How does Philosophy prepare me for my Theological Studies?

Since the day I study philosophy, I am always in the confrontation with questioning and never-ending quest for an answer to my fundamental queries about myself, and my vocation in particular. I can never neglect the fact before I entered the seminary, I am still doubtful and hesitant to claim that priesthood is my main vocation. But years of undergoing formation studying philosophies and applying it in my daily living, I can certainly say that I am meant for priesthood. Through philosophizing, I gradually open my eyes about the richness of my daily experiences where the mystery of God reveals. Philosophy serves as a way that guides me towards a meaningful life. Contemplation and reflection before deciding things are the basic values I’ve learn from my studies. Philosophy helps me in my endeavor in trying to understand and comprehend the mysterious invitation of God.   

My life and its very meaning, the values that I have to live, and the decisions that I have to make, depends primarily on how I uses my knowledge with the help of philosophy. Philosophy helps me in discovering my real self and in setting goals for authenticating it and in pursuing those goals I choose. Philosophy in one way or another, opens my mind to new horizons and to many possibilities of life. It helps me to broaden and enlightens myself about the true meaning and purpose of my existence. Philosophy helps me not just in understanding myself, recognizing my capacities, and knowing my limitations. It also helps me to accept and make it as an asset in responding the call to the priesthood. Indeed, philosophy has a great factor in my discernment towards priesthood. Philosophy develops my capacity to judge things not just by mere introspection but rather by keen philosophizing.   

             Generally, philosophy serves as my main asset in configuring my mind and heart to the mind and heart of Jesus. It serves as one of God’s instrument in understanding deeper His invitation to me. God’s call is so mysterious.  Philosophy helps me to understand the reality that I can never fathom the reality of God no matter how I tried to comprehend and elucidate it. However, my conviction to answer God’s call becomes stronger because of the influence of philosophy. I know who and what God is, not because of what others say but of what I have experienced personally. Indeed philosophy strengthen my faith and my desire to follow the footsteps of Christ. And because of the knowledge I have been inculcated, I have come to believe that I am ready to face another years of formation - a theological formation. Philosophical studies prepares me not just intellectually but holistically. I am prepared not because I am fully equipped but because I am open to be corrected and to be formed.

Our Attitude Toward God's Creation

The story of creation in Genesis Chapter 1, is a beautiful narrative account about the beginning and the foundation of everything, and how everything takes place in accordance with the perspective of God. If we are going to put into light the creation narrative, the focal point of the story pointing to the creation of humanity. This creation narrative highlights the human person being the last creature created by God before he perfected things. In fact, human being is the only creature that God “creates in his own reflection” (v.27).  This account elucidates how precious and significant human beings are in the eyes of the creator because he shared with them the breathed of life.

The moment I know this reality and the favored I received from God, and since the day I developed the power of reflection, I am always in confrontation with questioning and never-ending quest about my life, the world around me, and the purpose and reason of God’s favored in my life. In my day to day living I am always fascinated to ponder why the Lord invests everything for the sake of me. What is there in me that the Lord continues to show his love in my life?

 As I tried to go out on my comfort zone to find answers on this ever-ending quest of life, I find it so difficult to grasp even a simple glimpse of God’s wisdom with regard to my experience with him.  One thing that is very lucid in me is the reason why God imparts into me the breath of life. For me, the breathed of life is not just a mere life in itself, but a life having countless possibilities, limitless potentialities and numerous capacities. It is a breath of wisdom, knowledge, freedom, emotion, and grace. God provides everything for our welfare. In fact, the wisdom behind the creation story is that God made first the habitat before the inhabitants not because of a chance, but the creation is carefully designed by an intelligent designer for a mysterious purpose. I believe that God gave us the breath of life to dominate from the rest of creation – not to put them in danger, but to put everything in a good and harmonious condition.

However, no one can deny of the terrific effects brought onto us by the natural calamities. Global warming, drought, floods, and landslides are some of the results of man’s unreasonable actions. The earth is gradually losing its capacity to accommodate lives because of man’s attitude towards the earth. Why is such so? For me the main reason why people continue doing such things in nature is the wrong mentality of man that the nature is ours; that we are the owner of everything we see. Most of us misconceived and was blinded of the opportunities offered to the point of believing that the nature is created only for the sake of human beings; no more no less. We failed to realize that every creature is connected to one another. We failed to understand that if one of the creation is lost or even not functioning according to its purpose and nature, everything will put into chaos. Thus, what we have experienced nowadays are the results of man’s wrong attitude towards creation.

Now, as a creature having reason and feeling, let us together reevaluate our perspective of creation. Let us rediscover the purpose and reason of God why he makes us in his image and likeness. For me, the only way to diminish such destruction is to change our attitude towards creation. Let us deconstruct our understanding from being the owners of the creation to being stewards of God’s creation. By doing so, we may be able to protect the creation, and change our attitude toward nature. Above all, by making this as our resolution, we may be able to fulfill the purpose of God in imparting into us the breath of life.   

Virtual Community, is it real or not?

Virtual Community, is it real or not? This is a controversial class discussion that divides the class into two.  Both parties has its own valid principles and stands. I myself, being part of the class must also have a stand with regard to the issue.

If we are going to follow St. Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical line of thought, the virtual community This metaphysical premise becomes the general framework of the idea that existence must be first and foremost the basic and intrinsic criterion of all real beings. Thus, in the surface level of understanding, virtual community as a real community falls on this philosophical premise. However, this is not a question of mere existence. It is not an inquiry of proving about virtual community’s existence. I believe that this question wanted to drill a deeper meaning and bounteous reflections. In my own view, this question wants to uncover or expose not just its existence, but the authenticity of its essence and its implication to the real walks of life.

is real because it is undoubtedly existing. For St. Thomas, every being in so far as it exists in reality, is real.

To make things clearer, I use the lexical definition of both words as the ground of my judgment. Lexically speaking, VIRTUAL is an adjective word that has a meaning of being very close to being something without actually being it. Its connotation is tantamount to the meaning of artificial, not genuine or imitation. On the other hand, REAL in its etymological sense means actually existing or happening not imaginary, not fake, false or artificial.  It speaks of something important and deserving to be regarded or treated in a serious way.

Now let us talk about community. Community in a narrower sense, can only be called community when there are various people having various differences gathered together for a purpose. People should commune, reach and extend themselves to one another, so that the community will flourish. Communication then, in any means is necessary. Virtual community have these things. It involves communication through the internet as a means to share ideals, aspirations, vision, interests, etc. Virtual communication affects life to its extent.

But then again, authentic community is not just about virtual communication, virtual presence, and virtual relationship. Authentic community needs a real and genuine presence – a presence that goes beyond words. Real community needs physical and tangible presence. Authentic community does not only depend on verbal communication, not like virtual community. Real community is a community where real people can extend themselves in a very various ways. Real community is not an off and on community. It must be continuous.  Virtual community is a community yet not actually being it. So much so that, I came up with a realization that virtual community is not a real community because it can never be equated as real community as SMSC community.  Therefore, virtual community exists not as real community, but as a medium for communication. No more no less.