Prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of interior impulse: in order to pray, one must have the will to pray. Nor is it enough to know what the Scriptures reveal about prayer: one must also learn how to pray. Through a living transmission within the believing and praying Church, the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God how to pray. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2650)
Classes participate in daily prayer and meditative prayer practice. Teachers have been supported with the development of prayer boxes and associated resources to inform everyday classroom teaching and learning. .All classes have visible sacred spaces that reflect class individuality, the class covenant and the liturgical season. The front foyer in the administration building also displays the school theme and is a place for reflection.Meditative prayer engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire and its various forms can lead us to closer union with God (Contemplation).
The Prayer Appendix within the Religious Education Curriculum recommends that teachers immerse students in diverse experiences of prayer and provide opportunities for students to engage with different approaches to meditative prayer. At St Mary MacKillop, we build capacity within our students to participate in times of silence and stillness to prepare them to enter into, and experience, forms of meditative and contemplative prayer. We believe that students of all ages are capable of using meditative prayer and engage with a range of meditative practices including silence, guided meditation and the use of mandalas.