EMULATING CHRIST’S suffering on the cross must inspire Thomasians to strive for excellence while remaining humble, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula said during Mass on the first day of the “ALAB 2026” Lenten retreat at the Quadricentennial Pavilion on Wednesday, March 4.
In his homily, Advincula stressed that measures of one’s intellectual excellence must be done in the light of Christ’s humility.
“The logic of the cross means that excellence must always be marked by humility. It means that our intelligence must always be at the service of truth. It means that our achievements must never eclipse our compassion,” the Manila archbishop said.
While the Church values intellectual rigor, excellence in the academe should be balanced with service, leadership and love, he said.
The cardinal reflected on Jesus’s challenge to his disciples: “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant. Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
“When ambition turns self-referential, when competition diminishes community, when success is measured only by superiority over others, something essential is lost,” Advincula said.
Marking the 90th anniversary of the martyrdom of Thomasians, led by Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P., in the Spanish Civil War, Advincula urged modern-day Thomasians to be martyrs in their own ways.
“Martyrdom can mean giving one’s life for Christ, but it can also mean living one’s life for Christ in daily fidelity, sacrifice and love,” the prelate said. “It can mean dying for the faith, but it can also be a constant dying to self as we try to go beyond our pride and ambitions to imitate the Lord in selfless love and service.”
Paredes is among the seven martyrs of the Spanish Civil War. The others are Jesus Villaverde Andres, O.P.; Maximo Fernandez Marinas, O.P.; Pedro Ibanez Alonzo, O.P.; Manuel Moreno Martinez, O.P.; Jose Maria Carillo, O.P. and Jose Maria de Manila, O.F.M. Cap.
Advincula said the Thomasian blesseds were witnesses of faith who held the cross high.
“That is what martyrdom means. We [become] witnesses to the cross, not only by our death, but above all, by our life. We proclaim that self-giving is more noble than success. Fidelity is greater than fame, and love is stronger than ambition,” Advincula concluded.
The first day of the ALAB 2026 retreat centered on the virtue of faith, with a talk delivered by Bishop Raul Dael of the Diocese of Tandag in Surigao del Sur. Y.A.R. Osea
