HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

INSTITUTE FOR CHRISTIAN FORMATION AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION

THEO 103
Christian Spirituality in the Contemporary World

“True holiness and righteousness also entails confronting one's own inner demons and
faithfully confronting one's own wickedness and wrongdoing.”

Submitted by: Lagcao, Claire Ann M. Course/ Year/ Section: 2nd year A-231

Submitted to: Philip Joseph D. Sarmiento Date submitted: September 13, 2021

Learnings/ Realizations
Men and women who died as martyrs for their faith or who lived exemplary lives in other
ways have been honored from the early centuries of Christianity. They were thought to be men
and women of "heroic virtue" who, after death, would be granted a special place in heaven with
God. Saints were thus seen as spiritual guides, who would offer their prayers in heaven in addition
to those offered by Christians still living in the physical world. They would “intercede” with God
on behalf of anyone who sought their help in this way. However, contrary to the popular
misconception, the Bible does not instruct us to pray to saints (Matthew 6:6), through saints (1
Timothy 2:5), or for saints who have already died. However, we honor the saints and allow their
faith in the Lord to inspire our worship and service to Him.
Moreover, saints, just like us, were susceptible to sin, just like St. Moses the Black. In his
younger years, he led a fairly promiscuous lifestyle. His journey from being a slave to the head
of a band of robbers whose aim is to sow terror and bloodshed, all the way to becoming a servant
of God, is truly inspiring. As I delved deeper into his life, including his spiritual contacts and
experiences, it sowed great hope in my heart as I realized that even the most heinous people
would learn that it is never too late to lead a good life and experience profound metanoia, seek
forgiveness, and serve God. One of the significant points we can learn from St. Moses the Black
narrative is that we are bigger than our past mistakes, wherein God sees us not with our faults
but with our ability to repent our sins and move forward towards God’s way. We may face a lot
of challenges, but we must remember that God put these obstacles in our path so that we can
become stronger and become a better version of ourselves as a result of them.
Every opportunity God provides for man to become sanctified should be accompanied
with man's desire to be an example of God's purity and steadfast regard for everyone. It is only
possible to be sanctified after a complete metanoia, a total conversion of heart. It is up to us to
welcome Him back into our lives and let His words transform us. As with St. Moses the Black,
his life has been transformed because he let God guide him along the way. But not after he repent,
after all, before one can remove the log from another's eye, one must remove the speck from their
own eye, as Jesus said.
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