I am really inspired by
what Pope Francis is doing because as a future minister I need also to be like
him. Nowadays, it’s very rare to see priests feeding the homeless, embracing
and kissing the sick person in the public. That’s why I’m very thankful that I’m
under his administration because somehow he is my inspiration. There are many
values that I really value: to live simply, to be humble and to serve others
especially the poor. Pope Francis really influenced me because to live in humility and simplicity is hard, but he is showing me the example. If he
can do it, why can’t I? And this is what Pope Francis really emphasized in his
administration. And this is also what Christ did during his time, he served the
people with great simplicity and humility.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Obedience and Responsible Freedom: An SMSC Hallmark
This undertaking is
inspired and enlightened by the event during the time of the Holocaust. Many people
were imprisoned by Hitler, physically they were not free, but interiorly they were
free because they stand for the truth. In regards to this idea, Cardinal Newman
expresses a very relevant view. He postulates that ‘freedom’ can be seen in two
steps or categories. He calls it freedom
from and freedom for. Freedom from needs one has to empty oneself of
the many small or great possessions that he has. Freedom from idols and
attachments only results in aimless drift unless it clings into something. This
clinging unto something is that ‘freedom for’. In a book about Pope Francis it
is stated that “Be free people! … Freedom means being able to think about what
we do, being able to assess what is good and what is bad, these are the types
of conduct that lead to development… Always being free to choose goodness is
demanding but it will make you into people with a backbone who can face life,
people with courage.”[1]
In the seminary context, maybe one can say that his
actions are curtailed. But the point here is that even if one’s action is
curtailed, he willfully respond. This only mean that an external barrier cannot
reach the interior freedom of a seminarian. Like Jesus, he obediently obeyed the father to
redeem the world. As a seminarian, one must also be obedient to the formation,
with the external barriers, but he is actually free because his interior
freedom can never be hindered. These things constitute the responsible freedom
of Seminario Mayor de San Carlos.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The Influence of Neo-Scholasticism in my Faith
As we all know,
Neo-Scholasticism is the development of the Scholasticism of the middle ages
during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Roman Catholic theology and
philosophy. The scholastic doctrine introduces us so many different teachings
that is really useful for us in giving answers to the questions which is until
now, still a question of many people. In my case, neo-scholasticism really
influenced me in my faith. It was that scholastics who introduces some answers
which I can say that not really a proof of God’s existence but scholastics made
clear to us what and who is really our God. This enlightenment of the concept
of the existence of God was made by the neo-scholastics easy to be understand
by the people of the modern time. As I have understood about Neo-Scholastic, the
Neo-Scholastics shared three major characteristics: first, their fidelity to
Divine Revelation as interpreted by the teaching of the Church; second, their
openness to rational speculation; and third, their reliance on the dialectical
method, technical language, and theological insights of Medieval and
Renaissance Scholasticism. In sum, Neo-Scholastic literature is marked by
logical rigor and precision of expression, and manifests an abiding confidence
in the supremacy of Faith, the capacity of reason, and the authority of the
Church.
On the other hand, even though I’m influence by the
scholastics but I would still be open to some other possibilities or ideas
which is not being introduced by the Scholastics. I am not close to some ideas
in this modern time which would also contribute to strengthen my faith and will
give benefits to the church. As of now Neo-Scholasticism influence me in my
understanding about my faith.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Credit Card
Why do we keep
sinning? Again, the first answers tend to be
the polished, churchy answers… “Because all have sinned and have fallen short
of the glory of God.” “Because we’re evil.” “Because the devil
tempts us.” The truth is… we sin because we want to. We like
sin. Sin feels good. When we are so stressed out that our head
feels like it’s going to pop off our neck, our sin helps us to escape
reality. When doing the right thing seems to cost too much or doesn’t
seem to be paying off, sin offers us the quick payoff. We sin because we
think it is the only thing that is going to hold us together. Sin is our
security blanket, our comfort. It becomes the idol that we thought would
provide for our needs.
You cannot serve
both God and sin. They are mutually exclusive. Your sin will
require that you get rid of God. God requires that you get rid of
sin. I’m not talking about a religious, legalistic work of the
flesh. I’m talking about a lifestyle of repentance and loving the Lord
Jesus Christ and handing our sins to Him while He touches our hearts and does a
holy work in us to fulfil our deepest needs.
– Dan Hitz
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