We are students from University of Santo Tomas and we would like to share to all of you or reflection related to the life of St. Dominic de Guzman. The 10 lessons that we've learned from the movie. :)
1HST
Group 6
Reza Farinas
Alan Arriola
Quina Ignacio
Harley Samonte
Rizelle Religioso
Group Reflection on the film “St. Dominic: Light of the Church” The film is about a man, used by God to help and serve people especially those who are hungry and extremely affected by the war between Christians and Moors. Throughout his inspiring experiences and trials, there are lessons that give us enlightenment and a much wider perspective on how to be a good servant not only to others but also to God. First of these lessons is love. Dominic shows that everybody must show love and compassion to others. St. Dominic shows that aside from loving yourself, you should also love others. St. Dominic shows his love not only to his family and friends, but also to the strangers especially to those who can’t afford to buy food. Second, St. Dominic’s humbleness. He is very humble that even if he did a very small or simple mistake, he asks forgiveness to the person that he made mistake to. Even if he becomes a priest on the latter part of the film, he keeps his feet on the ground, showing that he is not unique to everyone and still a humble servant to his church and to good Lord himself. Third, St. Dominic thought us is his selflessness. He doesn’t care anymore to himself, and help all the people who need to be fed and preach to give them enlightenment. He shows that man should help one another especially in the times that we need to help and comfort each other. He even gave his rosary, which is given by his uncle, to a boy when he is travelling with other preachers and priests. And the root of his selflessness can be found in one verse in the book of Matthew, stating “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do unto me”. Fourth it is how St. Dominic shows his merciful side to all those people who need help. He is always welcome to help other people and to feed those who are hungry. He even sold one of his important books to help others who need his help. He shows that a man must show mercy to others, just as God is merciful to us. Fifth lesson that captivates viewer’s heart is his hope. His hope for peace depicts that he believe that someday the war will end, and all the people will be safe. He hopes that God will help all the people who are suffering and extremely affected by the war. He hopes that someday, no people will be hungry and thirsty, no people will suffer, and all will experience the Kingdom of God. Sixth point is his eagerness to learn and use the Bible in his everyday struggle in life. Since he was a young boy, he is already aware on how Christian priest or other prominent person in the Catholic Church uses the Bible. He always uses the Bible to find answers in his questions and uses it as an instrument to preach the teachings of the Church to other people. Seventh point is his optimistic attitude. He always believes that everything will be alright. He travels alongside his companions with positive attitude hoping that everything will be alright as long as they have the Bible and god will not let them be harmed by others. Eight point is his ability to influence other people using the word of God. He uses his Bible not only for himself, but also to teach other people the words of God, and the good news that can help all the people to change. He is not just an ordinary priest; he is also a preacher that helps the people to enlighten their spirits and to have a stronger relationship to God. Ninth lesson that we’ve learn from him is respect. He always shows respect to others, men, women, children, especially to his fellow priests. He always gives respect to all people that he encountered throughout his travel. He shows respect not only in action but also the words coming out from his mouth. And last but not the least, the most important lesson that we’ve learned from this film and from St. Dominic is his faithfulness to God. St. Dominic thought us that prayer is the ultimate key to any bad circumstances and that God is always ready to hear our prayers. St. Dominic shows his faithfulness and loyalty to God by preaching to other people His words and by always praying, to ensure that nothing bad will happen to his travels. St. Dominic not only prays for himself, but also for others who really need God’s help because of hunger and struggle for war. He shows his faithfulness to God by using the verse of Matthew, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do unto me”, making this his guide along his preaching and travels.
