I THINK it’s about time that we be more aware of what we may term as “road spirituality.” The idea struck me when I read Vatican’s most recent
document, “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road.” The good thing about documents like this is that they gather and express in very high resolution, fleeting thoughts, insights, observations, etc. we can have about our experiences on the road.
It’s amazing to realize how these passing impressions can have many and serious implications. Besides, they introduce us to more interesting relevant issues.
Obviously, the road is an integral part of our life. Just try to pause to think of how much time you spend there, and of what things have occurred there, and you’ll see that the road indeed occupies a significant, even crucial, part in our life.
Truth is mobility is unavoidable in our life. And as we develop more, our need for mobility also increases. It cannot be any other way.
The document deserves to be studied thoroughly by everyone, but especially by bishops, priests and other pastoral care workers. It increases our sensitivity to our pastoral and spiritual duties while on the road.
It is a richly nuanced yet unified consideration of things, from the biblical to the spiritual and moral, from the psychological to the ecological and social, etc. Everything is linked to its religious relevance in our life.
The document happily covers a wide range of concerns. There are four main parts dedicated to the pastoral care for road users, for street women (prostitutes and customers), for street children, and for the homeless (tramps).
In each part, there is a substantial and meaningful discussion of many interesting issues, always relating them to how our relationship should be with God and with one another.
I must admit that I’m learning a lot from this eye-opener of a document. I believe I express the sentiments of many who tend to take for granted the importance of our trips and travels in general.
What usually happens is that these travels get completely relegated to the background as we are only interested and are completely dominated by the immediate reasons why those trips are made.
But our trips and time on the road are not merely human actions that are automatic, like our breathing and heartbeat. They are human acts that entail our deliberate use of intelligence and freedom.
They necessarily involve a certain morality. Much of our human drama takes place on these travels. Even our eternal destiny to a large extent depends on them. They should not be taken for granted.
In fact, in the first part of the document, there is a discussion about the psychological aspect of driving. Many moral questions are involved. A number of dangerous attitudes and sinful practices are mentioned.
For example, driving can mask our urge to escape from everyday reality, to
act out our domination instinct, our vanity and personal glorification.
Driving can unleash the pent-up evil tendencies we manage to hide when we are in our usual places. It can be a treacherously disruptive element in our life.
Thus, the document proposes some ethical considerations, and even a kind of “Ten Commandments” of driving. It also suggests that road safety education be conducted to target audiences in a continuing way.
These together with the other parts on street women, street children and the homeless make up a strong reason why we should develop a “road spirituality.”
We have to be aware of the proper attitudes and habits we ought to have while making a trip to combat the usual temptations and moral dangers while on the road. We need to be wary of what would comprise as sinful omissions while traveling.
Driving can be a great occasion to pray, to practice mortification, and to be generous in living out charity to God and others.
This “road spirituality” can add up to more consistency and effectiveness in our life. We cannot deny that our impressive spiritual and moral gains while we are with the family and at work can just go the drain when we are on the road.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Enhancing Christian education
EDUCATION is always education irrespective of different circumstances. There is something so basic, natural and universal in it that makes it an important concern for everyone.
Education is bringing people to their optimum development. The word itself comes from the Latin “educere,” which means to lead, draw out, bring out or elicit. Education tries to draw out the full potentials of individuals and peoples.
Obviously, its different aspects and foci, and the various approaches, styles, animating ideologies that accompany it open it to several valid qualifications. Thus, you have basic education, technical education, higher education, etc.
You also have American or Japanese education, classical or medieval education, formal and informal education, and so on and so forth.
There’s one kind of education that I would like us to be more aware of. Though it’s been around already for quite some time, I feel it needs to be understood and pursued better.
This is none other than Christian education. Simply put, it is a kind of education animated by Christian faith, grounded on Christian doctrine and developed along Christian ways, marked always by charity, love for truth, freedom, sensitivity to justice, etc.
As such, it is open and respects all the different legitimate forms and manners of education. It does not identify itself exclusively with a specific form. It can blend with any, but goes further.
What is specific to it is its inspiring character that acts like yeast to any dough of a naturally valid educational program or system. That is its default home page.
As such, it can bring any educational plan to its completeness, guiding it with its light, indicating what is right and wrong along the way, both affirming and correcting things, depending on the situation, etc.
We cannot deny the fact that educational systems can just be based on a confined and reduced understanding of what comprises authentic human development.
Some may be based simply on the notion that man is just a material being living only in time and space, and nothing beyond. There’s nothing spiritual or supernatural about him. He is just pure biology, or economics or sociology, for example.
Christian education seeks to show us the fullness of our humanity, and how to get there, without ever ignoring the material and temporal aspects of our life here on earth.
Based on a Christian understanding of man, it brings us to the world of Christian beliefs and faith that goes beyond our sciences, arts and philosophies.
It highlights the spiritual and supernatural dimension of our life, and spends its energy figuring out how these dimensions can be fully developed.
It’s interested in all facts, data and any scientific information we discover, but it goes beyond them. Thus, it strengthens one’s character and spiritual life, one’s faith and virtues. This is its immediate and constant concern.
Christian education covers the whole range of education. It’s not just an adjunct. It tries to be the soul of education itself.
It’s good to be clear about the fact that Christian education does not belittle or undervalue worldly knowledge. It does not hinder the latter’s development. It’s open to it, and makes use of it. But it refuses to stop there and to be dominated by it.
Christian education pushes the arts and sciences to go to the limits, and elevates them by referring them to the common good and leading them to the spiritual and supernatural end of man.
It helps to clarify what is truly natural and human in these sciences. This matter just cannot be a result of human sciences. God and faith have to come in. Christian education can therefore purify the sciences.
It would be good if centers of Christian education be keenly aware of the true nature and purpose of Christian education. They should not get distracted or lost in the world of merely temporal data and info, pursuing only worldly goals.
They have to continually update and refine their guiding criteria, standards and means to impart authentic Christian education. They should have clear focus, and know how to convert principles into praxis.
Education is bringing people to their optimum development. The word itself comes from the Latin “educere,” which means to lead, draw out, bring out or elicit. Education tries to draw out the full potentials of individuals and peoples.
Obviously, its different aspects and foci, and the various approaches, styles, animating ideologies that accompany it open it to several valid qualifications. Thus, you have basic education, technical education, higher education, etc.
You also have American or Japanese education, classical or medieval education, formal and informal education, and so on and so forth.
There’s one kind of education that I would like us to be more aware of. Though it’s been around already for quite some time, I feel it needs to be understood and pursued better.
This is none other than Christian education. Simply put, it is a kind of education animated by Christian faith, grounded on Christian doctrine and developed along Christian ways, marked always by charity, love for truth, freedom, sensitivity to justice, etc.
As such, it is open and respects all the different legitimate forms and manners of education. It does not identify itself exclusively with a specific form. It can blend with any, but goes further.
What is specific to it is its inspiring character that acts like yeast to any dough of a naturally valid educational program or system. That is its default home page.
As such, it can bring any educational plan to its completeness, guiding it with its light, indicating what is right and wrong along the way, both affirming and correcting things, depending on the situation, etc.
We cannot deny the fact that educational systems can just be based on a confined and reduced understanding of what comprises authentic human development.
Some may be based simply on the notion that man is just a material being living only in time and space, and nothing beyond. There’s nothing spiritual or supernatural about him. He is just pure biology, or economics or sociology, for example.
Christian education seeks to show us the fullness of our humanity, and how to get there, without ever ignoring the material and temporal aspects of our life here on earth.
Based on a Christian understanding of man, it brings us to the world of Christian beliefs and faith that goes beyond our sciences, arts and philosophies.
It highlights the spiritual and supernatural dimension of our life, and spends its energy figuring out how these dimensions can be fully developed.
It’s interested in all facts, data and any scientific information we discover, but it goes beyond them. Thus, it strengthens one’s character and spiritual life, one’s faith and virtues. This is its immediate and constant concern.
Christian education covers the whole range of education. It’s not just an adjunct. It tries to be the soul of education itself.
It’s good to be clear about the fact that Christian education does not belittle or undervalue worldly knowledge. It does not hinder the latter’s development. It’s open to it, and makes use of it. But it refuses to stop there and to be dominated by it.
Christian education pushes the arts and sciences to go to the limits, and elevates them by referring them to the common good and leading them to the spiritual and supernatural end of man.
It helps to clarify what is truly natural and human in these sciences. This matter just cannot be a result of human sciences. God and faith have to come in. Christian education can therefore purify the sciences.
It would be good if centers of Christian education be keenly aware of the true nature and purpose of Christian education. They should not get distracted or lost in the world of merely temporal data and info, pursuing only worldly goals.
They have to continually update and refine their guiding criteria, standards and means to impart authentic Christian education. They should have clear focus, and know how to convert principles into praxis.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Children and the media
THAT’S the title of the message by Pope Benedict on the occasion of the 41st World Communications Day celebrated just recently. Its subtitle is, a challenge for education.
It’s done in the Pope’s signature style. The fluid, easy and generous flow of words, thoughts and logic actually embeds a very substantial content, a clear beam of light and a daring challenge.
I encourage everyone to give more attention to papal statements, because this time they are dressed in a more casual style, attuned to today’s youthful sensibility, while the content remains orthodox, provocative and practical.
Thing is we cannot ignore this aspect of our duty to take care of children insofar as they are affected by the media. Children these days are not anymore taken care of only by parents, Church and school. The media also have become their surrogate parents, babysitters, teachers and even priests.
What they imbibe from the media can go deep into their soul, making a big
contribution to the formation, for good or evil, of their character. Everything has to be done to insure that the media leave a positive mark in the children. We cannot be naïve.
I appeal to parents to be more conscious of this duty, and to carry it out with more scientific rigor, without trading off the parental affection and understanding that are always indispensable. The responsibility falls on them first before it falls on anybody else.
Ideally, parents should talk among themselves and set out plans and strategies in this regard, being clear with the criteria and considerations to make, the goals to reach, the means and time-frame, etc., to use.
They have to know well what is objectively good and bad in the media these days, what are the particular characteristics and circumstances of each of their children, and what could be a prudent way of supervising them.
They should know the diet of shows and other materials the children are getting in the media. They should be most sensitive to how these things affect their children, quick to read the good and bad signs.
Are they helping the children, or are they spoiling them, converting them into some junkies who neglect their other duties—observing household schedules, doing chores, studying, praying, errands, etc.?
This is not a matter of control and domination. Effective parenting and upbringing of children always respects and fosters freedom, the kind that goes together always with responsibility. For freedom is not freedom unless it is accompanied by responsibility.
How good it would be if parents can do this task hands-on with their children! Parents should value highly the need to spend, even to ‘waste’ time with their children. The ideal is when they can talk with their children in a natural and spontaneous manner.
That way they can effectively monitor the children, and can give in a direct, immediate way the proper responses the situation may need at the moment.
Parents should have a way of knowing whether the children are learning how to be discerning and discriminating in the selection of shows, how they are living order and sense of priority amid the many things they have to do.
They should know whether the children are developing good habits, like studying and praying. Of course, example more than lectures works best here.
They should be active in giving suggestions to media outlets about the kind of shows that would be proper to their children. Especially now when there’s trend for more participative media programming, they should let their ideas be known.
Educating the children on media is also educating the media on children. The media should be made to be more sensitive and responsive to the real needs for children to grow up properly.
At the moment there are shows, songs, printed materials, Internet sites that need to be purified, if not changed completely. It’s amazing how some ditties, for example, with filthy lyrics, can still be played in the open with impunity.
Some people may have a good laugh, but these songs are clearly deforming,
especially to the children. Parents, and any citizen, should take proper action.
It’s done in the Pope’s signature style. The fluid, easy and generous flow of words, thoughts and logic actually embeds a very substantial content, a clear beam of light and a daring challenge.
I encourage everyone to give more attention to papal statements, because this time they are dressed in a more casual style, attuned to today’s youthful sensibility, while the content remains orthodox, provocative and practical.
Thing is we cannot ignore this aspect of our duty to take care of children insofar as they are affected by the media. Children these days are not anymore taken care of only by parents, Church and school. The media also have become their surrogate parents, babysitters, teachers and even priests.
What they imbibe from the media can go deep into their soul, making a big
contribution to the formation, for good or evil, of their character. Everything has to be done to insure that the media leave a positive mark in the children. We cannot be naïve.
I appeal to parents to be more conscious of this duty, and to carry it out with more scientific rigor, without trading off the parental affection and understanding that are always indispensable. The responsibility falls on them first before it falls on anybody else.
Ideally, parents should talk among themselves and set out plans and strategies in this regard, being clear with the criteria and considerations to make, the goals to reach, the means and time-frame, etc., to use.
They have to know well what is objectively good and bad in the media these days, what are the particular characteristics and circumstances of each of their children, and what could be a prudent way of supervising them.
They should know the diet of shows and other materials the children are getting in the media. They should be most sensitive to how these things affect their children, quick to read the good and bad signs.
Are they helping the children, or are they spoiling them, converting them into some junkies who neglect their other duties—observing household schedules, doing chores, studying, praying, errands, etc.?
This is not a matter of control and domination. Effective parenting and upbringing of children always respects and fosters freedom, the kind that goes together always with responsibility. For freedom is not freedom unless it is accompanied by responsibility.
How good it would be if parents can do this task hands-on with their children! Parents should value highly the need to spend, even to ‘waste’ time with their children. The ideal is when they can talk with their children in a natural and spontaneous manner.
That way they can effectively monitor the children, and can give in a direct, immediate way the proper responses the situation may need at the moment.
Parents should have a way of knowing whether the children are learning how to be discerning and discriminating in the selection of shows, how they are living order and sense of priority amid the many things they have to do.
They should know whether the children are developing good habits, like studying and praying. Of course, example more than lectures works best here.
They should be active in giving suggestions to media outlets about the kind of shows that would be proper to their children. Especially now when there’s trend for more participative media programming, they should let their ideas be known.
Educating the children on media is also educating the media on children. The media should be made to be more sensitive and responsive to the real needs for children to grow up properly.
At the moment there are shows, songs, printed materials, Internet sites that need to be purified, if not changed completely. It’s amazing how some ditties, for example, with filthy lyrics, can still be played in the open with impunity.
Some people may have a good laugh, but these songs are clearly deforming,
especially to the children. Parents, and any citizen, should take proper action.
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