ALTHOUGH PRESTIGE is usually seen as an indicator of success in the academe, the archbishop of Manila cautioned against treating ambition as a “hidden master,” saying excellence should not be measured solely by achievements and superiority over others.
During this year’s university-wide retreat, Jose Cardinal Advincula reminded Thomasians to reexamine their ambitions and use them to provide service and show compassion to others.
“Real excellence is excellence in love… It means that in a culture of ruthless ambition and relentless competition, we are called to outdo one another not in prestige but in service, not in self-promotion but in generosity, not in dominance but in love,” Advincula said in his homily on Wednesday, March 4.
Advincula explained that while excellence is a noble pursuit, it can still be tainted by self-referential desires and the urge to assert dominance in a society brimming with competition and superiority.
He added that the pursuit for greatness should not prevent one from showing humility and favoring self-giving over success.
“When ambition turns self-referential, when competition diminishes community, when success is measured only by superiority over others, something essential is lost,” he added.
The prelate linked this to a story in the gospel of Matthew, where Jesus revealed to His disciples the sacrifice he would make while they remained preoccupied with ideas of honor.
Advincula pointed out how ambition, comparison and a quiet tension of competition were present among the disciples, about which Jesus told them: “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant, [and] whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
He also challenged the faithful to emulate the radical fidelity and sacrifice of the Thomasian martyrs of the Spanish Civil War. He said martyrdom is about what ls witnessed in the life and death of a Christian, highlighting that true nobility is measured by the depth of one’s service to others.
“To hold the cross high is to declare by the pattern of our choices that sacrifice is not defeat and service is not weakness. It is to affirm that true greatness is measured not by how much we accumulate, but by how much we offer; not by how many we surpass, but how many we lift up.”
Advincula urged Thomasians to take martyrdom as a vocation, clarifying that it does not literally mean dying for faith, but giving one’s life to Christ by bypassing pride and ambitions and providing service to the community.
“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. We can shed our blood, but we can also shed our selfishness,” he said.
“This is the true witness we are called to, not only in extraordinary moments, but in the quiet rhythm of our studies, our work, our relationships, and our responsibilities.”
The mass formed part of a three-day recollection from March 4 to 6 titled “ALAB 2026: Pananampalataya, Pag-asa, Pag-ibig” held at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. F – Marcus Roshaun Holman
