The Good Place : A Journey of Faith

FOREWORD

Peace.

Something that is within us. Something that we can acquire. But how can one be truly peaceful? How can a person know that he is truly at peace?

Serendipity. Is everything around us brought by pure luck? Should something like that happen against all the odds?

Tranquility.

Calmness within blazing storms. But how can we be truly calm amidst all the hardships we experience?

Happiness.

The state of being contented and fulfilled. But where does true happiness come from? How do we know that we are feeling genuine and true happiness when we are uncertain of what we truly feel?

The Good Place delineates the depiction of a place where true happiness and contenment is achieved. Some say it is reached after death — where one frees themselves from all the chains and chasms of life. Some say it is the place where you are free to have anything you desire for. But it is not an actual place. It can be anywhere at any given moment. The Good Place is when we find peace, serendipity, tranquility, and true happiness in our lives — making us true to our values and moral capacities as a person and a disciple of God.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

OUR PEOPLE

CHAPTER I : La Paz - Calm After the Flood CHAPTER II : La Casualidad - Faith Amidst Provocation CHAPTER III : La Tranquilidad

- Anodynes - Haunted CHAPTER IV : Alegria - Ikigai: Journey to Ultimate Happiness - Unafraid - Eudaimonia

IMAGES OF GOD OUR REFLECTIONS

MEET OUR

GILTENDEZ ZYRONNE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ART DIRECTOR

Hello! My name is Miguel Emmanuel Magdales. I mostly like to watch animes and I also do cosplays. I also am a photojournalist of Kapawa as of the present time. The story I made is from my past experiences so I have really related to it. It shows how God has helped me conquer my own floods in life

Hi! My name is Zyronne Daniel Giltendez. I am 17 years old and I live in Bacolod City. I mostly love graphic designing and creative writing. I like to write poems and fictional stories. I also love to listen to Taylor Swift; her whole discography is immaculate. I don’t like to focus on one hobby as I like to explore more of what I am capable of doing. My stories in this book are past experiences I’d like to remember and treasure as it did not only bring me closer to God but also to the people around me as well.

BRILLANTES AMIEL

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MAGDALES

MIGUEL

ART DIRECTOR

I am Amiel Jules Brillantes, a Lasallian student from the University of St. La Salle, as of now I am 16 years old and the youngest child in the family. I mostly enjoy playing games and binge-watching TV shows and movies. I also like listening to music. I chose to make this story as it had a big impact in the building of my spirituality and mental growth.

OUR PEOPLE

I am Jim Andre C. Sycayco, I’m 17 years old, from Cadiz City. My hobby is to play badminton, basketball, and biking with my friends. Also, my mission is to help others. My story in this book explains my journey to what I consider worth calling my ultimate happiness.

SYCAYCO

JIM ART DIRECTOR

ORTIZ FRANCESCA

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I am Franz Isaac Abibiason, 17 years old and is now studying at the University of St. La Salle Bacolod. I am fond of animals and I keep a few pets at home.

I am Francesca Nickole I. Ortiz, a grade 12 student taking up STEM in Liceo De La Salle. I am planning to take up Veterinary Medicine in college in order to take over our family clinic. I am the eldest of three siblings. I like playing badminton to keep me physically active, I was a varsity from my previous school, St. Joseph School – La Salle. I am a proud La Sallian for almost 5 years already and therefore I can say I uphold the true La Sallian value which I will take with me for years to come.My story in this book is about a serendipitous experience I encountered in my life.

ABIBIASON FRANZ ASSOCIATE EDITOR

CHAPTER 1: LA PAZ

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

MIGUEL EMMANUEL MAGDALES

Peace is knowing that everything is alright and there is nothing to be afraid of. But, during my time in America is where I didn’t find peace at all. My brother and I were supposed to visit my sister in the states who was working as a soldier. It was all fun. We all enjoyed visiting multiple famous tourist spots and had fun all the time. Then, my brother had to return to the Philippines for his internship so he returned while I stayed with my sister. A week passed by and I went to school via online. After school, me and my friends play games online. Then, everyone in the call went black and all of them were gone . I thought at that time they all just had a blackout so I went to sleep thinking I would see them again tomorrow. Next day I woke up and none of them had woken up for school. After an hour of waiting for the zoom I got a notification from my homeroom teacher that classes had been canceled due to typhoon Odette. I smiled thinking I had free time so I went back to sleep. Later in the morning, I woke up to a video that my friend sent me showing roofs getting blown off, multiple debris flying due to the storm. My heart sank. I said to myself “They should be fine right? They can make it out of this.” I prayed that they make it out of the situation safe and sound, then right there and then I remember that my brother was in Dumaguete so frantically, I went to my laptop to contact him I had no answer. I tried multiple times to no success due to the bad service. My heart sank even deeper. This continued for a week until finally, my brother managed to contact us through our family group chat. He was saved, he and his classmate evacuated to hotels due to the fact that the typhoon flooded their dorms and they had no electricity. Me and my family prayed that he would make it out safe and it was answered by God. Apparently, some people saved my brother from being stuck in his dormroom and my family and I could never be so happy and thankful for those people who had saved him. Me from that time was really thinking about the worst case scenario when we could not contact my brother. I thought to myself what if he died, what if I never get to see him again, what if we could not play together again, that made me depressed to the point where I could only sleep and stare blankly at a wall. But, my family and friends who weren’t affected by the typhoon helped me. They kept reassuring me that he was safe and the rest of my friends were also safe. They gave me hope and peace of mind so I continued to pray to God and went to church and begged him to keep everyone safe. A month or so, the typhoon passed and I got into contact with everyone and knowing that everyone was safe and sound I finally had peace and clarity of mind thanks to my friends and family and of course, God. After I returned from America I hugged my brother like it’s the first time I had seen him. This moment in my life shows how much I can do in a situation where I have no control over it where I was powerless to help my friends and brother from their situation. All I could do was pray and have faith that God will show mercy and save everyone. In the end everyone I knew was safe so I was overjoyed and happy when the peaceful moment happened right after the storm when I knew everyone was safe and sound and everything was in peace thanks to God and his everlasting love for everyone.

CHAPTER II: LA CASUALIDAD

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

JEREMIAH

WRITTEN BY: FRANSESCA ORTIZ

My life was comfortable growing up. Loving parents, jolly siblings, and a household filled with laughter and Christ in the center. My parents can provide them everything we need and our wishes are somehow fulfilled. We often pray and go to church every Sunday as we are grateful for the blessing the Lord has bestowed upon us through the years. I am content and happy until the week after my father’s birthday came. Father was suffering from an excruciating headache. At first, we thought that it was due to lack of sleep since my father is a doctor and he had an operation a day before. He was clearly just tired. Just so we thought. However, the headache did not go away even after a day full of medications. My dad cannot even open his eyes for too long since the light can also cause a headache. My mother was super worried and decided to bring him to the hospital. And that was the time we knew he was suffering from a brain aneurysm. There was a blood clot in his brain causing immense pain. At this time, I did not know any of this since I was left at home with her siblings. I thought it was just a check-up and my parents will eventually go home. I am hoping that it’s just a normal headache due to fatigue. I hope it is not something serious. But I know it is. I saw how weak father was when he was going down the stairs and walking towards the car. At this time, I was feeling a lot and couldn’t understand how to deal with my emotions at that very moment. I don’t know what was up with dad and mom was too busy to pick up the call to the point that I was irritated with her. I understand how hectic it is at the hospital but she could at least update me with dad’s condition. The news only got to me later in the afternoon when my Lola called and informed me that mom and dad cannot go home that day since dad needs to stay at the hospital because he was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. That news made my knees weak and tears bursted down my eyes. Worry consumed my whole being and I was unable to move for a second. Lola told me that I need to take care of my siblings since I am the eldest and is in charge with the house. It was a hard time for me and it lasted for about 2 weeks. I need to manage our home while my mind cannot be at ease because of my father’s situation. It was really a challenge for me. But I was thankful for our maids for also looking after us and stood as our parents for the meantime. I did not feel that much burden because of them. In those two weeks, my siblings and I were not given the chance to see our parents and that was the most difficult part. Our clinic was also struggling since my parents weren’t there to manage it firsthand. So, with the growing hospital bill and the struggling business, it was really hard for us. During that cadence, our family only held on to our faith. I went to church everyday and attended the mass. I also frequented the prayer room. Praying was all I could do that time to be able to feel comfort and a sense of relief. That was the time where I desperately prayed and offered my sincerest prayers. I did that for the whole 2 weeks. And God really did not disappoint. After all that heartfelt prayers I offered, dad was finally released after 2 weeks. And we believe that miracles do happen because the blood clot was in the part of the brain where there’s a lot of liquid flowing, causing the clot not to harden. My father also did not suffer from stroke, a common effect of brain aneurysm. After a month of house rest, my father was finally able to go back to his old habits. It seemed he wasn’t diagnosed with an aneurysm. His physical appearance never changed. He was not paralyzed or whatsoever. And we believe it was because we did not falter even with all the challenges.

FRANCESCA ORTIZ

PROVOCATION AMIDST FAITH

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ANODYNES

ZYRONNE DANIEL GILTENDEZ

Anodynes. A drug or medicine taken to lessen or eradicate pain but what physical pain could be compared to the pain we feel when we lose someone we love or when we feel that the weight we are carrying is getting heavier. What could be more painful than the slow agony of losing interest in life and your existence?

In life, we are faced with constant changes, challenges, and hurdles that we need to jump on to become the best version of ourselves.

The thing is, the journey in overcoming these obstacles is never easy and I testify for myself on that.

I am a simple boy, with a big heart and big dreams, they say. I mask myself with my achievements, accomplishments, and validations that I have earned through the years of my existence.

I have maintained my “overachiever” and “golden child” image and strived to be the best in everything I do,

may it be academically or through extra curricular activities. I have always pushed myself to my limit, which for me never exists. Clubs here and there, while maintaining not just good grades, but high ones. I am not pressured by anyone, not my friends nor my family, but myself.

During these times, I felt needy. I felt the need to have people by my side to cheer me on and support me. Oftentimes, I would think to myself, “What if

they view me as the bad guy for asking too much attention?” or “What if they’d leave me hanging here? Alone?”. These thoughts provoked the notion that I was alone. I had no one to open up what I felt that time. I felt that everyone was against me.

The pain of constantly wanting attention from people, begging for them to give you time, and feeling like you did something wrong is more painful than being cut by a knife. Its pain pierces through

the heart, constantly devouring it with fear and anxiety, and slowly attacking you with the gnawing pain of loneliness and gloom. The pain I was feeling cannot be cured by the prescriptive Anodynes nor any over-thecounter medication. It was something to be cured with God’s wisdom, grace, and presence.

Through this time, I can say that God has been my Anodyne in life. A painkiller which brought me to

what most of us know as tranquility and calmness. Constant prayers and talks with God has helped me envision a life where I am calm and at peace with myself and my inner thoughts. I will be forever grateful to Him for making me understand that life is more than just medals, certificates, and awards. It is living every moment of it and appreciating everything worth living.

HAUNTED

ZYRONNE DANIEL GILTENDEZ

Have you ever been haunted by the thought that everyone is going to be leaving you at some point? How everyone would turn their backs against you and villainize you for doing things that you know would keep your mind at peace?

All of us may have been haunted by the thought that most people come and go. But I have always been the one to treasure and try to light up friendships that have been long gone. It is within my hopes of

surviving life that I also tend to rekindle even the most littlest sparks in relationships, may it be through friends or families.

Putting ourselves out in these pedestals can affect us and how we view life as a person. It greatly affects how we yearn and search for the true meaning of life when all we need is to fully open our eyes and see the world in its brightest colors.

My life has not always been the smooth

and steady path. Relationships sank here and there and through it, I can admit that life is not perfect. It is fully capable of making mistakes, such that it can destroy even the strongest friendships.

I have been haunted by my past experiences, not being able to fully develop a strong connection with people. Through these experiences, I have learned to strengthen my walls and be invulnerable to people I just met I have been

giving myself and the people around me a wide and deep river to cross to before I build a bond with them.

Not until the past couple of years. I have inclined myself to constant prayers and reading God’s words. His wisdom has given me a sense of hope for the people that I am around with. He has given me the green light to learn and accept people back into my life, and if they do turn out bad in the end, I’d be able to fix them, and be able

to share the epiphany Christ has given me.

He has also given me friends who I now treasure the most. People who keeps me tranquil and calm even in the strongest of storms. People who stick by my side through thick and thin and knows all my vulnerabilities and be able to accept them. I thank God everyday for giving me one of the world’s rarest treasures; true friends.

Now, even if I get haunted by my thoughts

of everyone leaving, I could only view the world as something small. Even if they do go, I’d still treasure the memories they have given me.

Through this, I am able to free myself from thoughts that have kept me up all night. God made his way of assuring me that everything will go right in the end by making me meet with amazing people I get to share the ride of my life with, and with that I will always be thankful. Always.

68:3

“But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!”

PSALM

CHAPTER IV: ALEGRIA

Long time ago, there was a boy named Jim. He’s kind and humble person. He likes to find happiness that he deserves. In his journey, he met a lot of beautiful people with kind souls from different walks of life that fuels his desire for happiness. He discovered that being happy starts internally – within self and also happiness comes from giving it to others. Realization sinks in that what energy you gave is what energy you take. Jim is persistent and driven by the love for life’s happiness. He is driven to everything that he does and nourishing happiness within himself is his ultimate desire – an Ikigai.

As time goes by, Jim suddenly experienced a lot of challenges. These struggles come from having a

WRITTEN BY: JIM ANDRE SYCAYCO

low score even trying his best to pressuring himself to be a flawless person that makes him question if total happiness can be achieved. However, he strongly believes that he is not fighting alone since of the strong connections he has with his family, friends and to the almighty God. He overcome those challenges and transform pains into power – undying strength and unbothered soul.

Several people really know that Jim has a lot of hobbies such as biking, swimming, running, and playing badminton. These are the things that makes him happy, confident and fulfilled which he considered as an adventure worth doing for. He’s best friends are very proud and supportive for his desires in life and they’re always beside him. Jim is really grateful to his circle of friends for their unending support. He is beyond grateful, not only because of them but because life gave them to him.

Besides from that, Jim has a lot of dreams especially to his family. He really wanted to give back as soon as possible to all the support, happiness and the love that they gave to him. It’s not about the material things that his family especially his father gave him but it’s about the redirection and guidance towards achieving a happy life – a life filled with gratitude. Also, Jim wanted to help people as much as he could especially being kind to those who are unkind and helping the less privilege ones. In pouring all of his genuine love to help people makes him feel another step towards his desire of happiness.

In the world that is fast-changing and continuous uncertainties happens in a snap of a finger. New people come and go and moving from one place to another. That’s life. Jim is aware about it. He is also grateful for the people he just met along the way. Some stayed and some left. There are

JOURNEY

IKIGAI:

TO

learnings in temporary. Those of stayed are very friendly, humble, kind, cheerful and trustworthy. By these, Jim easily adapts his new surroundings. He gained happiness and relationship with them.

As a student, Jim really values the importance of time management in studying. He takes into consideration work-life balance. In studying, he enjoys it because it gives him a sense of purpose why he exists. Besides, he loves to give himself a reward after studying. By learning, he can impart those to people. He can empower his knowledge and mold it to become a tool to help others and be the best version of himself. He believes with great mental skills and abilities will paved his way into a healthier life – sound mind and body. A stable mental health will be one of the keys in achieving one’s goals.

A journey with God. Jim believes that happy life comes from the supreme being – God. There

ULTIMATE HAPPINESS

are times that life test or shaken his faith with Him. However, with strong relationship and trust evil can’t persist and enter his soul that is already filled with goodness and heart that is totally surrendered. Jim believes that when people give their heart and life whole-heartedly with Him, it will guide them to a place where hesitations, pains and uncertainties doesn’t exist. Jim believes that God knows about him more than himself.

Basically, Ikigai teaches him to find his purpose in life and he’s already a step ahead of his desires. It will not be an easy way, there will be wall blocks, there will be no shortcuts and it can be filled with uphill battles. However, Jim trusts the process and making little constant steps. He understands that life is changing and there will be different routes to be chosen ahead but he believes that listening to his heart’s ultimate desire will guide him towards Jim’s Ikigai – happiness.

JIM ANDRE SYCAYCO

WRITTEN BY: AMIEL JULES BRILLANTES

This story begins 4 years ago when I joined a church group and slowly started to feel a deep connection with God. Aside from the praise and worship and different events for different people, there was a specific event that was held for the youth every year. This event is called “Camp Calye” a 4-day camping event recommended for the youth. The theme changes every year and the theme for the camp when I joined was “Unafraid” basically putting our trust and asking for strength from God in overcoming our fears. At first, I was hesitant in joining as I have never gone camping before, let alone with people who I have not met before. But with encouragement from my churchmates, I decided to try the event in hopes of getting closer with God and making new friends. The first activity that me and the other campers did was before the camping started. The campers met at a venue and were grouped randomly, and so we met with our groupmates and our group leader and bonded with the other groups through certain activities and talks, making new friends in the process. I even had a short fling on one of our campmates.

On the day of our “Camp Calye” we gathered at NGC (New Government Center) and waited for our drivers to take us to the campsite not too far from the city proper. As we arrived at the campsite, we immediately got our luggage and met with them at the main hall for tent assignments and for the announcement of activities for that day. We then set up our tents (for those who had their own tents), as for those with no tents, they were assigned to borrowed tents and put their things in the tents. We were then called to the main hall for our first activity, which was to make our group flag. After making our group flags, we went through a series of challenges ranging from public speaking, holding your breath underwater, being blindfolded, etc. I also remember that each of these challenges affected every single one of my group mates because of their fear of drowning, fear of the dark, fear of heights, etc. but we got through these challenges as we had teamwork and trust in our group mates as well as our faith in God’s protection. I don’t remember all the activities that we did in order throughout the 4 days, but I do remember most of the fun activities that we did. One of the activities and also the messiest was the amazing race course where we had to go through different obstacles, and one of them was crawling through a tunnel with mud and frogs so most of us barely made it through that obstacle. Then the most memorable activity happened on our last night, where we lit the gigantic campfire, and danced and sang to worship songs around the campfire.

I also remember getting a slight burn on my feet from the campfire. In our free time, we would play dodgeball, play instruments and just converse with each other getting closer each time. The night after our campfire it rained so we decided to sleep in the little cottages, treehouse, assembly hall in the area because the tents were open when it rained, so the insides were wet. There was also a time where I almost passed out due to exhaustion, this also happened a few hours after our campfire. Of course, two nights with incomplete sleep is going to make you tired, paired with different tiring (but fun) activities. So, at the last night me and a few other friends decided to not sleep. We had a quick jamming session, we talked about life, about how fun the camp was, we played a little bit of mobile games, etc. But one by one they were falling asleep faster than we could blink our eyes. It was 6 AM already, and as the sun began to rise, I was the last one still awake from staying up while our other campmates woke up one by one from their sleep. I was sitting down and decided to go to the main hall but started to get dizzy when I stood up and was on my way to the main hall. I sat at the main hall with the other campmates but asked why I looked so tired, I said that I decided to stay up all night since it was already the last night, but then they told me to go back to sleep as we still had other activities in the morning, I considered it as I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I went back to our little cottage and slept on a friend’s shoulder and fell asleep almost immediately. When I woke up I was the only one left at the cottage, and it was already 9 am but I wasn’t sure of the exact time. I went to my group mates and they laughed because of how I was the last to wake up, but we’re glad since I was just in time for breakfast. That day was also the last activity for the camp where we all had to be scattered in the swimming pool while blindfolded because our task was to rearrange ourselves and make a cross. There were selected people from the pool who had to take off their blindfolds from time to time and go to the surface in order for the task to be easier. In the end we were not able to make a cross, but came closer compared to the other batches before us. We then had our final boodle fight lunch and our final praise and worship then went home with happiness in our hearts. This story is about happiness because of the unexpected events that happened before, during, and after the camp. We were happy to have had fun during the camp, happy to have been able to make new friends, happy to be able to get closer with God, and happy to be able to place our trust in God who will help us get through our fears and doubts.

AMIEL JULES BRILLANTES

ONIA AIM EUD

ZYRONNE DANIEL GILTENDEZ

WRITTEN BY: ZYRONNE DANIEL GILTENDEZ

Happiness is never bought. No matter how much money you have in your pockets, or how expensive the things you have lying around, true and genuine happiness is never achieved through material things. It might be cliche, yes, but it’s the truth. To be truly and genuinely happy, we must not only be content with what we have but also to be able to be fulfilled by the progresses that we have made throughout our lives, may it be as big as getting a college degree, or as small as helping the last, the lost, and the least.

However, true happiness is not grounded on the fact of being good or being able to help others. Living your life to the fullest, or being fulfilled with your own progress, means that you abide by human virtues and morals. It can be extended into doing something you might be unhappy with, like telling a harsh truth to a friend, for example. This is eudaimonia. The human state of being fulfilled with your life by the actions you have been doing not only for yourself, but to other people as well. It is practicing virtues like courage, wisdom, kindness and moderation.

In my life, I cannot say that I have achieved my eudaimonia but I can say that I am on my way to achieving it. I have my fair share of misfortunes, sadness, and guilt in life but goodness and happiness does not end there. It is actually the central part of what gives our lives meaning.

My family may not be that rich, but one thing is guaranteed, our parents have gifted us with values and virtues taken from God’s wisdom and guidance. They have taught us to settle for what we have and appreciate every little thing about it. They have given us guidance to be able to be of service to other people who need our help. Most importantly, they have taught us to look at our failures and shortcomings on the bright side.

With God’s grace and guidance, I have molded myself into someone being able to be genuinely and truly happy about my life. This starts my eudaimonia, a way for me to be able to appreciate life and all its blessings.

IMAGES of GOD

THROUGH OUR STORIES

GOD AS PEACE OF MIND

Calm After The Flood tells a story about God giving us the assurance and peace of mind that we need to surpass through hardships in life. The story views God as the source of peace for the family, keeping everyone safe in tough times.

GOD AS A MIRACLE

Faith Amidst Provocation tells a story about a family who relied on God for the healing of a loved one. The story views God as a source of miracle that sheltered the whole family and gave them the hope to live for it all.

GOD AS A PAINKILLER

In Anodynes, God is viewed as an ultimate painkiller being able to heal wounds from the heart and loneliness we are feeling as it tells as story of a young boy struggling to find the meaning of life. The situation helped that boy connect more, not only with God, but also to the people around him as well.

GOD AS AN EPIPHANY

Haunted tells a story of a young boy being afraid to make connections due to his past experiences and recalls how God made him realize that these things are important to bring joy and love to his heart. It shows how God can manifest through our realizations making us see the true importance of friendships and life.

GOD AS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF JOY

Ikigai tells a story of a boy who, all his life, have searched for his ultimate happiness, his Ikigai. This story views how God has been the ultimate source of his happiness from the blessings that he have received; from his friends to his loving family and joyous experiences.

GOD AS OUR FRIENDS

Unafraid tells a story of a boy at a church camp, making friends and bonding with the people he met within their church. This story views God as someone we can see from our friends and the bond that we make, fulfilling ourselves with pure joy in our hearts, and someone that we can trust and erase our doubts on.

GOD AS A GUIDING LIGHT

Eudaimonia tells a story of a boy searching for true and genuine happiness in life while learning what is right from what is wrong and being able to be morally capable to be of service to others. It views God as the guiding light that not only helped him though his journey, but also his parents that have taught him a lot of valuable lessons as well.

OUR REFLECTIONS

Many people call themselves faithful Christians just because they go to Sunday mass, but the thing is, most people go to Sunday mass and still arrive late or just go to mass because they were born Christians or because they have to go with their families. I still see a few people use their phones while mass is ongoing, so what is the point of going to mass if you wont listen? Being an authentic Christian disciple means doing more than just going to Sunday mass, it means serving the Lord by serving other through acts of charity, filling our hearts with gratitude for the Restoration of His Church, for living prophets, and the priesthood power that blesses our lives. Embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ, becoming His disciples, and walking in His way. Having true faith in the lord, and many more.

BRILLANTES, Amiel Jules GILTENDEZ, Zyronne

Daniel MAGDALES, Miguel Emmanuel

Authentic. Something that is genuine and true. But how can one measure the authenticity of their own Christianity? For me, it’s as simple as knowing what is right and what is wrong. Being an authentic Christian disciple in the modern world might be challenging especially for youngsters, nowadays but distinguishing and drawing boundaries from true good and true evil makes us know that we are authentic followers of God. Goodness is not only bound through respect and love for your neighbors. It also considers pointing out mistakes and doing things that you might be uncomfortable with. We have to know what is genuinely and morally right not just for ourselves, but for the community that we are in as well. True goodness stems from us respecting our dignity and the dignity of the people around us. It is our capability to live a fulfilled and holistic life; being able to help other people and guide their way to being an authentic Christian. It is the willingness to be able to be of service to others and to God; knowing how to be stewards of His creation and preserve the virtues that He taught us.

Following Jesus’ instructions and making an effort to live by his teachings are essential parts of being a real Christian follower today. This includes attempting to uphold the moral rules and the teaching of God shared in the Bible, as well as loving God and loving others. Also, it entails actively taking part in Christian community activities including going to church, praying, and serving others. It also entails one’s own spiritual development and transformation as one reads and studies the Bible, prays and meditates, and tries to comprehend and implement Jesus’ teachings to their lives.

ORTIZ, Francesca Nickole

In my insight, one can be an authentic Christian disciple by not only following the word of God but also spreading it to people around you. Setting a good character for the younger generations to see, helping those in need with your capabilities, and judging what is right or wrong. For me, that is what an authentic Christian disciple is.

SYCAYCO, Jim Andre

To be an authentic christian disciple, we need to respect and have faith to our almighty God. Also, we need to be helpful and pray with all our hearts and express our desire to draw close to Him and learn to Him.

“How can one be an authentic Christian disciple today?”

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