St. John Baptist De La Salle

 

 

(neatnik2009.wordpress.com)

 

Nowadays, chances of meeting a person, who will be able to sacrifice their wealth, comfort, name and even life for the benefit of others without expecting anything in return as compensation, is getting rarer each day. You are fortunate enough, if you can name at least 5 persons, excluding laypeople. It is quite resentful that as technology becomes more advanced, so do people become even more materialistic and indifferent to one another as time passes by.

 

An ordinary man with an extraordinary accomplishment. This is how I would like to simply characterize St. John Baptist De La Salle after watching the film entitled “Who Are My Own” and doing some quick web research. St. La Salle was born in Rheims, France in 1651. Coming from a wealthy family, St. La Salle was able to enter a seminary and was ordained priest in 1678. He was concerned that during his time, only rich people could afford an education, and that Christian-oriented schools for the working class and the poor were lacking in the society. Giving up his wealth, he began his noble apostolic mission of educating the poor and establishing free schools that led to the founding of the Brothers of Christian Schools in 1680. Among his greatest contributions include the simultaneous method of teaching, teacher training schools and schools for young criminals who were convicted in civil courts. He died on the Good Friday of 1719 and was canonized in 1900. Due to his great contributions in education, he consequently became the patron saint of all teachers.

St. La Salle can be considered as a risk taker, an innovator, a servant-leader and a mentor. He was an example of a person whose Christian faith was being put into practice. As a risk taker, he did not hesitate to give up his wealth and live in poverty without an assurance that his noble mission would succeed. As an innovator, he revolutionized the method of teaching despite of major oppositions from influential people in the society. He followed Jesus Christ as his example when he led school masters into his noble mission of fearlessly serving the least in the society. In my own opinion, St. La Salle exhibited what Lao Tzu has taught “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” Needless to say, he taught not only the children of France, but also the society as a whole that “Real wealth is the ability to think and to feel and not to be possessed by possessions.” (“Who Are My Own”)

St. La Salle taught the society that knowledge is the key for freedom from darkness since it is the light which leads to brighter place, peace and human fraternity. (“Who Are My Own”) But sad to say, the social problem that existed during the time of St. La Salle still continues to exist in the modern times. Many people are still held captives by the darkness which symbolizes poverty, hopelessness and desperation. Education is still a privilege rather than a right. And as long as this social problem persists, I believe that we shall continue St. La Salle’s mission and live by his example. St. La Salle proved the society that poverty is not an excuse nor a hindrance in order to help others regardless of social class. True service to others means not expecting something in return as compensation. In this regard, I personally believe that St. La Salle’s teachings may also be adopted as a great framework in conducting businesses – thinking of and reaching out for others beyond obtaining personal gains/profits.

Reflecting further on St. La Salle’s accomplishments, I cannot help but imagine what life could have been had St. La Salle given up his noble mission and succumb to his failures and frustrations. It was clearly shown in the film that even his trusted school masters turned away from him and desserted him. Perhaps, that was the most challenging and difficult part of his mission. But obviously, that incidence did not stop St. La Salle from fulfilling his noble dream of helping others escape the darkness. How I wish, I can also possess such great spirit!

 

 

 (http://saints.sqpn.com)

 

St. La Salle may have already passed away several centuries ago, but his social teachings that helped revolutionize the way of educating people will forever live in our hearts.

Animo La Salle!

 

“Real wealth is the ability to think and to feel, not to be possessed by possessions; to give, to receive, to reason, to fair. Children know this; there is no class distinction among men. If i can open their minds and let the sun enter in, if a lot of men can do this, if we can reach beyond the boundaries marked rich and poor, if we can open their minds to this light, we’ll become a brighter place, closer to peace, closer to human fraternity.” (Last quote from “Who Are My Own”)

 

References:

 

1. Texts

www.dlsud.edu.ph/about/stlasalle.htm

“Who Are My Own” – A film on the Life of St. John Baptist De La Salle, directed by Mr. Luis Cesar Amadori

 

1. Images

http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/feast-of-st-john-baptist-de-la-salle-april-7/

http://saints.sqpn.com/wp-content/uploads/img-Siant-John-Baptist-de-la-Salle.jpg