PRAYER
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC paragraph 2559), prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God, or the petition of good things from Him in accord with His will. In other words, prayer is an act of communing with God for the ultimate purpose of knowing and acting on the will of God for our lives. Thus, it is an act crucial for meaningful living and as a school oriented toward the Service of God and Others, as expressed by the school motto, prayer is an integral part of the school’s life. Indeed the service of God and the service of others which it encapsulates, necessitates knowing the will of God. As a praying community, MBJ fosters in her staff and students personal and living relationship with God who commands their service as stewards of creation. The following are the forms of prayers nurtured at MBJ: morning and night prayer, the liturgy of the hours, the rosary, prayer before and after meals, and the celebration of the Holy Mass
Daily Morning/Night Prayer
Each day begins and ends with a prayer. The Morning Prayer which precedes the celebration of the Holy Mass provides our students with the opportunity to pray the psalms in praise of God for the gift of life and creation which they enjoy. In the months of May and October devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic tradition, students pray a decade of the Rosary imploring the intercession of the Mother of God and our Mother.
Before retiring for the day, our students after night preps, express gratitude to God for their experiences of the day, thanking God for lessons learnt, tasks accomplished, encouragements received, life impacted, joy experienced and shared, thereafter entrusting themselves to God’s loving care and protection.
Holy Mass
The celebration of the Holy Mass is a daily event at MBJ. The Holy Mass which is the highest form of prayer in the Catholic faith tradition recalls the love of Christ for humankind and offers members of MBJ Community the opportunity to experience Christ’s love anew in the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
In the Liturgy of the Word we hear stories from sacred scriptures that tell how God was present in the lives of our forebears, seeking to know how God continues to be present in our lives, and in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we share a meal of simple bread and wine by which we are strengthened to be Christ for others sharing with them our talents, time and treasures. A unique feature of the celebration of the Holy Mass at MBJ is honouring staff and students on the occasion of their birthdays by praying and singing for them. Parents and guardians are welcome to join in the celebration of the Holy Mass on visiting Sundays.