What is Spirituality?
Our society is in the middle of a huge cultural shift. And vital in this kind of environment is the so-called Generation Z or
those born anywhere between 1995 and 2015. They are the most ethnically diverse generation. They are individualistic,
lonely, and social justice oriented. They are technology savvy and their lives are often built around the online world. They
are sexually fluid. They are activists and volunteers. who want to make an impact on the world. Some of them are
stepping into either the workforce or the world of higher education. And they will change the landscape of our society
with their ideas and values – many of which omit the idea of Christian faith and a clear understanding of
spirituality. According to Philip Sheldrake, A Brief History of Spirituality (2007), spirituality is centered on the deepest
values and meanings by which people live.
It involves the recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself, something more to
being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are part is cosmic or divine in nature.
Spirituality is very much different from religion. It is more than the physical. It is manifested concretely through a
person’s attitudes, behavior and how he/she looks at the life he/she lives in. Spirituality starts with awareness.
Awareness of yourself as a human being, awareness of the world around you and awareness of the existence of a
Supreme being that guides you in your everyday lives.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle went through a process of personal conversion, which made him face up to the full logic of
his faith in Christ and the effects of applying the call to discipleship to his own life. This is the foundation of Lasallian
spirituality: - meditating on the person of Jesus in the gospels and praying for the enlightenment to know what the Lord
wants me to do here and now to follow in his footsteps.
Who is an Authentic Lasallian?
An AUTHENTIC LASALLIAN is one who lives the values of St John Baptist de la Salle that are rooted in the life and
teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is a reflection of the Lasallian Spirituality. Lasallian endeavors to become faithful to
his calling as a Christian as he seeks to consecrate everything that he does for God as he humbly prays "I will continue, O
my God, to do all my actions for the love of you." In all things, a Lasallian does starts with God, proceeds with God, and
ends with God with the prayer of "Let us remember that we are always in the Holy Presence of God. A Lasallian's life is
inspired and led by a 300-year-old prayer "LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS...FOREVER!" that continues until this day.
Five Core Principles of La Salle Schools
FAITH IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
The Lasallian school nurtures in its members an awareness of the living presence of God in our world. It calls all to a
deeper awareness of their saving relationship with a caring and loving God and moves all to see the world through the
"eyes of faith."
CONCERN FOR THE POOR AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Lasallian school calls its members to a solidarity with the poor and victims of injustice. It calls all to a life-long
commitment to respond to their needs through programs of community service, advocacy, and justice education.
QUALITY EDUCATION
The Lasallian school provides an education that prepares students not only to contribute to society but to transform it. It
calls all to use their knowledge and talents to critically examine and engage the world in light of the message of the
Gospel.
RESPECT FOR ALL PERSONS
The Lasallian school engages its members in a concerted effort to respect the dignity of all persons. It calls all to respect-
filled relationships as the heart of Lasallian education and a key expression of their identity as children of God.
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
The Lasallian school is a united community where diversity is respected and no one is left out or left behind. It calls all to
recognize and embrace one another's unique stories and qualities as unique and sacred features of the Body of Christ on
earth.
Core Principles
All the Five Principles are interconnected and not one is more relevant than the other. Faith in God’s presence leads to
the belief that God is present in our very own person as His image and likeness. The belief in God’s presence in each
person leads us to respect one another.
Out of respect for each other, we neither discriminate nor exclude anyone but rather include them in our families and
communities. Our respect for God and our own humanity requires us to better ourselves through quality education.
Faith in God’s presence, respect for our humanity, inclusion & quality education leads us towards a concern for the poor
& social justice—a commitment in building God’s Kingdom here on earth. This is how we feel God’s presence on our
lives, that is, through others in community.
The Core Values of De La Salle schools (FSC)
The five principles are animated through experiences and actions that express the core values of Faith, Service, and
Communion. This summarizes the true Lasallian Spirituality – the deepest values and meaning by which De La Salle lives
The preamble of the Foundational Principles of Lasallian Formation articulates the core values of Lasallian Identity.
the spirit of faith,
zeal for service, and
communion in mission.
Taken as one spirit, the spirit of faith, zeal and communion provide a paradigm for living the Lasallian story today.
1. The Spirit of Faith
The Spirit of Faith flows from a relationship of communion with the Triune God who wills to save all people by drawing
them into a life-giving communion with him and with one another in the Lasallian tradition. The Spirit of faith is the spirit
that allows one to:
Discover God’s active presence in His Word, in men and women, in the poor, in nature, in history and in
ourselves.
Look and evaluate things in the light of the Gospel
Search for God’s will in order to carry out His saving plan
Unite one’s action to the ongoing saving action of God in the world, and
Trust in God’s loving presence and providence in our every action.
“The Spirit of faith invites us to look at life, events, history, as places where God is made manifest. Here we are speaking
of looking at everything in the light of faith or in the light of God, and to discover Him present in his Word, in men and
women, in the poor, in nature, in history, and in ourselves. “ -Br. Alvaro Rodriguez Echevarria FSC, the Superior General
(July 2002)
The Spirit of faith involves always trusting God, abandoning myself into his hands. And I can do it because the Lord is
always there, in my inner being. Therefore, De La Salle always insisted on the presence of God and I can do this, because
the Lord is not only there, but he also leads me in my own history and in the history of humankind. This is one of the
principal Lasallian ideas: God seeks us first, before we seek Him; God is already present, God guides us. It is up to us to
open ourselves to Him, recognizing Him by faith.” (Br. Alvaro Rodriguez Echevarria FSC)
2. Zeal/Service for the Integral Salvation of All
Zeal is the active expression of faith in gospel witness and service. It is oriented towards the integral salvation of persons,
particularly the poor and the excluded.
Zeal is the enthusiastic and total gift of self for the sake of the mission expressed in such qualities as gratuity and
generosity, creativity and fortitude. It involves a preferential concern for the poor and the vulnerable. The desire to be of
greater service to others conditions the quest for excellence and continuous self-improvement
3. Communion in Mission, Mission as Communion
Communion recalls the dynamic of association by which the first Brothers bonded together for the sake of the particular
mission entrusted to them by God. It has four dimensions:
As a relationship with God, it is the source of all mission and ministry;
as a way of accomplishing mission, it suggests the solidarity and collaboration that comes from sharing in one
vision, one spirit and one mission;
as a way of relating to others, it suggests openness to all persons and the desire to be brother or sister to all
especially those in need;
as a goal of mission, it suggests the unity that comes through reconciliation between God, human beings and
creation.
Spirituality as seen in the life events of De La Salle
JBDLS could choose to ignore the man or pass him off with some appropriate words of advice
and a kind smile. But he doesn’t. Instead, he pays attention to how God might be
working through this stranger & responds as generously as his breeding, his disposition,
& his faith would allow him to do, little knowing what it would all lead to.
Winter of 1683-1684:
JBDLS used the bulk of his family inheritance to feed the poor. He gave away his entire
fortune and kept just enough not to be burden on the Brothers when it came to his priestly
responsibilities. Thus he quickly and irrevocably joined his Brothers in real poverty. Now,
they would all be fully dependent on God alone.
Out of charity and necessity he began to become more involved with the teachers. Gradually,
and without really being aware of it, he found himself becoming drawn into a very different
world, the world of the poor—a world of disadvantaged students, uncultured teachers,
and parents chronically oppressed by poverty.
In addition to helping the Brothers where he could, even doing classroom teaching at the school in Grenoble, he spent a
good deal of personal time in retreat at monasteries
Module3 Topic1: FAITH
Moses is best known from the story in the biblical Book of Exodus and Quran as the lawgiver who met God face-to-face
on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments after leading his people, the Hebrews, out of bondage in Egypt and to
the "promised land" of Canaan..
The Plagues of Egypt
Plague is defined as widespread affliction, calamity or destructive invasion seen as divine punishment. In the eyes of the
Israelites, the occurrence of the Ten Plagues is a strong demonstration of God’s power and designed to persuade
Pharaoh to let God’s people go.
The Ten Plagues are:
1st: water to blood 6th: boils
2nd: frogs 7th: hail
3rd: gnats/lice 8th: locusts
4th: flies 9th: darkness
5th: pestilence on livestock 10th: death of the first-born
The first nine plagues occurred in nature. What does this mean? If God can cause things to happen in nature, then He
has control of them. And having control over nature means God has power over them. The tenth plague shows God has
power even over life, therefore, is indeed their creator. It shows that God is Almighty, the one who has power over all
things.
The Exodus event, particularly Israel’s freedom from bondage and departure from Egypt is the first & most significant
mighty act of God for His chosen people. And because of this, Israel felt God’s presence working in their lives. They
started seeing everything with the eyes of faith.
This story, the story of God’s mighty acts were told & retold from one generation to the next through oral tradition until
someone was inspired to write them down so our generation may see this wondrous work of God.
Today, the Ten Plagues take a different meaning to us. As it continues to reveal God’s mighty power over nature and life,
it also reflects God’s loving mercy as we are asked to turn our hearts toward the millions of people around the world
suffering today’s plagues of hatred, prejudice, baseless violence, sickness and war. We are asked to do something small
and personal.
BLOOD We comfort and mourn those whose blood has been spilled.
FROGS We protest the proliferation of violence.
GNATS We stop infestations of hatred and fear.
ANIMALS We appeal to all people to act with humanity.
PESTILENCE We overcome the sickness of racism and prejudice.
BOILS We attend to those who suffer from diseases
HAIL We help respond to storms and disasters that claim lives.
LOCUSTS We fill the air with voices for change.
DARKNESS We bring light to those who live in the shadows.
DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN We inspire the next generation to carry on the struggle for a better world.
SJBDLS's Faith Reflections
John Baptist de La Salle strongly believes that God is always present in his life. Hence, he always trusts in his Providence.
The following events in the life of the founder show his enduring faith in God.
1. Near-Death Experience
Returning from the country in the winter, he was caught by nightfall. As there had been a heavy snowfall he lost the
path and fell into a deep trench. He was able to save himself only by great effort and only at the cost of injury to
himself.
After recovering from the shock of this accident he reflected in the protection of God had afforded him in this danger
and on his mercy in having preserved his life. He was so penetrated with this thought that he could never speak of this
event except with lively sentiments of appreciation and thanksgiving.
2. Many Teachers deserted him after training them to be Religious Educators.
“They found the spiritual exercises too boring, their food too simple and their freedom limited. They abandoned the
resolution they had taken of consecrating themselves in the teaching of the youth. But he did not abandon his work”
God’s providence was striking because soon men of better quality took their places and became successful under John’s
training.
3. The Restlessness of his teachers and worrying about the future
Since they had embraced a lowly profession, they worried occasionally about their prospects. They thought of what
their situation would be should de la Salle ever fail them. They were unhappy at the prospect of devoting the days of
their youth and strength in the service of others without any assurance that when age or sickness made it impossible to
carry on, there would be anyone to take care of them.”
De La Salle’s Response: Men of little faith,” Do you insist on putting limits to the Providence of God? Do you not know
that there are no limits to his goodness?” If He has care of the grass of the field, as He Himself says, and takes care of the
birds and other animals so that they need neither nor barns nor houses, how much more will He take care of you who
are devoted entirely to His service. Therefore, do not be troubled about the future, for God knows your needs and will
not fail you, only provided you remain faithful in your service to him’. But his teachers replied, “It is easy for you to speak
to us,” You have everything; you have money, you still have your canonry, all these things will save you if the schools
should fail.”
What did De la Salle do? John began to see that he must identify with his teachers, so in the year 1684, John Baptist
gave all his money to the poor that he might be poor in spirit like his followers. He gave up his fortune and dedicated
himself to education.
But God continued to guide them because two years of famine had gone by and while a number of other people suffered
the lack the necessities of life, his community, though without income nor money, had always been provided for by the
hand of their heavenly Father.
4. Heroic Vow (Nov 21, 1691 –Vaugirard)
As we have discussed in Module 1, the Heroic Vow was a promise to maintain the existence of the Society of the
Christian Schools “even if there remained only 3 of us in the said society, and we were obliged to beg and live on bread
and water alone”. And this was entered into by John Baptist de La Salle, Gabriel Drolin, and Nicolas Vuyart. As the other
later on vanished and betrayed the vow, God has continued to direct association into what it is right now.
Dimensions of Faith
Webster’s New World dictionary uses words such as: “confidence, belief, to be convinced of, reliance or complete trust.
The Greek word often used in the New Testament is pistis, which Strong’s Biblical Dictionary defines as: “persuasion,
giving credence to someone, moral conviction of religious truth.”
FAITH means- belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction, faithfulness. Faith is confidence in what we hope for
and the assurance that God is working, even though we cannot see it. Faith knows that no matter what the situation, in
our lives or someone else's that the lord is working in it.
In one of his morning masses, Pope Francis said “No one deserves faith and no one can buy it; faith is a gift that changes
one's life and allows people to recognize Jesus as the son of God with the power to forgive sins.
Faith touches every part of our being. It touches our mind, our heart and out body.
These are the Three Dimensions of Faith.
MIND/HEAD. Although faith means believing even without seeing, it also asks us to know what our faith is all about. It
requires us to listen, learn and discern. A true faith is an informed faith. And the basic of all is the Word of God through
the Holy Bible. Take time to open the Scripture and reflect on the stories and verses. Attend bible groups or studies.
Listen to the readings and homily during your Sunday mass or service. And be grateful that as a student of De La Salle,
you are given the opportunity to learn through your religious education classes.
This dimension is about believing or paniniwala. It allows you to get a grasp about the truth and thereby build your
personal conviction based on the truth. This dimension is also called CREED, meaning what we believe in. For Catholics,
this is expressed through the Apostle’s Creed which is recited regularly in the Holy Mass.
HEART. In every heart of a person lies the innate voice that tells us there is someone greater, someone more powerful
and at the same time so loving, compassionate and merciful whom we call God. That is why it is the deepest desire for
each one to build a personal relationship with Him. This dimension asks us to kneel and recognize His greatness and pray
that His loving mercy will continue to guide us in our daily to day life.
This dimension is all about trusting and entrusting. We call it pagtitiwala. The same way you entrust your well-being to
a doctor during an appointment, trusting him completely that he will give you the correct medicine; or probably trusting
your hairdresser or barber that you will leave the salon tidy and with beautiful hair; or every time you ride the bus or
jeepney, you entrust yourself completely to the driver.
For some, this dimension is called the persistent or tenacious faith. The faith that makes us cling to God and know that
God is always with us. the current generation is used to instant things — instant coffee, instant food, instant gratification,
etc. When you pray to God about something, indeed it can manifest instantly, but it can also take time — which requires
the believer to be persistent and continue to believe that God will provide. This is where our constant communication to
God will come in.
This dimension, which is also called CULT, is expressed through prayers, worship and through living the Sacraments.
HANDS AND FEET. According to James 2:26, “Faith without works is dead”. This particular verse affirms that actions are
the byproduct of a living faith. Works do not justify us or make us righteous before God, but rather, our deeds are the
fruit that grows from one who is obedient to God’s commands and transformed by His grace.
Let us look at the reflection of a track and field athlete entitled No One Else Can Run for You.
In high school, I ran in the 4x4 relay event. I was the second leg, and I remember practicing with my dad on the track field
on the weekends that I didn't have practice. He taught me that my leg on the relay team was important in every race. I
had to catch the baton being handed to me, run with all my heart, and then hand it off to the next leg in front of me. The
first leg on my team could not do my part, and neither could the third leg. For a stretch of 100 meters, that baton was in
my hands only.
This is how faith operates. All of us who are chosen by God are called to a relay race of faith. Whatever leg you are
assigned, that is what you must run. God gives all of us assignments here on this earth, and it takes faith in Christ Jesus
to accomplish it! What you have been called to do, I could never do.
This is why no one should ever be jealous of anyone else's talents, gifts, anointing, and assignments. We all have a part in
the grand picture of faith. We are each a part of the one body. By faithfully running my 100 meters, someone else will be
able to catch their baton and run their 100 meters. We all advance the kingdom of God. when we do our part.
This dimension, which is also called CODE or pagtataya, requires us to stand up in active obedience to God’s
commandments and Will. It requires commitment to the commandments and draw meaning to the Beatitudes. It is
expressed to service to others, the way John Baptist De La Salle did.
Stages of Faith Development
We have a tendency to think that faith is faith. But we all recognize that faith grows and changes with time. What if faith
evolved over specifically definable stages? What stage of faith would you be in? What stage of faith are you called to be
moving toward?
In 1981 James Fowler, a professor of theology and human development at Emory University, identified six "stages" or
types of faith which tend, as a general rule, to emerge as individuals grow and mature. Fowler explained his stages of
faith in two books, Stages of Faith (1981) and Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian (1984).
As we go through each stage, see if you can’t identify friends and family that match each stage and try to see or even
guess where you might be.
Stage One–Intuitive-Projective Faith: This is the faith of toddlerhood and early childhood (about 0-3). This is the time
when one first starts hearing and exhibiting some basic understanding of the nature of one’s parents search for meaning,
significance and purpose. For instance, in religious households, children start recognizing there is some significance to
words like, “God”, or “Jesus” or “Church” even though these words still have little practical meaning to the child. At this
stage, the child intuits what these words mean from his parent’s example, and projects his relationship with his mom and
dad onto the faith object (i.e., “God”, “Jesus”, “church”, etc). In other words, whatever he feels toward mom and dad, he
will feel toward these faith objects. Secure bonding between parents and children is especially important at this stage
as the attachment style the child has serves as an early catechism. for feelings toward and about God and faith.
Stage Two–Mythic-Literal Faith: This the faith of early childhood into middle childhood. This is the time when the child
learns the meaning-making stories of his parent’s faith-belief system; bible stories, saint stories, morality stories, etc.
These stories communicate meaning and significant truths in a simple manner even children can understand as they tend
to have emotional resonance. At this stage, children tend to believe these stories are literally true. Any lessons or
deeper meaning to be taken from these stories tends to be seen as a distant second. The stories are important simply
because they are “our stories.” These stories will need to be internalized by the child before he is able to play with and
reflect on the different levels of meaning that can be transmitted by faith-stories. This stage can often be accompanied
by a tribalism that, on the positive side, gives the child a sense of belonging, but on the negative side can create
suspicion toward people who are different.
Even though this stage is common to early childhood, many people stay at this stage for life. At best, in adulthood, this
stage reflects a simple piety with a humble, dutiful attitude toward faith leaders and moral norms. At worst, in
adulthood, this stage reflects an angry kind of us-vs-them fundamentalism that persecutes those who dare to think
differently.
Stage Three–Synthetic-Conventional Faith: This stage of faith first comes online in adolescence. This is the time when
the person tends to see faith in terms of its ability to facilitate easy social relationships. Having internalized the faith-
stories he learned in stage 2, the person begins reflecting on how faith orders and impacts his relationships with others.
At this stage, much of a person’s faith journey is expressed in the search for a supportive community of people who can
make that person feel welcomed and affirmed. The person at the Synthetic-Conventional stage tends to tacitly accept
many of the teachings of his faith community without having really reflected deeply on them. Because these truth-
claims aren’t deeply understood, problems can enter in if these teachings negatively affect the person’s relationships or
feel, somehow, unwelcoming. Doctrines that seem “mean” or “too hard” are either quietly laid aside or outright rejected
for the sake of social convention.
Many people stay at this stage for life. Moving through this stage tends to require a welcoming social group that
supports the beliefs and practices of the particular faith group. Alternatively, if the person’s social group is hostile to the
beliefs of that person’s faith-group, the person may either encounter a serious crisis where they abandon their faith, or
their faith development will become stuck in a state of perpetual, enmeshed, rebellion where they can’t leave (because
of the relationships they have formed within the group) but they can’t accommodate to the doctrines (because those
doctrines complicate their relationships).
Stage Four–Individuative-Reflective Faith: This is typically the faith stage of early to middle adulthood. At this stage,
the person begins reflecting more seriously and critically on the faith stories he learned in his youth. This person is
prompted to ask hard questions about why certain things are true, in what contexts they are true and what levels of
truth these stories convey. At best, this stage allows for tremendous growth in understanding and wisdom of one’s faith
traditions. This can also be a time where a person becomes more suspicious of “easy answers” and tends to look down
his nose at people who seem just a little too sure of themselves (especially the Stage 2 people he knows). This stage is
very susceptible to a kind-of syncretistic faith where everything is true and the only thing that matters is that whatever
you believe brings meaning to your life.
People at this stage can tend to become fairly pleased with themselves for having had the courage to ask hard questions
about their beliefs and other’s beliefs as well. They often believe that this stage is the pinnacle of faith development
when, in fact, it is merely the gateway to a mature faith. Many people stay at this stage for life, becoming perpetual
questioners/seekers. Others, who have a more successful experience in this stage, use their experiences to come to a
new level of maturity and understanding about the different levels their faith and their faith traditions operate on,
leading to the beginnings of an individual, reflective, personally meaningful and coherent belief system.
Stage Five–Conjunctive Faith: This stage is usually consistent with middle-to-late adulthood, though, depending upon
how intentional one has been about one’s faith life, one can come into it much earlier, much later, or never. Conjunctive
faith is characterized by three things: First, a certainty about one’s own beliefs. Second, a willingness to experience a
“willed naivete” (i.e., a willed humility and acceptance) about certain beliefs or practices one used to reject or look down
upon. Third, a willingness to be generous toward others’(potentially) contradictory beliefs without lapsing into
syncretism. At the conjunctive stage, one tends to look for the deeper truths that connect more superficially polarized
concepts. For instance, the person at the conjunctive stage has learned to do a good job of being both just and merciful–
and thus truly pastoral–in his dealings with others. Or, for another example, the person at the conjunctive stage may
have had to work very hard to understand that the “angry, warrior-God” of the Old Testament is really the same as the
“loving, good shepherd God” in the New Testament (be careful, though, these are just illustrations, not “tests” of being in
this stage).
At the conjunctive stage, the person may tend to re-examine certain beliefs or faith practices that he formerly rejected or
looked down upon. The character of this stage of faith journey is the quest for a wholistic faith that makes connections
between disparate concepts without fudging the truth. Being in the conjunctive stage is a bit like being the parent who,
having built a bicycle for his child, decides to go back and figure out what to do with all the pieces that were left over
(even though the bike still seems to work well-enough as-is). This is what most would consider mature faith.
Stage Six–Universalizing Faith: If Conjunctive Faith is mature faith, Universalizing Faith is saintly faith. At all the
previous stages, the person is more of a student of his faith. At this stage, the person tends to be seen as an exemplar
of his faith. Regardless of the particular faith tradition that might be represented, this stage is characterized by a
certainty of one’s own beliefs, a generous openness to the journey others are on, a sincere compassion for one’s fellow
man, kindness, and the ability to be genuinely present, that is, to make the people they are with feel a sense of
significance and sacredness just by keeping company with them.
Regarding this last quality, I think of the stories I have heard from people who were in Pope St. John Paul the Great’s
presence who said that even if there were 100,000 people around them, for the moment they were with him, they felt
like they were the only person in the world who mattered. Obviously, achieving this stage of faith is very rare but it is
observable. If you think of the handful of people who you might consider to be truly holy, who are known for both their
strength of faith and their genuine openness of heart, you will have a good sense of what I mean.
These stages are still somewhat controversial as they have proven to be hard to validate empirically. Nevertheless, they
represent the best attempt, to date, to articulate a coherent vision of what faith is and how it evolves. So back to the
original question. What stage are you at? And what do you need to do to grow your faith from the point you are at to
the point you are called to be?
