Adrian Rufo P.

Naragas February 20, 2017

Medieval Philosophy Rev. Fr. Jenor Luis

Appreciation of Reflection

To know is to recognize: when one hears words, one’s mind is directed either to present

things, or to memories of things experienced in the past, or things that never entered into one’s

memory because they were there from the beginning. This was Augustine’s theory of

recollection that the reality of Being is always present in the universe. It is where man must

recollect his memories in order to know and to recognize the Being, the same as to apply in

Augustine’s conversion.

In our metaphysics, it is said that all men desire to know. This desire is innate in us, a

priori to us. And of that man has this unrestricted drive to know. It is the unexhausted drive that

makes all being intelligible. This drive is what keeps man from being so perseverance in

knowing all of the tensions he encountered in his life. These statements are somehow related to

Augustine's life. His life was very restless entering into a life that is miserable and undecided.

Because of his passion to learn, he studied different schools and thoughts in order to please his

restlessness. He entered Manichean, Epicureanism, and Platonism in order to find life’s meaning.

With that his life became uneasy and undecided. His desire to know to the realities in the

universe and diving into different school of thought made him restless. Not until he found Christ

and rest in him.

Augustine’s conversion was the result of his recollection of memories. Reflection

changed his life. From a life that is uneasy to a life that is totally free. He transcended to what he

was. He goes beyond to the things that made his life restless. He transcended to his unrestricted

drive to know and ceases for a while to reflect and recollect on his memories. For me, what I
highlighted most in Augustine’s confession was his appreciation of reflection. The confession

was like a thirteen book of reflection paper that he wrote. It was his life written from his younger

years up to the life where he found Christ. It was his eagerness in chasing the reality of the being

that made him restless yet he only need and did was to stop and look back that changed his life

forever.

Relating to Augustine’s experience made me realize how important reflection in my life.

Seeing how Augustine converted from a formless character into a saint was an inspiring life.

Here in the seminary, I usually took our reflection and meditation period for granted. I sleep,

chat, roam and waste time as it has no great value to me before. I regretted what I did before. But

now it all makes sense. It opens my eye to the reality that, like Augustine, man should not chase

the reality in life, because we only need not to run but to look back and realize that God is the

reality of life—the logos, the source of all wisdom, the one, true, good and beautiful being. And

it is only by reflection that man can embrace that certain reality in life.

Now that I realized how important reflection in my life is, there is no other reason for me

to waste and to take reflection for granted. I, that which aspires to change, will do my best,

hoping that things will work properly; in order for me to become more mature in my life. And by

reflection surely I will be close to the reality that I have been seeking for. The reality of which all

grace came from, God.