MY LEARNING

EXPERIENCE IN
REED 4
Submitted by:
LEE RIANE R. SUAREZ
REED 4 – TTH – 3:00PM – 4:30PM

Submitted to:
SEGIO M. SARZA, DEV. ED. D
Professor
 As I go through my second year in college as a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
student, I have learned a lot of things: mentally, physically and most importantly,
spiritually. When I was young, I studied at a Catholic and Jesuit University and in that
sense, I was familiar with the system of how a Catholic school teaches its students the
ways of being a person that is embodied with the teachings of the Church. Moving here
in Cebu was one of the steps I had to go through in order to become an adult that I was
always meant to be. To be honest, I did not know about the University of San Jose –
Recoletos back in my childhood and adolescent years, even if I visited Cebu almost every
year back then. When I transferred to USJ-R, I had a lot of expectations and one of which
was its Religious subjects, because of what I experienced before, it was very fun and was
an eye-opening experience for a young person.

The previous subjects to be taken prior Religious Education 4 was more focused on
the theoretical topics, most especially in ReEd 2, wherein our discussions was based from
the Bible and was had to have an in-depth analysis of what was written on it. To be frank,
it was very amazing to learn about the various social issues at that time and the weather
conditions on that specific area that was described on the Bible in order to fully
understand what was meant to be understood in the specific verse in the Bible. Not to
mention what the author was experiencing at that time and his occupation and etc.

In ReEd 4, which is an Introduction to Catholic Social Thought, it was quite

unfamiliar for me since, to be honest, I had no idea what we were going to talk about
because on the previous Religious Education subjects, we already tackled about it on my
previous school, so enrolling in this subject without having an idea of what was it about
was very exciting and at the same time, nerve – wracking at the same time.

Sitting through during the classes of ReEd 4, listening to the various discussions and
some side – notes by our one of a kind teacher, Sir Sarza, was one of the very memorable
things that have happened to me last semester. I have learned so much from this
experience.

One of the topics that I have sincerely understood, was when we talked about the
how the Church has made various efforts to teach its people through the documents that
were published by the Pope at that time, which was in Chapter 5. Christianity before
publishing the very first official document of the Church was already engaging with
various topics from wealth, business, and even politics. Rerum Novarum (Of New
Things) issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15 1891, was one of the pioneering documents
that have started the tradition of the papacy and magisterium releasing documents that
tackle specific social issues that were present at that time. The above – mentioned
document was made in response to the industrial revolution, wherein in this period of
time, commerce was specifically growing, and as what the third law of motion by Sir
Isaac Newton has said, “for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite
reaction”. I believe that this law is also applicable in this scenario, because as wealth and
economy grew, terrible working conditions have reached its peak at that time, with no
age limit for workers, no safety standards, and no decent wages were imposed. The
document focuses on labor and private property and argues that laborers should not be
treated as objects and machinery, because “to do so is a denial of human dignity and a
reduction of the worker to the status of a thing”, which is also applicable, even after 129
years after it was published, the document still withstands its purposes till this very date,
and I would not know about that, if I did not take this subject.

I have never took our Religious Education subjects for granted, amidst the pressure
that we are always facing in my major subjects, I have found my fortress and shelter
whenever I go inside the classroom and thought about the new things I will learn about
the Catholic Social Teachings of the Church. Truly, this was one of the subjects that I
will always look back and will always apply what I have learned in doing the things that
must be done, for the greater glory of God.