WELCOME TO CHAPTER 2!

After learning the history and goals of the LEARNING OBJECTIVES

National Service Training Program, we
should be able to demonstrate our love for
country and be proud, responsible Filipino
citizens.
In this chapter, you will learn about:

Devise meaningful concepts and

Now for this chapter, to deepen our means of uplifting human life and
understanding on how we can implement the dignity
goals of the program, we must first know
one’s self, one’s value and interrelationship
with other people. It is expected that you will Develop and demonstrate
comprehend the value of life, love and human Thomasian values, inspired by the
dignity as a Catholic Christian, inspired by the teachings of St Dominic and St
values taught by St. Dominic and St. Thomas. Thomas.
After all, it is the within the mission and vision
of the University for us to be distinctive,
selfless and compassionate Thomasians

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
A. ME AS HUMAN, UNIQUE AND SPECIAL

We are all taught that we are made in the image and likeness
of God. We are HUMANS possessing dignity. We are not just
something, but SOMEONE. We are all special and unique and
at the same time responsible for one another.

As humans, we are composed of a material body and a

spiritual soul. When we die, our body decomposes but our
soul is immortal. It continues to live even after death. Our
soul, together with our intellect and will, distinguishes us from
the rest of God’s creation.

Through our intellect, we know that every person has dignity

and so through our will, we protect everyone’s dignity.

HUMAN DIGNITY is a gift only human beings have – the gift

“So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and
female he created them. Genesis 1: 26-27
that gives worth to our human life and because of this, our
life is inviolable. Human life is so precious that we need to
PROTECT and PROMOTE it. Life is a gift from God.
Whatever the color of your skin, gender, and social status--
you have WORTH as a person- you have DIGNITY.

Unfortunately, we are faced with several threats in preserving human dignity such as social order,
extreme poverty, the dehumanizing effects of the urbanization and exploitation of workers to
name a few. As Pope Francis stated in his 2015 encyclical entitled “Laudato Si’:

“No system can completely suppress our

openness to what is good, true and beautiful, or
our God-given ability to respond to His grace
at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to
everyone throughout the world not to forget
this dignity which is ours. No one has the right
to take it from us,”

Don’t forget our dignity

Taken from http://www.beliefnet.com
– Pope Francis

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
It’s a striking and enriching declaration. Pope Francis is reminding us that dignity is given to all of
humanity. If we believe that we were wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God, and if
we believe that Jesus, Our Savior, humbled Himself greatly for our sake, gave His life and was
resurrected to save us, how can we not see the dignity in ourselves? It’s a gift that will also help
us see the dignity in others and follow Jesus’ commandment to love one another.

Another great story about the importance

and sanctity of human dignity is the life of
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She was a
humanitarian who spent her years lifting and
carrying those who were dying and sick not
minding her physique (4 feet and less than
100 pounds). She chose to serve “the poorest
of the poor and to live among them and like
them”. She saw beauty in every human being.
She, along with other Missionaries of Charity,
strove to make the lives of those around
them to be more peaceful and full of love. She fed, washed, and cared for anyone who needed
assistance.

The streets of Calcutta were dangerous, dirty, and crowded. People were infected with cholera and
leprosy, dysentery and other diseases that were fatal in most cases. Mother Teresa and her group
of helpers went among them every day with courage and conviction to do what they could to ease
their pain.

One day, Mother Teresa came across a young woman in the gutter of the street, directly in front of
one of the Calcutta hospitals. The woman was so ill that she did not notice or care that the rats
and cockroaches were eating her feet. Mother picked up the woman and carried her into the
hospital. She told the nurse inside:

This woman is dying. She needs help.

But the nurse replied:

Sorry, no room for her here. She is poor and can't pay and we can't save her anyway, so we can't
waste a bed on her. Now please move along.

Mother Teresa's heart broke as she carried the woman back to the street, and there she stayed
with the woman for hours until she died. Mother Teresa was angry and she felt like no one should
have to die alone, forgotten and in despair in the dirty street.

Mother Teresa found an old abandoned hotel just behind a Hindu Temple and started bringing in
the people the hospital refused to admit. They were so sick that she knew there was no hope of
survival for them, but she felt compelled to make a place they could come to die. It was a horrible
undertaking as the people who filled the rooms had open wounds covered with maggots or had
parts of their bodies missing due to disease. The Hindus from the Temple did not want these
people close to them and threw garbage and rocks at Mother Teresa.

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 One day, Mother Teresa saw a man lying on the steps of the Hindu Temple -- very sick. She
learned he was one of the Hindu priests and no one at the temple would touch him for fear of
getting his disease. So they put him on the steps to die. Mother Teresa picked him up and took
him to the old hotel where she cared for him until he died a peaceful death. The Hindus at the
temple saw what she had done and never gave her any trouble again.

Retrieved from https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/The-Evidence-of-Kindness-

Mother-Teresa-Caring-for-the-Poor

The Catholic Teachings on the life and dignity of the human person always remind us that:

“Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, each person’s life and
dignity must be respected, whether that person is an innocent unborn child in a mother’s womb…or
even whether that person is a convicted criminal on death row. We believe that every human life is
sacred from conception to natural death, that people are more important than things, and that the
measure of every institution is whether it protects and respects the life and dignity of the human
person.”

(USCCB Administrative Committee, Faithful Citizenship:

A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility, p. 13)

B.SELFIE VS SELFLESS
37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.’[a]

38
This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:37-39

Most of us take selfies and post it on social

media. We showcase not just our looks, but also
what we eat, where we are and what we wear.
We post about our feelings, points of view and
many others. This only reinforces that God
created us as UNIQUE, SPECIAL and
RATIONAL individuals. We must learn how to
LOVE ourselves.

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
 God didn’t just create us for ourselves but also for OTHERS. We may be physically,
emotionally, economically and spiritually different from one another but we NEED
each other. We are INTERDEPENDENT.

In today’s world, there are many THREATS in human life and dignity. One must act.
Each one of us must be SELFLESS. Click the thumbnail to play the video

Being SELFLESS is about caring more about other

people’s needs and interests than your own. To be
selfless, one must feel something and do something
for people who are in need. It is one of the indicators
that show how well we relate with people around us –
how well we EMPATHIZE and SYMPATHIZE with others.

Empathy is understanding another person's thoughts, feelings, and condition from their point of view,
rather than from your own. You try to imagine yourself in their place in order to understand what they are
feeling or experiencing. Empathy is a building block of morality—for people to follow the Golden Rule, it
helps if they can put themselves in someone else’s shoes. It is also a key ingredient of a successful
relationship because it helps us
understand the perspectives, needs,
and intentions of others.

We have only one beautiful world and

we cannot just close our eyes on
issues that are happening around us
that degrade human dignity. Human
dignity faces numerous challenges
therefore we must give selfless love to
others especially for those who need
it most.

THE THOMASIAN

Catholic FAITH is where the Thomasian identity is rooted.

You and I are called Thomasians. We are molded in the University’s long history as an educational
institution to be of service for others as competent, committed and compassionate leaders and
professionals.

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
 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 as we have 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 inspiration
to others. We share the same Thomasian
identity as Dr. Jose Rizal, GOMBURZA
priests, Marcelo H.Del Pilar, Manuel L.
Quezon, Diosdado Macapagal, Carlos P. Romulo and many more great men and women who passed
through the portals of the University of Santo Tomas

A. Thomasian Inspiration

The Thomasian identity is inspired by St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas and the University’s History as an
educational institution.

ST. DOMINIC

*St. Dominic was born to a family of nobility in

Caleruega, Spain. He grew up in a family of saints.
Despite his nobility, the young Dominic always had a
heart for the poor.

STUDY. St. Dominic founded the Order. Among the

first things he did was to draw up a program of study -
necessary means through which the Order can achieve
its mission of preaching and saving souls. It was his
means to find the truth.

ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT. 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 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 the Dominican motto VERITAS (TRUTH)

FIDELITY. St. Dominic’s fidelity to the Catholic Church inspired the Dominican ideals of seeking the truth
through contemplation and sharing the fruits of one’s contemplation with others.
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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
PRAYER. To be holy, one has to be in constant communion with God. Through prayers, one’s faith is
nurtured and makes the person steadfast in what he/she is doing. St. Dominic knew this very well.

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 possessions back then). Such detachment from material things
made it even easier for the Dominicans to live a life of holiness.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

The life and works of St. Thomas, the patron Saint of the University, has
been a source of inspiration for every Thomasian. His faithful
observance of the ideals set by the Dominican Order made him a great
student, teacher and a saint. Besides being holy and humble, his other
characteristics that are worth emulating are the following:

INTELLIGENCE. When St. Thomas was five years old, his family placed
him under the care of the Benedictines 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. (source: http://www.catholic.org)

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 decrease nor waver.

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
B. Thomasian Graduates Attributes (ThoGAS)
and the Three Core Values

Mission of the University of Santo Tomas:

The University, in pursuit of truth, guided by reason and illumined by faith, dedicates herself to the
generation, advancement and transmission of knowledge to form competent and compassionate
professionals, committed to the service of the Church, the nation, and the global community.

Mentioned above are the 3’ C’s that every Thomasian should develop.

Inspired by the ideals of St. Dominic, teachings of St. Thomas and the University’s excellence in shaping
students in “ seeking for truth with love”,
Thomasians must always strive to grow not just in
competence, commitment but more with
COMPASSION.

SEAL
SERVANT LEADER

 Show leadership abilities to promote

advocacies for life, freedom, justice, and
solidarity in the service of the family, the local
and global communities, the Church and the
environment.
 Implement relevant projects and activities
that speak of Christian compassion to the
poor and the marginalized in order to raise
their quality of life
 Show respect for the human person,
regardless of race, religion, age, and gender

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR AND

COLLABORATOR

 Express myself clearly, correctly, and

confidently in various environments,
contexts, and technologies of human
interaction
 Work productively with individuals or groups
from diverse cultures and demographics
 Show profound respect for individual
differences and/or uniqueness as members
of God’s creation
I am a Thomasian. I carry the SEAL of
Thomasian education. I am a Servant leader, an
Effective communicator and collaborator, an
Analytical and creative thinker, and a Lifelong
learner. With Christ at the center of my formation
as a Thomasian, I am expected to demonstrate
the following Thomasian Graduate Attributes
(ThoGAs):

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response
SEAL
ANALYTICAL AND CREATIVE THINKER

 Show judiciousness and resourcefulness in making personal and professional decisions

 Engage in research undertakings that respond to societal issues
 Express personal and professional insights through an ethical and evidence-based approach

LIFELONG LEARNER

 Engage in reflective practice to ensure disciplinal relevance and professional development

 Exhibit preparedness and interest for continuous upgrading of competencies required by the
profession or area of specialization
 Manifest fidelity to the teachings of Christ, mediated by the Catholic Church, in the continuous
deepening of faith and spirituality in dealing with new life situations and challenges

(Retrieved from www.ust.edu.ph)

C. The Thomasian NSTP Student:

Bringers of Hope and Facilitators of Change

When you enrolled in the National Service

Training Program you have already engaged
yourself in service. This is a form of service
that is in accordance to your ability and
passion. So even while studying, not minding SOURCES
what grade you will be receiving in this course,
the thought of sharing what you have and Galleone, Christine (2017). 7 Pope Francis Quotes about
showing what you can do with compassion, Dignity. Retrieved from http://www.beliefnet.com
competence, and commitment for the sake of
Church Encyclicals. Retrieved from
others, not asking for anything in return--- that
http://www.papalencyclicals.net
is service and offering SELFLESS love.
St. Dominic. Retrieved fromhttp://www.3op.org/stdominic.php
As a Thomasian student, you are therefore
challenged to be the modern-day “Good Empathy. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com
Samaritans”, and to value other human
beings. As mentioned by one of the NSTP St. Dominic. Retrieved from http://www.catholic.org
Facilitators, Sir Eric Aboboto, NSTP
St. Thomas Aquinas. Retrieved from www.ust.edu.ph
Thomasians are Bringers of Hope and
Facilitators of Change St. Thomas Aquinas. Retrieved from http://www.catholic.org

Mother Theresa. Retrieved from

https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/mother-teresa

Mother Teresa. Retrieved from

https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/The-Evidence-
of-Kindness-Mother-Teresa-Caring-for-the-Poor

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Chapter 2: Christian Call and Thomasian Response