‘Maganda’ in the Fifth Argument of Quinque Viae of St. Thomas Aquinas

God created everything as “maganda.” However, human interference with creation has led to its degradation. In the fifth argument of the Quinque Viae, Saint Thomas Aquinas introduced the idea that the universe was created with order and purpose, or simply “very good” (Genesis 1:31), governed by a wise Sustainer. Dr. Jose de Mesa argued that “The universe created by God is “maganda” [in Hebrew, tôb; in English, beautiful], and humanity is “magandang-maganda” [very beautiful] because they reflect the graciousness of the Creator.” Yet, in the present time, can we still perceive the will of the Creator in how humanity interacts with and manages the beauty of creation? This paper will utilize the concept of cultural contextualization of the “mabathalang atas” [divine mandate] (Genesis 1:26, 28) using the Suri-Nilay-Kilos [See-Discern-Act] approach. This reflection seeks to demonstrate that the Filipino concept of maganda [understood as ethical beauty] corresponds to the form of governance implied in the quinta via of the Quinque Viae. It further aims to inspire a deeper commitment to the care and preservation of the ganda (beauty and goodness) of creation, grounded in the kagandahang-loob [gracious will; love] of the Creator.