share them. February is Respect, which means treating everybody the same as they would like to be treated. March is Kindness, which means being very kind, generous, and considerate to others. April is Love, which means that the person who wins the award is friendly, open to sharing their feelings and loved by their peers. May is Acceptance, which means being welcoming to other students because God wants us to make friends with everyone no matter how diff erent they may look or behave.

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Luca C., Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

June is Fairness, which means being very kind and accepting, similar to the virtue for May, because God wants us to treat each person as we would like to be treated. September is Faith, which means having an existing relationship with God in their lives. October is Empathy, which means relating to the challenges that other people are going through. Th is is how God wants us to act because he wants us to care about everyone’s feelings not just our own. November is Conscience, which means making the right choices to become e a better person in our daily life. December is Hope, which means always believing and searching for true meaning and love even when we feel discouraged.

Th ese awards are an eff ective tool to not only learn moral virtues, but also practice them daily. Virtues help deepen our faith, make us morally stronger and are a valuable addition to the Catholic school community.

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Faith TalkLiving as a devout practicing catholic, faith and prayer is something so powerful as

it has guided me through many rough patches and has strengthened my relationship with God and those I walk my journey of faith with. At a very young age, my parents were and still are very religious. Th ey were the ones who exposed me to Catholicism. Every fi rst Friday of the month my family and I went to church to attend an adoration service, host house rosary prayer gatherings, make multiple visits to various churches outside of the country during vacation, and attending children’s liturgy every Sunday morning. All of this was done as a routine, which as a result I found myself drifting away from my connection to God. In my head, I only did all of this because it was set in place as scheduled, and not so much for my love for God.

I began to question why my parents did all of this and if this type of practice was necessary. Going to church, and attending various prayer functions made me feel like participating in them were a waste of time, that religious leaders forced these activities upon Catholics to spend their time on the Lord instead of their families and themselves. Th is mentality of mine did not always stick with me as God’s presence was revealed to me. My faith and relationship with God grew and strengthened.

High school is where my views on faith and religion were transformed. My curiosity led me to wondering how to become more involved in my school community. In my mind, I my heart and mind were set in being involved with the religious sector of the student body. I wanted to lead morning exercises with the prayer. Th is willingness to dedicate myself to this service gave me the opportunity to take part in my school’s liturgical ministry. Th rough this ministry we help other’s strengthen their relationship with God and love God the same way I do. Currently I lead morning prayers and prepare the gymnasium for the school mass service. My friends have noticed what impact my faith did to me, so in turn, they too grew in their faith. At school, I have been noticing many senior students wearing a grey sweater with “Salesian” written in bold. Th is left me curious to what it was. During announcement, it was mentioned that it was a retreat for youth to grow in their faith and build connections with other young people with the same intentions. Being able to take part on this retreat makes me feel forever blest and thankful to attend. Th is retreat taught me more about myself, and about the people I went on retreat with, who I am honoured to call my family. After this retreat my school’s motto “Th e love of Christ has gathered us together into one” fully resided in me as God is the reason why my Salesian family was brought to me. Without God’s grace I would not have met them.

I am still at an early stage of my journey through faith, but I have learned a lot form it. I learned that God works in mysterious ways, that with him, all things are possible. He himself is the reason for all the blessings I received in my life. Without Him, I would not be who and where I am today. Th is leaves me in great optimism for the future as I continue through my journey with God by my side.

Marianne C.St. Joseph Morrow Park C.S.S.

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Matthew C.Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

Rooted in Christ

Every day we receive a lot of information. “You don’t belong” or “you shouldn’t believe” or “you will never become anything”. Th e truth is that every time someone tries to put you down, they are trying to achieve one thing, doubt. Doubt is the opposite of faith, meaning it breaks faith. Faith is complete trust or confi dence in someone or something. When we doubt, we no longer fully trust in someone. We see this in the bible many times. Fear leads to doubt and when Peter doubts Jesus he begins to sink below the surface of the water. We need to, now more than ever entrust everything to God.

We are a creation made by a creator. A fact that science will never disprove. Th e reason why many atheists convert is that there is evidence of a creator. Know that you belong to God, who is your creator, only once we acknowledge that we belong to God, may we strengthen our faith. We belong to a creator, and we believe in the creator, we have faith that he is our creator and that we belong to him.

We must not be ashamed of admitting that we believe, that we believe in God that we believe in truth, love, the way, and the light. Once we stand up and say to ourselves in the mirror “I believe in God” only then can we grow our faith. Th is is so important, that every single mass we say the apostle’s creed and begin with “I believe in God…”.

As our faith grows, we make room in our hearts for actions. Th e attempt and fulfi llment to be like Jesus. Th e more we become like him the more loving, caring, patient and faithful we become. Th is all comes back to the fi rst point. Who are we at our core, at our roots? We need to realize that Christ is the center of our lives, that our lives come from Christ and that they are to be like Christ.

We need to fi nd the “Jesus within” since we are made in the image of God, we each have a “Jesus within”, a part of us that is like God. Once we see that we are created to love, created for love, and created from love we will see that we are created to (be like) God, created for showing God (love) and created by God.

Rooted in Christ, life from Christ. We belong to Christ, we believe in Christ and we are to become like Christ. A Christ of faith, a Christ of love a Christ of purity, a Christ of sacrifi ce and service, a Christ to whom we belong to, the God of the heavens and the earth. Underneath, the makeup, the cosmetic surgeries, the tattoos the rings, the evil, and doubt, is Christ. Let us all fi nd the Christ that resides in the roots of our heart and soul.

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Maya N.

Inclusion and EquityLiving our faith today means to believe in something that allows you to be happy

and practice your religion and moral virtues. Inclusion means to treat all people equally and include all groups of people in any act. By treating all people equally and just, for example, including someone in a game or group that seems left out. Equity means to be fair and impartial to all person’s needs. Everyone deserves to have a respectable life. To include everyone is very important in modern life. For example, it can be as simple as including all people, races, religions, and abilities with equal respect. Treating everyone with respect helps us to be free. By fulfi lling our responsibilities to help all people and practice our virtues we are making the choice to be free and happy. Taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Th e more one does what is good, the freer one becomes…all owe to each other this duty and respect.”

I can practice my faith by always remembering to include everyone at school, at home, and even towards someone I don’t know. In my life today many people still don’t receive the respect they deserve; for example, we can help people with disabilities or people who need more help feeling confi dent and comfortable. Every person should be should be given the tools they need to be looked at as equal to their peers. To treat some one with equity means to give them equal opportunities as others, but to also look at their diff erences and give them the assistance and support they need to succeed. To learn to include someone and treat them with equity is simple, by practicing all virtues and understanding what they truly mean.

We can become more courteous and inclusive we are taking into account our diff erences. We can become more open- minded and learning to treat everyone fairly. All people deserve to be looked as equal o another and given the sources they need to become equal to another person. I can spread the word to people in my community to become more inclusive and respectful to all people and by increasing awareness of our diff erences. I can set an example by being the person I am writing about, to show people we are all equal and deserve to be treated that way. Treating all individuals with inclusion and equity helps all individuals to feel respected, accepted, and valued. We can work together to create a closer community because every person is created in the image of God and has the right to be free, treated fairly and respected.

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Saruja S.

Why is Helping People Important?In our world today, people in need are being ignored in our society. Helping people

is important. Th is quote, “Do to others as you would have do to you” (Luke 6:31), states that we should treat others how we would want them to treat us. Helping people is important because it brings you and the other person happiness, builds up your self-esteem and it makes God happy.

Th ere are many people who are in need. Th ese people in need may include the homeless and the sick. You can also help those who are excluded or deemed as powerless, known as the marginalized. As there are many people to help, there are also many ways to help others. Th ese ways include raising or donating money and donating or buying basic necessities for people in need.

Firstly, helping people is important because it brings you and the other person happiness. According to Anne Frank, “No one has ever become poor by giving”. Th is means that if you give something, anything, it won’t make you “poor” or troubled. It also means that people were still “rich” in a way when they helped someone. Helping others can bring happiness and can make the needy feel loved. For example, Drake took the time to visit an 11-year old girl named Sofi a Sanchez at a hospital in Chicago after she was diagnosed with a heart condition. One of her birthday wishes was to get to meet Drake. Not only did this make Sofi a happy, but this also made Drake happy.

Secondly, helping people is important because it builds your self-esteem. After you help someone, they will show appreciation for your kindness. Your self-esteem will increase when you feel good about yourself after helping others and you believe that there is a purpose for you. For example, after you help someone with their chores, it made the other person’s life easier and you would feel good about this. Th is would increase your self-esteem, making you more confi dent and proud. Th is makes you want to help others more.

Finally, helping people is important because it makes God happy. Anything that benefi ts the world benefi ts God by making the earth better one step at a time. For example, after you hold the door for someone, God sees it from Heaven and it fi lls his heart with joy. Th is makes you continue knowing it makes God happy. God wants us to treat others with respect and love as he would treat us. According to Galatians 6:2, we should “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfi ll the law of Christ”. Th is means that if we carry another person’s “weight” or struggles, we can fulfi ll God’s plan.

From the reasons I have talked about, helping people is important. Helping people is important, because it brings you and the other person happiness, builds up self-esteem and it makes God happy. In conclu sion, these are the reasons why helping people is important.

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Simon L.Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

Human Traffi cking and Catholic Social Justice

Child Traffi cking in the World and in Our Home

Every 30 seconds a child is sold into sex slavery somewhere in the world. Th is is a harsh reality for many children across the world especially in third world countries such as Iran, Venezuela, and Bangladesh.

Yet even countries that have been deemed safe places to live are not free of this atrocity. Canada, a fi rst world country, a safe home, is one example. Th e Toronto Star conducted an investigation in 2015 revealing that human traffi cking in Ontario is a growing problem that must be stopped. Children as young as nine are being taken off the street to be traffi cked.

Nathalie, who isn’t using her real name, talks about how she was traffi cked right here in Toronto. When she was 14 Natalie who was living with her father while he was recovering from addiction. She ran away from home and was lured into the sex trade by human traffi ckers.

Over the next ten years she went in and out of the sex trade primarily across the GTA. She was starved and abused and sometimes forced to work around the clock to satisfy back to back clients. Her basic rights that every person should have were stripped away from her. Th e fi rst principle of human rights is “the inherent worth and dignity of every person” as it emphasizes the responsibility that everyone has a duty to protect human life.

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Simon L., Michael Power/St. Joseph High School

What we can do to HelpTh is atrocity must be stopped. Th rough the teachings of Catholic social justice we

can help end human traffi cking starting in our own community. Catholic social justice means to look at the problems we face in our community and ask “why is this happening and what can we do to help?” From the age of eleven, as a member of ME to WE and I volunteer with the St. Vincent De Paul Society, I’ve help organize various projects to aid the less fortunate in our community such as food and clothes drives and donating to the Doctor Simone Shoe Box Drive.

My work with these associations enabled me to support children less fortunate than myself and help prevent them from living on the street and being lured away from their families by human traffi ckers.

The Seven Principles of Human Rights1. Th e inherent worth and dignity of every person

2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations

3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

5. Th e right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

6. Th e goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

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Sion L.

Faith TalksI have been practicing my faith

through Christian Meditation for a very long time. Christian Meditation consists of many forms of prayers that said to God. I believe that “Christian Meditation” is a great name for the defi nition, because meditation is releasing the mind of chaotic and negative thoughts that do not benefi t you nor anyone around you.

Christian Meditation allows me to have a peaceful and positive mindset. It also allows me to continue to be practicing Christian. Th ere are 7 diff erent forms of prayer, the ones that I use are Adoration, Contrition, Petition, Th anksgiving, Intercession, Spiritual Welfare, and Supplications.

Adoration is acknowledging and praising God for who he is and what he has done. Adoration and Th anksgiving are very similar in their contexts. Th is prayer means a lot to me because it allows me to see the many amazing blessings that He gives me not only daily but throughout my life. Sometimes when I am having a bad day, I would think negative and bad thoughts. It is hard to see the light in the tunnel when nothing is going your way. However, by praying to God I realize the good in life and how God is there for me no matter what is happening during my day. I may not live in the biggest of houses, eat the fanciest food, or have expensive items to play with, but I am fortunate to live somewhere, eat food, have clothes to wear, and have family and friends to be with. Adoration allows me to see the bigger picture in life and not be consumed by the materialistic world. No matter how bad my day is, I will always thank God and refl ect on the blessings that He gives me every day.

Petition prayer is asking a favour from God. It can be anything, as long as it He is doing something for you. Of course when people hear this, they think that it is selfi sh to ask Him for something when He already has given you all the things you need. Th ese people are missing the meaning behind Petition. If there is an Almighty God that can do anything, why not pray for the things you need? By talking to God, allows you to bring reason and have faith in what you are going through. Whenever I need something from Him whether it be comfort, a solution to a problem, or to do well in something, if I believe that God can grant these wishes for me, it keeps me motivated and in a positive mindset that I can do what it is I need to do. It also allows me to have faith that He is always here for me, and he is always ready to listen to me. I do not have to go through life with all the weight and burden of everyday “s tress’ on my own.

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Sion L.

Contrition/Confession is a prayer which asks for forgiveness. Sin is inevitable and occurs many times. Sometimes we may not recognize that we have committed a sin because we do not see it as a bad thing. God sees all sin equally bad no matter how we see it. Sin is always there no matter what we do and no matter how good we may appear on the outside. By Confessing to God through Christian Meditation allows me to be in a direct line of conversation with Him, and take the burden of guilt and remorse and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is a good meditation for me because it allows me to break away from my guilt. Whenever I ask for forgiveness from God, I don’t feel as if I will carry all these bad things with me throughout my life and it gives me a sense of relief.

Intercession is a prayer for others. I receive amazing blessings from God, but there are those who are less fortunate or are going through a bad day. Anyone who is going through tough times or is having trouble, I will pray for them and wish the best for them. Family members, friends, people I know, or those who are unfortunate and are in need, I pray for their happiness. Feeling down all the time is not a good feeling, therefore when I pray for them I want them to feel happiness and know that they do not have to be in this alone.

Spiritual Welfare is a prayer which deals with Satan and demons not in a physical form but it will aff ect your mental state. Th e underlying connection to all of the prayers is the topic on “sin.” Satan will try and tempt you into not fulfi lling your Christian duties and disobey God, but no matter how hard Satan tries to deter me from my duties I know that God wants the best for me. Th rough Christian Meditation and reading the bible, I do not allow myself to submerge into Satan’s sinful ways and remind myself that God’s blessings and unconditional love is forever; temptation is not.

Supplication is a prayer which lifts your needs. It is the complete opposite of Petition; Supplication is a kind of prayer which you give up all desires and needs to God and allow him to do his work through you. Th is happens when I cannot get past an obstacle by myself, and all the things I need and want are no longer a concern. During this prayer, I give my full attention and trust to God and let him do his work through me.

Christian Meditation allows me to be in direct conversation with God. Th rough prayer, I can have one on one time with God. It allows me to be an active practicing Christian and it also allows me to restore and keep my faith. God is always there to listen to you speak and empathize with you no matter the time. Life can have its obstacles, and become very busy but by making time to pray it helps me to know that there is someone I can trust and always turn too. Christian Meditation allows me to see the light in the chaotic world.

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Sydney D.

Participation and SubsidiarityAll people have a right to be involved in economic, political and cultural life of

society no matter their race, gender, religion, language, social conditions and colour. So then why do we still exclude people from participating in a God given right? We as humans are made to help and participate in the community, “Th ose called to the service of governance in the church need to have a strong sense of justice, so, that any form of injustice becomes unacceptable” (Pope Francis). As humans we should stand up and fi ght for justice so we can be included even in the littlest of things. So that it shows subsidiarity and that we will not stand for social injustice.

Everyone should be given an amount of participation in our community, no matter who the person is. Th ere has been many people in the past who have tried to set the line of justice and fairness straight. Th is has slowly changed the way we discriminate and exclude people. Such as certain jobs women were not allowed to have and freedoms black people were not allowed access to, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you” (Ruth Ginsburg). Fighting for justice is important and it shows our faith for what we believe is right. Th is also will show future generations what mottos they should live by and show them that everyone has a right to do anything, no matter who says they cannot.

Ruth Ginsburg, she fought for women’s right to work outside the home and to have the ability for both men and women to have the same jobs. Moral and social participation within communities was the basis of her inclusion of everyone while the government was excluding people for their gender, “We are struggling for a uniting word, but the good news is that we have a uniting movement” (Emma Watson). When everyone stands up as one they accomplish amazing things, just as Ruth had done. Th is lets everyone know that we care about our faith with each other and that standing up is how we can unite as one.

Although there are many fi ghts that have been won for the right of participation with the community we still haven’t stopped fi ghting. People still get treated unfairly do to colour, gender, religion and language, “I hate prejudice, discrimination, and snobbishness of any kind - it always refl ects on the person judging and not the person being judged. Everyone should be treated equally” (Gordon Brown). Equality is still what we are fi ghting for and it has not been an easy war to win. Working together with faith and each other can bring equality, justice and fairness throughout the world. If we continue this way of thinking, individuals can make decisions for themselves and demand for continuing change. Which is why participation and subsidiarity is the key to improving justice to the system for everyone to be equals.

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Tiago V.

The 12 Virtues of the MonthFor Catholics, there are 12 very important virtues throughout a year. Each month

is connected to a virtue. In my school, a person who strongly portrays a virtue is acknowledged by the community. A virtue is a behavior showing high moral standards. I believe that virtues are very important because they show us how we should behave and act towards others. For instance, in the Toronto District Catholic School Board, September celebrates the virtue of Hospitality. “Hospitality refers to the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers”. I believe this means to welcome others into your community with respect and kindness. In October, the virtue of the month is Gratitude. Gratitude means “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”. I believe this means to be thankful for what you have, to appreciate your parents for all they do for you, and to be kind to others even if they are not kind to you. For November, the virtue of the month is peacemaking. Peacemaking “is the process of bringing about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries”. I believe that this means to resolve confl icts, and by showing others how to be peaceful. In December the virtue of the month is charity. Charity “is showing kindness and tolerance in judging others”. I believe this means to show kindness and judging someone for who they are and not judging them on there religion, or what they have or don’t have. In January the virtue of the month is courage. Courage means “strength in the face of pain or grief ”. I believe this means to show bravery but also standing up for others who can’t stand up for themselves.

In February the virtue of the month is Love. Love means “a great interest and pleasure in something”. I believe this relates back to Charity by being kind and listening to others when they need you most. In March the virtue of the month is Forgiveness. Forgiveness means “the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven”. I believe this means to forgive others for there wrong doings and for others to forgive you because we all make mistakes. In April the virtue of the month is Justice. Justice means “behavior or treatment”. I believe this means to behave in a proper manner and to notice when others aren’t and to correct them in a polite matter. In May the virtue of the month is compassion. Compassion means “sympathetic pity and concern for the suff erings or misfortunes of others”. I believe this means to show concern for others and there well being. Lastly for June the virtue of the month is Faithfulness. Faithfulness means “the quality of being faithfulness”. Th is means to act faithful toward others and to put others before you. Th e virtues of the month are very important and act like a guide line to us.

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Tomas P.Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic High School

Religion in My Classroom and in My SchoolI am writing to you with the intent of sharing how me and my classmates express

our faith on a daily basis within our school community and outside of it as well. I would like to start off with how fun and interesting my religion class is and what we have learned so far this semester. Religion class is a great learning experience where people learn about all the important values in life and how God, his son Jesus, and our mother Mary expressed and taught this during their time, Jesus taught hundreds of meaning full stories! Also, my teacher is very passionate and has a very informed conscience on the subject which makes you look forward to class everyday wanting to learn something new. He also teaches us stories from the bible and explains their meaning with lots of depth and inside information and he truly is a great teacher. At the moment, our class is almost fi nished learning our fi rst chapter of “Scripture”, and we will be moving on to our next chapter in a fairly short time. Inside this fi rst chapter we have learned a lot of concepts including: Th e Ten Commandments, Th e Beatitudes, Th e 7 Covenants in the Bible, and much more. I am so glad to be learning about my faith inside of this class and I owe it all to my teacher and wonderful classmates!

I attend one of the best catholic high schools in Ontario which is “Michael Power St. Joseph’s”, and we have a lot of amazing clubs and great students which strive to express their faith and make good choices to help out our community. One religion club run by my teacher is called “God Squad” and it has a very important purpose. Once a month my teacher and students that volunteered their own time, take the subway to get downtown and they donate food and drinks to the less fortunate people on the streets to brighten up their day and give them some hope that everything is going to turn out just fi ne. Another religion club that has helped the community is “Coldest Night of the Year”, and it happened during the last week of February.

Students from the school were encouraged to raise a minimum of $75.00 which would then go to a charity helping out homeless people on the street during the cold time of the year. After the money was raised you could go to the event where hundreds of people from diff erent schools joined together to walk in the cold weather to support those who have to go through this every day, ($2,500 raised for charity). In conclusion I love my school and everyone inside of it!

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Trinity O.

Living my FaithFaith is the complete trust or confi dence in someone or something. According to

Dictionary, Faith can also be defi ned as a strong belief in God. Faith is one of the main things that keeps us united spiritually, emotionally and physically. Our spirit, soul, mind and body are all connected with our faith. Th e best thing about faith is that no matter how diff erent we are, it still keeps us together. With faith, we can overcome fear and any obstacles that comes our way. According to Matthew 17 vs 20: “He replied, Because you have so little faith. Truly i tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Th e bible verse is basically trying to explain to us that because we have faith, we can move mountains and anything is possible with faith. All we have to do is believe in ourselves and God. It is up to us to determine how much faith is important and how we put it in our everyday lives. Faith is the key to anything.

Faith in your everyday life. Having faith in our life can make a big diff erence in our lives. Anywhere we are, both at home, at school or in public, we have to learn to show faith. Most times, I see young kids get bullied and because they don’t have faith, they can’t stand up to their rights. Fear is the one of the main challenges we have in our society which is a problem for many people. We all know the story of a woman in the bible who had an issue of blood (Mark 5 vs 25-34). Th ere was a woman who had suff ered excess bleeding for 12 years, she had heard about Jesus, so she came behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. Th en she thought to herself, “If i can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately, the bleeding stopped and she could feel that she was healed of her terrible condition. Th en the frightened woman, trembling when she realised what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of Him and told Him what she had done. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suff ering is over.” Th e old woman had faith in Jesus and she knew that just by touching his robe, she would be healed. She did not need him to touch her or talk to her, all she needed was to just touch his robe and feel his power. Some people fi nd it diffi cult to have faith and if that happens, then you pray to God to help you have faith.

Rooted in christ: we belong, we believe, we become, acts of kindness. Before having faith, we have to become part of christ, which means doing good deeds like helping. When we do good deeds, God helps us. When we become one of him, we could go to heaven which is why we should learn to be kind just like an adage says, “Whatever you sow, you will reap.” which basically means that if we do good, we will face the consequences of doing it. Th e best way to show faith is by displaying acts of kindness to everyone.

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Vincent P.Chaminade College School

Faith Alive = Church Alive – Refl ection

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” (James 2:26)

“Faith without works is also dead,” says St. James in his epistle (cf. James 2:26). For some, the concept of “living the faith” seems like something far off, something reserved for adult Catholics, or even only ordained and religious, it is fortunately not so. Young people are just as capable as living and practising the faith as older generation Catholics, the ordained and religious.

Each person, through the Sacrament of Baptism were called to not only uphold the faith, but do so through our words and actions. For me, having grown up in a Vietnamese- Catholic family, I was raised Catholic through the common acts of piety: weekly Mass attendance, morning prayer, night prayer… However, I believe that being Catholic does not stop there. It was through these routines that I developed a love and interest for the Catholic faith at a young age. I started to find different means to strengthen my faith, including participating in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement and Altar Serving at Vietnamese Martyrs Parish.

Most recently, for two months now, I have been working as an assistant sacristan at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica.

While I loved participating in the life of my local Church, I saw that it was not enough to leave the faith within the walls of the church. I said to many of my friends, “the Church is not the Church if it is stuck in the church.” I found that it was important to bring faith outside to the public within the school and the community. For the past four years, since partaking in the grade 9 Business and Technology course, with the help of my teacher developed an online webspace where I not only showcased my academic work, but also reflected on my activities and academics within a Catholic lens. Two years later, I found myself writing for The Catholic Register’s Youth Speak News program and I am currently serving a second term. This past September, as part of my co-op requirement for the SHSM ICT program at Chaminade, I chose to work at Salt and Light Catholic TV network which I found to be very fruitful.

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Vincent P., Chaminade College School

From these experiences, I learned that I can use my talents, my interests to tie them back to my faith. ‘Living the faith’ does not mean being in a church and reciting prayers 24/7. To actively live the faith is to use your God-given talents to help and serve others, therefore bringing glory not to yourself but giving glory to God and his Church. This can include using your voice for the church choir, your teaching skills to tutor children or even your leadership skills to help a community event… these are all ways to actively live the faith.

In Pope Francis’ recently published Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit (Christ Lives), which is the fruit of this past October’s Synod on the Faith, Youth and Vocational Discernment, he said, “Th e Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them!” (CV299) When young Catholics can actively live their faith, contribute to the Church and their community, then their faith is alive and when the faith of the youth is alive, the Church itself is alive.

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

80 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6E8

www.tcdsb.org

Phone: 416-222-8282