Home » Articles & Documentation » Valedictory Address of Rev. Erwin F. Arandia SJ at LST’s Commencement Exercises 2024

Valedictory Address of Rev. Erwin F. Arandia SJ at LST’s Commencement Exercises 2024

May 12, 2024

Ateneo de Manila University
Church of The Gesù
8 May 2024

The Very Reverend Fr. Xavier Olin, S.J., Vice Chancellor of the Loyola School of Theology and Provincial Superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus;

Fr. Enrico Eusebio, Jr., S.J., President of the Loyola School of Theology;

Fr. Rogel Abais, S.J., Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Loyola School of Theology;

Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., Executive Secretary of the Loyola School of Theology;

Dr. Estela Padilla of Bukal ng Tipan, our Commencement Speaker, Executive Secretary of the Office of Theological Concerns of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences

Our esteemed LST Professors, our dear LST Staff and Students, Beloved Family and Friends, Fellow Graduates,

A blessed afternoon!

Today officially marks the end of our studies in our respective programs in the Loyola School of Theology. We come together today to celebrate and give thanks! In as much as our graduation is a fruit of all our hard work and determination – how we conquered every hurdle, fulfilled all of our course requirements: term papers, written and oral exams, the ad audiendas confessiones, and the ultimate Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology comprehensive exam, we humbly acknowledge that this accomplishment is not simply the result of our skills and efforts. Many times, in the course of our studies, we had to rely on the guidance, assistance, and compassion of many who accompanied and shepherded us to achieve this wonderful milestone.

We cannot let this moment pass without paying tribute to our professors who made Theology come to life, allowing us to discover its wonders and treasures, forming and sharpening our capacity to think and reflect, inspiring and consoling our hearts to encounter our gracious and loving Lord in our studies. We also acknowledge our LST administrators and staff who ensure that the mission of education and formation of LST is undertaken effectively and efficiently. We give thanks to our superiors and formators, our brothers and sisters in our respective religious and seminary communities, our dear family and friends, whose unwavering support and encouragement made us believe in ourselves and carried us through every challenge. It indeed takes a village. Maraming maraming salamat po! I invite my fellow graduates to stand and express our gratitude with a resounding round of applause. As Fr. Rex would say, “Sikat talaga!”

We thus find ourselves like the disciple whom Jesus loved in the Gospel of John, who proclaims, “It is the Lord!” because of this great catch we have experienced in LST. We turn to our gracious God yet again amazed and humbled because of his incomparable magnanimity and loving mercy. He has blessed us beyond what we can ever imagine, beyond what we truly deserve.

In LST, we have realized that Theology deepens and flourishes when it is not solitary. Theology takes root and bears fruit when a community sows and plants it, cares for it together. Theology thrives when it is a dialogue; when it is interdisciplinary; when it is intercultural; a union of minds and hearts. It goes beyond acquiring a body of knowledge and developing skills. If Theology is truly grounded in God’s engagement with creation and his call to all of us to follow him, then it naturally brings people together and welcomes everyone as they are. Theology becomes an encounter with our Lord who lovingly draws all of creation to himself, uniting us with him and with one another. Our studies have oriented us to God’s very vision of communion – an experience of synodality that inspires us to journey together towards deeper understanding and experience of our faith, to ensure that no one is excluded and left behind, to go beyond ourselves and reach out to others. We may not have been aware of it, but seeds of synodality have been planted in us through our theological formation in LST.

In LST, we have been blessed with the gift of diversity. We have forged friendships and bonds across different countries, different cultures, different dioceses, different religious congregations, and communities. Thanks to LST, we have at least one friend from each continent of the planet. This diversity has allowed us to approach Church teaching from different vantage points, seeing faith from various perspectives. LST has been a home for us, a safe space to freely explore ideas, to carefully listen to different opinions, to boldly challenge preconceived notions, to honestly reform mistaken assumptions, to humbly acknowledge areas of disagreement.

We have been constantly challenged to apply and appropriate Scripture and Church Teaching to the realities of our time, how it can speak to our broken and struggling world, to people suffering and in despair, how it can activate conversion and transformation among us. The path to God that the Theology we learned in LST paved for us traverses through the peaks and valleys of human life, the concerns and struggles, the hopes and dreams of God’s people. It hopefully leaves us fully immersed and involved in the pursuit to proclaim the Gospel, to build the Kingdom of God in the here and now of our lives, where there is severe hunger and thirst for his healing and comforting grace. Our theological formation animates us to be witnesses, promoters and champions of synodality – ministers of communion, participation and mission.

Our journey in LST began in 2020, during the height of the devastating and traumatic COVID-19 pandemic. We were confined in our residences because of the strict lockdowns imposed during that time. We were afraid – gripped by fear of sickness and death, losing control over our lives, confused and helpless because of how the world had abruptly changed. We grieved the loss of family and friends whose lives were claimed by COVID. We were heartbroken, discouraged and powerless. We wanted to go out of our houses, our communities to reach out to people in need, to feed the hungry, to comfort frontliners, to care for the sick, but mandated restrictions prohibited us from doing so. Some also felt that it was reckless and irresponsible to expose oneself to danger and harm. Though our classes in LST through Canvas and Zoom gave us some semblance of normalcy and stability, we remained conflicted. We struggled with the tension between going on with life as usual and urgently responding to the needs of those in the streets, in underprivileged communities who were severely suffering because of the pandemic. We did not want to be crippled by our fears.

What we were learning in our Theology classes actually compelled us to act, to do something. Remaining sheltered and detached from the plight of the poor was contrary to the nature and work of our God. Our classes in LST challenged us to do as Christ did – to be with those who were suffering, to serve the neglected and marginalized. Making do with what was possible during that time, many of our religious communities, parishes, organizations started setting up community pantries, donation drives, feeding programs to extend assistance to those in need. We tried our best to extend to people the needed pastoral care and accompaniment during that time, employing different online platforms, visiting homes and communities with all the health protocols and safety precautions in place. Through these little initiatives and responses, we have sought to put Theology into practice.

This practice of Theology is something we have witnessed in the work of our very own Fr. Manoling Francisco, S.J., our professor in several Systematic Theology courses and in our STB Comprehensive Exam Review. During the pandemic, his LST classroom was extended to the Ateneo College Covered Courts, where goods, rice and other necessities were repacked for distribution to different underserved communities through the Tanging Yaman Foundation. I even remember Fr. Mano looking for a corner there to hold his online classes. In between classes, he would arrange the procurement of produce from besieged local rice and vegetable farmers, ensuring fair profit for their harvest. He rescued tons of dried fish from being wasted to benefit fishing communities from Bantayan, Cebu and Roxas City. Yes, a theologian did all of that! Theologizing is brought to where people are, where it is needed the most, immersed in the struggles and agonies of God’s people, proclaiming the Good News of God’s reign more in deeds, than in words.

May we always remember that the theological knowledge we acquired must not just remain ideas and concepts. These principles, truths and values are not just meant for academic discussions and rhetoric, for scholarship and research, they must be incarnated, exercised, lived out. We are called to cultivate a lived, a living Theology that continues to offer light, consolation, and direction to our weary world.

As we end our stay in LST, we begin the important work of carrying out the mission of God and responding to the distressing cry of the poor and the cry of the earth that call for urgent action.

The last Philippine national and local elections in 2022 exposed deep divides in our society. Corrupt politicians and self-gratifying oligarchs continue to disenfranchise and manipulate the poor and the marginalized, while the interests of the rich and the powerful are further protected and promoted. The church seems to have been trapped inside an echo chamber and is perceived to be out of touch with the miseries of her flock. How can we then truly promote a faith that does justice, be in solidarity with the disadvantaged and neglected, alleviate their suffering?

The young are desperately searching for meaning and purpose, disillusioned with and distrustful of established authority including the Church. How can we then accompany the youth and provide the guidance and support they need?

There is also the virtual world that we need to evangelize – the world of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. How do we establish meaningful connections and engagements to effectively proclaim the good news in these online social networks?

Our world remains plagued with conflicts and wars that destroy lives and communities. Many migrants and refugees are exploited and denied access to basic goods and services. How can we then advance peace and human dignity in our own little ways?

Our common home continues to suffer and diminish. We are now experiencing the devastating effects of climate change with the extreme heat we have been struggling with these past several weeks. How can we then facilitate integral ecological conversion, contribute to the healing and restoration of our one and only planet?

As we face the world outside of LST, we are invited to embrace the suffering, struggles, hopes, and convictions of God’s people. I believe that it is no accident that our institution is named “Loyola,” which is where God was able to finally capture the mind and heart of St. Ignatius as he was recovering from his injury. In Loyola, St. Ignatius’ desire to love and serve the Lord was cultivated. His Loyola experience prepared and inspired him to fully respond to God’s call and offer himself completely to carry out his mission. The same is LST for us, our very own Loyola that has deepened our understanding, appreciation and love of the Lord and his Church. LST has formed us to be competent and compassionate followers of Christ, able to imagine possibilities and dream about the better church, the better world we desire. Now, we are ready to move forward, ready to work in the vineyard of the Lord, ready to fulfill God’s mission, ready to serve ad majorem Dei gloriam, for the greater glory to God!

Congratulations and blessings, Loyola School of Theology Class of 2024!

Home » Articles & Documentation » Valedictory Address of Rev. Erwin F. Arandia SJ at LST’s Commencement Exercises 2024

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