The Story of St. John Baptist De La Salle (From a short film Who Are My Own?)

As I entered in my new endeavor as a Graduate student, there are different thoughts that came into my mind. Aside from familiarizing the buildings and offices of the university, I found it interesting to know as well where the name of the university came from. What I only knew was that the university was named after St. John Baptist de La Salle who was apparently a priest, that's it! After watching the film, I was enlightened and was inspired with St. John Baptist de La Salle. More so, I appreciate better the DLSU as my chosen university.

St. John Baptist de La Salle is known as Patron Saint of Teachers. He was born on April 30, 1651 to Louis de La Salle, who was then a city magistrate of Reims and to Nicole Moet, who was a daughter of minor nobility. He was actually the eldest among the eleven children. His family's position in life was considered fortunate. He was able to study at College des Bons Enfants. After completing his degree in Master of Arts, he was sent to Paris to enroll in the Seminary of Saint Sulpice. At that time, crisis occurred and education has little opportunity for the poor people. He lived in time wherein there was a great disparity between the rich and the poor.

The film "Who are my Own?" is so old. At first, I wondered why it was titled that way. Then, as I watched the film, my question has been answered. There was a part in the film wherein St. La Salle met Andrei in the middle of a riot. As he tried to calm down the people, Andrei approached him defensively, stole his cross and run. As he tried to look for Andrei, he was able to get into a dim and creepy place. He met a family who never seem to like his presence except for Nervada, the old woman's daughter. In the middle of the conversation, the old woman said "Don’t let him takes a pleasure here, He can always find with his own kind" then St. La Salle replied, "My own?, I wonder who they are". 

In the film, I have observed that St. La Salle possesses very strong and genuine words. I saw how he took a great risk just to establish a Christian school for children. He never got scared that he will lose everything. Almost all the teachers whom he recruited quit after he gave the bread to the poor which were supposed to be to them. I felt his struggle especially when he travelled with no food at all and he tried to knock to any household to ask for a piece of bread. The part which I like the most was when Andrei went to his office and offer himself to St. La Salle to become a teacher even without a piece of bread. That part shows that even a hard heart can be soften, if God wills it. 

His passion to help his community especially the less fortunate astonished me knowing that he belongs to a good family and he never experience the same thing which poor children experienced yet he felt the agony of the people. Thus, he reached out to those who were in need and live as if he was one of them.