Aedrian Joshua O.

De Castro April 16, 2018

BM102
Code of Conduct Reflection

A. Our group Code of Conduct is about the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
specifically Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. This principle instructs us to put the needs of
the poor and vulnerable first. The values or virtues that we have extracted in the theme are
humility, compassion, generosity, and unity. To be humble is to serve others and be for their
good as well as your own. Moreover, to be compassionate is to care about the thoughts and
feelings of others before they think of themselves. Furthermore, to be generous is to free yourself
of pettiness, greed, and selfishness. Lastly, to be united is to be together or at one with someone
or something.

B. Being poor or vulnerable does not necessarily mean an individual is poor

materialistically. He or she may be poor in health, poor in spirit, or poor in knowledge. Because
of this, helping the poor and vulnerable can be done in different settings even in the classroom.
There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want
happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want
happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the
same thing: Happiness is found in helping others especially the needy. We are given a chance to
help others and experience great joy each day and each place. I must not waste every opportunity
to help because that’s what God wants me to do. In the classroom, it is my task to help my
classmates who are struggling about the lessons with expectation of repayment. According to the
bible, helping others is a very tangible, practical way to express God’s love. We can’t be so
focused on “getting more” that we miss chances to serve other people. We must understand that
it is God who supplies our needs, and we must stop trusting in our possessions. It is my task, as a
Christian, to help those who are in need without expecting something in return. I must remove
the what’s-in-it-for-me question that motivates so many people today. I need to help with no
expectation of repayment. My passion should be the foundation for my giving. It is not how
much we give, but how much love we put into giving. Also, we don’t all have the same amount
of money, but we all do have time on our hands, and can give some of this time to help others.

Reference:

Dault, K. (2015, January 22). What is the preferential option for the poor?. Retrieved from
http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201501/what-preferential-option-poor-29649