3.
show identifiable characteristics of
Module 2: A Christian call
and The Thomasian
Response
Lesson 1: advocacy to
Christianity
Lesson 2: Thomasian Identity
and Response
Introduction:
BIENENIDO AL MODULO DOS!
In this module, you will encounter two
lessons which will lead you to a deeper
appreciation of human dignity, and a keen
sensitivity to the needs of others especially
those who suffer in poverty and crisis in life.
The second part of this module emphasizes
the Thomasian response to the Christian call
which is further explained as you go along
the module.
At the end of this module you are expected
to:
1. develop a deep understanding of
the Catholic Church’s claim on
human dignity;
2. be knowledgeable of the distinctive
characteristics of being a Catholic;
3. appreciate the value of one’s worth
through the concept of “
pagmamahal and pagmumura”
4. know your role and responsibility as
a Thomasian in the community;
5. be inspired through the works and
services exemplified by St.
Dominicans saints, St. Thomas and
some Thomasian alumni and
honorary; and
6. Observe and practice the 3 core
values of a Thomasian.
LESSON 1: Advocacy to Christianity
1. define human dignity in the Catholic
perspective;
2. identify the basic elements that
make up a man;
being a Filipino Catholic;
4. relate to the story of the Good
Samaritan by narrating a real-life
experience which made an impact in
your life;
5. explain the concept of pagmamahal
and pagmumura through the work of
Dr. Florentino H. Hornedo; and
6. give concrete examples manifesting
the characteristics of pagmamahal
and pagmumura.
I. MAN: Image and Likeness of
God
So God created man in his image, in the
image of God he created him, male and
female he created them. And God
blessed them and God said to them, “Be
Fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth
and subdue it; and have dominion over
the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the air and over every living that moves
upon the earth.’
-Gen. 1:27-29
Humanity is the pinnacle of creation. Being
made in God’s image, humanity has intrinsic
worth. Human beings alone, among all of
God’s creation, have the breadth of God
blown into their nostrils Gn. 2:7
Human dignity is the intrinsic worth that
inheres in every human being. From the
Catholic perspective among other Christian
perspectives the source of human dignity is
rooted in the concept of imago dei latin for
“image of God” in Christ’s redemption and in
our ultimate destiny of union with God.
Human dignity therefore transcends any
social order as the basis for rights and
neither granted by society nor can it be
legitimately violated by society. In this way
human dignity is the conceptual basis for
human rights. While providing the foundation
for many normative claims, one direct
normative implication of human dignity is
that every human being should be
acknowledged as an inherently valuable
member of the human community and as a
unique expression of life with an integrated
bodily and spiritual nature. In Catholic moral
thought because there is a social or
communal dimension to human dignity itself
persons must be conceived of not in overly
—individualistic terms but as being
inherently connected to the rest of society.
Because the tradition emphasizes the
integral nature of our body and spirit the
human body takes greater significance and
value than in the prevailing dualistic
conception of the person.
Man’s dignity comes from
having a soul.
The soul is his principle of life. It is what
gives him a spiritual nature. It is what makes
him like God for it enables him to think and
to want. The power which enables man to
reason out things is called his intellect. The
power which allows man to decide and to
carry out that decision is called his will.
Because man has a soul, he can be
called a person.
A person is a being with a rational nature.
Man is called the image of his Maker
precisely because he is rational. He shares
something in common with God and angels:
his intellect and will.
Man can have a sense of humor. Only men
can find two things that are absurd or
unrelated to each other amusing. Only man
can joke or laugh; not even the hyena can
equal man in finding wit in contradictory
situations. Man can do so because he has a
mind.
With an intellect, man can search for the
truth.
As a consequence, he studies the world
around him in order to better understand
and do things accordingly. With his
knowledge he can work for the good of
others by producing or making things. He
gropes for what is real until things are
revealed to him with the aid of his sense.
But always something will be missing from
the entire puzzle for his mind is not a
encompassing as his Maker’s. but it will still
be a light in the dark, enough for him live in
peace.
With his will, man can choose good. But
then not all good things are of the same
quality, there are good things that are higher
than others. It is up to man to identify the
higher good so he can choose it,.
As a person, we have two goals: the
temporal and ultimate. Our temporal goal is
to be able to develop ourselves and take an
active role in the society. Our ultimate goal
is to be in union with our Creator. Our
intellect enables us to acquire the necessary
knowledge about the meaning of life.
Through it, we are able to discern whether
our action is right or wrong. On the other
hand, our human will enables us to act on
our discernment, as persons, we are able to
lift our thoughts to the ideals and are able to
make judgments. While we all share in the
image and likeness of God, we are not all
the same. Each and every one of us is
unique.
As Christians, do you realize these valuable
intrinsic capabilities that God has endowed
us? That of being in the image and likeness
of God?
II. Distinctive characteristics of
a Filipino Catholic
We, Filipino Catholics in particular, are
people who have experienced in one or
another what our Filipino identity, meaning,
suffering, commitment and world-view are all
tied to Jesus Christ. Like a diamond with a
thousand faces, Christ is bale to reveal to
every person and nation, their own unity,
truth and value.
Thus we Filipino Catholics are whose who:
As baptized into discipleship of Jesus
Christ, discover our identity as adopted
children of our father and as members of
Christ’s Body, the Church, inspired by Mary
our Mother;
In the breaking of bread around the table of
the Lord, find meaning in sharing ecclesial
fellowship with one another and within
Christ, their Priest and Eucharist;
In meeting the crucified Savior, are
sustained in the sufferings and hardships of
life, and receive forgiveness for their sins
through his sacraments;
Commit ourselves to our Risen Lord and his
mission through the gift of Faith, celebrated
in great Hope in the sacraments, and lived
out in love and service of their fellow-men;
From our world-vision led by the spirit of the
risen Christ, are experienced in the Christian
community, the church which sustains us in
our pilgrimage of life-in-Christ;
Approach and live out this Christian life
within the powerful inspiring presence of
Mary, our Mother and model.
In the previous readings, you learned about
the person created in the image and
likeness of God. Now, the 2nd half of the first
module will make you discover the persons’
communitarian nature, your responsibility
And realization of one’s worth.
When we deal with each other, we should
do so with the sense of awe that arises in
the presence of something holy and sacred.
For that is what human beings are: we are
created in the image of God: GN1:27
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had
silenced the Sadducees, they met together
in the same place. One of them, an expert in
the law, tested him by asking, “teacher,
which is the greatest commandment in the
law?”
Jesus said to him, “you must love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind.” This is the
greatest and most important commandant.
The second is like it: you must love your
neighbor as yourself.” All the law and the
prophets depend on these two
commandments.”
-mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28
As mentioned on the previous lesson, you
are going to learn in this module the concept
of “pagmamahal” and “pagmumura.”
III. The Concept of “Pagmamahal”
and “Pagmumura”
Franciscan Venerable Juan de Oliver wrote
his tagalong “declaracion de los
Mandamientos de la ley de Dios” betweenn
1585 and1590. the first commandment he
rendered as “ybiguin mo ang Dios, lalo sa
lahat.”
The reasonable man, one who has
discernment, distinguishes within his heart
what is good and what is evil; he esteems
the precious, and the worthless he treats us
worthless. Would a man be considered right
if he treats equally everything, both the good
and evil as if they were the same, and if he
regards as equal both that which is precious
and that which is worthless, or that is which
is worthless with that which is precious?
Would not the person be blind if he treats
that which is black as if it were white, and
that which is white as if were black? Is it
correct to treat the cheap and the costly as if
they were equal? The devil and the God?
If God is greater and most precious of all,
why do you not esteem and love and cherish
Him above all?
The devil, the anito, if the most worthless,
ugly, evil-minded, a murmurer against his
God, why is he not treated as the most
worthless of all, why not shown cruelty, why
not forgotten as worth nothing?
Pagmamahal, is a disposition of one being
towards another being, by which is a degree
of value is expressed or symbolized.
Conversely, pagmumura is the inclination to
behave toward another who has been
considered as valueless or cheap. Thus,
when fray oliver tells the tagalogs in
Balayan, “anot minomora nonyo ang Dios?”,
he is speaking specifically not of
blasphemous speech uttered against God,
but of actions that bespoke the lack of
recognition of the true worth of the Creator
to His creatures ( Hornedo, 1997).
Thus, a parent who loves his children not
only sees to it that they do not come to
harm, but also actively promotes their
growth into mature people. He feeds them
and educates them. He chooses their
schools and helps them decide on the
careers that they will take. While there are
parents who would manipulate their children
to suit their personal convenience, the
nagmamahal, or caring, parent appreciates
and enhances the value the children by
every means possible.
There are numerous examples wherein we
can attest to this concept of pagmamahal;
one is by means of studying well in school
since if a student puts value to studying then
he/she knows the importance of best to
provide their child with good education. Let
us cite another example, a student who
addresses his/her teacher in a proper
manner, i.e., ma’am, sir, ms or mr. is
deemed respectful to a person in authority.
Can you now give other examples like we’ve
mentioned? Discuss these with your
classmates in our discussion forum.
The totality of those acts which valuing is
expressed are known in tagalong as
pagpapahalaga (tp appreciate value), and
pagmamahal (to love). A thing is mahal
(high-priced, dearly loved) because it is
mahalaga (valuable).pagmamahal,
therefore, is intimately and essentially bound
up with halaga. And to love, therefore, is
both to recognize worth or value and to act
in a manner consistent with the preservation
and enhancement of the value of the
minamahal (one considered pf great value).
And even today, pagmumura sa kapwa
( speaking to another in demeaning
language) is, in fact, a verbal expression of
how little a person values another. In times
past when pedigree was considered material
to a person’s social worth, Filipino
demeaned other by calling “anak ng puta”
(offspring of a whore). In cultures where
pagpapakatao (bhaving as a human being)
is regarded as valuable, they demean others
by calling them “hayop” or “animal”. Thus,
pagmumura is the demeaning of someone,
whether by language or by deed, as there is
slander by word and slander by deed.
But pagmumura is the demeaning of
someone not only by language but also by
deed. When a man sees to it with great care
to educate his children, he is expressing in
deed his value for the children. But when he
acts towards the servants who might be as
old as his children with abuse and
desecration, he is in effect devaluing their
worth and stunting their personal growth. By
the premises we have set above, this parent
shows pagmamahal toward his children but
pagmumura towards the servants. Here is
where the judgment of universal
pagmamahal lies.
Time has really gone through some visible
changes, changes in traditions and values
particularly. Gone are the days when Filipino
children used to exercise the Filipino
tradition of “pagmamano” to elderly people
when meeting them on the streets as a s
sign of respect, when young adults have
strict curfews, and are not allowed to go on
dates except in social gatherings together
with their families or with a chaperon.
Have you ever been that rude, ill-mannered
person who makes his way in a queue? Or
that insensitive young person who never
offered a seat to the poor lady in a bus?
We can cite many examples in our day-to-
day dealings with other people wherein we
can say that there is valuing of one’s worth
and dignity. As a student, do you genuinely
greet your professors when meeting them
outside the classroom as a sign of respect?
Or when a classmate of yours asks for your
help since you are more knowledgeable of
one of your subjects, would you offer
him/her your time? When you tediously your
assigned tasks at home, e/g/ you are asked
by your parents to regularly wash the dishes
every after dinner, do you accomplish the
work wholeheartedly or you complain first.
As a student, give concrete examples on
how you can show “pagmamahal” in simple
actions. Give at least 5 examples. Share
your answers in our discussion forum.
Human dignity has faced numerous
challenges that awaken the Catholic Church,
therefore, previous Popes came up with
various encyclicals that addresses these
issues.
Conclusion
I bet you have learned a lot from the first
part of this module, you have gained insights
as regards the topic on human dignity. As
students of this prestigious Catholic
University, you should be aware of how the
Catholic Church in particular views human
dignity and how the Church defines and
explains the moral thought of human dignity.
You as Thomasian students should live your
lives with dignity.
Sometimes, we give more emphasis on the
physical aspect of our body rather than the
more important spiritual aspect of our
humanness. Other than our physical body,
we have our soul which gives life to our
earthly body. Our intellect and free shapes
our moral fibers, no matter what choice we
make in our lives, good or bad has a
resounding effect or impact In our soul.
We often neglect that being one true Filipino
Catholic entails a lot of valuing our traditions
 and practices which include celebration of
feast day of patron saints, baptism, first
communion, confirmation, ordination of
priests, etc. we Catholics usually attend but
do we really imbibe the very essence of
going to Sunday masses? Or do we just
observe people attending mass but
engaging into gossiping inside the Church,
sleeping during the Homily, texting while
inside the chapel, or even group of friends
making use of the sacred place as their
venue for meeting, wearing improper
dresses or clothes while attending the mass,
attending only a portion of the mass, e.g.
during Homily or during the offertory?
We have also learned that the true concept
of “pagmamahal” is respecting and honoring
one’s worth. Attention and value is given to
a person if he is important to you. You
reausre his value, meaning you honor his
dignity as a person. “pagmumura” on the
other hand is demeaning one’s worth. If the
person is not important to you, you don’t put
any value or he is worthless to you. Every
human being is entitles you and me, other
people are also created by God therefore,
whether you know the person or not, you
should value him and respect his dignity as
a person.
LESSON 2: Thomasian Identity and
Response
Thomasian greetings! Now that you have
learned the value of man and his dignity and
have discovered who you are and your
abilities as an individual, let us now situate
ourselves in a Catholic institution. The Royal
and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas will
mold and direct us as we journey in the
challenges in our life, our studies and be of
service to the community as a Thomasian.
Objectives:
1. know your role and responsibility as
a Thomasian;
2. be inspired through the works and
service exemplified by St. Dominic,
Dominicans saints, St. Thomas and
some Thomasian alumni and
honorary; and
3. observe and practice the 3 values of
a Thomasian
I. Introduction: Thomasian Code of Honor
and Resposibility
Do you still remember when you passed the
USTET, and decided to be a member of the
Thomasian family? Being accepted in this
university out of the thousands who took
their chances makes you stand out. As you
become a member of the Thomasian
community, you have to know and learn by
heart the Thomasian code of Honor--- a
code that will reflect our duty and
responsibility as a Thomasians.
Thomasian Code of Honor
I am a Thomasian. On my honor, I shall
strive always to uphold truth and justice, to
make conduct accord with the highest ideals
of the University as a Catholic and
Dominican Institution.
I shall be honest. I shall not lie, I shall not
cheat, I shall not steal. Nor shall I tolerate
the acts of those who do. I shall be true the
Thomasian values of competence,
commitment and compassion. My goal is
nothing less than incarnate the truth of
Christ in my life.
These I profess in faith, I hold firm in hope, I
bear witness to in love, by God’s unending
grace.
As Thomasians, we must know our
responsibilities, not just as a student in the
University and as a member of your family
but also as part of our community and
beloved country. Remember that
responsibility is not just as one word.
According to Stephen R. Covey of the
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,
responsibility is but two words combined
together “response” and “ability” – the ability
to choose your response. Highly proactive
people recognize responsibility. They do not
blame circumstances, conditions, or
conscious choice, based on values, rather
than a product of their conditions or based
on feelings.
“You must take personal responsibility. You
cannot change the circumstances, the
seasons, or the wind, but you can change
yourself.”
--- Jim Rohn (a Joseph Campbell
Comapnion)
 The University sets and lays down the ideals
and values in which the Thomasian must
acquire and develop. One example is
RESPONSIBILITY: responsibility to discover
oneself and be at his/her best, responsibility
to serve and reconnect with our brothers
and sisters who are victims of natural
disasters, hunger, homeless, illiteracy,
abuse, poor in the heart and soul, losing
hope, astray and hurt. This is the time to
start our mission as God wanted us to be in
one of His commandment: love thy neighbor
as I have loved you.
II.Thomasian ideals and inspiration
Now. let us first look at the people who have
provided us with the Thomasian ideals and
inspirations, and from where these have
originated and developed. They are St.
Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin De
Porres, some Thomasian alumni and
honorary. This is the time to know them and
be inspired by their actions:
A. St. Dominic de Guzman and the
Dominican ideals
Question? Do you ever wonder why we
don’t have classes every August 8 in the
University? It is because we celebrate the
day of Saint Dominic. He is the founder of
the Dominican Order (O.P.) and is one of
the patron saints of the University.
ST. DOMINIC was born to a family of
nobility in Calaruega, Spain. He grew up in a
family of saints. Despite of his nobility, the
young Dominican always had a heart for the
poor.
FIDELITY
St. Dominic’s fidelity to the Catholic Church
was inspired by the Dominican ideals of
seeking the truth through contemplation and
sharing the fruits of one’s contemplation with
others.
STUDY
In order to find the truth that one seeks, one
has to study not just for a day, or a year or
four years, but continuously. When St.
Dominic founded the Order, among the first
things he did was to draw up a program of
study. While it’s not the purpose of the Order,
study was a necessary means through which
the order can achieve its mission of preaching
and saving souls. It was his means to find the
truth. It was his means to fight the enemies of
the truth.
PRAYER
St. Dominic knew this very well. To be holy,
one has to be in constant communion with
God. Through prayers, ones faith is nurtures
and becomes steadfast in what he/she is
doing.
ACTIVE INVOLVMENT
One truly shares the fruits of his/her
contemplation not in room but among
people. Dominicans choose to actively
interact with the people; preaching to them
the truth of the faith. They needed to study.
They are committed to the cause of saving
souls and this means being with the people.
St. Dominic himself went from one place to
another preaching on foot carrying in his
heart and the Dominican motto VERITAS
(TRUTH)
SIMPLICITY AND EVANGELICAL
POVERTY
The Dominicans of the 13th century were
mendicant friars. They lived in simplicity. St.
Dominic himself had to sell his books so as
to be able to help alleviate the condition of
the poor (books are important possession
back then). Such detachment from material
things made it even easier for the
Dominicans to live a life of holiness,
mendicant
Now that we have identified St. Dominic’s
ideals, do you thing you share the same
values? Knowing how St. Dominic lived a
life of principle, what can you do to live a life
similar to his? Share your thoughts in our
discussion forum.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The life and works of St. Thomas, the patron
Saint of the University have been a source
of inspiration to every Thomasian. His
faithful observance of the ideals set by the
Dominican Order made him a great student,
teacher and a saint. The holiness and
humility with which he lived his life is truly
worth emulating
INTELLIGENCE
When St. Thomas was five years old, his
family placed him under the care of the
Benedictiness of Monte Casino. His
teachers were surprised at the progress he
made, for he surpassed all his fellow pupils
in learning as well as in the practice of
virtue.
PERSEVERANCE AND CHASTITY
When he became of age to choose his state
of life, St. Thomas renounced the things of
this world and resolved to enter the Order of
St. Dominic in spite of the opposition of his
family. In 1243, at the age of seventeen, he
joined the Dominicans of Naples. Some
members of his family resorted to all means
over a two year period to break his
constancy. They even went so far as to send
an impure woman to tempt him. But all their
efforts were in vain and St. Thomas
persevered in his vocation. As a reward for
his fidelity, God conferred upon him the gift
of perfect chastity, which has merited for him
the title of the “Angelic Doctor”.
MEEKNESS
After making his profession at Naples, he
studied at Cologne under the celebrated St.
Albert the Great. Here he was nicknamed
the “dumb ox” because of his silent ways
and huge size, but he was really a brilliant
student. At the age of twenty-two, he was
appointed to teach in the same city and
began to publish his first works. After four
years he was sent to Paris. The saint was
then a priest. At the age of thirty-one he
received his doctorate.
PASSION AND GREATNESS
St. Thomas not only wrote (his writings filled
twenty hefty tomes characterized by
brilliance of thought and lucidity of
language), but he preached often and with
greatest fruit. He left the great monument of
his learning, the “Summa Theologica”,
unfinished, for on his way to the second
Council of Lyons, ordered there by Gregory
X, he fell sick and died at the Cistercian
monastery of Fossa Nuova in 1274. St.
Thomas was one of the greatest and most
influential theologians of all time. He was
canonized in 1323 and declared Doctor of
the Church by Pope Pius V.
TRUTH
St. Thomas never grew tired of seeking the
truth and preaching about it. Not everyone
agreed with him but he continued to
persevere. His commitment to search for the
truth did not decease nor waver.
St. Thomas lived a life following the ideals
set by the Dominican Order and in constant
search for the truth. He never stopped
studying and doing great works in honor of
God. As a Thomasian, what do you do in
order to exhibit the values of our Patron
Saint that you have acquired in your second
year of study at our university? Share your
thoughts in our discussion forum.
St. Martin De lima (St. Martin De Porres)
St. Martin De Porres a Dominican pries was
declared “blessed” by Pope Gregory XXIII
on may 6th, 1962 before a crowd of 40,000
people.
St. Martin de Porres continues to be greatly
revered especially in the Americans, for his
commitment to racial and social justice.
EQUALITY
St. Martin often challenges his brothers on
their racial attitudes. In one story, St. Martin
came upon a group of Indians sweeping the
floor under the watchful eye of one of the
Dominican brothers. When told that they
were cleaning to repay a meal they had
received, St. Martin pointed out that the
brother had fed some white people the
previous day without forcing them to clean.
After Martin’s firm but gentle challenge, the
brother took up the broom himself.
Equally legendary was his love of animals.
He would feed and heal all animals that
came into his vicinity and they understood
and obeyed him.
CHARITY AND HUMILITY
St. Martin de Porres’ charity made him the
patron saint of social justice. Martin fed,
sheltered and doctored hundreds of families.
He also provided the requisite dowry of
4,000 pesos to enable at least 27 poor
women to marry.
Last, but not least, he established the
Orphanage and school of the Holy Cross
which took in boys and girls of all classes
and taught them trades or homemaking
skills. Over much criticism, he insisted that
the school staff be well-paid so that they
would give their best service. He also
extended his healing gifts—going to the
servants’ quarters and treating their
ailments.
DISCIPLINE
St. Martin’s spiritual practices were
legendary. He would often fast for extensive
periods of time on bread and water. He
loved all-night vigils, frequently praying by
lying down as if crucified, sometimes
kneeling but, miraculously, a foot or more off
the floor. He would “take the discipline”,
scourging himself with chains, three times a
day: for the souls in Purgatory, for
unrepentant sinners, and, finally, for his own
soul.
A disciplined life coupled with charity and
humility is what St. Martin De Porres have
showed the world during his lifetime. Now,
the difficulty in our world is so much the
same as when it was his time. In our
everyday life we see the same problem of
social injustices and inequality.
As a NSTP student, how can you help to
lessen the problems of social injustices and
inequality?
Share your thoughts in our discussion
forum.
There are also other Dominican saints who
are known for their pastoral works, faith and
helping the poor in which can be our source
of inspiration in our day to day living such as
St. Catherine of Siena- named as Doctor of
the Church, St. Antoninus of Florence- a
social reformer, Bartolome de Casas-
defender of human rights etc.
Some Thomasian Alumni and Honorary
Mother Theresa is one of the honorary of the
University of Santo Tomas. She devoted
herself and life into working among the
poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.
Although she has no funds, she depended
on Divine providence, and started an open-
air school for slum children.
UST is also a home of famous heroes such
as Dr. Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini,
Marcelo H. del Pilar, Antonio Luna and
others.
Philippine presidents like Manuell L.
Quezon, Diosdado Macapagal and others
are also alumni of the University.
It makes us feel proud and privileged to
know that there are great men and women
who have walked the same path, hallways
and corridors like you in this university. As
Prof. Evelyn A. Songco, Ph. D puts it, “UST
is a university of heroes and saints” and it
made her wonder how the University will
bring forth other Thomasians who will serve
as inspirations to others.
Do you know other Thomasians worth
emulating? What qualities do they possess
that makes worthy Thomasians? Share your
thoughts in our discussion forum.
D. The University of Santo Tomas as
Catholic Educational Institution
The University as an educational institutional
molds the student’s Thomasian identity.
These are the following achievements of the
University 2007-2008
The med-tech graduate tops the September
2008 medical technologist licensure exam
administered by the professional regulation
commisision
The UST college of rehabilitation science is
the top performing school in both physical
therapy and occupational therapy licensure
examinations held on July 26 and 27, 2008
respectively. UST garnered the highest rate
among all schools who took the said
licensure exams, with a passing rate of 98
for physical therapy and 84 for occupational
therapy. The national passing rate is 48.
UST performs no. 1 during the October 2008
certified public accountant CPA licensure
Examination in the bracket falling to 100 or
more examinees. UST produces new CPAs
with 259 passers out of 332 Thomasians
who took the said licensure examination.
That is an outstanding 78 passing rate for
UST.
THE THOMSIAN THREE CORE VALUES
The three 3 core values are morals that
must be developed in very Thomasian.
These values distinguish us from other
universities and provide a distinction that
marks us as we strive for globalization.
These are the three core values:
competence, compassion and commitment.
COMPETENCE
Every Thomasian should manifest
competence. Our life and work should
always be an example of adherence to truth
and intellectual creativity. We are all
expected to be specialist in our chosen field
in discipline. This means that as a student,
you are expected to study well in
preparation for the kind of life you wish to
lead in future. And since your future starts
now, you have to strive to become a
competent student.
COMPASSION
Every Thomasian live not only for
himself/herself, but also for the people in
his/her family, community and country. This
means that you and I should also look into
the concerns of others. Compassion is
passion that is directed towards people in
need. It enables us to focus on others and
not on ourselves giving our time, talent and
treasure and if necessary, to self sacrifice.
Competence, coupled with CHRISTIAN
COMPASSION ensures the reign of God’s
love and mercy. You and I are called to
serve our less fortunate brothers and sisters
with competence and compassionate hearts.
As a student, you can do this by being
involved in community service programs in
your parish, school or locality.
COMMITMENT
Every Thomasian is expected to exercise
his/her work, profession, or mission in life
with deep COMMITMENT. You and I are
called to give ourselves fully to the ideals
that we, Thomasians, hold dear as we make
our presence felt in the world of Christian
witnesses, together making God’s creative,
redeeming and renewing presence felt
anywhere we are.
Following the example of our Patron Saint,
Thomas Aquinas, we should commit
ourselves to search for the truth
unceasingly. In this day and age when truth
can be distorted using information
technology, every Thomasian should commit
to pursuit of truth always.
Competence, compassion and commitment
are the values we should all strive to live up
as hallmarks of our identity. These are
values we can use as we take our first steps
into the world knowing that we are
Thomasians, that name comes with the
responsibility of constant striving to carry out
works of greatness in honor of our God.
Thomasian and NSTP
Tired of waking up early in the morning
every weekend, preparing things needed for
community service, having long travels,
feeling nervous and scared? These are the
reactions and emotions felt by some NSTP
Thomasian students when meeting and
helping different kinds of people through
different kinds of community services
including teaching in the different partner
communities of the University. Although for
a very short span of time, these mixed
feelings will fade away when it’s time to say
goodbye. For every volunteer, there is a
realization that will be left in their hearts and
minds. It is reality that we need each other
and we are blessings to one another.
As you enrolled in the UST NSTP
community service training program (cwts)
or literacy training program (lts) you have
already engaged yourself in volunteerism.
Looking forward to do service that will wuit
your ability to serve others while studying,
not minding what grade you will be receiving
in this two courses, but having the thought of
sharing what you have and showing what
you can do with compassion, competence,
and commitment for the sake of others, not
asking for anything in return, that is self-
sacrifice and volunteering.
To conclude, we are all created in the image
and likeness of God. as His children, He
bestowed on each one of us a mission- a
mission that we are all responsible to be of
service to our “least” brothers and sisters
and be stewards of all the things He
created.
As Thomasian we are always in search for
truth in this challenging and complicated
world: a Thomasian who lives and is guided
by the inspiration of St. Thomas our patron
saint, and by the preaching’s of St. Dominic
and the long history of our University. We
have our own identity as a Thomasian, we
are compassionate, competent and
committed
GLOSSARY
Breath- freedom from narrowness or
restraint; liberality; a person with great
breath of view.
Pinnacle- the highest or culminating point,
as of success, power, fame, etc.: the
pinnacle of one’s career.
Gropes- to feel about with the hands; feel
one’s way: I had to grope around in the
darkness before I found the light switch.

Intrinsic- belonging to a thing by its very

nature: the intrinsic value of a gold ring.

Ecclesial- pertaining to a church or its

functions, teachings, or organization.

Communitarian- an advocate of such a

community.

Demeaning- that demeans; debasing;

degrading; being forced to apologize when I
had done nothing wrong was a demeaning
task.

Desecration- to divert from a sacred to a

profane use or purpose.

Encyclicals- Roman Catholic Church, a

letter addressed by the pope to all the
bishops of the church.

Nobility- nobleness of mind, character, or

spirit; exalted moral excellence.

Evangelical- pertaining to or in keeping with

the gospel and its teachings

Chastity- the state or quality of being

chaste.
Meekness- overly submissive or compliant;
spiritless; tame

Revered- to regard with respect tinged with

awe; venerate; the child revered her mother.

Honorary- given for honor only, without the

usual requirement, duties, privileges,
emoluments, etc.: the university presented
the new governor with an honorary degree.

Globalization- to extend to other or all parts

of the globe; make worldwide: efforts to LGNOTES<3 Ai Shiteru
globalize the auto industry. .