An unexamined life is not worth living. What will be your life if you don’t enjoy it? What will be your life if you don’t explore things around? What will be your life if you don’t examine or question anything about it? What kind of life would that be?
We, human beings, have only short period of living here on earth. We come and go. We are given life, but our death is soon to come. Well, that’s the nature of life itself. Our existence is not stable in this world. But it doesn’t matter at all because what matters most is that how we lived our lives when we are still living. We should live our lives to its fullness. We have to make use of all our talents and abilities. Life can only be meaningful if we will examine it and find out its true beauty.
I chose the line “An unexamined life is not worth living” by the famous philosopher, Socrates, as my point of reflection on Plato’s work, Apology, because it is a very meaningful line for me.
We know that Socrates was very famous during his time because of the way he thinks and teaches his students, especially the young generation of Athens. This was the reason why other teachers like him were so every envious to him. They made false accusations against him, putting him down in other people by making stories that destroyed his image as a good teacher in the society of Athens. But the good thing about Socrates was that he never mentioned anything ill against his accusers. He never condemned anyone of them. Instead, he showed to them what is real about his person and he has a good intention why he teaches other people. Socrates wanted to tell everybody that he never did any wrongs against his country. He served as a good countryman and servant of the city. Therefore he doesn’t deserve to be put in trial in the front of the judges and the people of Athens. He is just a teacher who wanted to give a correct knowledge to all his students and those who are listening to him every time he teaches everywhere. Socrates valued knowledge more than any material things, which made him a very passionate teacher. He received freely the gift of knowledge from God, so he also gives it freely to others. Socrates was really a wise man, because if not, he was not able to examine his self as being a good person, he will never face up all the accusations against him, and he was not able to reveal the truth against all the false accusations to him. If he didn’t examine his self, maybe he was persuaded by the stories that his accusers are making against him. But fortunately, Socrates knew his self very much and his very purpose, because he really examined his life very well. That’s why he was able to counter all the arguments of his accusers and he voiced out what is the truth about him.
Before, I always asked myself, “Ngaa pirme lang my recollection man? Ngaa kinahanglan gid nga mag retreat before mag start ang school year?” These were my questions before, which I’ve already found the answer. In our world nowadays, we are always concern about our time and it seems that we are always in hurry, because we really value every minute that we have. We prefer always to do our “works” at a single moment. But I discovered that it is different in the context of the seminary formation. It is a formation that nurtures the vocation to the priesthood. The priestly vocation is a vocation that needs a deeper reflection and intimate relationship with our God. It is not like a race that we should hurriedly rush into its finish line. It is really important for us who are discerning to follow Christ to take time being with Him, praying to him, and listening to every word that He speaks in our heart. That’s why priestly formation must be taken slowly but in a very productive and meditative manner. Rather than rushing ourselves to be ordained as a deacon or as priest and then later on we will realize that there are still things that we would like to do when we are not yet ordained or before our ordination. But it will be too late already. So, Seminary Formation must be taken in a very meditative manner. We should examine ourselves so that we can truly know what our heart desires and we will never be regretful in the end.
We, human beings, have only short period of living here on earth. We come and go. We are given life, but our death is soon to come. Well, that’s the nature of life itself. Our existence is not stable in this world. But it doesn’t matter at all because what matters most is that how we lived our lives when we are still living. We should live our lives to its fullness. We have to make use of all our talents and abilities. Life can only be meaningful if we will examine it and find out its true beauty.
I chose the line “An unexamined life is not worth living” by the famous philosopher, Socrates, as my point of reflection on Plato’s work, Apology, because it is a very meaningful line for me.
We know that Socrates was very famous during his time because of the way he thinks and teaches his students, especially the young generation of Athens. This was the reason why other teachers like him were so every envious to him. They made false accusations against him, putting him down in other people by making stories that destroyed his image as a good teacher in the society of Athens. But the good thing about Socrates was that he never mentioned anything ill against his accusers. He never condemned anyone of them. Instead, he showed to them what is real about his person and he has a good intention why he teaches other people. Socrates wanted to tell everybody that he never did any wrongs against his country. He served as a good countryman and servant of the city. Therefore he doesn’t deserve to be put in trial in the front of the judges and the people of Athens. He is just a teacher who wanted to give a correct knowledge to all his students and those who are listening to him every time he teaches everywhere. Socrates valued knowledge more than any material things, which made him a very passionate teacher. He received freely the gift of knowledge from God, so he also gives it freely to others. Socrates was really a wise man, because if not, he was not able to examine his self as being a good person, he will never face up all the accusations against him, and he was not able to reveal the truth against all the false accusations to him. If he didn’t examine his self, maybe he was persuaded by the stories that his accusers are making against him. But fortunately, Socrates knew his self very much and his very purpose, because he really examined his life very well. That’s why he was able to counter all the arguments of his accusers and he voiced out what is the truth about him.
Before, I always asked myself, “Ngaa pirme lang my recollection man? Ngaa kinahanglan gid nga mag retreat before mag start ang school year?” These were my questions before, which I’ve already found the answer. In our world nowadays, we are always concern about our time and it seems that we are always in hurry, because we really value every minute that we have. We prefer always to do our “works” at a single moment. But I discovered that it is different in the context of the seminary formation. It is a formation that nurtures the vocation to the priesthood. The priestly vocation is a vocation that needs a deeper reflection and intimate relationship with our God. It is not like a race that we should hurriedly rush into its finish line. It is really important for us who are discerning to follow Christ to take time being with Him, praying to him, and listening to every word that He speaks in our heart. That’s why priestly formation must be taken slowly but in a very productive and meditative manner. Rather than rushing ourselves to be ordained as a deacon or as priest and then later on we will realize that there are still things that we would like to do when we are not yet ordained or before our ordination. But it will be too late already. So, Seminary Formation must be taken in a very meditative manner. We should examine ourselves so that we can truly know what our heart desires and we will never be regretful in the end.
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