S t. Patrick of Ireland distinguished himself with his missionary spirit. Having been captured by pirates and sold to slavery he finally returned home a changed man. From then he studied for the priesthood and was later appointed bishop of Ireland. He made many converts and ordained a number of men to the priesthood, thus founding Ireland’s solid Catholic culture. SLU founder Fr Séraphin Devesse also built the first Catholic church in Baguio in 1908. He named it after St Patrick. May the respective foundations of SLU and the Baguio cathedral move us to engage ourselves in proactive actions to make our society more humane and inclusive.

What does it mean to be a Christian today? With all the literature written about leading a Christian life that confuses more than clarifies, nothing can be more reasonable than to look in the source, the New Testament. The New Testament is filled with practical counsels on how to bear witness to one’s faith. For instance, St Paul tells us: “Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to earn your own living,” (1Thessalonians 4: 11). In other words, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be concretely lived in terms of simplicity in living, mutual respect, and integrity in one’s affairs.