Personal and Environmental Factors Affecting Canossian Students' Behavior During Eucharistic Celebrations
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Personal and Environmental Factors Influencing the High School Students’ Behavior during Eucharistic Celebration
CLE AREA – High School Department
I. Introduction
A. The Eucharist and Canossa School Sta. Rosa The Eucharist is one of the most important and vital aspects of faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church proclaims it, the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life (cf. CCC 1324). Thus, it is just proper that a Catholic school provides regular opportunities for students to develop a loving devotion to the Holy Eucharist especially in the Celebration of the Holy Mass. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the campus reflects vividly Canossa School Sta. Rosa’s vision and mission that aims at the education and formation of S.M.A.R.T. Canossian with the Heart. Responding to this call of placing the Eucharist at the center of its students’ life, Canossa, with its aim to make Jesus known and loved, faithfully reminds its students to attend regularly the Sunday Mass and occasionally invites them to celebrate the Holy Eucharist inside the campus during first Fridays and during special feasts and solemnities.
B. The Importance of Active Participation during the Eucharistic Celebration The Second Vatican Council states clearly that the “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people” (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4- 5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism. (…) The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ’s faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God’s word and be nourished at the table of the Lord’s body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.” (Sacrosanctum Conciliium 14, 28) With this in mind, Canossa School Sta. Rosa helps faithfully its students to recognize this wonderful sacrament as the core of their faith. Through constant reminders to participate actively and to behave well with deep devotion during the Holy Mass, students may come to acknowledge fully the presence, memorial, and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sanctification of all. However, there are still instances that show how the students inactively participate and misbehave during the Eucharistic celebration.
II. Conceptual Framework The concern of this study was to find out the personal and environmental factors influencing the students’ behavior during the Eucharistic Celebration in Canossa School Sta. Rosa. The concept map shows the personal and environmental factors that affect their behavior. Personal factors include the students’ interest, age, gender, motivation, and beliefs. Environmental factors include the time/schedule, the venue of the celebration, and the influence of classmates/peers, influence of teachers/staff/sisters/personnel.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS * TIME/SCHEDULE * VENUE * INFLUENCE OF THE CLASSMATES/PEERS, * INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS/STAFF/
SISTERS/PERSONNEL
* IMPACT OF THE PRIEST CELEBRANT
PERSONAL FACTORS * INTEREST * AGE AND GENDER * MOTIVATION * BELIEFS
THE BEHAVIOR OF THE STUDENTS DURING THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION
Figure 1. The Personal and Environmental Factors Influencing the Students’ Behavior during the Eucharistic Celebration. This study answered the following questions: 1. How do the personal factors (interest, age, gender, motivation, beliefs) of the students affect their behavior during the Mass celebrated in the school? 2. What is the contribution of the environmental factors (time/schedule, venue, influence of the peers, parents, teachers, priest) to the decorum and disposition of the students during the Mass in the school?
III. Methodology
A. Research Design This study is descriptive in nature, as the objective of the study is to know the personal and environmental factors that affect the students’ behavior during the Eucharistic celebration in the school.
B. Participants The participants were 45 randomly selected students from Grade 7 to Fourth Year level: 11 students from Grade 7 (6 Girls, 5 Boys); 10 students from Grade 8 (2 Boys, 8 Girls); 12 students from Grade 9 (4 Boys, 8 Girls); and 12 students for Fourth Year (6 Boys, 6 Girls). Among the selected students were 20 chairmen of the Liturgical Committee of their class. All students are enrolled at Canossa School Sta. Rosa for the School Year 2014-2015.
C. Research Methods The researchers used 3 methods in this study: 1. Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) was used to collect information about the respondents. PIQ includes name (optional), age, gender, grade and section, and years of stay in Canossa School Sta. Rosa. 2. Personal and Environmental Factors Questionnaire was constructed to distinguish the factors influencing the behavior of the students during the Eucharistic Celebration in the school. To gauge these factors, the researchers used this rating scale: 4 – Very Affecting (VA) 3 – Moderately Affecting (MA) 2 – Slightly Affecting (SA) 1 – Not Affecting at all (NA) 3. Semi-structured interview guide was also employed to gather further responses from the participants.
IV. Results The objective of this study was to determine the personal and environmental factors that affect the students’ behavior during the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Canossa School Sta. Rosa.
A. Data
Table 1. Age of the Participants Attending the Eucharistic Celebration
The data demonstrate that 28.89 % of the participants are 14 years old; 26.67 % are 15 years old; 20 % are 13 years old; 13.33 % are 16 years old; and 11.11 % are 12 years old.
Table 2. Gender of the Participants Attending the Eucharistic Celebration
Gender | Quantity | Percentage | Male | 17 | 37.78 % | Female | 28 | 62.22 % | Total | 45 | 100 | The result shows that 62.22 % of the respondents are female and 37.78 % are male.
Table 3. Participants’ Years of Stay in Canossa Sta. Rosa
The table demonstrates that the majority of the participants are studying in Canossa School Sta. Rosa for 3 years (20 %) and for 4 years (20 %) while the minority study for already 11 years (2.22 %) and 12 years (2.22)
Table 4. Weighted Mean on Personal Factor (Age and Gender, Interest, Motivation, Belief)
Item (Age and Gender) | WM | a. Praying is girls’ stuff | 1.91 | b. I am too young to understand the celebration | 1.80 | c. Mass is only for Lolos and Lolas | 1.60 | Ave. Mean | 1.77 | | | Item (Interest) | WM | a. I prefer going to Mass only on Sundays | 2.20 | b. I prepare myself spiritually before Mass | 2.87 | c. I enjoy going to Mass | 3.28 | d. I enjoy praying with my classmates | 2.93 | e. I enjoy the homily of the priest | 3.31 | Ave. Mean | 2.92 | | | Item (Motivation) | WM | a. My teachers will praise me if I actively participate and behave | 2.37 | b. I prepare myself spiritually before Mass | 2.89 | c. The short talk of the sister animator inspires me | 2.87 | d. I have a personal devotion to the Eucharist | 3.00 | e. The whole student body participates actively in the celebration | 2.53 | Ave. Mean | 2.73 | | | Item (Belief) | WM | a. I believe that the Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus | 3.29 | b. I believe that the Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus | 3.44 | c. I believe that the Mass affects my life | 3.56 | Ave. Mean | 3.43 |
The results show that on the personal factor, the Belief has the highest average mean (3.44) and the Age and Gender has the lowest average mean (1.77). High Average mean suggests that a specific factor helps the students to concentrate and behave well during the Eucharistic celebration while low average mean conveys that a particular factor distracts the focus of the students leading them to misbehave during the celebration.
Table 5. Weighted Mean on Environmental Factor (Venue, Time/Schedule, Influence of the Classmates and Peers, Influence of the Teachers/Staff/Sisters/Personnel, Impact of the Priest Celebrant)
Item (Venue of the Celebration) | WM | 1. The air (ventilation) in the venue circulates well. | 2.80 | 2. The venue has comfortable seats for each person. | 2.67 | 3. The venue has a good sound system. | 3.04 | 4. The venue is always kept clean. | 3.04 | 5. The venue is big enough to house the whole school community | 3.38 | 6. The venue provides a prayerful ambiance. | 3.93 | Ave. Mean | 2.98 | | | Item (Time/Schedule of the Celebration) | WM | 1. The Mass is held at a very convenient time. | 3.13 | 2. Time helps in creating a prayerful atmosphere. | 3.02 | 3. Time allows all members of the community to join the celebration. | 3.22 | Ave. Mean | 3.12 | | | Item (Influence of the Classmates/Peers) | WM | 1. My classmates help create a prayerful atmosphere. | 2.62 | 2. My seatmates encourage me to pray more. | 2.67 | 3. The choir sings well. The songs make me pray more. | 3.18 | Ave. Mean | 2.82 | | | Item (Influence of Teachers, Sisters, Staff, and Personnel | WM | 1. The whole class is informed and animated by the teachers beforehand. | 3.15 | 2. The sisters aid in maintaining desirable behaviour among students. | 3.24 | 3. The advisers keep their class in order. | 3.31 | 4. Teachers encourage students to actively participate in the celebration. | 3.38 | 5. Teachers, sisters, and other employees are positioned strategically in such a way that they can supervise the students during celebrations. | 3.2 | Ave. Mean | 3.25 | | | Item (Impact of the Priest Celebrant) | WM | 1. The overall appearance of the priest makes me focus on praying. | 3.38 | 2. The priest delivers his homily clearly; it had an impact on me. | 3.42 | 3. The priest’s voice is clear and audible. | 3.38 | Ave. Mean | 3.39 |
The results illustrate that on the Environmental Factor, the Impact of the Priest has the highest Average Mean (3.39) and the Influence of the Classmates/Peers has the lowest Average Mean. Again, high average mean suggests that a specific factor helps the students to concentrate and behave well during the Eucharistic celebration while low average mean conveys that a particular factor distracts the focus of the students leading them to misbehave during the celebration.
Table 6. Weighted Mean and Classification on Personal and Environmental Factors
Personal Factor | WM | Classification | Environmental Factor | WM | Classification | Age and Gender | 1.77 | NA | Venue | 2.98 | SA | Interest | 2.92 | SA | Time/Schedule | 3.12 | MA | Motivation | 2.73 | SA | Classmates/Peers | 2.82 | SA | Belief | 3.43 | MA | Teachers/Sisters/Staff/Personnel | 3.25 | MA | | | | Priest Celebrant | 3.39 | MA | Ave. Mean | 2.71 | SA | | 3.11 | MA |
The table shows that Personal Factor is slightly to moderately affecting, having the average mean of 2.71: Belief (3.43) as the highest area, moderately to highly, affecting the students’ behavior; Interest (2.92) and Motivation (2.73) slightly to moderately affecting; and Age and Gender (1.77) as the lowest area, not affecting to slightly, affecting the students’ behavior. For the Environmental Factor, the total result shows that it is moderately affecting the students’ behavior, having an average mean of 3.11: the Impact of the priest celebrant (3.39) as the highest area, followed by Influence of the Teachers, Staff, Sisters, Personnel (3.25) and Time/Schedule (3.12), all are moderately to highly affecting; both Venue (2.98) and Influence of the Classmates and Peers (2.82) are slightly to moderately affecting.
Table 7. Respondents’ Answer to the Question “What is my reason for attending Mass in School?”
Answer | Frequency | Percentage | Rank | To strengthen/enhance my faith | 17 | 37.78 % | 1 | To pray and to thank the Lord | 12 | 26.67 % | 2 | To be much closer to God | 10 | 22.22 % | 3 | To learn more about the Word of God | 6 | 13.33 % | 4 | To be holy and to be a better person | 5 | 11.11 % | 5 | To be inspired by the Eucharist | 4 | 8.89 | 6 | Obliged, part of the school activity | 3 | 6.67 | 7 | It is part of the Christian life | 2 | 4.44 | 8 | It motivates me to study | 1 | 2.22 | 9 |
Among the answers why students attend Mass in the school, the will to strengthen their faith got the highest rank. 17 students (37.78%) said that the very reason they attend the Mass in school is to enhance their faith in God. 12 students (26.67 %) answered that they attend Mass because they want to pray and to thank the Lord. 10 students (22.22 %) believe that attending the Mass in school will get them closer to God. 6 students (13.33 %) stated that attending the Mass will let them learn more about the Word of God. 5 students (11.11 %) attend Mass in school in order to be holy and to be a better person. 4 students (8.89 %) said that they attend Mass in school to be inspired by the Eucharist. 3 students (6.67 %) reasoned out that they attend Mass in school because they were obliged. 2 students (4.44 %) then attend Mass in school because they believe that it is part of the Christian life. 1 student (2.22 %) is motivated to study because of the Mass.
Table 8. Respondents’ Answer to the Question “What makes me misbehave or what distracts my attention during the Mass?”
Answer | Frequency | Percentage | Rank | Noise of the classmates and of other students (lower levels) | 45 | 100 % | 1 | Ventilation (too hot) | 11 | 24.44 % | 2 | Homily is not clear, boring, too long | 5 | 11.11 % | 3 | Drowsiness | 2 | 4.44 % | 4 | The poor sound system and the choir does not sing well | 1 | 2.22 % | 5 |
The table clearly shows that all students (100 %) are distracted during the Eucharistic Celebration because of the noise created by their classmates and by the other students (lower levels). Thus this reason ranks first as the factor why students misbehave or are distracted during the Mass. The ventilation of the venue follows with 11 students (24.44 %) saying that the place of the celebration is too hot. 5 students (11.11 %) stated that they were distracted during the Mass when the priest’s homily is not clear, boring, and too long. 2 students (4.44 %) are distracted because of drowsiness. 1 student (2.22 %) answered that poor sound system, together with the bad singing of the choir, distracts her during the Mass.
B. Findings The personal factors affect much the students’ behavior during the Eucharistic celebration in school. The belief or faith in God of the students highly influences the students’ behavior and participation during the Mass. Students’ age, ranging from 12-16, and gender, which is mostly female, don’t really affect their behavior as long as they believe that the Eucharist is the summit and center of their faith and in there is the real presence of Jesus. Students, who are mostly studying in Canossa for 3-4 years, participate and behave well during the Eucharistic celebration because they believe that it affects their lives – they become much closer to God and they become better and holy persons. Personal devotion to the Eucharist also motivates the students to actively participate during the Mass. Learning about the Word of God is also the reason they attend Mass in school thus the homily of the priest explaining the readings is the interest of most of the students. Moreover, environmental factors also play a big role in disposing the students to participate and behave well during the Eucharistic Celebration in school. The impact of the priest celebrant truly generates active participation from the students. It is important also for the students to have a good and well ventilated venue in order for them to focus well on the celebration. Comfortable seats are also necessary to maintain easiness of the students during the celebration. Silence manifested by their classmates and other classmates also create a prayerful atmosphere that will help them to actively participate during the Mass. Furthermore, the encouragement of the teachers, most especially their advisers, helps the students also to participate and behave well during the Eucharistic celebration in school.
V. Conclusion As a Catholic School, Canossa School Sta. Rosa should really help its students to develop a loving devotion to the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life, especially in the Celebration of the Holy Mass. There are however personal and environmental factors that affect the students’ behavior during the Eucharistic Celebration in school. The students, regardless of their age, gender, years of stay in Canossa, can behave well and actively participate in the Mass if they really and personally believe that the Eucharist is the center and summit of their lives as Christians and if they are truly aware and convinced that in the Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus Christ is there. Faith in God and devotion to the Eucharist are of utmost importance in having a good disposition and behavior during the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The priest celebrant, as the Alter Christus, plays an equally important role in bringing the presence and message of Christ to the students who long to talk to God, understands His Word, and to become much closer to Him. Silence is also required from all in order that all students may not be distracted during the Mass. A good, well-ventilated venue with decent chairs does help the students to focus and pray well in the Mass. Encouragement coming from the teachers and also from their classmates will definitely motivate and inspire the students to dispose themselves properly during the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist in school.
VI. Recommendation The researchers offer the following recommendations: 1. Continue to nurture the faith of the students though well developed Christian Living Education and intensive spiritual formation such as recollections and retreats; 2. Continue to teach the students the importance of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in their lives as Christians through Catechisms and through visible examples of the teachers in order to develop in them a great devotion and love to the Blessed Sacrament; 3. Foster greater motivation like lively animation and teachers’ encouragement that will help the students to participate actively and behave well during the Eucharistic celebration; 4. Since noise coming from the students is the primary distraction during the Eucharistic celebration, guidance and constant reminder from the teacher advisers are necessary; 5. To lessen also the noise created by the uneasiness of the students due to hot temperature and uncomfortable seats, it would be better if the school put more industrial fans in the gymnasium, where the Eucharistic Celebration is usually held, and decent chairs for all. 6. Install a better sound system in the venue where Mass is celebrated so that all students may hear clearly the celebration, especially the readings, homily, and the songs, thus allowing them to behave well and participate actively in the Mass. 7. Invite young, holy, and competent priests who can truly give an impact to the students through their gestures and words, inspiring them to love Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and in their everyday life as S.M.A.R.T Canossians. VII. References
Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education of the Catholic Education of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,(1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, OP, DD (1997). Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC)
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, (1963). Sacrosanctum Concilium
