The Ethics of St.

Augustine may be biased but it opened a whole lesson for the humans living in the present
to learn what is the truth, how to understand and embrace it. The present generation is often perceived as the
problematic and depressed ones. It is generally true because most of us are becoming more self-centered, focused
on fame, the mainstream, responding to the wrong calls, becoming attached to earthly desires, and more. St.
Augustine pointed out how people respond to calls of flesh and conscience, how people sin and repent repetitively
without changing, and their attitude towards how such a turn of events and problems happen in their lives.
Problems. We often encounter obstacles in our lives that are known to us as problems; we either face it
or run away from it. It is always perceived as a situation that brings a person into uncertainty and suffering. Beyond
this, a problem doesn’t exist just to make it hard for people to survive but it exists because we always have a
lesson to learn. Humans must understand that we face problems because we are destined to learn something out
of our failure or struggle and we encounter them repeatedly because we don’t learn or at times we resist from what
truth it is showing us.
Call of flesh and the call of conscience. At present, when people encounter obstacles they seek for the
fastest route out of it not minding whoever will be affected along the way. However, the thing with people facing
the obstacle always tend to fail on choosing the right action to respond to the situation leaving them hanging on
the verge of harm or worse harming others – responds to the call of flesh or the earthly desires that lead them to
the extremes of the virtues. The people now are way too self-centered when it comes to survival, improvements,
and fulfilling desires in life. Certainly, we must always think thoroughly about we are ought to say and do to carry
out what we needed to accomplish. In addition to this, we must consider others who will be affected in what we
are about to say or do and find a way to let them grow or flourish with us.
Sinning, repenting, and changing. Abusive – an exact word to describe how people take for granted an
innocent and pure gift or offering. People must realize that whatever word or act we drop without sincerity would
not be counted as admission of one’s sin and repentance. We think that if we ask once for forgiveness, it will be
immediately granted and forgotten. Later on, we will only repeat and engage on the wrong deed we had asked
forgiveness for. In this context, people lack sincerity and the heart to persist on changing the way one lives. People
had mistaken repentance for a simple “sorry.” When in fact, repentance is more than just saying sorry. It also
encompasses one’s change and will serve as one’s turning point from what is staining their purity. Repentance
can also happen once, wherein a person first admits and accepts that he had done something wrong, and in turn
asks for forgiveness and promises to change. If ever the same thing happens, it means that the person failed to
repent sincerely and will always be stuck on the verge of repeating the same acts over and over.
The body is bound to die and the soul is bound to live in the City of God. We, as humans, must know
and understand that whatever we desire that will bring harm to oneself or others and will lead to the extremes of
the virtues we must possess are nothing but desires. These are not essential to our lives and to fulfill our purpose
as a human being. By continuing to pursue for this earthly desires, we disregard our true duty as humans to do
good just to be able to acquire what we want; and fail to realize that these are all temporary things that cannot
satisfy the human in them for their entire lives. On the other hand, when one exists to fulfill his or her purpose in
life and possesses the virtues he or she must radiate towards others they do not focus on these desires but mainly
focus on making others feel what happiness goodness brings – a small act of goodness spent for one will become
two and eventually grow until it reaches every person in the world. In this manner, a person who lives a good life
will live a life of happiness and contentment eternally.
Realizations are not meant to be just realized. It must be acted on upon discovery and do something that
will bring out the good person in us. Let us repent sincerely and strengthen ourselves to be able to make a change.
In addition to this, we must first question ourselves before looking at the way others live. We don’t know what
goodness they can offer by just looking at them or judging them by the actions you saw at the moment. Next, the
true religion lies with how the person’s heart responds to the call of conscience and how the person radiates the
goodness one has with others. Lastly, we must stop normalizing immoral acts that overpower the morality of the
people just because it is what the mainstream culture points out. We must always learn to limit ourselves and
avoid getting to the extremities that can harm all of us. And when we realize what we did wrong, we must accept
it, admit it, repent for it, and change.
For all of our confusions, frustrations, and sadness – love will always be the best answer. Love will do us
no wrong and will always lead us to do whatever is good despite the pain or suffering that we feel. Love is the
finest work of art and gift given to us humans.

Manahan, Danica Alyssa E.

BSBA-FM 1-1