MODULE 1: THE HCDC VISION-MISSION STATEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY

LESSON 2 – THE HCDC VISION-MISSION GOAL

STATEMENT
I – Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the students shall:
discuss the HCDC VMG Statement and its Core Values
Recite HCDC VMG Statement and sing the HCDC Hymn
explain the Catholic identity of HCDC in its formation program in Religious Education
design a 4-year doable action plan on how to live the core Values of HCDC.

II – Instructional Sequence

Share (Activity)

1. Video Clip: Nick VuJicic Motivational Video – “Never Give Up” (8:04 min.)
2. From the Video Answer the following:
a. What does the video tell you about?
b. How do you apply the message of the video to your life?

Heed (Individual Ponderings/Group

Sharing)

What is your greatest dream in life? Why?

How will you fulfill your greatest dream?
Who are involved to realize your greatest dream?
Are there foreseen difficulties or conflicts that may come along the way of realizing your dream?

Vision-Mission Statement in General: Meaning

A Vision-Mission Statement is all about ideals and commitment. It is a blueprint declaration of the ideals,
commitment and goals of an individual, community or institution based on a reality. It is a guide for day-to-
day operations and the foundation for strategic planning and future decision making. It serves as the life-
blood, energy or force that makes all members in a system alive and actively participates in all tasks in the
achievement of the life’s purpose of community, institution or society.

Four Aspects of a Vision-Mission Statement: The Southeast Asian Interdisciplinary Development Institute-
Organizational Planning System (SAIDI-OPS) lays out the four aspects of a Mission Statement namely:

Vision is defined as the ideal situation or the desired future condition. This refers to the dream, aspiration or
ideal that gives an individual, movement, or an organization a reason to live or a reason for being (raison
d’etre). A Vision is a positive articulation of the desired future condition. It serves as guiding star or
direction of an individual, movement or organization. It necessitates a lifetime process of achieving.
Moreover, it may not even be attained in a life time. It is expressed in a noun phrase.

Mission refers to the commitment that is a personal investment that would continuously challenge the
individual, movement, or an organization to achieve the vision. This commitment may be in the form of
beliefs, values, conviction, principles, or virtues. It is expressed in an infinitive phrase.

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Goal spells out the thrust which the individual, movement, or organization takes in order to respond to the
needs in solution to the problems. It is a change that an organization, movement, or individual introduces
into itself to respond to the needs and thereby realizes the vision. The Goal is characterized as time
bounded, changeable and abstract but less abstract than vision and mission. and It is expressed in an
infinitive phrase.

Objectives refer to the target accomplishment to achieve the goal. They are goals in operation. In other
words, they translate the goal into operational terms and actions. They are expressed in infinitive phrases.

Characteristics of a Good Mission Statement:

A good mission statement is simply characterized by the following:
A Mission Statement should be no less than a single sentence long.
A Mission Statement should easily be understood by a twelve-year-old.
A Mission Statement can be recited by memory even at gunpoint.

Understand Content Discussion

THE HCDC VISION-MISSION STATEMENT (Short Version)

The Holy Cross of Davao College through the years has wrestled with the changing demands of times and
challenges of quality catholic education. These challenges cannot and should not deter its direction as an
academic institution.

The two Pillars of the HCDC Vision-Mission Statement

HCDC survived with the odds and ordeals for quality Catholic education since its establishment in 1951 (cf.
Students’ Handbook pp.7-9) and had grown into what it is now. The School’s existence is grounded into two
strong pillars, the Mission of Jesus which is Salvation and the Mission of the Church which is also a
proclamation of Salvation to all strata of society. In her essence, HCDC cannot separate itself from the
Mission of Jesus which Salvation that He entrusted to the Church because as a Catholic institution, HCDC is a
potent means of the missionary activity of the Church, the mission of evangelization.

In the year 2012, the HCDC Board of Trustees approved the short version of the Vision-Mission Statement
containing the Vision, Mission, Goal and its Objectives stated as follows:

The Holy Cross of Davao College envisions a fully vibrant community of believers and Christ-
centered evangelizers, educated in the faith, animated by the passion for truth, and engaged
in building a more humane world.

As members of this Filipino archdiocesan educational institution, we commit ourselves

to cultivate high quality Catholic education for all, attentive to the needs of the less
fortunate; nurture a culture of excellence and holiness; and provide a human and Christian
learning environment for the integral liberating formation of persons who will become
effective agents of social transformation.

From faith to truth, we uphold the values of servant leadership, dialogue, justice, peace, and
integrity of creation, with wisdom as the underlying principle.

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HCDC’s Vision: A fully vibrant Community of believers and Christ-Centered Evangelizers

The concept of the community in the Vision of HCDC is strongly grounded on the principle of community
formed by Jesus Christ, the First Christian Community, which the believers of Jesus today considered as the
IDEAL COMMUNITY. The first Christian community lived the true spirit of a community which imbibed the
vision of Jesus as a restoration of the life of the Community of Yahweh in the Old Testament, the “Qahal
Yahweh”, which was made into a holy nation in Mt. Sinai. The experience of the first Christian community is
recorded by the Acts of the Apostles 2:44-47
“Now all the believers lived together and shared all their belongings. They would sell their property and all
they had and distribute the proceeds to others according to their need. Each day they met together in the
temple area; they broke bread in their homes; they shared their food with great joy and simplicity of heart;
they praised God and won the people’s favor.”

The spirit of this community formed by Jesus must be the guiding star of HCDC’s journey as a catholic
institution whose main commitment is to become a potent means of Church’s missionary activity. As Msgr.
Rodulfa stated, as Christ-centered Evangelizers, HCDC community participates in and makes an important
contribution to the Church’s work of Evangelization.

HCDC’s Mission

HCDC’s great commitment centered mainly on two aspects:

to cultivate high quality Catholic education for all, attentive to the needs of the less fortunate;

Catholic means universal, and education means the process facilitating learning. This implies that the
school’s commitment is intended for genuine development of the whole person with special attention to the
weakest and the less fortunate. This quality Catholic Education is to serve what is best for students in terms
of spiritual, intellectual, emotional, moral, cultural, social and physical formation (Rodulfa, 2013, pp.8-12).

nurture a culture of excellence and holiness and provide a human and Christian learning environment

The HCDC’s commitment to create a Christian Environment is heeding a Gospel command which makes
HCDC not only a social institution but a theologically founded one (Rodulfa,2013. p.14). Nurture a culture of
excellence and holiness in the spirit of respect and harmony is vital in transforming society to become more
humane and peace-loving where everyone can breathe a freely a Christian life-giving spirit.

HCDC’s Core Values

From that Vision and mission, HCDC upholds to the Core values on: Servant Leadership, dialogue, justice,
peace and integrity of creation.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP Holy Crossian’s greatest responsibility is to be a servant-leader, a disciple of Jesus

Christ.

DIALOGUE Holy Crossian’s greatest consciousness to dialogue with respect and harmony

JUSTICE Holy Crossian’s greatest consciousness is always to be just and agent of justice in
stewardship

PEACE Holy Crossian’s greatest inspiration is Peace, the person Jesus Christ, “Christ is our

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 Peace.”

SERVICE Holy Crossian’s greatest commitment to serve God in Jesus Christ

Institutional Intended Learning Outcomes

In our commitment to the “integral formation of persons who will be effective agents of social
transformation,” we intended to graduates who are God-fearing, globally competitive and equipped with
the 21st –century skills, namely, Life and Career, Learning and Innovation (4Cs), Information, Media and
Technology skills.

Hence, HCDC graduate is:

A “CROSSIAN CRITICAL THINKER”: one who insightfully discerns complex realities, accurately evaluates
evidences, interpreting them truthfully based on moral standards, and comprehensively seeks out both
conventional and innovative ways to solve a variety of non-familiar problems.

A “CROSSIAN INNOVATOR”: one who is aware of his own creativity and how it can contribute to the
community, maximizes creative efforts using a wide variety of techniques and approaches and is responsive
to constructive feedback with eagerness to learn from mistakes.

A “CROSSIAN INFOTECH SAVVY”: one who competently gathers and organizes information, critically
analyzes and evaluates them based on established moral criteria, and efficiently and effectively applies
them, thereby providing appropriate solutions to various needs.

A “CHRISTIAN ‘KENOSIS’ (selfless person)”: one who embraces with conviction the Christ-like character of
emptying one’s self in order to obediently follow the will of God (Maka-Diyos), to humbly seek the welfare
of others (Maka-Tao), to justly advance the interest of one’s country (Maka-Bayan) and to diligently take
care of creation (Maka-Kalikasan).

A “CROSSIAN TEAM PLAYER”: one who consistently commits to personal and shared responsibilities,
constructively contributes ideas and resources to improve team efforts, generously assists others in their
roles, and harmoniously works with people with different viewpoints.

A “CROSSIAN EVANGELIZER”: one who listens reflectively, articulates thoughts and ideas effectively through
appropriate media and techniques, and communicates efficiently truths and values that are inspired by the
Gospel.

THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE HCDC-VMG

True to its Vision-Mission Statement, the Holy Cross of Davao College sees to it that it aligns itself to the
evangelizing mission of the Church, the proclamation of the Good News of Salvation through its priority
program as a Catholic institution. Like any other Catholic academic institution, HCDC upholds Religious
Education as core subject in the college curriculum.

Religious Education

Religious Education is understood as catechesis in the school setting. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
defines catechesis as “an education in faith” of children, young people and adults (CCC 5). Without doubt
the Religious Education in HCDC is a formal education in the Christian Faith in the School setting. It is by

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nature a formation program of the catholic institution. It aims at bringing the believer into a personal
encounter with the person of Jesus Christ (CT no. 5), the heart of Catholic Education.

In HCDC, Religious Education is both a program and a course in the College Curriculum.
As a school program, Religious Education stands as the bearer of the Catholic identity of HCDC and allows
the school to fulfill the Church’s mission of integral evangelization with preferential option for the poor.
(Student Handbook p.22) The Religious Education Program is in communion with other entities of the
institution like, Campus Ministry and Community Extension Service to complete the three dimensions of
faith life for the Christian formation of the young. Msgr. Julius Rodulfa (2012) classified these entities under
the Office of Integral Evangelization (OIE) (Integral Evangelization booklet p.3-6). The Program always
discerns how to know the faith, how to experience the faith and how to share the faith of the young people
to become informed, formed and transformed into a Christ centered evangelizers who are always shaping
their lives into integration of Gospel values to their daily life for transformation and renewal within the
community of believers.

As a course in the tertiary curriculum, Religious Education is regarded as General Education Course (GEC) as
institutional requirement. In execution of the Catholic Church’s mandate urging the Catholic schools fulfill its
role as means of evangelization. It is treated as the core subject of the curriculum in the Catholic School as
PCP II decrees, “Religious Education as the core subject of the curriculum” in the Catholic academic
institution (no. 369). It is designed according to the mind and principles of the Church that are founded on
the Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Thus it is intended for the total
formation and personal development of a true Christian faithful as it molds him/her into person, who knows
the faith, lives the faith and professes the faith within the communion of the Church and society.

Following the CCC, the ReEd courses are offered in the curriculum as essential element to Christian
Formation Program, as follows:

Course Course Title

Number

ReEd 101 Faith and Reason: Discerning God’s Actions in Human History

ReEd 102 God Among Us: Believing the Trinitarian God

ReEd 203 The Catholic Church: Valuing Her Identity and Mission

ReEd 204 Liturgy and Sacraments: Participating in the Divine Life

ReEd 305 Christian Morality: Knowing and Loving God

ReEd 306 Christian Prayer and Vocation: Deepening one’s Intimacy with God

The Catholic Schools and Religious Education

The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education waved the banner of the religious dimension of Education in
a Catholic School by emphasizing that:
“the overall mission of the Church is to evangelize for the interior transformation and the renewal of
humanity. The special character of the Catholic School, and the underlying reason for its existence, the
reason why Catholic parents should prefer it, is precisely the quality of Religious instruction integrated into
the overall education in a catholic School.” (SCCE No. 66)

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It is the identity of the Catholic schools to participate actively in the evangelizing mission of the Church by
integrating religious education as the core subject within their curriculum. The curriculum in Roman Catholic
schools will build on the openness of Catholic schools to young people regardless of denominations and
faiths to become a principled person who will face the challenging social realities of their own times.

Institutional Policies on Religious Education Courses:

All the Academic Program curricula bear the eighteen (18) units requirement of Religious Education subjects
before the student can graduate a four-year course. It is in principle understood that a bona fide student
must enroll and attend one ReEd subject in a semester until 18 units are completed. The Student Handbook
(SH) states that:
As a matter of policy, all students are required to enroll and attend . . . Religious Instruction. (SH p.39)

Reinforcement on Policies for Admission:

Every student is advised to enroll one (1) ReEd Subject in a semester. ReEd 101 and 102 are prerequisites to
all other ReEd subjects. The remaining ReEd subjects i.e., ReEd 203, 204, 305, 206 shall be enrolled in a
sequential order whenever possible.

Any student who wishes to enroll two (2) ReEd subjects in a semester must seek an approval from the ReEd
Program with the recommendation of the academic program head.
Any student who would drop or add a ReEd subject during adding or dropping period must get an approval
from either the ReEd coordinator or the Chaplain
Transferee students from both Catholic and non-Catholic Colleges/Universities shall pass through the ReEd
Office for evaluation of the ReEd courses to be enrolled.

Believe Integration

College Life Project: (Write “a four-year Life Project” and state the reason must you achieve it.)

What do you want to achieve in your four-year stay in HCDC? Why you should do it?
What do you want to achieve? (doable Why must you achieve it?
action)

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Learn to Sing the HCDC Hymn:

Memorize of the HCDC VM Statement

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III- Comprehensive Evaluation

Test l: Matching Type: Match the descriptions in column A with the terms in column B. On your paper, write
only the letter which corresponds to the letter of your answer.
Set A
____ It is the goals in operation Set A
_
It is defined as the ideal situation or the desired future Goals
____ condition.
_ Vision
It spells out the thrust which the organization or movement
Mission
____ takes in order to respond to the needs in solution to the
_ problems. Objectives
It is a blueprint declaration of the ideals, commitment and goals Mission Statement
of an individual, community or institution based on a reality.
____
_ It refers to the commitment that is personal investment that
would continuously challenge each member to achieve the
vision.
____ Set B
_

____ It is the Catechesis in the School Setting Set B

_
Its overall mission is to evangelize for the interior Salvation
____ transformation and the renewal of humanity.
_ Church
It is described as living all things in common in Acts 2:44.
Religious Education
It the original Mission of Jesus when He appeared on earth.
____ Community of Disciples
The commitment of HCDC as academic institution.
_ Quality Catholic Education
____
_

____
_

Test ll : True or False: Read each statement carefully to determine the truth and falsity of the idea expressed
in the statement. On your paper, write + if the idea expressed in the statement is true and if false, write 0.
______ 11. Achieving the mission is a lifetime process
______ 12. Objectives translate the goals in operational terms and actions.
______ 13. Goals are time bounded, changeable and less abstract than vision and mission.
______ 14. HCDC is subservient to the interests of the ruling elite at the service of the business world.
______ 15. Religious education is a formal education in Faith in the school setting with academic elements.
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______16. The vision serves as the lifeblood of the institution especially Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc.
______ 17. Religious Education aims at bringing the catechized into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ,
the heart of Catholic Education.
______18. Catholic schools participate actively in the evangelizing mission of the Church by integrating
religious education as the core subject within their curriculum.
______ 19. The overall mission of the Church is to evangelize for the interior transformation and the
renewal of humanity.
______ 20. HCDC dreams of becoming a global commercial center where everything can be bought by
money and everybody can shop at the top of their satisfaction.

Test III: Identification. Write your answer on the space provided before each item.
_______________________ 21. It is the blueprint declaration of the vision, mission, goals and objectives of
an individual or community or institution.
_______________________ 22. It is defined as a body of people having common organization or interest or
living in the same place under the same laws.
_______________________ 23. The term that refers to the one who insightfully discerns complex realities,
accurately evaluates evidences, interpreting them truthfully based on moral standards, and
comprehensively seeks out both conventional and innovative ways to solve a variety of non-familiar
problems.
_______________________ 24. What waved the banner of the religious dimension of Education in a
Catholic School.
_______________________ 25.It refers to the Holy Crossian’s greatest responsibility to be a servant-leader,
a disciple of Jesus Christ

Test IV: Enumeration: List down what is asked below.

The two pillars of HCDC VM Statement

a. ______________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

The four aspects of a Vision-Mission Statement

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Identify the HCDC core values:

a. __________________________________________________________

b. ___________________________________________________________

c. ___________________________________________________________

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 d. ___________________________________________________________

e. ___________________________________________________________

The six intended learning outcomes of HCDC education

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

IV- Enrichment Exercises

Compose a Song using the texts of the Institutional Intended Learning Outcome.

MODULE 1: THE HCDC VISION-MISSION STATEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY

LESSON 3 – THE HCDC SPIRITUALITY

I – Learning Outcome:

At the end of this lesson, students:

discuss the Spirituality of the Cross as practiced in Stewardship
design a Plan of Action to live by
write a poem for the care of Mother Earth

II – Instructional Sequence

Share (Activity)

Video Clip on ESWM, Water Disaster

Activity: Song Analysis: Song: WHO WILL SPEAK IF WE DON’T

Heed Testimony

Personal Experience: on typhoon Pablo or Vinta, flashfloods, earthquake, fire disaster, war or any man-
made calamity.
What natural calamity or man-made disaster you or your family experienced?
What word captures you wish to describe that experience? Why?

Understand Content Discussion

The Spirituality of a Holy Crossian

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A faithful Christian Catholic always desires transformation. Any spiritual path that does not lead to a real
transformation is useless. At worst, we can fool ourselves into thinking we’re engaged in something deep
when we’re engaged in nothing of substance. A full-blooded Holy Crossian would surely ask, “Am I
transformed?” Surely, cannot fool ourselves the fact, we always search for spirituality that would transform
us.
Spirituality may be understood in different manner but the simplest way to it is to understand it as a way of
life or an engagement with God as God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. It also has to be grounded in a
religious tradition. The term spirituality refers to both a lived experience religious and academic discipline.
For Christians, it means one’s entire life as understood, felt, imagined and decided upon in relationship to
God, self, others and nature in Christ Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit

The Spirituality of the Cross

The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC no. 557-559) taught that the Cross is a symbol of saving love. The
cross is the glory of the Christians not because of the suffering that it brings but because of the Good News
that it exalts. The Cross and the resurrection are paired as one saving event in the life of Christians and it is
the central teaching of Christian doctrine and theology. The Cross of Jesus becomes the saving cross because
of the sacrificial submission to offer His life for the Salvation of all humanity, world and history. This also
serves as the summit of the total life story of Jesus. Thus the way of life of a Holy Crossian is a reflection of
this way of life of Jesus Christ on the Cross who is triumphant over all forms of human evils. Hence the HCDC
community of Christ-centered Evangelizers upholds that the Spirituality of the Cross must always be
concretized in our daily life especially in the task of taking care of the property of God as Jesus did on earth.

The sign of the Cross:

The sign of the crossor in Latin, “signumcrucis”, is the shortest prayer that a Christian does. It is a powerful
sign that marks us as children of God who have thrown off the slavery of Satan and embraced the Cross of
Christ as the way to salvation. The Cross destroyed death and hell, and through it, Jesus redeemed the
world. By make the sign of the cross, we acknowledge that he has redeemed us, and that through baptism
we have become the children of God.
Because the sign of the Cross is the mark of our redemption, Satan hates it. Demons flee from the sign of the
cross when it is devoutly made. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 386), Bishop of Jerusalem, says the following of
this powerful sign:
“Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another hide it, do thou openly seal it
upon thy forehead, that the devils may behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this
sign at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at speaking, at walking: in a word, at every
act.”

In the sermon of St. Theodore, the Studite: Oratio in adorationemcrucis: PG 99, 691-694, 695,698-99., He said:
“By the cross, death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The cross is the glory of all the apostles, the
crown of the martyrs, the sanctification of the saints. By the cross, we put on Christ and cast aside our
former self. By the cross, we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the
sheepfolds of heaven.”

The Spirituality of the Cross is concretized in Stewardship

Stewardship is simply rooted on the truth of Creation with its Biblical basis on Genesis 1:1-2:4a and Genesis
2:1-15. Christianity upheld on the belief that God is the owner of all things that everything is from God and it
belongs to God. GOD is THE CREATOR/TRUE STEWARD, God is the Source of all good things and He
manifests Himself through the goodness of His creation.

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 Human Person: Co-creator, Steward of God’s Creation

God set man and woman over the whole world, and he provided for their well-being and benefits (Genesis
1.28-30). He also made them stewards of his creation. The Spirituality of Stewardship is a faithful adherence
to the understanding that the human person is created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27),
the human person is called to have an INTIMATE relationship with God (Gen. 2:7), and he is called to TILL
and CARE for GOD’S CREATION (Gen. 2:15). The human person is called to be a faithful manager of what
belongs to God and to others. The human person is therefore accountable to God, the owner of all Gifts.

Jesus Christ: The True Steward

However, humans whom God has entrusted to take care of His creation failed to be a faithful manager of
God’s beautiful Creation (Gen. 3:1-24), Jesus committed to take a stand in the presence of His Father, He
modeled to be the true Trustee of God, He made Himself a Steward in His proclamation of the Reign-
Kingdom of God, He defended life, humans, nature, society against all forms of destruction even until death
and Jesus invited us to follow Him (Jn. 21:15-19)

Stewardship as a Spiritual Practice (Gen. 1:28)

Stewardship is simply understood as a way of Life, a call to live a Holy life and a call to become a Mature
Disciple of Jesus. STEWARDSHIP is a Life style that depicts Who and What we are and what we believe. It is
an expression of discipleship with the power to change, understand and live out our lives.

Stewardship as a kind of Spirituality has a purpose of bringing us closer and to a greater awareness of God
and to nurture our relationship with him. It intends for us to cultivate our faith in God, so that we will make
Him as the priority and focus of our lives. As believers of God we have the responsibility to cultivate trust, so
that will submit ourselves to God with confidence that he will always provide for us and take care of us. With
this trust, we then appreciate and be satisfied with all that he gives us, and use God’s gifts for our own
benefit prudently, for the good of others generously, and for God’s glory ultimately. Presented below is a
diagram of Spirituality of Stewardship:

Diagram of STEWARDSHIP

GOD IS THE OWNER OF ALL GOOD THINGS

“Everything is a Gift”

Human Person is. ... *Image & Likeness of God (Gen. 1:26 – 27)
*Intimate with God (breath of God) (Gen. 2:7)
*to till & to care (Gen. 2:15)
*Disciple of Jesus Christ (faith and conversion)
STEWARD * Tend and Feed my sheep (Jn. 21:15-19)
(A faithful manager of what belongs to another, one who is accountable to the owner)

Stewardship
. . .A WAY OF LIFE
. . . A CALL TO A HOLY LIFE
. . . A MATURE DISCIPLESHIP Other concrete
(. . .is a lifestyle that reflects who we are and what we Believe) actions:
Conservation is an expression of discipleship with the power to
Maximum utilization change Co-responsibility
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of resources -is not a noun, Stewardship is an action word Respecting life
how we understand and live out our lives
(human/material) (Concrete Action that is sustainable Fraternal
Budget optimization Simple Lifestyle and workable) correction
 Power to change how we live (paradigm shift)
Expenses Option for simple living Taking and giving Peacemaking
Ecological advocacy Social responsibility
(operational Financial management Segregation
Culture of saving A lifestyle of sharing of time, talent, treasure
definition) Zero Waste Values re-orientation to God’s plan
Energy/Water Wise spending Re-cycling Formed commitment
conservation Sense of contentment Total Waste Conscious decision
Efficient Budget (sapat) Management Prayerful life
utilization Rehabilitation of Nature

Therefore, stewardship is not a noun. This means, it is not just a concept to be thought of but stewardship is
an action word in which it is dead when it is not put into action. It is something that a believer of God has to
live as a lifestyle.

Believe Steward in
Action

Stewardship cannot be seen when it is not acted upon. Since Stewardship is a CALL, it is to be RESPONDED
through the simplest and doable actions in our daily living.

CONSERVATION means maximum utilization of resources both Human and material resources. This would
include budget optimization, minimization of expenses (Living according to Means), wise use of ENERGY –
putting off Lights when not in use and water conservation and many others which avert the truth that
resources are now depleted.

SIMPLE LIFESTYLE means to become contented with the art of living simply and to be content with the basic
needs without any color of complexities and luxuries. This invites everyone to live a life according to our
means with a simple art of financial management (Thrifty) and develop a culture of saving and sense of
contentment.

ECOLOGICAL ADVOCACY means that Holy Crossians are advocates to of the welfare of our one and only
home, the mother earth. Recognizing the great problem faced by the whole world, the Holy Crossians
dreams of a Zero waste environment and targets total waste management. This would mean segregation
from the source and development of 4Rs mentality (Recycle, Re-use, Reduce and Restore).

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE refers to the intentional development of authentic Spiritual life and intimacy with
God. This would include values re–orientation according to God’s plan for us (likeness/ image of God),
following the sense of TAKING and GIVING, developing a lifestyle of sharing of time, talent and treasure,
developing a sense of commitment, consciousness of what is RIGHT and WRONG, developing a hunger for
PRAYER. They are called disciplines because they are to be done consciously and not out of natural intuition,
we need to become conscious in our choice to engage them.

CO-RESPONSIBILITY refers to ongoing realization of the spirit of ecclesial communion that is the
fundamental idea of the Vat. II documents. This will bring us to reality that the HCDC is an institution
dreaming to become a community where there is respect of the life and choices of others, the observance of
fraternal correction for transformation and renewal, thereby bringing others towards the fulfillment of the
Kingdom of God and realizing that we are co-journeyers in the life of faith.

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These are just simple actions that will shape each Holy Crossian to a life pleasing to our God, the Source of
all good things. There are other concerns that will make everyone in the academe great in the spirituality of
stewardship.

Plan of Action for Stewardship

Please fill in the table below by supplying the data in columns 2, 3 and 4 according to your personal capacity.

Column 1: Column 2: Column 3: Column 4:

Doable Areas Personal Stewardship Activity Time Frame Expected Outcome

Conservation

Simple Lifestyle

Ecological Advocacy

Spiritual Discipline

Co-Responsibility

III- Comprehensive Evaluation

Test l: Identification: Write the correct answer on the space provided before each item.
___________ 1. Who is referred to as someone who always desired transformation of life?
___________ 2. What is understood as an engagement with God as God has revealed himself in Jesus
Christ?
___________ 3. What is known as the glory of the Christians not because of the suffering that it brings but
because of the Good News that it exalts.
___________ 4. What is considered as a reflection of the way of life of Jesus Christ on the Cross?
___________ 5. What is taught as the shortest prayer that a Christian can do?
___________ 6. Who said that the demons would flee when a believer prayed the Sign of the Cross
devotedly?
___________ 7. Who taught that by the cross, we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock,
destined for the sheepfolds of heaven.”
___________ 8. Who is believed by the Christians as the owner of all good things in heaven, on earth and
under the earth?
___________ 9. What is considered as a faithful adherence to the understanding that the human person is
created in the image and likeness of God?
__________ 10. Who is called as a faithful manager of what belongs to another, one who is accountable to
the owner?

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__________ 11. What kind of spirituality a Holy Crossian should live in relationship with Self, with others,
with nature and with God?
__________ 12. What is paired as one saving event in the Christian Faith?
__________ 13. Who is believed to be the True Steward who takes a stand on behalf of the Father?
__________ 14. What refers to the intentional development of authentic spiritual life and intimacy with
God?
__________ 15. It means to become contented with the art of living simply and to be content with the basic
needs without a color of complexities and luxuries

Test II: Classification: Classify the following as to what category each phrase belongs. On your paper, write
the letter
only.

______ 16. Segregation

______ 17. wise use of energy Answer’s Pool
______ 18. budget optimization A – Conservation
______ 19. total waste management B – Simple Lifestyle
______ 20. sense of taking and giving C – Co-Responsibility
______ 21. living life according to means
______ 22. maximum utilization of resources
D - Spiritual Discipline
______ 23. observance of fraternal correction E - Ecological Advocacy
______ 24. developing a sense of Commitment
______ 25. simple act of financial management
______ 26. respect the life and choices of others
______ 27. consciousness of what is right and wrong
______ 28. values re–orientation according to God’s plan
______ 29. developing a Culture of saving and sense of contentment.
______ 30. developing a lifestyle of sharing of time, talent and treasure

Enrichment Exercises: Poem Writing for the Mother Earth

Write a 4-stanza poem dedicated to the Mother Earth and the inhabitants of the Earth in a short bond
paper.
Explain the very essence of your poem.

REFERENCES
The Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute - Organizational Planning System (SAIDI – OPS)
Holy Cross of Davao College Student Handbook.(Revised 2016) 7-9
Rodulfa, J. (2013).Catechesis on the Vision-Mission Statement.
Pope John Paul II.(1992).Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fouth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194 ISBN 978-1-57455-110-5,
William Cardinal Baum. (1982).The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education. Rome, Italy. #66
CBCP. (1997).Catechism for Filipino Catholics.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem.(386 A.D.). Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem.
St. Theodore. (826 A.D.). Oratio in adorationemcrucis.
Good News Bible. (1993). Today’s English Version. With Deuterocanonicals.Philippine Bible Society, 890 U.N.
Ave., Manila, Philippines
CBCP. (2007). The New National Catechetical Diectory for the Philippines.#133
Abesamis, C. (1991).Exploring the Core of Biblical Faith
Wilkins, R. (1990). Introducion to the Bible
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Catholic Link Library. Bible’s Periodic Table. http://www.pinterest.com.
Pope Benedict XVI. (2011). Porta Fidei.
St. John Paul II. (1992). Fidei Depositum.#3
Wostyn, L. & de Mesa,J. (2004). Doing Christology.The Re-Appropriation of a Tradition. Claretian
Publications, Quezon Philippines, ISBN 971-0307-20-7 Pgs. 15-22.
McDonagh, S.(2002). The Greening of the Church. Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 10545, ISBN 0-225-66586-7.
Pg. 117.
Good News Bible. (1993). Today’s English Version. With Deuterocanonicals
Congregation of the Clergy.(1997). General Directory for Catechesis.Paulines Publishing House Daughters of
Saint Paul 2650 F.B Harrison Street 1300 Pasay City Phillippines, ISBN 971-590-202-2. # 71

MODULE 2: THE SOURCES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

Lesson 1: The Sacred Scriptures as The Revelation of God

Lesson 2: Bible as a Book
Lesson 3: Bible as Literature

I – Learning Outcome
At the end of this lesson, the students shall:
discuss the essential Catholic teachings about the Sacred Scripture in the life of a believer ;
identify the different books of the bible and how it is organized;
describe the stages of the formation of the bible;
define what is a bible and its importance to the life of Christians;
show how to respect or venerate the bible;
practice how to use the Bible as source of faith through scanning the different books of the Bible;
enthrone the Bible and encounter God in the scripture by following steps of Lectio Divina.

II – Instructional Sequence

Share (Activity)

Bible Enthronement: (the class prepares a special place for the enthronement of the Bible)
Opening Song: Ang Bibliya Silence

Opening Prayer Intercession

Procession of the Bible Closing Prayer

Reading of the Gospel Song: (Your Word is a Lamp to feet and a light unto
my path)

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Bible Scanning: Let the students bring good copy of the Bible (O.T. & N.T.) and group them into five groups
to scan the Bible guided by the following questions:
What are the two major divisions of the Christian Bible?
What is the first Book and what is the last Book in the Bible?
How many books can we find in the Bible both Old and New Testaments?
Which of these books has the least number of chapters? How many verses?
Which of these books has the greatest number of chapters? How many chapters?
What made the difference between the Catholic version and the Protestant version of the Bible?
Does the difference of these versions affect the purpose and the story found in the Bible?

Heed Bible experience

Guide Questions:
When was the last time you had a memorable Bible study or Bible sharing?
Why do you consider it memorable?

The Mystery of Christ is communicated in many different ways. Biblical religion has the Bible as primary
source of God’s communication to humanity to keep the faith alive. The New National Catechetical Directory
for the Philippines (2007) considered life’s realities, Tradition and the Bible as the primary sources of the
Christian Faith (NNCDP no. 133). Vatican Council II considered Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture to form
one sacred deposit of the word of God which is entrusted to the Church (DV 10). As community of Christ
centered evangelizers, we, Holy Crossians must desire to form the Faith and consider the Bible as guide of
our lives.

Understand Content Discussion

What is the Bible?

St. Jerome once wrote, “Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of the Christ.” In our
desire to grow in Faith in the Christ within the Community, Bible plays
fundamental role. It is therefore necessary to have a wholesome understanding
of the Bible though concise but best aligned to the teachings of the Church.

The Word “Bible”

The word BIBLE is an Anglo-Saxon word from the Latin word “Biblia” which means “The Book”. This Biblia
was translation from Greek word “Ta Biblia” or "Biblios" meaning papyrus, a reed that the Egyptians used to
prepare writing materials. Biblios refers to a collection of manuscripts on papyrus. This brings the meaning
as “Books”. The name was well-chosen since the Bible is a collection of many individual works, and not a
product of a single person. For the Christians, the Bible refers to a small library that contains history, drama,
poetry, fiction, stories, prophecies, proverbs, letters and other literary types of genre. (Wostyn 2004)

The Bible in the Christian world

In the Christian world, the Bible has garnered the title as the most venerated book because it is used in all
Christian worship activities. It is also given the title as the most studied book because year after year, the

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Bible remains as the most published and the bestselling book. Lastly it is called as the most translated book
because it is translated into different languages (270 languages for the Old Testament and 700 languages
for the New Testament).

The Bible is so dear to the believers of God because of the following: It contains the source and record of
God’s self-communication to the human person; It is the treasure chest of the wisdom and inspiration that
guided the generation before us; It contains some of the most profound insights into the meaning of human
life; The Bible is the single most important source for our culture and has the most profound influence on
modern religious thought; The Bible is the most complete history of the ancient past that we possess. That is
why many believers of God gave terms of endearment to the Bible.

In fact, the Bible is called as “The Scriptures” which means a kind of a literary product. Sometimes it is called
as “Holy Scriptures or Sacred Scriptures” because it talks about holy topic, holy origin. Through the Bible,
every events and human experience are given holy or religious meaning that allows everyone to have a
contact with the Divine. In another times, the Bible is called “The Testament” because it records the
covenant or agreement between Yahweh and Israel and between God in Jesus and the Christians.

Christians also called the Bible as “The Word of God” because God speaks to us through the language of the
human person in the contour and the fabric of human tradition. For this we believe that this Word of God
was once human person in Jesus Christ, the Word of God (Logos) made flesh.

Furthermore, the Bible is called a “History of Salvation” because God has made Himself known and the
mystery of His plan of Salvation throughout the course of human history. And finally, the Bible is called as
“The Good News” because the message of Salvation that it brought to us is concrete experience of the
Saving Actions of God in history and reality.

The Bible as defined

Bible is a collection of Books written by different authors who wrote with different purpose intended for
different readers in different times in a span of 2000 years. So as a library, the Bible bears different layers of
culture, tradition and customs as well as different socio-cultural heritage. (Abesamis, (1991). Exploring the
Core of Biblical Faith p.xii).

Ronald Wilkins (1990) in his book “Introduction to the Bible,” defines the Bible as partial record of the
religious interpretation of the real history of the Israelites and of the Christians. Bible is apartial record for it
does not contain everything that happened to the Israelites and the early Christians. It is a religious
interpretation because the Bible gives religious causes for and faith meaning to historical events of the
chosen people of God. It is a real history because Bible involves time, events, people, places and experiences
that best unfold to answer the fundamental religious quest of who is God and what is God.

The Bible as Organized into a Book

The Bible is divided into two major divisions: The Old Testament, which contains 46 Books, and the New
Testament, which has 27 Books. The Old Testament deals with the religious history of the Israelites before
the appearance of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ. It devotes the agreement between God (whose
name was Yahweh) and the People (whose race was the Israelites).

The New Testament deals with the Christian belief of the most important event in history, the appearance of
the Messiah in the person of Jesus, the Christ, (the God-Became-Person) who proclaimed the Reign or
Kingdom of God in His person, life’s purpose and His words and works. This records God’s covenant with the
Christians in Jesus. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are necessary in our understanding of
17
who is God and what is God. St. Augustine summed up this idea when he said that the “New Testament lies
hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”

The Books in the Bible:

The following figure is a Bible’s Periodic Table taken from Catholic Link Library (www.pinterest.com) which
presents the number of Books in the Catholic Canon together with its Symbol, the name and the chapters
each Book contained. It also presents the two major divisions, namely: The Old Testament and the New
Testament and the minor divisions, namely: Pentateuch, Historical, Prophetical, Wisdom, Gospels, Acts,
Letters and Revelation.

Stages of Formation of the Bible

In our study of the Sacred Scripture we will not take things for granted the ordinary and common things that
lead to the growth and development of the Bible. The Bible went through many stages of development
which believers of God should duly consider.

THE OLD TESTAMENT STAGES OF FORMATION

The Bible takes its roots from the ordinary and common historical events and experiences of the Israelites
which were interpreted in the eyes of faith. The Israelites perceived historical God’s saving actions based on
their efforts to relate with the God of faith.

ORDINARY AND COMMON REFLECTED IN FAITH WRITTEN DOWN

EXPERIENCES

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 HANDED DOWN ORALLY AS EXTRAORDINARY

EVENT TO SHOW GOD’S PRESENCE

A. The Oral Tradition: Before the year 1000 B.C.E, there was no written records, everything has been
handed down and preserved in Oral Tradition. The two important events that happened to the Israelites, the
EXODUS EVENT and the OCCUPATION IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, became center of the Oral Tradition. Oral
Tradition refers to the handing down of events, experiences from one generation to the other by means of
the word of mouth. There are different forms like drama, stories, songs, worship, rites, values, culture, etc.

There are four traditions that preserved the Israelites history and influenced in the writing of the writing of
the Sacred Scripture. Sean McDonagh, (2002) outlined four traditions as identified by the modern Biblical
Scholarship, namely:

The Yahwist "J" Tradition is a historical epic that emerged as a result of the optimism engendered by the
territorial expansion and cultural flowering during the reign of David and Solomon. This tradition is
considered as the most ancient tradition that preserved their history. It is a tradition that is identified by
their addressed to God as “YAHWEH,” a God who is anthropomorphic i.e., like a human being. (cf. Genesis
3).

The Elohist "E" Tradition. This tradition is more sober and rural and contains material that had been handed
down from the northern tribes. This second ancient tradition is identified by the tribes’ address to God as
“EL,” “ELOI,” or “ELI” or “ELOHIM.” This is where they got Yisra-EL. After the fall of the northern kingdom
their material was combined with the "J" account to form "JE" Epic.

The Deuteronomist "D" Tradition, the tradition that gives emphasis on the reinterpretation of the Law. This
is the tradition that emerged before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. This tradition wished that the
Law must be responsive to the Israelites’ societal condition as a people particularly during the downfall of
monarchy.

The Priestly "P" Tradition is a tradition of cultic worship that had grown up around the Temple in Jerusalem.
It was developed and was interwoven with the Israelites’ experiences as dispersed people being captives of
Babylon. This priestly tradition considered the Exile in Babylon as great spiritual retreat. The Tradition
viewed the purpose of Israelites People as intended for Divine Worship. According to this tradition, the
People of Israel were created and formed to worship Yahweh as One, True and Living God.

The whole content of the Bible is wrapped and influenced by these four traditions. They preserved the
Israelites’ history and handed them from one generation to the next to reveal the truth of the God of
History, God of Salvation and the God of Justice.

B. The Written Stage developed when knowledgeable people of oral history almost banished and
new learned generation came about. Written records became the common trend of preserving history.
People learned how to read and how to write, kept records of the faith interpretations of their experiences
with the presence of Yahweh.
The Written Records started on the following dates:

In 970-931 B.C.E, during the time of King Solomon in the Southern Kingdom, documents were written and
compiled in the Anthology of the Yahwist Tradition. Some of these written materials can be found in Genesis
2 and 3, Judges 5, Song of Deborah and 2 Samuel 9.

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In 885-875 B.C.E., during the time of Jeroboam in the Northern part of Israel, written records were compiled
in the Anthology of the Elohist (Eloist) Tradition. Some of these materials can be found in 1 and 2 kings, 10
commandments, some chapter of Psalms and Judges.

In 700-650 B.C.E., when the Assyrians occupied the Northern Kingdom of Israel, written records were
compiled in the Anthology of the Deuteronomist Tradition. These written materials can be found in the
Prophets, Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, Deuteronomy, 1 & 2 Chronicles.

In 580-540 B.C.E., when the Chosen People were exiled in Babylon, many written materials were composed
and recorded and believed to be from the Priestly Tradition. These materials can be found in Genesis, Ezra,
Nehemiah, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Numbers, Leviticus, Exodus, and Prophets: Amos to Malachi, Psalms and
Wisdom.

C. EDITING STAGE developed when people wanted to compile the different works of the great writers of
their nation. They started to gather the pieces of written materials of the different times of the different
authors as handed down by different traditions. Experts set criteria for the inclusion of the materials in the
compilation of the Sacred Scriptures as follows:
It is written in the Hebrew Language.
A Forceful display of the Religious Faith of the Israelites.
A strong presentation of the love of God for Israel.
Authenticity of the presentation
Fit in the purpose of the editors of that time.

THE NEW TESTAMENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

The NEW TESTAMENT is a collection of the written materials about what the Christians believe as the most
important event in the history of the world that is THE APPEARANCE OF THE ANOINTED ONE OF YAHWEH in
the Person of Jesus. It is a collection of 27 books of the Bible written seventy years following the
resurrection of Jesus. The Church of the Apostles wrote them as an authentic expression of their faith. The
Church has officially recognized these books as inspired by God.

The Scholars of the Scripture generally recognized that the New Testament was developed in three distinct
stages visualized as follows:
STAGE 1: STAGE 2: STAGE 3:
The Historical Jesus Oral Preaching of the Early The Written Gospels
Christians
Stage I: The Historical Jesus

The Gospels basically have their roots in the words and works of Jesus of Nazareth and in His experiences
with the disciples and other groups with which he came in contact with. We can date the
existence/appearance of Jesus from 6 – 4 B.C.E. until 30 C.E. This person, Jesus, the God in the Christian
faith, was an ordinary person whose existence was traced through His birth and His death. Jesus was
believed to be born during the time of the rule of Herod, the Great whose death has been recorded by
Dennis, the Little, occurring around 4 B.C.E. So Jesus’ birth was probably before Herod’s death. This period
is marked it with the slaughter of holy innocents (Mt. 3:16-23).

The death of Jesus happened near the Passover Feast in the Month of Nissan in the Jewish Lunar calendar.
This month is roughly equivalent to the weeks between our last week in March and first three weeks in
April. This is generally held to be the year 30 C.E. As John’s Gospel specifically hints, the date (see John

20
18:28, 19:31) certainly has to be within the 10-year span of Pontius Pilate’s rule from 26 –36 C.E. Thus Jesus
died in the reign of Pilate at three O’clock in the afternoon on a Friday (Mt. 28:46), probably in 30 C.E.

Stage 2: The Oral Preaching of the Early Christians

After the tragic event of Jesus’ death came the joy of the Easter experience. This is marked by the giving of
the Holy Spirit on Pentecost began to enliven the enthusiasm of the despairing Apostles to live according to
the Master’s conviction and commitment. They were burning with zeal to spread the good news of Jesus’
victory over sin and death. Led by Peter, and later by Paul, the apostles burst with missionary enthusiasm
preached the message of Jesus through the Roman (Mediterranean) world. The early preaching emphasized
significantly among others that Jesus was to return in glory very shortly i.e., during the very life time of the
apostles. Thus, it did not make much sense to write down the eyewitness’ testimonies in these early years
because the world would have to end soon.

The Oral Proclamation focused mainly on faith interpretations of the words, sayings, memories and
quotations of Jesus, highlighting his deeds: His miracles and healing activity, his sufferings, his death and his
resurrection. Everything was told orally because:
The Apostles were not literate; they did not know how to read and write.
The writing materials were so expensive that only the rich could afford; the followers of Jesus came from
poor strata of society.
The written documents were not needed since the eyewitnesses were still alive.
People/Early Christians thought that Jesus would come back soon.

All of the faith community’s memories about Jesus were told in forms of stories, sayings, actual way of life in
the Christian community. Their way of life attracted many so that Christianity spread beyond expectation.

C. Stage 3: The Written Gospels

The memories of the life and works of Jesus were kept alive by making collections of his sermons, parables,
his great works and key sayings. These collections were used in the early Christian liturgies, in the preaching
and instruction to new converts. There are lots of materials written by fragments. The Good News about
Jesus of Nazareth has to be written based on the following reasons:
The eyewitnesses began to die due to martyrdom.
The literate audience grew in number (people now learned to read and write).
Jesus did not come again soon as the community of believers expected him.
There was a need to keep an authentic record for correction of distorted messages about the remembrance
of Jesus.

There are four authentic versions of the written communal faith expressions of this Good News. These four
versions of Faith Testimonies are written to keep a record of Jesus memories in the Christian Faith. The
Christians believed that the body of written material that makes up the New Testament is a Sacred
Literature. In and by itself, it is made up of special and unique materials presenting the life, words, actions
and meaning of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish man who lived in Palestine about two thousand years ago. The
New Testament is a one-of-a-kind piece of literature that is respected and honored by all believers of Jesus.
It is revered, cherished, read, studied, and believed in. It is inspirational, informative, and awe-inspiring.
The figure of the Origin of the New Testament will give us a glimpse about the root of the New Testament.

21
The Bible we have today is a product of the different stages. It was only in the 13 th century A.D. when
Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, was tasked to divide the Bible into chapters, both the Old and
the New Testament. Needs of the times dictate that the chapters of the Old Testament must be divided into
verses. This was done by Santes Paginus in 1528 A.D. Later in 1551, Robert Etienne divided the New
Testament into verses. The Bible has different stages of formation, involved hundreds of years in its
development and written in different literary forms. Above all these, it has only one story to tell, that is the
Saving Actions of God in Human History (Israelites) and it has only one purpose, that is, to let the people
know of who and what is the God whom they believed in.

BIBLE AS INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

Christians believe that the Bible is a Word of God because it is inspired by God (CCC # 105) and accepted as
rule of faith and morals. As written work, it was produced by many individuals who recorded the history of
their people from the point of view of their faith in God. How come the Scripture is a Word of God? Vatican
II states, “Sacred Scripture is the Word of God is as much as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of
the Divine Spirit” (DV # 9). The Church teaches that the Principal Author of the Bible is none other than God
Himself. It further defines the Bible as “the Word of God written by human authors through the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit.” The Biblical Inspiration is the way of the Church to teach us about the authorship of the
Bible.

Inspiration comes from the Latin word “In-spirare.” This is commonly understood as to breathe into, a kind
of inhalation, a kind of influence, and a kind of expression of opinion. In religious sense, inspiration as a kind
of supernatural motion by which the person is impelled to teach others what God wants them to teach.

Inspiration in the Sacred Scriptures is an influence of the Holy Spirit on the sacred author or Holy writer
moving and impelling him to write in a manner that he rightfully understood and faithfully willed to write
down. In this manner, the author expresses the things that God willed in apt words and infallible truth. The
Sacred Authors/ Holy Writers are people influenced by the Holy Spirit to write down the Faith interpretation
of the ordinary experiences. In what manner does this happen? The Author rightfully understood what is to
be written then, he intentionally wrote those matters.

THE BIBLE AS GOD’S REVELATION

The believers of God are dependent upon God for all things, even for the knowledge that God exists.
Nonetheless God is under no obligation to reveal himself yet he chose to reveal himself to human person
through creation. God reveals himself as eternal, powerful, glorious, creative, orderly, loving, all-knowing,
sovereign, and worthy of worship. By creating man in his own image, by giving him a soul, self-
consciousness, the ability to reason, and a general knowledge of right and wrong, God reveals himself as
personal, holy, wise, righteous, and just.

God’s self-revelation comes to us through human beings chosen by him. The Church, guided by the Holy
Spirit, assures us that the biblical books are divinely inspired. God helped believers to recognize his
inspiration and to collect these writings into a unique library of books. This process worked essentially the
same way for the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible is a record of God’s initiative of letting
himself be known: His self-communication, His intervention in the ordinary experiences of the Israelites to
make them conscious of his presence in the events struggles and triumph as a faith community. It is in the
Bible that God personally manifests and communicates his Divine self. It is the result of God’s self-revelation
over many centuries, made to a community of believers but intended for all God’s people.

22
The Bible being an inspired revelation of God, serves as the rule of faith and moral living. We, as believers of
God, can find in the Bible is not only Good News but also moral obligation.

Vl. THE CATHOLIC CANON OF THE BIBLE

The word CANON comes from a Greek word “Kanon” that originally means “reed or stick” used for
measuring. This reed or stick was a standard for measurement. From this step onward, Canon was applied
to the things measured and then to the catalogue or list of measured things. Biblical Canon refers to the
official list of books that the Church recognizes as divinely inspired by God and which the Church considers
as a rule of Faith and Morals. The following terms may help us understand as follows:
Canonical Books are books belonging to the Official List recognized by the Church as inspired
Protocanonical Books (literally means “belonging to the first Canon”) are Books which inspiration was never
doubted in history.
Deuterocanonical Books (literally means “belonging to the second Canon”) are those Books which
inspiration was doubted sometime in history and with some people, but later it was accepted by the Church
as also inspired and counted as part of the Canon of the Bible. There are Books both in the Old and New
Testament considered to be Deuterocanonical as follows:

Old Testament – Tobit, Judith, Ecclesiasticus (Ben Sirach), Wisdom, Baruch, 1Maccabees, 2 Maccabees and
some passages of Esther and Daniel. There are versions of the Old Testament that do not include these
Books until today.
New Testament – Hebrew, Revelation, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. These Books in the New
Testament are now part of our present versions of the Bible.

Apocryphal Books are books that are not recognized by the Church as canonical or inspired, even if they
were claimed to be so by their title or the supposed author or content.

Believe Integration to Life

The Bible in the Life of the Holy Crossians

Bible as guide in living the Christian Faith

St. Paul admonished Timothy by writing, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth,
rebuking error, correcting faults and giving instruction for right living (2Tim. 3:16).” As Christians, the Bible is
precious to the life of a Holy Crossians. A true blooded Holy Crossian believed that it is not enough to know
how the Bible developed, how they came to be written and the literary forms used but how the Bible
become a guide of living the life of Faith.

There are, in the field of scientific study of the Bible, many approaches and means of making the Bible in
dialogue with our daily life. So if we want the Bible to be a guide for our lives, Wostyn (2004) in His book, “I
Believe,” listed down some necessary reminders as follows:
The Bible is not God. It is the book of our faith community. That makes it the Word of God.
The Bible has revealed truth. It is found in what various human writers wanted to express about the
meaning of faith.
The Bible is believed to be inspired, not because the Holy Spirit dictated each word, but because we, as
Christian communities, believe that a special truth from God can be found in those writings.
The Bible writers, within different situations, made use of different literary forms. We have to know the
history and the literary background of the various books of the Bible.
The Bible includes different opinions. Let us not be surprised to find contradicting ideas.
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The Bible is not a history book. Neither is it a science book. We are not to believe in every detail that we find
in it.
The Biblical message is to be considered in its totality. We cannot take one passage from the Bible and make
it absolute.
We have to read the Bible regularly to stimulate and nourish our personal faith.
We do not have to make the Bible to decide for our lives. The responsibility of making responsible decisions
in the light of our faith rest on us.
As a faith community, we need to read the Bible. It is our conscience. It will not agree with everything that
we are doing. It challenges us to go beyond ourselves and to reverse many of the values we have been too
contented with.

The Holy Crossian reads the Bible

“The Church desires that in the ministry of the word, Sacred Scripture should have a pre-eminent position. In
concrete terms, catechesis should be ‘an authentic introduction to lectio divina that is, to a reading of the
Sacred Scriptures done in accordance to the Spirit who dwells in the Church’.” (General Directory for
Catechesis, 71) To stimulate and nourish our personal faith guided by the Sacred Scripture, the Daily Gospel
2015 supplied us with simplified form of Lectio Divina.
LectioDivina

Lectio Divina is a Latin term for divine reading, spiritual reading or holy reading and
represents a traditional Christian practice of prayer and scriptural reading intended
to promote communion with the Lord and to increase in the knowledge of God’s
Word. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI encouraged the practice of Lectio Divina: “The
diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that
intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking and in
praying, respond to Him with trusting openness of heart (DV no. 25). If it effectively promoted, this practice
will bring to the Church.

Lectio divina is a powerful way to encounter God in Sacred Scripture. Through the ancient practice of lectio,
meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio we encounter a personal God by praying with his Sacred Word. One of
our most important tasks being Holy Crossians is to learning the skill of reading the Bible in order to
prayerfully encounter the living God.

The four simple steps of Lectio Divina

LECTIO (Read) – WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? This is a slow, reverent and repeated reading of the suggested
Biblical text. A careful reading, taste the words and understand the faith.
Instruction: read the Bible passage slowly and reflectively for three times, then ask, “What does the text
say?”

MEDITATIO (Reflect) – WHAT DOES THE TEXT TELL ME? This is entering into the truth of the text. Chew the
word, the printed word becomes the Word of God.
Instruction: Reflect and pick a word that struck you most with this question, what does the text tell me?

ORATIO (Pray) – WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TELL GOD IN YOUR PRAYER? This is the first prayer which comes
from the meditation – adoration – thanksgiving – repentance – petition. Talk to Jesus, the living Word.
Instruction: Talk to Jesus, “What do you want to tell God in Prayer?”
ACTIO (Act) – WHAT DOES THE TEXT WANT ME TO DO? This step is making fruitful in our lives what the
Word has taught us, resolution on how you will live out God’s message concrete plan of action, simple,
doable who, when, what to respond to the word.
Instruction: Respond to Jesus and asked yourself, “What does the text want me to do”
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III- Comprehensive Evaluation

TEST 1: Matching Type: Match the descriptions in column A with the terms and personages in column B. On
your paper, write the letter only that corresponds to your answer.
Column A Column B
______ contain the letters of the leaders of the early Christian community
______ are the books that contain all the Old Testament materials that can be neither law
law nor prophets Epistles
______ are the memories, remembered accounts, sayings of Jesus believed to be the Writings
Anointed One of Yahweh Gospels
______ is a book that contains the final events and destiny of the world, history and Revelation
humanity when Jesus will triumph in the end of time.
______ is also known as Torah which records the account on the birth of a family,
creation of a people and the birth of a religion and how the People observed
the Law from Yahweh
were the people who conquered the Northern Kingdom
______ were the people who conquered the Southern kingdom Jews
were the people of Yahweh who entered a covenant with Him Hebrews
______ were the people who lived after the chosen People returned from exile in Assyrians
Babylon Israelites
______ were the people who lived before the covenant was made in the desert and E.
they were slaves in Egypt Babylonians
______

______

Test ll: TRUE OR FALSE: Read carefully each statement to determine the truth and falsity of the ideas
expressed in each statement. On your paper, write + if the idea expressed in the statement is true and if
false, write 0.
______ 11. The Hebrew people perceived history in terms of the cause and effect phenomenon which spoke
of the privileged moment with God, the moment of life of the human person.
______ 12. The sacred writers selected the events of the history of the Israelites and of Jesus’ life that
revealed best the very nature of God, his plans and his designs for the world and for all humanity.
______ 13. The Elohist tradition is a tradition which was developed and interwoven in the Israelites’
experiences those of which considered the exile in Babylon as a great spiritual retreat and such tradition
viewed the purpose of Israelites as intended for Divine worship.
______ 14. The Old Testament is a collection of the written materials about what the early Christians held
significant about the events in the life of the promised Messiah.
______ 15. Jesus of Nazareth was a historical person who became the Christ of Faith believed and
worshipped as the promised and prophesied Messiah in the Old Testament and who will come again to
judge the Living and the dead.
______ 16. The Bible is a by-product of a God and man combined activity which has communicated God’s
great love, wisdom, beauty, plans and desires for all humanity.
______ 17. God influenced the human authors with their human intellect, capacities, experiences,
memories and imaginations to write down what He wanted them to write and communicate.
______ 18. The Israelites thought that God was unjust to them for they were exposed to their enemies
every time they were unfaithful to Yahweh.

25
______ 19. Bible is historically and culturally conditioned based on the experiences of the Chosen People of
God who journeyed through time despite all odds to materialize God’s plan and promise of the Messiah in
the person of Jesus Christ.
______ 20. The Bible unfolded that God is the Creator of everything – the Cause of all that exist in the
universe and that He is the true and living God, the God of justice and the God of History.
______ 21. Bible is the source and rule of faith and morals for it plays a vital role in professing and
witnessing our faith through living a life according to God’s design for all humanity, world and history.
______ 22. Christ’s revelation is disintegrating for it tells us of a God of love whose children must love one
another, even their enemies.
______ 23. The Sacred Scriptures record every detail of the saving acts and words of God that have been
passed on to us through the living tradition of the Church.
______ 24. Before Jesus’ Paschal Mystery, the joy of the Easter experience and the descent of the Holy Spirit
on Pentecost enflamed the zeal the apostles to spread the good news of salvation.
______ 25. The Oral proclamation about Jesus was focused specifically on faith interpretations of the words,
key sayings, memories, His miracles and healing activities, His sufferings, His death and resurrection.

TEST lll: CLASSIFICATION: Classify the following books according to the division each book belongs. On your
paper, write the letter only that corresponds to your answer.
______ Job ______ Isaiah ______ Ephesians Answer’s Pool
The Epistles
______ Tobit ______ Judith ______ Habakkuk The Pentateuch
The Wisdom books
The Historical books
______ Psalms ______ Judges ______ Leviticus
The Prophetical
______ Micah ______ Ezekiel ______ Colossians books

______ Exodus ______ Genesis ______ Philippians

______ Nahum ______ Wisdom ______ Ecclesiastes

______ 1 Kings ______ Proverbs

Test lV: Identification: Identify the answer from answer’s pool. Write the letter item in the space before
number item.

Answer’s Pool

St. Jerome inspiration LectioDivina

Biblical Canon Stephen Langton, Robert Etienne

Apocryphal Books Elohist "E" Tradition Protocanonical Books

Yahwist "J" Tradition Canonical Books Deuteronomist "D" Tradition

Deuterocanonical Books The Priestly "P" Tradition Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

_____ 46. are Books which inspiration was never doubted in history.
_____ 47. was the one who encouraged the practice of LectioDivina.
_____ 48. once wrote, “Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of the Christ”
_____ 49. was the one who divided the New Testament into verses in 1551.
26
_____ 50. are books that belong to the Official List recognized by the Church as inspired.
_____ 51. is a historical epic a tradition that is identified by their addressed to God as “YAHWEH,” a God who
is a person.
_____ 52. is a kind of supernatural motion by which the person is impelled to teach others what God wants
them to teach.
_____ 53. was an Archbishop of Canterbury who was tasked to divide the Bible into chapters, both the Old
and the New Testament
_____ 54. is the tradition that gives emphasis on the reinterpretation of the Law. And that emerged before
the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.
_____ 55. is a tradition of cultic worship that had grown up around the Temple in Jerusalem and considered
the Exile in Babylon as great spiritual retreat.
_____ 56. refers to the official list of books that the Church recognizes as divinely inspired by God and which
the Church considers as a rule of Faith and Morals.
_____ 57. are books that are not recognized by the Church as Canonical and inspired, though they claimed
to be so by their title or the supposed author or content.
_____ 58. are those Books which inspiration was doubted sometime in history and with some people, but
later it was accepted by the Church as also inspired and counted as part of the Canon of the Bible.
_____ 59. is a tradition more sober and rural and contains material that had been handed down among the
northern tribes and is identified by their address to God as “EL,” “ELOI,” or “ELI” or “ELOHIM.”
_____ 60. is a Latin for divine reading, spiritual reading or holy reading and represents a traditional Christian
practice of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with the Lord and to increase in
the knowledge of God’s Word.

IV- Enrichment Exercises: REFLECTION PAPE

Direction: Write a reflection paper on how you live the Bible in your daily life by answering the following
questions.
What concepts about the Bible do I cherished most in my life? Why?
What important thought comes into my realization as we study the Bible as guide in living the Faith?
How would I concretize the concepts about the Bible as I live my life here in Holy Cross?
In what way would I sustain the love of the Word of God in my life?
Design concrete actions for bridging the gap in your life with the daily Gospel?

MODULE 1: THE SOURCES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

LESSON 5: THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

I – Learning Outcome:
At the end of this lesson, the students shall:
outline the basic structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church;
identify the four parts of the CCC
explain how each corresponds to the life of a Christian believer;
renew their enthusiasm to: profess their faith, celebrate it, to live it and to make it as a basis of their life.

II – Instructional Sequence

A. Share Activity

Brainstorming
Guide Questions

27
1. Are you familiar of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? How much of it have you read? When have you
used it?
2. Do you know how to navigate inside the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph numbers,
footnotes, cross references, indices, etc.)? Do you think of it as a reference work (like an encyclopedia or
dictionary)?
3. What are your initial thoughts on why someone would read the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Do you
think it is meant to be read by everyone, by catechists or just by “specialists”?
4. Consider your thoughts on what a gift is and what the word means. Do you consider the Catechism of the
Catholic Church a gift intended personally for you? If so, how do you make use of it as a gift?

B. Heed Explore the CCC

CCC Scanning. . . have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

What do I know about the Catechism of the Catholic Church or (CCC)?
What is the difference among the terms: Catechesis, Catechism, Catechize?
What are the CCC Table of Contents, what are the various parts and divisions of the whole book?
Why do you think the CCC is divided into four parts?

C. Understand Content Discussion

If the Sacred Scripture together with Tradition is the “Supreme rule of Faith” (DV 21) is the source of faith
and guide of our life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) as the product of the expression of Faith
explained by the magisterium is the symphony of faith for the Holy Crossians.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is a book that gives a brief summary of the
basic principles of Christianity. It is the complete teaching of the Catholic Church
produced by the Magisterium or the teaching authority of the Church working under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It contains the essential and fundamental content of the
Christian Catholic faith in a complete and summarized way. It explains what Catholics
throughout the world believe in common. It presents these truths in a way that facilitates
their understanding. The CCC presents Catholic doctrine within the context of the
Church's history and tradition. Frequent references to Sacred Scripture, the writings of
the Fathers, the lives and writings of the saints, conciliar and papal documents and liturgical texts enrich the
Catechism in a way that is both inviting and challenging. There are over three thousand footnotes in the
Catechism.
The CCC originated with a recommendation made at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985. In 1986
Pope John Paul II appointed a Commission of Cardinals and Bishops to develop a compendium of Catholic
doctrine. In 1989 the Commission sent the text to all Bishops throughout the world for consultation. In 1990
the Commission examined and evaluated over 24,000 amendments suggested by the bishops. The final draft
is considerably different from the one that was circulated in 1989. In 1991 the Commission prepared the text
for the Holy Father's official approval. On June 25, 1992 Pope John Paul II officially approved the definitive
version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. On December 8, 1992 Pope John Paul II promulgated the
Catechism with an apostolic constitution.

The CCC: A joyful encounter with Jesus

St. John Paul II was the pope who promulgated the CCC, affirmed that “this catechism will make a very
important contribution to that work of renewing the whole life of the Church… I declare it to be a valid and
legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith” (Porta fidei, no. 11).
His immediate successor also added: “The CCC will serve as a tool providing real support for the faith,

28
 especially for those concerned with the formation of Christians, so crucial in our cultural
context” (Porta fidei, no. 12)

Pope Benedict XVI also emphasized that “In its very structure, the CCC
follows the development of the faith right up to the great themes of daily
life. On page after page, we find that what is presented here is no theory,
but an encounter with a person who lives within the Church” (Porta fidei, no. 11). Thus, in
this topic, we shall familiarize ourselves with the structure of the CCC and the reason
behind such structure.

Structure of CCC
The structure of the CCC is inspired by the great tradition of catechisms in the Catholic Church which build
catechesis on four pillars, namely: The Creed, the baptismal profession of faith; the Sacraments of faith; the
Commandments, which is the life of faith; and the prayer of the believer. Thus, this CCC has four parts: The
Profession of Faith, The Sacraments of Faith, The Life of Faith and Prayer in the Life of Faith. In each part and
its sections, we can find the beauty of how these topics are arranged to make a systematic and organic
whole. Pope John Paul II wrote in his Apostolic Constitution Fidei depositum on the publication of the CCC.

The four parts are related one to another: The Christian mystery is the object of faith (Part One); it is
celebrated and communicated in liturgical actions (Part Two); it is present to enlighten and sustain the
children of God in their actions (Part Three); it is the basis for our prayer, the privileged expression of which
is the Our Father, and it represents the object of our supplication, our praise and our intercession (Part
Four).
To appreciate what this great pope meant, here are the topics discussed in each part:
PART I: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH PART II: THE SACRAMENTS OF FAITH

Christians must profess their faith before men. God’s Salvation is present and active in the world.

Section 1: “I Believe” “We Believe” Section 1: The Sacramental Economy

-God reveals Himself, Man responds to The Church liturgy makes present God’s action in
God’s revelation man’s history

Section 2: Profession of the Christian Faith Section 2: Seven Sacraments of the Church

-Christian Faith is God’s Gift. Our Faith is The Seven Sacraments are performed by Jesus
Trinitarian Himself.

PART III: THE LIFE OF FAITH PART IV: PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF FAITH

Man, created in God’s image and Man is invited to a constant conversation

likeness, is called to communion with God in with God through prayer

eternal life.
Section 1: Prayer in the life of Christian Life
Section 1: Man’s call- Life in the Spirit
Prayer is essential in the life of believers
Man can reach heaven through a life of virtues in
Section 2: The Lord’s Prayer – Our Father
the light of the Beatitudes and with the help of
God’s grace.

29
 Section 2: The Ten Commandments The epitome of Christian prayer is the “Our Father”

Man is called to fulfill the two-fold

commandments of

charity: Love of God and Love of neighbor.

D. Believe Integration to
life

How can the CCC be useful for all Christian Faithful?

For the Catholics, the answer is obvious. Many Catholic adults are searching for a positive, coherent and
contemporary statement of what the Church believes and teaches. The Catechism provides such a
statement in a comprehensive, yet summarized format.

Catholic adults should be encouraged to read and study the Catechism. While private study of the Catechism
might fit most comfortably into the learning styles of some adults, most benefit greatly from organized
discussion groups or study circles. Growth in the knowledge of the faith which one believes (fides quae
creditur) tends to deepen the quality of the faith by which one believes (fides qua creditur). Thus, the
Catechism can be used by the faithful as an instrument for the holistic maturation of their faith. Catholics
must make good use of this essential tool to knowing God and loving Him. If one wants to grow in faith and
holiness, the CCC is an indispensable tool because it is “… a sure and authentic reference text for teaching
Catholic doctrine” (JPII, Fidei depositum, 3). It is “… a sure norm for teaching the faith and a valid and
legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion” (FD, 3).

As “a valid and legitimate instrument” for communion within the Church and in her relationship with other
religious denominations, the CCC must also be known to non-Catholics of good will. Respect among persons
of different culture and religion flourishes only when there is authentic knowledge and understanding of
their beliefs and traditions. That is why non-Catholics also must know what the Catholics believe, and vice
versa, so that true peace, respect and reconciliation may flourish.
30
Prayer: (Invite everyone to pray in silence. Consider how God is calling them to receive the gift of “the desire
for God”.
Remind them that they should not try to pray with all the material in the CCC, but should stop and pray with
just one paragraph or one sentence; they should remain with the text that moves their heart.)

Opening Prayer: Make the Sign of the Cross,

pray the “Our Father”, and ask God, “Lord, what do You want to reveal to me as I consider ‘the desire for
God’? Where are You leading me?” (Allow at least 10 minutes of silence to pray.)
Sharing (optional): Spend a few minutes of the session sharing the fruit of the prayer.
This is a time for reverence, a time to respect others as they reveal how God spoke to them.
Conclude by thanking the Lord and praying a “Glory Be”
III- Comprehensive Evaluation

Test l: Completion
Complete the following titles of the main parts of the Catechism (if necessary, refer to the Table of
Contents):
Part One: The _________________ of the Faith
Part Two: ____________________ of the Christian _______________
Part Three: __________________ in Christ
Part Four: Christian _____________
Test II - Enumeration: Enumerate the following.
5– 9 four parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
5. _______________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________
7. _______________________________________________
8. _______________________________________________

10 – 12 Deposit of the Catholic Faith (Sources of the Catholic Faith)

10 . _______________________________________________
11 . _______________________________________________
12. _______________________________________________

13 – 11 the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

13. ______________________________________________
14. ______________________________________________
15. ______________________________________________
16. ______________________________________________

Test ll: True or False. Determine the truth or falsity of the idea presented in each statement below. On your
paper, write + if the idea expressed in the statement is true and if false, write 0.
_______ 17. God’s providential plan is at work only in your own life.
_______ 18. CCC 422 tells us the Good News: God has sent his Son.
_______ 19. There is a dichotomy in the interplay of faith and daily life.
_______ 20. “Guarding the Deposit of Faith is the mission which is entrusted to the Church.”
_______ 21. When we, Catholics, read the CCC, there is growth in the knowledge of our Catholic faith.
_______22. “This is the first time in the history of the Church that a catechism was written for the whole
people of God.”
_______23. The CCC’s emphasis on Christocentric focuses on Jesus was sent by the Father in the power of
the Holy Spirit to save us.

31
_______24. Pope Benedict XVl wrote in his Apostolic Constitution Fideidepositum on the publication of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church.
_______25. John Paul II emphasized that the Catechism of the Catholic Church in its very nature follows the
development of the faith right up to the great themes of daily life “

Test lll: Essay

Discuss how the four parts of the catechism of the Catholic Church be related to each other and how
important are these four parts of the CCC in our daily life as Catholics.

IV – Enrichment Exercises
:

___ Part 1: Profession of Faith A. How does this show me how to live in Christ?

___ Part 2: Celebration of the Christian B. How does this help me know and understand God and my
Mystery faith?

___ Part 3: Life in Christ C. How does this help me relate to God in prayer?

___ Part 4: Christian Prayer D. How does this help me worship God and celebrate the
mysteries of Christ and the Church?

REFERENCES

http://www.gettyimages,com/photos/plato
http://www.gettyimages,com/photos/aristotle
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=st.+thomas+aquinas+images&client
https://www.wikipedia.org/wilki/Ren%c3%A9_Descartes
https://www.wikiwpedia.org/wiki/Immanuel Kant
https//www.google.com.ph/search?q=soren+Kierkegaard&client
Good News Bible. (1993). Today’s English Version. With Deuterocanonicals. Philippine Bible Society, 890 U.N.
Ave., Manila Philippines.
Pope John Paul II.(1992). Catechism of the Catholic Church. . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fouth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194 ISBN 978-1-57455-110-5,
Vat.II. (1965). Dei Verbum 5,
Pope Paul VI.(1965). Gaudium et Spes 19#1,
Pope Paul VI.(1964). Lumen Gentium.#58
Aquinas, T.(1265-1274).Summa Theologica
Marx, K.(1976). Introduction to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right vol.3
Pals, D.L.(1996).Theories of Religion.pg.81
Pope Benedict XVI.(2012). General Audience St. Peter Square. Vatican City.
Jaspers, K.Filosofia,I, 385
Ratzinger, J.(2005). Homily Before the Conclave. Vatican City.
CBCP. (1997). Catechism for Filipino Catholics,
CBCP. (2007). The New National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines.
Additional References:
Pope John Paul II. (1987).Redemptoris Mater #5

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 MODULE 3: FAITH AND HUMAN BEING

Lesson 1 The Human Persons: Their Calling for holiness and their condition
Lesson 2 The Human Person in Relationship with God who reveal
Lesson 3 Human Response to the Revealing God: Faith and Prayer
Chapter Objectives:
identify Ideology from Religion that is based on Faith as response to God’s Revelation in the life of the Human Person
Nourish Faith relationship by being sensitive to God’s Action in one’s life, history, Church and creation
Strengthen Faith relation ship with God in personal and communitarian Prayer life

In our study of the History of Salvation, the holistic view of the human person and his/her faith life is indeed
necessary in the sense that it is human being experiencing in faith the reality of God in History. In this unit,
we attempt to give a basic view of the human person in faith life and the expression of faith life in the
concrete human experiences.
The Human Being is called to be happy
Happiness is what God wants human being to experience in life. This calling is most basic that God created
everything to make human being happy. In the ministry, Jesus’ blazing introduction was a message of
happiness…"Happy are those…" But what makes person happy needs to be discovered. Humans realized
that happiness in life is not drawn out merely from things or material possession but simply drawn out from
common and ordinary experiences of being ourselves (Freedom), of being with others (Love) and of being
for others (Responsibility). (cf. appendix for further explanation)
The Condition of Human Being
The realities of life are witnesses that freedom, love and responsibility are not fully experienced by
everybody. Humans are living in a sad and sick if not miserable generation. This generation is a generation
under siege or under attack of confusions and evil that made human life unhappy. Vatican II’s Pastoral
Constitution on the Church of the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) unfolded the inequalities of human
condition brought about by the profound rapid changes. (GS #4-10). It unfolds that human life lives in the
imbalanced condition that caused the life of person miserable. These imbalances are deeply rooted on what is
inside the human person.
Human Being in Relationship

The human person has two modes or levels of existence: namely, the surviving levels and the living
levels. The surviving level is limited only to the physical existence that is common to all creatures of the
earth. All creatures have the same need in order to survive (like food, shelter, clothing, good health, etc.)
These two levels are entangled with each other as human being exists.
But human beings are different from the rest of all creatures because of its needs to live a quality of life or
the living level of existence. Human being is not here only to survive but to live a humane life. This mode
of existence is called as living level. This level made the human person to establish a quality of life by
relating to all realities that would enhance his/her being human. In this level, humans should establish
RELATIONSHIP with the four aspects of life.

A Human Person relates with the Self (body, nature, cosmos)

We were made to believe that physical is just nothing and that we are to discipline our bodies through
sacrifices. But in order to become human, we have to care for ourselves and it includes care for our bodies.
33
 We have to relate in a more positive way with
our bodies. Bodily self-care means befriending
our bodies and respecting them, with all their
assets as well as their imperfections.

Being friends with our bodies includes the

essentials of nutrition, exercise, hygiene, rest,
sleep and comforts. Because we have
something in common with the rest of the
creatures (plants and animals), we are able to
take them into our bodies as sources of
nourishment and growth. When we do this, we
act out our at-one-ness with nature. This
means that we have to relate with nature just
as we relate with our bodies since the nature is
our partner to develop life of both nature and
humans.

Nature is our natural home, our OIKOS. This is the habitat of our life. Just as we relate with our body, we are
also conscious that nature is part our living. As the ecologists commonly say, “Nature can live without
humans, but humans cannot live without nature.” As we relate to ourselves, we need to create or re-create a
human environment hospitable to all forms of life. We need to become more aware of the presence of
ourselves just as we become more aware of the dynamics happening in our mother earth.

A Human Person relates with Other Person

As a song goes, “No man is an island, no man stands alone.” Every person needs to relate with one another.
We have life because of others. Yes, we do accept that each person is a unique being which others need also
to be with. We possess gifts and talents in such a complex difference of degrees that each of us is unique.
We have to develop this uniqueness so as to develop the uniqueness of other person.

Each of us becomes what we are because of the presence of significant others in our life, our parents,
brothers, sisters, friends and the like. We have to care for ourselves in order to care for others and we have
to love ourselves in order to love others. Relating with others brings us into a greater relationship with the
community, society, institution and the like. The life in the community shapes us beautifully. Our lives are
shaped by people who loved us and by people who do not love us. In this way, we become so beautiful when
we invest ourselves to others

A Human Person relates with the circumstances of life

As material-spiritual beings, we can never totally transcend time and space. Inevitably, we are people of
history and reality. The circumstances of life are unfolded by this truth of our culture, tradition and in the
history that runs through the blood streams of parents. This means that each of us lives in a particular time
and space in history and that each of us lives and develops within a particular culture. Realizing that we have
a relationship with history with history and culture makes us also realize that we have to be in solidarity with
all the peoples at all times.

As Filipinos we are at faced with the social realities of our country. These realities around us also shaped us
and became part of our being as persons. The situation of economic life, political life and the religio-cultural
life are circumstances of life that we cannot refuse but to relate with them in order to survive and live as
human being.

A Human Person relates with the Ultimate: GOD

Because human beings are communal, societal, historical and cultural beings, we tend to be Utopian (Utopia
in Greek, is not a place, but any visionary system that depicts an ideally perfect society .) We dream and
desire toward an ideal life for humans sometime in the future. We tend to look into the future and tend to be
34
concerned with the quality of life, a happy life in the future. We are open to and try to make life worth living.
We even search for the conditions needed to bring about such a meaningful life. We have the expectation or
the dream that we can establish such a world. Yet, in reality, we know that we cannot be personally
responsible for all history and for all final outcome of the universe. We acknowledge our limitations.
With the God who is responsible of all things
Our understanding of the “Who” or the “What” of everything is responsible for all history and its final
outcome is varied. For others, what will happen is under the control of evolution, not necessarily the Darwin’s
theory of evolution, but the newer and grander theories of evolution of the universe. For others still, the
future of the world and humanity is neither in the hands of sheer fate nor of humans. For religious people,
the future of the world is in the hands of something “mysterious” – a beyond, a sacred – whom Christianity
believes to be a personal God, the Lord of History.
No matter which point of view we take, one way or the other, the foundation of that perspective of the future
is, somehow, a form of faith. When we use the word faith in this way, we imply that the perspective we have
cannot be scientifically proven or explained. With this faith is also hope. Hope is also a conviction that we
have someone on whom we can rely and that the future holds a promise of better times.
With the God who reveals

For those who believe in God, God is the source of these attitudes of faith and hope. Their human faith then
adopts an explicit religious dimension; and for them, any search for a good, meaningful, and happy life that
excludes God is, in the least, a partial denial of the humanness of the human person. This is where we shape
the concept of relatedness to the absolute One who is responsible for all our history. This realization does not
come to human person without the initiative of God. God discloses Himself to the human person. Human
Person believes the God who communicated Himself to all humanity and all history. This process of God
disclosing Himself to humans is what we called REVELATION.
Meaning of Revelation:

The National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines (NCDP) describes Revelation as the self-
communication of God. Revelation is the process by which God initiates to let himself be known and which
we recognize and accept because of our radical capacity to be open to relate to God and accept the presence
and actions of God in our History and in our personal lives. Furthermore, revelation is described as the
process by which God personally manifests and communicates Himself to us. God unfolds to us His divine self
and the designs of His divine will for our salvation.
In catechesis, revelation refers primarily to God’s unique, irrevocable and definitive public relationship in and
through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Messiah was proclaimed by the apostles and communicated in the Church’s
living tradition as distinguished in many other ways God is manifested, for examples, through creation, or
through interior work of the Holy Spirit. As God’s self communication, Revelation is a process by which God
took the first step to let human being know who He is and what He does. God unfolded Himself to all
humanity in all times. He did not choose to whom He would unfold Himself; His revelation is available for all
people. But God's revelation depends on the openness and the capacity of the human person to understand
this unfolding process and to accept His revelation.
Why Must God Reveal?
Is it a must for God to reveal and take the initiative to disclose Him self and be known to human person? No.
But it is His nature as God. He is a God who always reveal because He is a God who always wants to save us.
If our God reveal Himself then, it flows out from his holiness and therefore it is a holy purpose. There are
three purposes why must God communicate to the person:
b.1. God wanted Himself and the Mystery of His Will be known.
God wanted us to know Who He is and What He is. Mystery is not something that we cannot understand but
it is a Truth that can be understood but cannot be exhausted by our human mind. If we speak of God’s Will,
we refer to the PLAN OF GOD for all humanity and the whole world. Our basic catechesis speaks of
how beautiful is the Plan of God. But what is this Plan then?
Plan A – All people should have an equal access of God through the blessings of Life (Justice).
God is present in the works of His hands most particular the whole earth.
The earth and everything in it is His, His is the seas and all that dwell in it, His is the heavens. To have an
access of our God is to share the works of His hands in the blessings of life and the resources of the earth
(namely, land, food, health, shelter, etc.). Everyone must know and believe that God is the source of
everything in this life and all these are intended for all people and not only for the chosen few. This is what
God wanted that all people must know and accept so that they would praise and glorify His name forever.
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Plan B – All people should live in harmony and peace with one another and with the rest of all
Creation (Peace).
It is God's will that all people will live in harmony, unity and solidarity with one another and with the rest of
God's Creation. This design of peace and harmony are only possible when all people experienced God’s
presence in the blessings of life on earth or resources of the earth. People are happy when everything will be
shared equally. Each creation must be treated with dignity, respect, freedom and justice.
Thus, God wanted all people to know these facts of His plan or Will.
b.2. God wanted to invite all People and receive them into His Kingdom.

Kingdom comes from the Hebrew word, "Malkuth", which means both “Reign” and “Kingdom” (Paghahari at
Kaharian). This “Malkuth” (Reign or kingdom) emerged from the culture of the Jews when they intensely
hope for the coming of the Messiah, the promised Savior in the Biblical Tradition. Jesus in His Ministry used
this term to refer to His work of Salvation. The Reign of God or Kingdom of God is equal to Salvation.
Inviting all People and receiving them into His Kingdom are what God wants flowing out from His absolute
love for humanity. God wanted all people to be a participant of His Kingdom. This Kingdom of God is
experienced today in the concrete Blessings of Life (Land, food, shelter, health, clothing, liberation from
poverty, joy, laughter, etc.) It is also an experience of the fullness of life in the future. God’s Kingdom will
only be completely experienced in the future when Jesus Christ will finally triumph in the end time. This is
when there will be the fullness of love, peace and justice, when there will be the fullness of life in the future
and when God will be all in all. God invites us all to embrace and accept His offer of Salvation.

God welcomes all people in the whole world into His Kingdom. He took the initiative to unfold Himself to all
human races. This invitation is open for all people of the earth, not only Jews, not only Christians but all
peoples of the world. Just as He communicated Himself for all people, He wanted that all people would be
saved. This is the vision of God. This is His dream for all humanity, world and History.
b.3. God wanted to communicate and manifest His Divine Laws.
God’s Law is to liberate the human beings from all forms of evil. Our God is a God who loves us. This is a Law
that does not condemn anyone. They are saving laws to which one should embrace in faith. The Law of God
is not by “doing” but simply by “being” . This means that people are not only to do God’s Law but to make
the Law a part of our self, system or being as God’s creation. Jesus did this when He lived His earthly life.God
desired all people accept or appreciate the wonder of His Law of Love so everybody must participate in His
redemptive actions in human history.
Aspects of God’s Revelation
Revelation has two aspects, namely, the Process and the Product.
THE PROCESS refers to how God unfold or communicate Himself to the People. God’s revelation is not
overnight. It involves gradual process in some period of history. This may be characterized as follows:
a. God’s revelation is Living and dynamic:
God’s Revelation is an on-going process or a living process. It
continues every human history in the world. It is dynamic and
alive in the experiences of every human person in the past, today
and in the future.

b. God’s revelation is Communal

God’s revelation is an experience of a community (People) not a
private experience or individualistic or personal realization or
simple enlightenment.

c. God’s revelation is Concrete and Revelation

Basically, our God is a concrete God, God’s Revelation is within

the capacity of the person to understand, not beyond the natural
capacity of the person to interpret and understand the meaning
of it. There are instances of God’s revelation, God reveals through…

Creation/ Nature d. Scripture and Tradition

Historical Events e. Jesus Christ
Communities of People
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d. God’s revelation is unfolding and Historical
In revealing Himself, God revealed in stages over a long period of history as recounted and interpreted by a
generation to the other generation. Revelation does not happen overnight but unfolds through the fabric of
human history as it moved forward to the final destiny of everything.
e. God’s revelation is Sacramental
Human Being lived with concreteness of everything. Human mind needs tangible signs to understand the
essence of living as well as in his experience with the Absolute God. Revelation as Sacramental, means that
God used words and actions to make known the message of salvation. Words and actions are mutually
illuminating and clarifying each others. The Words proclaimed the works and bring to light the mystery or
truth that the work contains.
THE PRODUCT refers to the fruit or the outcome of God’s initiative in making Himself, His Plan, Kingdom
and Laws known to all Peoples. The Product might a Person and/or Conceptual Formulation. Our
Religion holds that JESUS is the fullness of God’s revelation and called Jesus as the Supreme Moment
God’s revelation. As a Person, Jesus is believed to be the Product of God’s Revelation. The Product as
Conceptual Formulation, we upheld that the Bible is a Conceptual Formulation of the Religious belief of
the Christian Faith. As Jesus is contained in the Bible, being the “Logos” of God, Jesus is both a Process and a
Product.

Responses to the Human Condition and God’s Revelation

As human beings relate to the four basic aspects of life: Self, Others, Circumstances and God, humans find
complications in the actual human situations. Human person tends to find meanings to actual experiences.
Meanings may vary according to where the human person took a stand. Human condition may be explained
in terms of IDEOLOGY AND RELIGION.
Response in terms of Ideology:
Human beings naturally tend to explain experiences in terms of the meanings they perceived in their natural
ingenuity. These meanings developed into concepts and become ideology. Ideology is a body of ideas
that influence culture, thoughts, actions and decisions of individual or nations. People tend to
respond human condition based on ideologies being upheld. There are different ideologies existing in the
human world, to name some of these ideologies, we have:
1. Existentialist Atheism- is an ideology that upheld that Human Life is ultimately meaningless.
There is nothing beyond of this life today. With this, Existentialist Atheist lived up the principles that:
The way to absurdity: We have to accept the imbalances of life. After all life is absurd, life has no
meaning. We cannot do something about it. We have no power to change it.
The way to despair: If you cannot accept life’s ambiguity, then, give up your life, anyway nothing is
beyond of this life.
The way to power: If humans wish to be powerful, then, he has to play along. “sabay sa tama.” Go with
the current and do not go against so that you never get tired. So, Oppressed before you are oppressed.
Cheat before you get cheated. Kill before getting killed.

2. Humanistic Ideology – believes that the there is the ultimate meaning of human life. This ultimate
meaning resides in the human person himself in his capacity to transform the world to liberate it from all
forms of confusions. Human person can create a perfect world free from all forms of evils.
There are different Humanistic ideologies existing in human society:
Political revolutionism believes that human beings can build or create a socio-political order that free from
all evil.
Psychological behaviorism adheres that human beings like other system can be programmed in such a
way he/she will behave in a certain condition for the good of all (Pavlov’s experiment: Conditioned reflex)
Technological Progressivism believes that all everything can be answered through machines and
technology. All things can be put into machines. Society can be mechanized for control and power ( world of
technology).

Response in terms of Religion:

People tend to explain the imbalances of human condition based on their relationship with the Absolute, with
the beyond that explains the “who” and the “what” of everything in human existence. Human person exerted
efforts to relate to the ultimate One. This shapes to the conviction, system as well as discipline to hold on to
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this relationship to the ultimate. Ronald Wilkins named this effort as Religion. For him, Religion is a human
effort to relate to the God whom we believe in. (Wilkins, Ronald J. Introduction to the Bible. Salesiana Publishers, Inc.
1990, 75).
Most of the Religions all over the world adhered to the belief that human life has ultimate destiny and
meanings. It does not exist without the power of the “mysterious beyond”, the Absolute One. The ultimate
meaning of human existence resides in the absolute Being beyond this world. The Great world religions
namely: Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Islamism anchored to the belief that human life is
sanctified because it took its source from the Ultimate One. This is true most particularly to the Biblical
Religion, Judaism and Christianity.
In this Religious response, we viewed Christianity separately from the rest of the religions of the world.
1. Response of Non-Christian Religions
We Christians today encountered the following Religions other than Christianity. Despite the fact that they
had grown in the Asian Context, non-Christian religions vary in their responses to the condition of humanity
in the world.
Hinduism – a religion that believes that this world is just an illusion, the real world is the beyond.
Buddhism – upheld that this world is not real because it is full of sufferings caused by the unfulfilled desires
and passion of human beings. This unfulfilled passion and desires must be extinct. Buddhists believe in the
state called NIRVANA that means peace, serenity and nothingness. This is the experience of the extinction of
passions and desires.
Taoism – a religion that believes human life exist in so much change and multiplicity and the “TAO” is the
answer. Every human being must anchor to the “TAO.” Communion to Brahman is needed for every human
person.
Islamism – a religion that believes that human life is guided and protected by the power and might of Allah,
the absolute One. It believes that the “evils of human life can be absorbed by the “black stone” found in
Mecca”. If human being wishes to be cleansed, he has to go to Mecca or observed the cleansing law of their
Religion.
Indigenous religion – this is a multi-religion lived and practiced by our brothers and sisters “Lumads”. This is
a religion professed by the unassimilated indigenous people in the country. This religion upheld the
relatedness of the humans to Nature and that the Absolute Being is present in the things He created.

2. Response of the Christian Religion

Like other religious beliefs, Christianity upheld that God's Image and likeness sanctify life. Christian
Religion is the religion that professes the faith that God-became-human being in the Person of Jesus, the
Christ. It believes that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, the God-made-man who revealed in History.
As a religion, Christianity upholds that this world and its human beings are experiencing all forms of
evils, sufferings, war, injustices and the like. This world and this humanity must be redeemed or must be
saved from these evils. As of this moment, this world, both humans and nature, is undergoing transformation
to which everybody must participate in it.
This world must move towards its renewal into a world of Justice, Peace and love which we Christian termed
as Kingdom of God or the experience of God’s saving actions. This belief is a call to action for all Christians to
build and work for a more just and humane society where human being can live and human beings.
Faith as response to the Revealing God

Religion was born because there is interplay of God’s disclosure and human person’s awareness to God’s self-
communication. Yes, God unfolded Himself, but did God impose His revealing initiative? No. People only
understand God’s revelation through Faith. This response is termed as “Ob-audire Fide” which means
Obedience in Faith (Ob-audire = to listen carefully, Fide=faith). “To listen carefully in Faith” means that
the Human person fully submits intellect and will to the intellect and will of God. This also means willingness
to discover God’s presence and openness to God’s love, care and concern.
We have known that religious people interpret the Ultimate Concerns in terms of belief in something
or someone beyond or in something or someone Divine. Human beings come to the realization that they
reach out to something or someone Ultimate who gave them life. This awareness leads to a particular mode
of behavior. Ultimate Concern calls persons to transcend their own limited selves and to relate and be
concerned with other realities and persons.
Faith is defined as our response to God’s actions of unfolding Himself to us. This is human being’s initial and
basic positive response to the God who revealed to us, our total Yes to God’s total gift of self. This means our

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total surrender to the God whom we trusted completely as the Source of our Being. There are two aspects of
the Faith, The Object of our Faith (Truth of our God) and the Personal Act of Believing.
Nature of Faith

A Personal Decision of the Believer

Faith is a decision of the believer within the experience of the community. As a personal decision of
individual, faith involves the total person, it involves the Head, Heart, and the Hand of the Human person.
Faith involves the Head of the person to which the truth of our God must be understood, the Hand of the
Person to which faithful obedience to God’s will and finally it involves the heart to which our filial trusting in
the Lord.
There are dimensions of Faith as personal decision:
Faith as believing (Paniniwala). Ian Knox explains, "Faith and belief" are frequently confused in popular
understanding and usage. But they are not necessarily the same things. Faith enlightens us so that we can
see God revealed in the midst of human life at the heart of human
experience. A belief is a clear and precise articulation of our
broader commitment of faith in God who is present in our life.
Believing is an aspect of faith or a way of expressing the Faith. This
dimension refers to our knowledge of who and what God is through
accepting the divine truth revealed through the Scripture, Tradition
and human experiences.

Faith as Trusting (Pagtitiwala). Trusting is an intrinsic part of believing. Faith comes from Latin word
“Fidere” which means, “to trust.” To trust someone means that we must relinquish control, we must let go,
we must stop managing things and let someone else do it. Trusting belongs to the heart to the emotions to
say "I believe in you." This dimension refers to our confident trust to God’s saving love and our full
expression of faith in worship and prayer life.

Faith as Obedience or Doing (Pagsusunod) – Faith is a verb, it is not a noun. Faith is manifested only in
action. Faith is active and dynamic. It is not a static possession. This dimension refers to our authentic
actions to do God’s loving design or plan for the world and for all humanity, keeping the Word of God,
Commandments, moral demands and social responsibility.

b. Faith is a Gift from God. We cannot demand Faith as a right. Ian Knox viewed Faith as a supernatural
virtue infused into us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a blessing from God. It is only God who can give
Faith to the human person. It is our Faith that enables us to believe in God and in all that He has revealed.
(CCC 1814)
c. Faith is a Living Process. Faith is not a static possession of individual person. There is a need for the
human being to nourish and to keep the gift of faith to grow and become mature. It is the responsibility of
each individual person to nurture and nourish that gift of faith in us. Mature faith is a true witness to the
Living God.
PRAYER as the Response to the Presence of God

The Human condition became so strong that Human Person realized that not everything is under control
based on his own human capacity. Humans realized that there is the power beyond and that is the power
that comes from the Ultimate God. As a response of it person worship God. This worship could personal and
communitarian. This natural expression to realized the presence of God is called Prayer.

What is Prayer?
St. Therese of Lisieux once said, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward
heaven, it is a cry of recognition of love, embracing both trial and joy .” While St. Damascene considered
“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. ” Prayer is an
attempt to recognize the presence of God in our life. It is an attempt to establish conscious contact with God,
to attend to God, to enter into a personal relationship with God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) views prayer as God’s gift, as Covenant and as communion. As
God’s gift, prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of love to the
thirst of the only Son of God. As a Covenant, prayer is a covenant relationship between God and humans in
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Jesus. It is the action of God and human being, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves,
wholly directed to the Father in union to the human will of the Son of God made man, Jesus. Prayer then is a
living relationship of the children of God with their Father with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit.
As a Communion, prayer is the habit of being in the presence of Triune Holy God and in communion with
Him. This communion with God extends throughout the Church. (CCC. # 2559-65).
Just as Faith is the response to the revealing God, Prayer is also our response to the reality of our God. It is
our response to the presence of God in our life, a response to our awareness of God presence. It is our
expression of the Faith relationship established among us with our God. We are taught that prayer is a
dialogue with God to whom the process of communication must be observed. God talked and we listened, we
talked and God listens. There are many ways of praying based on the religious discipline that we observed.
Religious congregations have their own way of observing their prayerful exercises.

Forms of Prayer
The Catechism for the Catholic Church classifies human response to God in various forms (CCC # 2700-2719).
Our response can be both:

personal or private prayer

Prayer is not simply a function of the mind. We are body persons, not disembodied spirits. Prayer involves
body as well as mind.

Meditation- is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination emotion and desire. Its goal is to make our
own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life. It is an awareness of
God's presence in the midst of life: water, clouds, the stars, rolling waves, forest, fields, and the like.

Contemplation - is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus. It is
attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love, a silent expression of compassion. It achieves real union with
the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery. Praying here means to marvel at
what God must be like, focusing our attention on God.

Conversation or Vocal Prayer is an essential element of Christian life. It is founded on the union of body and
soul in human nature. This associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart following Christ’s example
of praying to His Father and teaching the "Our Father" to his disciples. We speak to God, either with actual
words formed by the lips or with words formed in the heart as well as in our mind.

Public or Common Prayer

It is not enough to pray privately. We are a community gathered in the name of our Lord. This is the
response made the by the Community or the Church living in its Liturgical life as expression of faith in the
Church. (This is to be treated thoroughly in ReEd 5)
3. Why must one pray?
One prays because one wishes to nourish the faith relationship with God. There are reasons why
must one pray. These reasons can be given useful mnemonic or memory aid: A C T S.
A - Adoration means true worship of God for what He is in Himself and not for what He can do for us.
Cardinal Aloysius Ambrosic said, "Prayer is no mere compass for our activity. God comes first and is to be
adored for his own sake." Adoration means recognizing and accepting the infinite difference between God
and every creature.
C - Contrition means sorrow for our sins. We have sinned being in the cycle of the evil structure. One prays
because we are sorry being participants of sinful structure. We want to recognize and accept the mystery of
God's mercy and compassion, a mercy that reaches out to us in every circumstance no matter what we have
done.
T - Thanksgiving is a common human need that makes for good human relationships, so must be part of
our relationship with God. We need to thank God for His goodness flowed upon us. Everything that we have,
all that we are has come from God. Thanksgiving is essential… because it is a fundamental religious reaction
of the creatures who discovers, in a tremor of joy and veneration, something of God, of His greatness and of
his glory.

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S - Supplication (or asking or Prayer of Petition) derived from the Latin "supplere" or "petere" which both
means "to beg, to ask insistently," To ask is surely the most frequent form of prayer. We ask God because we
recognize our dependence on Him and we believe that He is a God of mercy and compassion.
4. Characteristics of Christian Prayer
The National Catechetical Directory for the Philippines (NCDP) outlines characteristics of the Christian prayer
as
Trinitarian: Prayer is a Conscious, personal communion with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the
Holy Spirit (Rm. 5:5, 8:14-17); Gal. 4:4-6).
Christ-centered: Prayer is in the name of Jesus and to Jesus, the unique Mediator between the Father and
us and with Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father.
Ecclesial, Prayer is within the Church, the community of disciples of Jesus Christ.
Eucharist-centered, since by participation in the Eucharist, Christians encounter Jesus in His dying and
rising again for the life of the world, and have their own living and dying taken up into the mystery of Christ.
Related to neighbor – our brothers and sisters under God our Father in the Freedom and joy of that loving
commitment which Christ enjoined in all disciples especially to the poor, the powerless, the afflicted (Mt.
25:40)
Eschatological- open to the dimension of the here - after. This is present in everything we do now on earth.
The Risen Christ and His Spirit are present to us in our earthly pilgrimage, giving “new Jerusalem” where God
will dwell with His people. God wipes away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither
shall there be mourning nor crying or pain anymore for the former things has passed away.
An expression of faith (Mk. 11:24) preserving (Mt. 7:7 Lk.11:8) humble (Mt. 23:12)

5. Developing a Habit of Prayer

Prayer is not simply a function of the mind. We are body-persons, not disembodied spirits. We can
never totally divorce totally divorce the mind from the body. There are many techniques in disposing
ourselves in prayer. As with many things in life, praying becomes easier and more spontaneous if we can
make it a habit.
Forming a habit of Prayer:
Constant Repetition: Practice even when we don't feel it like it. We need to train ourselves to respond freely
to God. Constant disposing us to pray becomes a habit.

Set times: having times for doing things facilitates what we want to do. This is but a natural effect of the
body works even though it is true that we can pray at any time of the day in any event of our lives. Mahatma
Gandhi said, "Prayer is the key in the morning and the bolt of the evening."

Work: to pray well involves efforts, it requires dedication, a certain conquest of self, going against one's
natural inclination and overcoming one's lazy tendencies (CCC2725)

God is everywhere therefore we can call on Him anywhere, but experts on Spirituality agreed that prayer
exercise would only be fruitful with some aids to compose ourselves to a very deep relationship with the
revealing God.
3 P's of Prayer
Place: It is true that we can talk to God anywhere. However for a more productive way of praying, a good
place would really help in disposing ourselves in the atmosphere of prayer.

Position: There may be a number of comfortable positions that we can use to pray better. Asian spiritual
exercises can give a lot of positions wherein individual can stay hours of prayer and may not be disturbed.

Passage: Christians believe that Scripture passage is a factor of our spiritual relatedness to our God. In
prayer, we believe that the passage from the Scripture may aid us in prayer.

6. Spontaneous Prayer or Prayer in Formulas?

All prayers should be spontaneous in the sense that we should come to God freely and willingly. Also, prayer
is often a conversation, and conversation is best carried on in a spontaneous fashion. As one community of
the Faithful, the Catholic Church came up with formula Prayers based on the basic Truths revealed in the
doctrine of God. Many claim that using set prayer formulas tends to be mechanical and repetitious and does
not readily engage the heart and emotions. While this claim may be true to some extent the use of set of
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formulas for prayer is a strong tradition of the Church. This is practiced in the in our tradition with the
following advantages:
Set formulas give our prayer content, direction and certain self-discipline. They help us avoid self-pitying
introspective individualism, which may creep into purely spontaneous prayer.

Many of the set prayer formulas in general use in the Church have a long and deep tradition as expression of
faith. For the most part they are trans-cultural and therefore help to keep us in touch with the faith tradition
of the whole church.

Prayer formulas learned by heart, and often repeated, come more easily to mind in times of sudden crisis,
when spontaneous prayer may desert us.

(Basic Prayer Formulas can be treated here like Our Father, Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, Apostles Creed, Doxology, etc .)
Study Questions
What conditions of life you have now that hinders your experience of Freedom, Love and Responsibility? In
what way they curtailed your being a person?
How do these conditions affect your relationship with yourself, with others, with the realities of life and with
God?
What is your personal reaction to professed believers of your religion who failed to live the life of a true
believer? How do you react on others’ negative comments against your own religion?
Can you find the beauty and the weaknesses of your own religion compare to other religion known to you?
Kindly give example.
What you understand about Religion and the purpose why must God has to reveal Himself to human being?
What is this thing called Faith? What is the role of this Faith in our human existence and in our relation ship
with God?
What are signs of a maturing Christian faith? How would you concretize in your life?
Does human being need to pray? Why must one pray? Does it make a difference if we pray or not?
Does God answer prayer? Can you recall a time when your prayers were answered? What about time when
they were not answered?
What does this prayer experience say about God?

Suggested Activity
On Human Condition: - Recalling of the Happiest moment in life: What, when, where, how and why?
What makes a person Happy?
- Recalling of the saddest moment in life: what, when, where, how and why?
What makes a person sad?
On Revelation: Friendship Talk: - List 10 qualities of a friend, Search for someone in the classroom who
possesses at least one of these qualities– What do you want to tell to this friend about
yourself?
On Faith: a. Trust Walk or trust game
b. My Own Creed Formulation: From your own experience, state three or four deeply held
beliefs whom and what do you believe?
On Prayer: a. Organize the class into five groups for a creative prayer service once a month
Create prayer group and come for a schedule of prayer
c. Prayer partners: Prayer commitment in a specific time
d. Assign each student to take turn leading prayer every class meeting

MODULE 4: GOD AND HIS WORKS OF SALVATION

Lesson 1: God in the Experience of History

1-A: God in the History of the World or Universe 42
1-B: God in the History of Human Being
1-C: God in the History of Evil
 THE CORE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLICAL FAITH

Chapter Objectives
Explain the Saving Works of God as unfolded in the experience of Justice in the History of the World, Humanity and in the
history of Israelites and develop in faith the images of God and His Plan of Salvation for all humanity, history and all creation.
Explore the Biblical understanding of the origin of the Universe, Life of the person, Evil, meaning of Salvation and Justice,
Structure of Sin and its consequences, among the Chosen People as the foundation of Christian understanding of Salvation and
Justice and practice in faith the true essence of Biblical Religion’s Salvation and Justice
Celebrate the intimate relationship humans with God and Nature in the participation of faith nourishment in the family, Church
and Nation.
Develop a responsible sense of the basic law of nature in our relationship with the world and humanity
Design a comparison on the other known concept of Human Being
Express realization on the integrity of life being an image and likeness of God.
Explain the Biblical Religion’s understanding of
Recognize humbly the personal and societal sins committed
Reconcile the broken relationship with self, others, nature and God through the Sacraments of Reconciliation

The Bible is like and old family album. It contains all sorts of pictures and snapshots. Some record
important events such as wedding, baptisms, birthdays, graduations, burial of a family member, a picture of
a family friend who went abroad. Others may record events of seeming unimportance: a tree, flower or may
be a group’s photo with no date written in it. Not all pictures are important to the family but placed and
preserved in the album to tell the children and the grand children about the family. They learned who they
are and where they came from, what they did and what they experienced.

Such is the Bible. It has a little bit of everything: formal, official, snapshots of casual events. But why is it
important that we go through the pages of this family album, called the Bible? We often talk about Salvation,
redemption and liberation; all these are preserved in organized disorder in the Bible. We Christians believe
that we read the Bible because it offers an indispensable tool for reflection in living this life given by God
Himself in the light of our relationship with Him.

If we wished to explore the Bible, we have to get hold on to the most basic, most fundamental and most
essential message of the Biblical faith proclamation. As we turn to Biblical pages from the Book of Genesis to
the Book of Revelation, we can find that Bible is all about God and His work of Salvation. In unfolding this
core message, there are three overarching messages (aside from the message of who and what God
is), namely:

Overarching Messages of
Biblical Faith

Salvation Justice
God’s
Work
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History
These are the three overarching messages we can find as we turn through the pages of the Scriptures to
which it would tell us who is God and what is the God experienced by the Biblical People. Focusing
this three-core message will help us explore the core of the faith proclamation in the Sacred Scriptures

Salvation is central in the message of the Biblical Faith just as God is. As we hinted in our previous
discussion, the history that we can find in the Bible is a “salvific history” or “history of Salvation. Bible speaks
of the drama of Salvation from the point of view of faith relationship with God. This drama begins with the
creation of everything in this universe until the coming of the Final and Definitive Salvation (Kingdom of God)
at the close of this present history.

Meaning
I. GOD IN THE EXPERIENCE OF SALVATION of
Salvation
The word Salvation is a derivative of the English word “Salve” which is a kind of a cream or lotion used to
heal sore or wounds. Salvation is understood in different models. We would like to refer to some of them.

1. Common Understanding of Salvation:

One prevalent and typical understanding of Salvation in the Christian world and one that served as
the underpinning of much of our Christian practices and spirituality today is this:
“Salvation means salvation of the soul from sin so that after death the soul may go to heaven”
This understanding of Salvation is correct and Biblical. In the context of the historical perspective; that is, the
perspective of the Greaco-Roman Christianity that began to develop only after the second generations of
Christians had passed away. This Greaco-Roman-Christianity, in its self-understanding and practice, adopted
the categories provided by the Neo-platonic–Aristotelian philosophy as its framework. This understanding
of Salvation is incomplete and inadequate. Why? This is because it viewed salvation as salvation only of
the soul from sin for spiritual grace and for heaven. This is a concept of salvation of the hereafter as “Beatific
Vision” or seeing God face to face in heaven and its only the soul can enjoy it. This also viewed salvation in
this life as acquiring sanctifying grace for the soul. Such concept is more Grecian than that of Biblical way of
understanding of salvation.

2 . Biblical Understanding of Salvation

Despite how much our wild imagination has understood salvation in different models, we have the
responsibility to go back to the foundation of its understanding, the Bible. The more complete and more
adequate understanding of Salvation is the concept of Salvation that grew in the experiences and spirituality
of the Biblical People. Biblical people slowly developed understanding Total Salvation as God of History
unfolds Himself in their life experiences.

Salvation for the Hebrews or Israelites (roughly around 2000-586 BCE)

The most fundamental insight of the Israelite Faith is that God works in the events of Israel’s history as
SAVING GOD. Their religious and national literature that we call the Old Testament is basically a record of
Yahweh’s saving actions or Yahweh’s deeds of salvation. (cf. Deut. 6:21-23; Deut. 26:5-9; Joshua 24:2-13;
Psalm 136). And such salvation was bestowing of the blessings that affect the totality of the life of an
Israelite and of the Israelite nation. In Leviticus 26:3-13, Deut. 28:2-1, God promised concrete blessing of the
concrete persons.

Thus salvation for the Hebrews or the Israelites was the SAVING DEEDS OF YAHWEH IN THE LIFE-
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE as experienced of having Land, Food during famine, children,
liberation from slavery, abundance, peace, covenant as Yahweh’s people, oil, rains, fruit, grapes,
wine, bread and security. Saving events or actions of God in the past and present is concrete experience
of Salvation.
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Salvation according to the Prophets (roughly around 750-400 BCE)
All the prophets, of course, shared the basic and traditional insights regarding salvation. They believed in
God’s salvific actions that bring blessings to Israel in the totality of their needs. Now many of the prophets
carried this further and spoke about a future Saving Action of God, or rather, the Saving Actions of God in the
Future which would bring to Israel this final and definitive Salvation. In speaking about this final and
definitive salvation, these prophets wanted to bring the idea of total salvation.
For example, Prophet Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah, Is. 40-55) announced that these Saving Actions of God would bring
about another liberating Exodus for the exiled Jews in Babylon. Prophet Jeremiah said that this Saving
Actions of God will bring home to the scattered sons of Israel (see Jeremiah 31:10-13). And Ezekiel adds:
“Yahweh will cleanse his people; he will give them a new heart and will put in them a new spirit” (Ez. 36:25 ff.)
Salvation is security in the land, coming back from dispersion, abundance, peace, new heart, You shall be my
people, clean water, fruit, grapes, wine, grains, new paradise. (cf. Is. 2:4, Is, 11:6-9; Am. 9:13-15, Jer.
31:11-14, Ez. 36:22-32)

For the prophets, then, SALVATION IS FINAL SAVING DEEDS OF YAHWEH IN THE LIFE-
HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES PEOPLE.

Salvation according to the Jewish Apocalyptic writers ( 200 BCE-200 CE)

It is among the Jewish Apocalyptic writers that we see clearly the meaning of total salvation. They
too announced the future exercise of God’s final Saving Action. For many of them, this action would bring the
end of time, the end of history and the beginning of a transformed universe, a new heaven and new earth
where there would be no more mourning nor tears nor pain nor death–because all things will have been
made anew. (Cf. Rev. 21:1-5). It was the apocalyptic writers who really spoke about a salvation that is really
final and really total.

Salvation according to Jesus (4BCE-30 CE)

It was in Jesus that the full-grown understanding of Salvation had made its full shape. Salvation for Jesus
was total salvation (Mt. 11:4-5, Mt. 4:23-24; Luke 4:17-21; Acts 10:38). . It is a Salvation of the Total Person
and humanity, whole world and total history. It is a salvation that is experienced today in this life and in the
future in the life-here-after. It was in Jesus that salvation is concretely experience in His words and actions,
both an experience today and an experience in the future. ( this is to be treated exhaustively in ReEd 2)

Salvation for the Early Church (30 – 100 CE)

The Early Christians spoke also of the total salvation. Early Christian community embraced the perception of
Jesus about Salvation as Salvation today and in the future. Salvation in this life is in the form of the concrete
blessings of the life of the person and the Salvation in the future will be the experience of the fullness of life.

The Common View and Biblical Understanding of Salvation Compared

Common Understanding
CORRECT, BIBLICAL BUT
INCOMPLETE AND
INADEQUATE
1. Salvation of Soul
2. Salvation from Sin
3. Salvation is going to Heaven 3. This is the salvation not simply going to heaven,
Biblical understanding
CORRECT, BIBLICAL,
COMPLETE AND ADEQUATE
1. This is the salvation not just salvation of the soul,
but the Salvation of the total person, of all humanity and
peoples, of the whole created universe.
2. This is the salvation not just salvation from sin (although sin
remains the most important of all human evils to be liberated
from),
but the Salvation from all human evils such as disease,
hunger, poverty, death, corruption, wars, oppression,
weeping, mourning.
but salvation for a world to come, a transformed universe
in the future at the end of this present history or the New
Heaven and the New Earth.

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 Partial Total

This development of understanding of Salvation shaped in the Scripture gave us the picture of Total
Salvation. The Total Salvation does not concern with what is metaphysical but also concerned with what is
concrete in reality and history of life of person and the world.

The Total Salvation

Positively, Total Salvation means LIFE, PEACE, HEALTH, JOY, THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALL IN ALL.
Further this Total Salvation in the Bible viewed it as an experience today ( A PRESENT REALITY) and an
experience in the future (FUTURE REALITY). The salvation in its present reality refers to the salvation in this
life that is experienced in the life-giving blessings such as health, food, land, justice, rain, bread, forgiveness
of sin, God’s spirit in the hearts. The salvation in its future reality refers to the experience in the life
hereafter. It would mean fullness of life, destruction of all evils in this present world, transformed universe for
the new person living in a new history. This means God will be all in all.

II. GOD IN THE WORK OF JUSTICE

Another overarching message which unfolds who is God and what is God found in the heart of
Biblical Religion is the Message of Justice. We find in the Bible a drama of Salvation unfolded throughout the
human history. This drama begins with the creation and it ends with the coming of the final kingdom of God.
This history of salvation is concerned with total and integral life and this drama of salvation is done through
justice.

Aside “history” and “salvation,” JUSTICE played a very important role in the Biblical Faith
proclamation. This justice is explicitated and emphasized as Social Justice or the Justice for the Anawim or
the poor and oppressed.
A. Meaning of Justice:
Justice relates closely with the Hebrew word, “tsedakah, mishphat, checed, and emet” which can be
summarized into a simple word as Social Justice, the justice for the poor and oppressed (anawim) of the
land. There are two views of Justice in the Sacred Scripture, namely:
1. Justice as an attribute of God
Justice together with Holiness is viewed as God’s Divine nature. It is referred to in Job 37:23 as righteousness
or moral uprightness. The Justice of God is part of Divine righteousness for it exhibits in itself absolute
fairness. God is viewed as the source of Justice that made everything in the world lived in harmony with one
another. This justice spring from God’s own divine nature that is absolute. All things find fairness, harmony
and peace in the absolute justice of God.

2. Justice as an attribute to Human person

Justice depends on the fact that man is created in God’s image and likeness. Human justice is a
reflection of God’s justice. This justice of human being is not absolute. Our justice must be guarded with full
responsibility. Humans have to live in harmony with one another and with the rest of God’s creation.

B. Centrality of Justice in the Biblical Religion and Christianity

At the beginning of the Salvation History, it is said in Gen. 18:19 that the Mission of the Fathers of
the Race (Israelites) is to “charge justice and right” (Tsedakah and mishphat). This salvation history of the
Israelites nation begins with the commissioning of its Patriarchs to promote justice and right. As God’s
saving Actions evolved, we find strong demands for justice on the part of its most authentic representatives,
e.g. the prophets and of Jesus. The centrality of this justice in the History of Salvation is traceable in the

46
important events of the Biblical Faith: Creation story of world, and humankind, beginning of evil, exodus
event, and birth of Yahwism and the rest of the events of the Chosen People of Yahweh. (This is to be
explored in the topic of Bible is all about History)

III. GOD IN HISTORY

What “teaching” besides perhaps the teaching on God, can be considered as the most basic and most all-
embracing in the whole Bible, or, what is the Bible really all about? The Bible first and foremost is all about
HISTORY. What kind of History we can find in the Bible is a History of Salvation as it was concretely
experienced in Justice. We have hinted this fact when we defined the Bible. History is one of the most basic,
overarching messages we can explore in the Biblical faith proclamation.
Bible is all about:
History of the World or Universe: Creation of Heavens and Earth
History of the Humankind
The Origin of Evil
History of the Israelites People
History that stretches from the beginning of Creation of heaven and earth until the
1. The Bibleof the
coming New Heavenwith
is concerned and New
the Earth
History of the World or
History that is centered in Jesus Christ.
Universe:
The authors Creation
of Genesis of Heavens
wanted to answer and the Earth
the basic question of the pre-scientific human civilization asked:
What was the world in the beginning? What is the origin of all things in the world? Who made these things in
heavens, on earth and under the earth? They wanted to answer these questions not on the scientific account
of existence but on the of the relatedness of the world.
A. The Creation Story:
The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth is told to us in the Genesis 1:1-2:4a by the Priestly Tradition,
the tradition that fully developed when they were in Babylonian exile. The modern scriptural scholarship sees
that the early part of the Hebrew Bible is a composite of the four traditions "J", "E", "D", and "P" which were
handed down orally.
Creation is the act whereby God brought into existence the heavens, the earth, and the luminaries, life
forms and elements. (Harper's Bible Dictionary) As a teaching of the Church, Creation is the foundation of “all
God’s saving plans,” the “beginning of the history of salvation” that culminates in the Jesus Christ ( CCC 280).
The Mystery of the life of Jesus, the Christ illuminates the mystery of creation of the heavens and the earth:
“God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.”
The text has a ritual cadence and structure, finely tuned by decades of use in the Temple worship. Even in
translations, one can sense the majesty and rhythm. In reading the passage or better still listening to it being
read aloud, it is obvious that the author did not set out to give a scientific account of existence in either an
ancient or modern sense. The author follows through some pattern:
1. Two Formats:
In this narrative of the Creation of the Universe, the authors presented two patterns to unfold God’s work of
Creation, namely, Literary Format and the Fixed Format.
1. a Literary Format:
A careful study of Genesis’ story of creation brings us to this Literary style used by the Authors to present
how they perceived the beginning of the whole universe.
Literary Format 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
INTRODUCTION
A COMMAND
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE COMMAND
AFFIRMATION OF GOODNESS

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 AN IDENTIFICATION OF THE DAY

This Literary Format is a style repeatedly used by the authors to tell us the work of God in the creation of the
whole universe until He finished everything in heavens, on earth and under the earth. ( Workshop on Literary
Format: Go though the Creation story Genesis 1:1-2:4a and fill in table above the words belong t the literary forma t)

1. b Fixed Format:
As we moved further in this study of the story of Creation, we discover that the overall seven days of God’s
work of creation follows a fixed format, namely: THREE DAYS OF SEPARATION and THREE DAYS OF
DECORATION or POPULATION. (Workshop on the Fixed Format: [Explore Genesis 1:1-2:4a draw the actions of God in each
day based on the Diagram below.]

B. The Truth and realities taught by the

Biblical Writers in the Story of Creation:
1. The Heavens and the Earth: We, modern
scientific people, have discovered and studied
that the basic features of the universe are
limitless space wherein the sun is positioned at
the center and everything revolves around it. The earth is round engulfed with gravitational forces and the
sky is the limitless space we perceive by us from the earth. While we embrace this basic feature of the
universe, the authors of Genesis did not. They were pre-scientific people. The heavens and the
earth is a formula used by the Biblical authors to refer to the world or the whole universe, heaven(s) +
earth = world or universe
The earth is the flat hard surface on which we stand here below like a floor of the house. The heaven(s) is
the blue roof or layers of above. It is not an empty space. But like a dome or inverted bowl, the heaven(s) is
solid. Sometimes this roof is seen as having not one but several layers. Onto the downside of this roof, as on
the ceiling, are attached the ornaments. These are the stars, the moon including the sun, set like jewels on
the firmament. This heaven(s) is Yahweh’s dwelling place (or more accurately, above the heavens) (Abesamis,
Carlos. A third Look at Jesus. Claretian Publications: Quezon City, 1999. p. 88 )

48
 Hea
ven(
s)
earth
Thus, the heaven(s) and earth will be viewed this way:

2. Darkness: In the Bible, darkness symbolically denotes wickedness, ignorance, the unknown, the woe, and
eternal sin. It is always identified with evil. It suggests confusion and evil. In fact it is an ancient way of
describing the pre-creation state, physical "darkness upon the face of the deep"( Gen. 1:2). However there is
no darkness in God. God dispels darkness. The Biblical authors of the Creation Story wished to communicate
that the Creator turns darkness into something good by bringing it under God’s Control. It is part of God’s
Creation therefore it is Gods. Darkness has a holy purpose in the Life on earth. It is intended for everything
on earth to rest and rejuvenate. It has to be done for the sake of life.
3. One God: The Biblical writer lived in a world where the worship of many gods was as widespread as the
worship of One God today. Almost all objects in nature is worshipped by some groups or nations during the
writing of the Bible. The author’s point is, “there is only One, True and Living God.” He made his point by
having “ONE GOD” as the Creator of everything and the Cause of the existence of everything in this universe
including the false gods and goddesses that the ancient people worshipped. The authors also taught that God
made heavenly bodies to serve people and to mark their seasons and to light their earth.
4. God’s Divine Goodness and Loving Design: In Biblical times, there was the widespread belief that the
world came into being through the haphazard act of the feuding gods. Generally people believed that the
universe: in heaven, on earth and under the earth was made out of the anger of gods. For example, the
Babylonian creation story entitled “ENUMA ELISH” expresses this belief. The “ENUMA ELISH” story, the
Babylonian account, describes the world coming after the bloody battle between the two rival gods, Marduk
and Tiamat. In this battle, Marduk won over Tiamat. Out of the lacerated and slain body of Tiamat, Marduk
fashioned the universe with his anger and might.
The Biblical writers followed this Babylonian sequence of creation story. But they departed radically when it
comes to the Creator. The authors of the Bible portrayed God who created the World and the Universe in the
wonderful design of compassion and loving care. The writers’ point of view was this, God created the
universe not by whim or by chance or by anger but by the fullness of His Will, His Divine Goodness and
by His loving Design.
5. God created Everything Good: Many People in Biblical times believed that some parts of the material
creation were evil because they were products of the work evil gods or out of angry acts of gods. As late as
the 12th century C.E. this idea was still widely circulated. Those who were teaching maintained that people
were composed of two contradictory elements: the matter is from Satan while the spirit is from God.
Against these stories, the Bible teaches that GOD CREATED EVERYTHING AND WHAT GOD CREATED
IS ALL GOOD. The Biblical writers made their points by having God affirmed the Goodness of all He creates.
“God saw that it was good”
6. Grand Finals: God alone has no ending. All creation has its ending. All creation are destined to go back to
the Source. God is the source of all in this life, everything will end in Him. The key point about creation is left
to last.
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The Biblical writers describe God as blessing the last day and resting on it. Why?
First, they want to teach that Sabbath should be observed in a special way. “ On the seventh day, God
rested.” This rest of God doesn’t mean that since then God regards his creation from afar (Jn. 5:7). We
should rather understand that God’s creation and even the work of humans lead to the endless day when we
shall rest in God and share in his happiness.(CCB footnotes p. 47). Rest in our context is to stop for a moment,
relax, or pause for a while. But here in the seventh day when God rested, He did not stop nor relax… He
continued the work of creation. God is resting when everything in the heavens, on earth and under the earth
blend together in harmony, in unity, in communion and in justice with each other giving the balance
(equilibrium) suitable to sustain life, the life that flowed out from God. Thus everything is related with each
other in the universe.
Second, the Biblical writers wanted to teach us that God who created us in His image and likeness destined
us to be His children and the whole created universe is our home forever. All races of the earth are from God.
We are all His children. No life is a mess is this world. Every life in the universe is sanctified because of the
image and likeness of God inscribed within the being of each creature. Life on earth should not be destroyed
because God is resting in it.
Therefore, the Laws of the natural order must be observed and must be respected by the human beings. This
is because the Law of Nature flowed out from the Divine Law of God Himself. There are four basic Laws of
Nature, which we humans must observe.
Everything in the World is related to each other. (Ang lahat ng bagay ay magkaugnay.) Land, water,
air, fire are elements that sustain life. They are inseparable from each other. Humans and other creatures
relied so much on this relationship.
Nothing is given free. It seems that God has given everything free. No, anything is given for free. This is
because humans do not own nature. It is the nature that owns us. God as the owner lends it to us. We have
to conserve for the next generation. So whatever we take from nature must be paid.
Nothing is lost on earth. God who is the Source of all existence would not allow that His creation will
vanish. Life is forever because it is His. Everything that exists will not vanish but will just transform to
another dimension in another mode of existence. (e.g. water, air, cloud etc.)
Nature knows best. If a human being has wisdom, then Nature has. Nature knows what is needed to
sustain life. It knows how to balance and to process matters in her capacity to provide equilibrium for all that
lived in the earth.

C. God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth

Who is God and what is God in this narrative of the beginning of the world or universe? God is “The
Creator” is the fundamental image we can have of our God in the story of creation. It sets God apart from
all things as the only Uncreated Reality. At the same time, it relates His very person, place or thing as the
Primary Cause for existence. Thus God, the Creator is both transcendent (beyond) all He had made, yet
immanent (remaining) in it, constantly it is in existence (CFC, 91, CCC 300)
When He created the world by His word (cf. Col. 4:6), God called into being what did not exist (Rm. 4:17). This
first activity continues as He animates creatures; for in Him we have life, we have movement, and we have
being (Acts 17:28, 1Tim. 6:13). He created the world and all exists by Him and for Him (1Cor 8:6, Rev. 11:36, Col. 1:16).
Therefore everything is good, and all that is from God is pure (1Cor. 10:25, Col. 2:20 ff).
The God who is the source of the existence of all things in nature is present in His creation. He is respected
when Nature is respected. He is given freedom when Nature breathes freely. God as the Creator is so close to
His Creation and a God who is so intimate to all. Thus says God, the Lord, who made the heavens and the
earth, who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord have called you…I, have
grasped you by hand (Isaiah 42:5)

2. Bible is concerned about the History of the

life of Human Being (humankind)
The Bible unfolds the story of the origin of the life of the Human Person. This is told to us the Genesis 2:4b-
25 by the Yahwist Tradition, the most ancient tradition existed even before the time of King Solomon.
The Yahwist creation story differs greatly in style from the Priestly form of telling the story. It is less formal
and more earthly. It portrays God as a potter, molding human’s body out of the clay from the ground.

50
Underlying the story is an important teaching: the intimacy that exists between God and the human race. To
begin with, man is described as being created before all other creatures of the earth. Second, he is described
as being composed of two elements: CLAY AND THE BREATH OF GOD.

A. The Clay and the Breath of God

The CLAY points to our KINSHIP WITH THE REST OF GOD’S CREATION. The BREATH OF GOD points
to our KINSHIP WITH GOD HIMSELF. The Biblical God and the humans are related intimately as a person
to his own breath. The authors of Genesis 2 presented the origin of human being in a very simple but
symbolic way. It started with, “Then Yahweh God formed Man, dust drawn from the clay of the

aC
ground and breathed into the nostrils a breath of life and Man became
alive with breath.” (Gen. 2:7). YHWH (Adonai) or Yehua means
SOMEONE WHO MAKES OTHERS LIVE or SOURCE OF LIFE. The clay (or
earth) is essential element of God’s created universe shaped or made into the
body of person as the frame of clay. The breath of God is the Air that engulfs
the whole universe (The “Ruah” of God). Notice again the essential elements
of the life of person, dust drawn from the clay of the ground (earth) and the

il
breath of God (the air).
The Clay and the Air are two basic elements of God’s Creation or Nature
and these are the elements which composed the life of the person according
to the philosophy of this most ancient tradition. This tradition wanted to preserve
a very lofty Jewish philosophy of the human being to which we may surmise
in today’s language as, “Human Beings are inseparable from nature because
humans are nature by themselves.” If we were to make a formula of human

ra
life out of this action of God, we may have “CLAY + AIR = LIFE OF
PERSON.” This is the origin of the life of the human being.

B. Blessings of the life of Human Being

Human Life is an outflow of the Life of God. God owns LIFE. His image and
likeness (Gen. 1:26) sanctify life on earth. God did not make life and just allow it to

y
wither. It is His will to make life last in His presence. God then blessed human
life with life-giving blessings in order to sustain, namely: Land, Freedom and
Justice
B.1. Gift of Land or Earth or Nature:
The Bible tells us that after God breathed into the nostrils, human life exists.
God endowed this life with blessings intended to sustain the existence or the life
He had given to this human nature. The authors went further, “God planted a
Garden in Eden, in the east and there He placed Man whom he had created .” (Gen. 2:8). Garden refers to
the whole earth that God has created as His partner of giving life both humans and the rest of creation. Eden
is a symbol of the Fullness of Life, of Perfection, of Abundance: where beauty, goodness, peace,
justice and harmony dwells this means a Paradise. Garden of Eden is the most suitable place where
human life survives. God had made everything to sustain the life of person. This Garden of Eden refers
mainly to Nature or the whole earth that exists before the human person had life. The Nature is symbolized
with the land or the earth. It is where human life would dwell. Land is a blessing given by God wherein all
products of the land are intended to make human race live.
Land is a gift, an inheritance of God and really belongs to Yahweh and is entrusted only to human
being. Land is an inalienable property of God for the use of human being. When there is Land, there is air,
there is water, there is food, there is shelter and everything springs from the LAND. The authors wanted to
tell us that Land is God’s partner of giving life to the human being.

Throughout the Scripture, Land is very central in the life of the Israelites. It is their inheritance from Yahweh
and was entrusted to them as a result of the Covenant with God. Strictly speaking, the Israelites only have
the right to use and usufruct (the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something
belonging to another) BUT NOT OF STRICT OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND.

51
Lands are thus to be preserved in their original boundaries, avoiding in this manner monopolies which ruin
the good of the members of humanity. Since life of person is from land/nature/earth, then it is bound to go
back to its source.

B. 2. Gift of Freedom
We were taught that freedom is to be ourselves who is fundamentally good as when God created
human beings in His image and likeness ( Gen. 1:26). This is a lofty Philosophy of the ancient Hebrews
narrated to us by the Priestly Tradition in addition to what the Yahwist tradition had already been taught. The
Yahwist “J” tradition wanted to tell us that Human Freedom was born when God said, “You are free to eat
the fruit of the trees EXCEPT the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”. Freedom is to decide what
is good and what is evil and the most fundamental option of every person is towards good because of our
very nature, “And God saw how good it was.”
Human Freedom is not absolute. When God gave us freedom, He considers limit in it. It has
limitations that the person must be aware of. Person is free to do only what is good. This freedom is intended
to maintain the image of God inscribed in each human being. The author wants to tell us basic realities in
their culture, namely:
a. God intends that person eats only what is the fruit of the trees. This means that in the beginning there
was no killing just to feed ourselves. Fruit of the trees can sustain the life of the person.
b. It is in nature that the person has freely expressed His being. It is in Nature (land, earth, clay or soil)
that everything is given free but not all things are provided. Thus related to the gift of freedom is
responsibility, “Yahweh God took man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to till it and take care of it.”
(Gen. 2:15) These are the two tremendous responsibilities that will fully allow the person exercise his human
freedom: to till the earth and to care for the earth.
God wanted Human Being to be His STEWARDS over His whole creation. Stewardship of God’s creation is
a task for all human race wherein human being would find fulfillment of his being in relation to nature. This is
because humans were taken out from nature themselves. God has nicely prepared the world before He
created human being. He deliberated well before this action of creating humans. In the Scripture, Yahweh
entrusted the Land as a result of His loving relationship with the human being whom He created in His image
and likeness (Gen. 1:26). The human being has been given only the right to use or usufruct but not for strict
ownership. Thus Stewardship does not mean ownership of the land. This means we are all accountable to
God if what will happen to the earth or land.
This truth is reflected in Yahweh giving the land of Canaan as a result of their covenant with Him in
the desert. Stewardship of the Israelites is a sure norm of their view on land as owned by Yahweh.
B.3. Gift of Justice
Justice, in our context today, is measured according to our relationship with each other. In the
context of the Biblical writers, this justice does not flow out only from our relationship with one another but it
must be viewed in the relationship of the humans with the Earth or Nature.
In doing what is ought to do, the Human person has proven integrity, dignity, worth and strength.
“Everything is given but not all things are provided”. This quotation simply means human person has to labor
and work for the sustenance of living. Human Person is given life in order to work. Humans as we are, we do
not work in order to live but we live to work. This is to be understood that it is the nature of the human being
to use his strength productively in work. It is essential to reflect on the Maker of all things, God works and as
image of God we, too, must work. In relation to the Earth, the human person has to:
a. cultivate the land/earth so that the earth will become fertile and productive;
b. plant and take care of the plant in order that the plant will bear fruit; and
c. let the plant give what is due for human’s effort.
It is in this way, that we wanted to view the Gift of Justice given to human life. Human Being relates closely
to the earth or land. To the Land the person gives himself in toils and labor. This is what we called as the
primordial sense of justice that exists in the beginning of the life of the human person. This is the original
justice that exists between humans and nature from which we came from. This is the basic relationship from
which our relationship with other person would find their meanings. With the efforts that we give to the earth
it is also in this standard that the earth will give what is due for us. How do humans relate to the land would
also be reflected the way they relate to each other.
C. Human Being as the Crown of God’s Creation
God places human being (man and woman) in a good and beautiful garden, the creation (Gen. 2:9) to
develop and guard it, as His steward. God wishes Human Being to establish control over the animals by
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giving them name (Gen. 2:19, cf. 1:25) this truth indicates that NATURE is not to be divinized. Nature is not
God but God is present in Nature. This Nature is to be developed by the ingenuity of the human being.
Nature must be brought under the stewardship of the humans so as to exercise the tremendous
responsibility given by God to humans in Gen. 2:15. The duty towards work on the earth does not depend
upon the duty of obedience to God, but God constantly refers back to human’s stewardship of the earth.

As the Crown of God’s beautiful Creation, Human Being has to establish harmony, justice
and peace with the rest of God created universe. This is to make the whole earth the most suitable habitat
of human life. This stewardship of the earth does not mean ownership. God must be the owner of
everything, so as stewards; human person must see to it that the original shape of the earth is maintained
under his care. In fact God's creative outpouring power reaches its zenith in the creation of man and
woman.

D. God is A God who is Intimate

Who is God and what is God in the story of the origin of the life of person? This second story of Creation
highlights a teaching that makes the Religion in the Bible totally different from other world religions. Other
world religions may stress God’s knowledge, His infinity, or His power. But in this story, the Bible stresses
Intimacy in everything God created. The God in the Bible is a God who is not afraid to be intimate and
concrete. God is not afraid to loose His Divinity in the ocean of intimacy and concreteness. He created human
beings, the heavens, the earth and everything under the earth very concretely in His divine goodness. And
He created people in His image and likeness and breathed into him His own Breath of Life.
God and people are related with intimacy just as humans are related to Nature. The bonding of intimacy
between God and people should last forever. God is so close to us, He is not a distant God. He is within the
reach of all creation. He is very accessible to all people that in every moment of our life, He is there.

3. Bible tells about the Origin of Evil

If God made everything good, where does evil come from? The experiences of humanity unfolded that the
original blessings of life of human beings, namely: land, freedom, justice were not fully enjoyed by the
human race. The story of the origin of evil is told to us firstly in the Genesis 3:1-24 by the Yahwist Tradition
(Read and study the text)
A. ADAM AND EVE
Adam and Eve symbolize the whole human race. It is in this account of the origin of Evil that the Human
Beings were given their name. The Man is named "Adam" and the woman is named "Eve". Adam comes from
Hebrew word “Ad’mah” which means soil (or clay, or dust, or land, or earth). Eve comes from Hebrew word
“ish or hawwah” which means life or “ezer” which means partner. Figuratively speaking, “Ad’mah “ish’
” “ezer” is equal to soil + life= Creation. In the authors’ deep Philosophy, they wished to unfold that
Earth or Land is Yahweh’s partner in giving or sustaining life. Being so intimate with God, a Trustee, a
Steward, humans are given profound responsibility.
In this part of the Scripture, (Gen. 3), the Yahwist tradition has painted a picture that God’s partner is now
banned from Paradise. What was the reason of breaking this bond of partnership of the humans with God?
B. THE SERPENT OR THE SNAKE
The author of Genesis 3:1-24 used the serpent or snake as symbol of evil. Is snake really evil? Yes, it
seems as we read the text and as we viewed it in our context today. But what does the culture of the Biblical
writers say? No. Snake or serpent was part of God’s creation. Snake is good, “God saw everything was
good”. May be the following will shed light. What is “SNAKE” or “SERPENT” in the culture that surrounds
the Biblical authors?

1. Historical Background:

To know what the snake/serpent in Ancient Near East is

(Mesopotamia) would allow us also to understand the philosophy why the author
used this as symbol of evil. Ancient people actually experienced snake/serpent as
symbol of goodness. Why? The Snake has been used in ancient times as a symbol
of snake/serpent:

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Life and health = snake is used to cure all kinds of sickness. All parts of the snake can be used for
medicine. Ancient people used the blood of the snake to rejuvenate and become youthful. This culture maybe
is the reason why the logos for medicine are snakes.
Fertility and abundance or productivity = For agricultural people and those who are close to nature,
sightings of a snake in a particular place does not mean danger but tells that the area is still fertile and
productive. When the land is tilled, the land would still produce for the labor of man. (Note very well that
snake’s abode is under the soil and once the air enters the soil the earth becomes fertile.)
Knowledge and Wisdom = The snakes live under the soil or land or earth. Snakes stayed under the earth
for as long as they are full. When they’re hungry they have to go out for their food. Since they live under the
earth, the snakes are so close to the life of the earth that they have the full knowledge of the goings on of
the earth. They are cuddled by and in the comfort of the earth. They can feel the tremors or movement, they
can witness the struggles of the soil and they can hear the groaning of the land. The natural knowledge of
the dynamics of the earth flowed out from this basic relationship with the earth and constant encounter with
it. This is probably not taught in the academe but an innate discovery and knowledge.

It is in this context that we want to understand the symbolism of the Snake/Serpent in this story of Evil.
SNAKE SYMBOLIZES HUMAN GOODNESS. This human goodness consists of life and health, fertility and
abundance as well as knowledge and wisdom.
2. Snake lives within the Human Person
Where does the snake live? The Snake lives under the soil or the land. In Genesis 2, soil makes up
the body of the person. Human person here in Genesis 3 is the snake abode. We must consider the
goodness that the snake symbolizes, namely: life or health, fertility or abundance or productivity and wisdom
or knowledge. Who do we think possesses all of this goodness? Is it not that the human person possesses
life/health, fertility/productivity, and knowledge/wisdom? So, in a very simple logic, the authors wanted to
bring the message that the snake or human goodness lives within the human person. The snake or
human goodness lives in humans and nature because human being is the same as the Earth/Land. Humans
are formed out from the soil of the ground therefore human beings are a soil or clay or earth in them.
Snake (Human Goodness) as Source of Evil

If snake symbolized goodness in ancient Mesopotamia, Why is it that the author of Genesis used snake to
symbolize bad or evil? The goodness possessed by humans and the earth is not absolute. It is limited unlike
the Divine goodness. All human goodness in human life and nature are just a reflection of the Goodness that
God alone possesses. Human good goodness must be guarded. There are two dangers of human goodness,
namely: We do good but it turns out bad and too much desire for Goodness is bad.
a.1. We do good but it turns out bad. St. Paul attests that in our desire to do well, we fall short, it will
turn out bad. Example:
Good Bad
We love birds. We catch the birds and placed it in the cage.
We love the We study the life of the poor, look for funds, when funds are there, it will
Poor. be not fully given to the poor.
We love people. We destroy the environment that sustains the life of people.

a.2. Too much desire for Goodness. “Irascibility”

It is said that, “Anything excessive is not good.” This is what we called irascibility, or too much desire for
goodness. Is it not good to have life, to have health, to have wealth and many others? These are all good.
But when we wish more than enough or we wish too much, superfluous and over accumulate, then it turns
out bad or evil.

GOOD EVIL/BAD
Life or health Sickness, pain and death

Fertility or abundance Scarcity,

Due to these dangers, human has the moral obligation to guard and protect infertility and un-This is where
human goodness.
our responsibility as human being played the most important role. Productivity
C. GOD Knowledge
IS INFINITELY or wisdom
AND ABSOLUTELY GOOD Ignorance, alienation

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There is the symbolic use of the authors of the “Tree in the middle of the Garden” which fruit is not to be
eaten by the humans. The Tree in the Middle of the Garden symbolizes God and His Absolute Goodness or
the Divine Goodness of God. God is the absolute owner of Life. "Do not eat it or else you die,” is a warning
for humans not to enter into God’s Domain. Life is owned by God. Humans should not invade Life. God is
the infinite source of life. He is absolutely good. Out from this Divine Goodness springs forth LIFE for all
humans and nature. Out from this Divine Goodness spring forth all the goodness in Creation. All God’s works
are good, “God saw that it was good.” The goodness of God's Creation is just a reflection of this Divine
Goodness. Humans should not enter into this Divine Goodness for it is the domain of God alone. It is one
way of saying, "Life is mine do not touch it." Or “Let God, be God.”

To try to understand what Evil is, one must recognize the profound relation of humans to God for only in this
relationship that evil is unmasked in its true identity. The account of the origin of Evil uses this figurative
language but affirms the primordial experience – a deed that took place at the beginning of the human
history. (GS 13 & 1) The Divine Goodness of God is God’s domain it is not of His creatures. Human Beings
entered into the domain of God so they must suffer the consequences of entering into the domain of God.

D. THE BIRTH OF EVIL

The invasion of the humans into the domain of God gives birth to evil. We wanted to understand why the
author of Genesis 3 used snake/serpent to represent EVIL Snake symbolizes Human Goodness based on
human experiences. This Human goodness, symbolized by the Snake, is not absolute; it is limited because it
is merely a reflection of the Divine Goodness. This is the human goodness represented by the Snake that
entered into the domain of God.
The Snake (human goodness) within the person turned out to be bad is the beginning of evil. By
viewing this perspective, we understand very well that the author wanted to teach us that EVIL or BAD
DOES NOT COME FROM GOD. EVIL is not a creation of God but flowed out from within the goodness of
the human person that was used as if it was absolute. Because of the dangers of human goodness which
were not guarded, the snake now in the Book of Genesis symbolizes Evil instead of Goodness.
Evil is an antithesis of Good. It is an opposing force, opposing energy or power to God's most
beautiful plan for life. It refers to any system, structure, ideology, principle, word, or action that curtails life.
This refers to any practices that can kill, can destroy, can break life, and can devastate integrity and
wholeness of God’s works.
INVADING THE DIVINE GOODNESS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Humans entered into the domain of God despite the limit. This gives birth to Evil. The relationship of
humans and God has been broken up. It was destroyed. Nothing escapes the experience of Evil in all its
forms, which seems to link to the limitations proper to God’s creatures.

After the story of the first Evil, the Bible proceeds to the series of stories of evil in human society. The Bible
narrates the first murder, the first flood, the first quarrel of language and many others. Authors used varied
images of evil and presented in different symbols, in different shapes and colors: Gen. 8:9, Gen. 3:7 ,Gen.
3:14-24, Gen. 4. 8, Gen. 5:1-22, Gen. 11: 10-32, Gen. 7:1-22, Gen. 11:3-4.
55
As an effect of Evil, human beings suffered the consequences of it. They have established remarkable break
up of relationship with the self, with others, with God, with Nature and even the nation of peoples. Human
Being has been separated from each other.

1. Separation of the human Self (Gen 3:7)

After first humans, Adam and Eve, sinned, the Bible says “They realized they were naked” ( Gen. 3:7) Why this
strange statement? Archeology shows that NAKEDNESS was a sign of disgrace and defeat. Excavations have
uncovered stone slabs showing enemy soldiers, defeated in battle, marching naked before their conquerors.
The writer apparently took this idea and gave it a deeper meaning. An awareness of nakedness after sin ( not
there before it) seems to imply that a change took place in the consciousness of the first couple as a result of
sin. Somehow, they were uneasy with themselves. They were alienated from themselves, no longer at peace
with what they had become.
2. Separation from God: (Gen. 3:8)
Two points stand out in the face of evil, first Adam and Eve show an estrangement to God. They conceal
themselves because they are naked. Thus, because of Evil, humans separate themselves from God. When we
do evil, it is not easy to face God. Second, when God questions Adam, Adam immediately points his finger
not to Eve but to God who gave Eve to him, “The woman you put with me.” (Gen. 3:12). Eve in turn blames
the snake. Each attempts to shift the blame to the other. Who is blamed at the bottom end? It is actually God
who made all things. This is to separate ourselves to the very source of everything, a terrible consequence of
our failure.

3. Separation from Nature (Gen. 3:17)

Evil destroys relationship of person not only with God and with oneself but also with nature. The
earth now resists human stewardship over it. Humans are caretakers of God’s beautiful creation but the
caretaker turned to be the destroyer. Nature now resists. It now gives what is due to the treatment humans
had for them. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter entitled,
"What happen to our Beautiful Land?" The Philippine Church leaders affirmed the enmity that exists
between humans and nature and call for the restoration of it. ( CBCP Pastoral Letter on Ecology will be treated here. Cf. The
Greening of the Church pp. 207-216). We want to end the brutal rape of the mother Earth.

The lost of the right to steward our own body is a concrete experience. We even lost dominion over
one’s own natural body when it falls under the dominion of pain, suffering and death. The Biblical writer
answers the question, “How did pain, suffering and death enter into the world?" They entered not through
some effects of creation, but through an irascible use of it.

4. Separation from Other Human Beings (Gen. 4:1-16)

After the birth of Evil in Genesis, the story of the first murder follows. The story of Cain and Abel is
to teach that when one breaks faith with God, he soon breaks faith with others as well. Cain’s act of violence
was a tidal wave of evil that now floods through out the world. Brother killing brother became a chain
throughout history of humanity. We seem helpless to end this quarrel. We are hooked in the spiral of evil.

5. Separation of Nations (Gen. 11:10-26)

The vision of all nations is peace and harmony. Why is there conflict and war among nations? The
story of the tower of Babel is an effort to answer the humanity's quest of unending conflict among nations.
The writer has in mind a ziggurat. Ziggurat is a temple tower of the Babylonians consisting of a lofty
pyramidal structure, built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top. The top of
this pyramid was intended to be the meeting place of God and His people. The writer used ziggurat as a
pride symbol of people’s desire “to be like gods”. Recall the snake’s promise to Eve, “You will not die, but
God knows that the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and
evil”. The writer gives a deeper meaning to show evil alienates Nation from nation.

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BIRTH OF SIN
Sin was born because EVIL was born. Sin is the invasion of God’s Creatures into God’s domain. It is the
refusal of God's creation to accept the limit of their goodness and freedom. Humans go beyond the limit,
destroying the covenant relationship with God. Since this relationship is a relationship of freedom, love and
justice, sin is slavery, loveless ness and injustice. Sin may be defined as the damaging or total rupturing of
our free, love and just relationship with God.
It is evident that the word "sin" is, in fact, theological language. It is a word for believers of God. Unbelievers
of God do not speak about sin or they may but it makes little or no sense at all. This break up of relationship
(Sin) of humans and God can be personal and societal. Personal sin is an effect of the most tragic coil of evil
present in society.

THE SIN IN THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY

This remarkable break up of relationship can be better viewed in the language of the society today. Sin
became a behavior, a system, a structure in the society. Sin entangled the fibers of societal situation. Sin is
intertwined in realities of: life, world, and history. They are best known as the Social Sins. Social Sin is
used to describe situation or structure which cause or support evil, or fail to redress evil when it is possible.
These situations or structures are experienced in the socio-economic, political, ecological, cultural and
religious Life of people, world and history. They are all traceable since the beginning of human life. Some of
social sins are:
a. Sin of Idolatry is the sin of worshipping or being subservient to someone or something that is not God,
treating some created things as if it were a god. This is the sin against the first commandment, “You shall
not worship other gods besides Me.” (Ex. 20:4-5) This sin of idolatry is the worship of money, power, fame,
privilege and pleasure that replaced the worship of the True and Living God. This kind of worship possesses
tangible values of comfort and convenience in the world of commercialism and materialism by adhering to
the principles that money must be pursued even at the expense of the life of people and nature.

b. Sin of Heresy. The word heresy means choice. A heresy is a form of belief that selects some parts of the
Christian message and rejects other parts, in such a way that those doctrines that are selected for belief
become themselves distorted. Wherever idolatry is present then there is heresy because the truth must be
hidden to serve the interest of the false gods.

c. Sin of Hypocrisy is a sin not practicing what the person preached. Hypocrite people were people appeared
to be good and clean in public but in secret they have done evils. They are concerned only on popularity and
reputations than about the truth. The truth hurts, therefore inconsistency becomes the homepage of the
hypocrites. Jesus boldly condemned the hypocrites.

d. Sin of Apostasy is a sin of abandoning the faith in God. This does not just distort an item of doctrine of
faith but to give up the faith professed by a certain religion. Apostasy clears up all residues of belief in the
revealing God. God who revealed in the life of people and realities is given up. The sinful persecutes people
and allows the majority to suffer and to be sacrificial victim for the sake of their own interest.

Sin of Blasphemy is a scandalous sin against the second commandment, “ You shall not use God’s name in
vain.” (Ex. 20:7). People used God's name to defend status quo and maintain their strata in society.
Reputation and honor are above all things, so by all means use God's name as a banner of interest and fame.
It is blasphemy to use the name of God in defense of status quo, reputation and honor.

Sin is considered as the most important of all human evils that human society had suffered. This sin
becomes so complicated that people would no longer able to decipher what is the root cause of everything.
Still in viewing this social sin, we should not forget the most basic philosophy that the Biblical culture taught
to us that evil was born out from the goodness of the human person used as if it were absolute and limitless
invading God's domain. This would shed light in our effort to understand sin in the structure of society.

57
 Bible is all about the History of the
Israelite People Fi
In our quest to unveil image of God and His Saving Acts, we cannot afford to forget the fundamental fact that
God has to start it somewhere and in some group of people who were ready and open to perceive His work
of Salvation. Yes, the Bible is all about history and the meaning of that history that made it as a very unique
kind of history of the world. Carlos Abesamis in his book, “Exploring the Core of the Biblical Faith,” writes
about the kind of history that follows the pathways of God’s salvific actions called the History of Salvation. It
is a history that unfolds the SAVING ACTIONS OF GOD in the life of the Israelite People. Somewhere in
Mesopotamia, Israel, Egypt of the ancient times, God started to disclose Himself and His beautiful designs.
(Map of the ancient world may be helpful in presenting this topic as well as the common global phenomenon of the ancient world).

Ancient Near
East

T
he map of the Five Great Events of the History of the Israelites People.

In viewing this history, please study the following set of Biblical texts to aid us in our quest.

1 2 3 4 5
Gen. 11:27-32 Gen. 46:1-24 Ex. 1:8-14, Ex. 15:22-17:7 Jos. 11:15-23
Gen. 12:1-20 Gen. 47:5-12 2:1-25, Ex. 19:1-8 Jdgs. 1:1-36
Gen. 15: 1-21 Gen. 50:15-26 Ex. 3:1-22 Ex. 20:2-17
Gen. 17:1-26 Ex. 1:1-7 Ex. 7:1- until Deut. 32:45-52 (other texts are
Ex. 11:10 Deut. 33:1-3:12 provided in the
Ex. 12: 37-42 following article)
Ex. 14:1 until
Ex. 15:21

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A. Five Great Events of the History of Israelites

As we have discovered in the texts, the authors wanted to unfold the History of the Israelites by a
noticeable five sets of events that we may call as the Five Great Events of the Israelite People, namely

First Great Event: THE MIGRATION TO CANAAN

Second Great Event: THE SOJOURN TO EGYPT

Third Great Event: THE ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY IN

EGYPT

First Great Event: THE MIGRATION TO CANAAN

(Gen. 11:27-32, Gen. 12: 1-20, Gen. 15:1-21, Gen, 17:1-26)

In telling about the history of the Israelites people, the authors comfortably presented the event of
migration attached to the life of Abraham). This migration event might be so common to all people during
their times. The story of migration symbolically started with Terah who lived in Ur in Chaldea (Gen. 11:27-32)
with his three sons (a bond of Semitic Tribe or wandering Aramean): Haran (who died in their native land), Nahor (tribal
member who remained in Haran) and Abram (who faithfully searched for the Land) The family left Ur and moved to Haran.
The story continued to follow the journey of Abram who left the homeland to a land where God gave him.
The reasons for migration, though, still vague to establish because we do not have enough documents to
provide a definite answer, can be surmised based on the global social phenomenon during the calculated
period of history. The migration might be due to:

usual nomadic character of the primitive society

a war between two superpower nations (Assyria and Babylon)
The trading industry of the ancient people
Famine in the Land or any other natural calamities

The authors of Genesis focused the story to the group of Abram, a wandering Aramean from Ur of Chaldea in
ancient Mesopotamia. The group of Abram traveled quite a distance. It is important to take note that Abram
and his group willfully separated themselves from their own people (Gen. 12: 1-20) and evolved their own
religious beliefs and cultural concepts. The authors carefully interpreted it in faith that
Abraham was called by Yahweh (Gen. 12:1-4)
Abraham, though a pagan, followed the voice of Yahweh (Gen. 12:5)
Abraham, in full faith, separated his own people to become the Father of the Israelites ( Gen. 17:1-8)

By this Abram now named Abraham entered into covenant with Yahweh sealed with circumcision ( Gen. 17:9-14)
Yahweh promised Abraham a land, a descendant/nation/ people, self-rule and self-identity. (Gen.12:1-4; 15:1-
19). The authors wanted to trace back as far as possible into the origin of the Israelites people by telling that
Abraham had a son, Isaac, who took over the leadership of the clan, the tribe of the wandering
Arameans or Hebrews, after the death of Abraham. Isaac played a great role to continue putting up a
family. Isaac’s birth was surrounded with wonder and awe. (Gen. 21:1-7)

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Although Esau, being the elder brother, was entitled to receive the
birthright of his father, it was actually Jacob received the blessing of his father and therefore became the
leader of the tribe of the wandering Hebrews. The story seemed intriguing the role of the mother but let us
remember that mothers knew well who among the children is worth to receive the blessing ( Gen. 25:21-34, 27:1-
40).
Jacob, as chosen, was blessed with twelve sons who were shepherds. They spent their lives with their flocks
from one place to another in order to find food and green pastures. The twelve sons of Jacob with four
women were the following: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Napthalie, Gad,
Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin (Ex. 1:1-5, Gen. 29:31- until 30:43). They were the descendants of Abraham. As
the story goes, Joseph was sold to a group of Egyptian merchants (Gen. 37:1-36). Yet because of his integrity,
59
attitudes and faithfulness he became the famous man in Egypt. Joseph was appointed assistant to the
Pharaoh (the ruler or king of Egypt) and was put in-charge of the Agrarian Sector of the Egyptian
government. Egypt was blessed with abundance because of the presence of the descendant of Abraham. It
became prosperous and was able to prepare for the great famine in the land (Gen. 41:1-57).

During that time, a great famine hit in the Middle East, many countries suffered the scarcity of food. Due to
the abundant food supply in Egypt, many people went to Egypt to buy food including the sons of Jacob. To
their surprise, they met and recognized their brother Joseph. Joseph favored his brothers and invited them
and his old father, Jacob, to live in Egypt. The whole family of Jacob transferred to Egypt and was given the
region called Goshen, a fertile region of Egypt (Gen. 42:1-48:23).

Second Great Event: THE SOJOURN TO EGYPT

(Gen, 46:1-24, 47:5-12, 50:15-26, Ex. 1:1-7)

The Hebrew’s stay in Egypt was just temporary. This is the way the author of the Bible saw it. It was
through their faith interpretation that the meaning of this sojourn in Egypt was perceived:

Yahweh brought his people to Egypt

Yahweh liberated His people from famine
Yahweh gave them land to use.

In Egypt, God blessed the Hebrew people. They multiplied fast and became a real power in Egypt. They
consisted as the working class in the foreign lands. Thus, strengthened the socio-economic life of the
Egyptians. The Hebrews made Egypt more prosperous, more abundant, richer and more powerful. They
strengthened the economic, political and cultural power of the Egyptians.

Despite this fact, the Egyptians did not see it as blessing but a threat instead. They were afraid that Hebrews
might overpower their race and rule over Egypt. The authors outlined carefully the onset of the persecution
of the 12 tribes under the hands of the Egyptians because Joseph and Jacob were no longer around. ( Ex. 1:1-
22) They persecuted the Hebrews as follows:
The lands were confiscated
The privileges were recalled
Forced labor was enforced
A cruel Family planning was enforced
Baby boys were killed upon birth.

The Hebrew people were pinned down; they were reduced to slaves (Ex. 1:8-22). This long period of great
oppression hovered upon the lives of the descendants of Abraham, from one generation to slavery has been
part of their lifestyle. We situate this period between 2000 and 1280 B.C.E.

Third Great Event: THE ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT

(Ex. 1:8-14, 2:1-25, 3:1-10, 7:1-11:10, 12:37-42)

About 1300 B.C.E., Moses entered the history of the Hebrew slaves (Cf. Ex. 2:1-3:22). The liberation
of the Hebrew slaves begins with simple solitary act of a mother risking her life to save the life of her son.
Moses means “drawn out from the water.” Water here symbolizes the dangers of their lives brought by
slavery under the hands of the Egyptians. As being “drawn out from water”, was meant to draw the slaves
out from the danger of oppression and injustices. Water for the Hebrews was viewed as symbol of life and
death. Here in the mission of Moses, water means danger of oppression, injustices and death. Moses, then,
entered into the life of the lowly Hebrew slaves as:

A Guerilla Fighter (or human right defender): Moses grew in the house of Pharaoh, behaved like an
Egyptian, talked like an Egyptian and treated the Hebrews like the Egyptian did. But the heart and blood of
Moses was still one with his own oppressed people. He cannot continue to live in comfort and convenience
while looking at the people suffering from pain and injustices.

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 Moses defended the basic human rights of Hebrew slaves who were under
the cruel Egyptians. His act of killing an Egyptian supervisor in defense of a Hebrew
slave (Ex. 2:12), forced Moses to go hiding. He went to Midian where he married
the daughter of Jethro, Zipphorah (Ex.2:16-22). But Moses must have felt uneasy.
His mind and heart were constantly with the struggling oppressed people in
Egypt. He felt he should leave the security in Midian and join the people in struggle
in Egypt. The opposing force between fear and the belief to liberate the slaves
out of Egyptian oppression were the strong internal struggle of Moses in the
wilderness. The internal struggle is beautifully told to us in the story of the
“Burning Bush”. (Ex. 3:1-8). The Story of the Burning Bush” is a symbolic
narrative of telling the call and the Mission of Moses that sprang from the sense
of Justice to the oppressed slaves. Moses received his mission of claiming the
Hebrews slaves from the hands of the Egyptians. (Ex.3:16-21).

A Teacher (or conscienticizer): Moses returned to Egypt after his hiding (Ex. 4:18-26). He appeared as a great
teacher who mingled with the slaves and raised the level of awareness among the Hebrew slaves. He
strongly opened their minds to the oppressions and injustices as well as the evil plans of the Egyptians for
their life. Natural for those are enslaved is the difficulty of perceiving the reality of slavery. Moses has to
mingle with the Hebrew slaves and identified himself with the oppressed and deprived people. He, too,
experienced the unbearable injustices and oppression. The slaves became conscious and aware of the
injustices inflicted by the cruel Egyptians. The growing awareness of the Hebrew slaves is figuratively told to
us in the story of the Ten Plagues. The Ten Plagues are as follows: Water turns to blood, the frogs, the
mosquitoes, the horseflies, death of the Egyptians livestock, the boils, the hail, the locusts, the darkness, the
death of the firstborn of the Egyptians (cf. Ex. 7:1 until 11:10). These signs are interpreted in faith as great signs and
wonders as God’s saving actions in their lives.

A Leader: Moses is a figure of great leadership. He is presented in the Biblical story as somebody doing a
heroic act of liberating the people from slavery in Egypt. Hebrew people suffered so much and were able to
understand the evils of that situation. They came to a more deepening realization of their oppressive social
situation and dreamt of freedom as one people. Until the twelve Tribes of slaves
organized themselves into one under the leadership of this Moses. They were so united
that they were able to escape from slavery. This event was encompassing. It became so
central of their history that everything went back to this struggle as a people. The
Egyptians became so powerless amidst the force of determined, united and religious
people. The Hebrews escaped in small groups and hid themselves in the mountainous
region of the Sinai desert. These mountains of Sinai desert were noted as the hiding
places of the escaped slaves in ancient times. So dangerous is the life in Mt. Sinai but
this is the safest place if one would wish to get rid of the claw of their oppressors. This
event became the center of their oral tradition (songs, stories. Rituals, dances, worship
and religious commemoration and festivities).
Fourth Great Event: THE RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY AT SINAI
(Ex. 15:22 until 17:7, 19:1-8, 20:1-21)

Yet Moses’ task was still incomplete. He is meant to unite all the 12 twelve tribes into one single
community. Moses went around near Sinai in order to gather them in an assembly of people. He successfully
gathered them as one Single Community of Yahweh (Qahal Yahweh). The forty year-stays in the desert and
the deep experience of God gave birth of their Religion, Yahwism. Yahwism is a religion that believes the
power, strength of a Community, a People of God. For the Qahal Yahweh, the voice of the people is the voice
of God. Becoming One single community was possible only because of two strong pillars, namely:
1. The Belief in One God, whose name was Yahweh; and
2. The Subscription to One Religion that was called Yahwism.

Yahwism is a Religion that was born out from womb of oppression and injustices experienced by people
struggling towards freedom and liberation as one people. This is a Religion that is strengthened by the spirit
of community. The birth of their Religion transformed the 12 tribes into One Single Community of Yahweh.
Their name Hebrews was changed to Israelites, in honor of Jacob as the Father of the Twelve Tribes who
successfully went out from the Egyptian slavery. Israel now is not just simple “Wrestler with God” but already
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means “Prince of God.” They became the Religious Nation, a Holy Nation or the Covenanted People of
Yahweh, the Qahal Yahweh. The Qahal Yahweh acknowledged that Yahweh God is the only supreme ruler.
The Kings or priests only ruled as representatives of God. It believed that God is present in the spirit of
community life. This remains their identity as a People. Their tangible relationship with Yahweh made them
strong and hopeful for a better life in the future as an effect of their covenant with Yahweh, “I will be your
God and you shall be my people.” (Ex. 20:2).

The Mt. Sinai and the forty years in the desert were indeed symbols of a deep
spiritual experience with one, true and living God that give birth to their
religion. As one community, the Qahal Yahweh was united in the belief of
one God and adherence to one religion. This strong bond of
communitarian spirit glued them in deep understanding for one another. This
also unites them to one vision the life in God’s presence.

The story of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 1-19) is part of this
Religious Assembly or Confederation. This is a product of desire to be
united as a Covenanted People. Their Faithfulness to Yahweh God is
measured in their faithfulness to the community as one. This is the
essence of the religion that was born in the desert, Yahwism. The Ten
Commandments were intended to be guidelines in order to maintain this kind
of Spirituality. This spirituality became so unique and so binding that they
felt more secured and strong to go on their adherence to the God who
revealed to them.

Fifth Great Event: THE OCCUPATION OF THE PROMISED LAND

(Jos. 11:15-23, Judges 11:1-36)
The desire, however, for greener pastures and the strong conviction of the people and their leaders
to look for the land known in their tradition, made this desert people to move from one place to another.
After many adventures, sufferings and ordeals, finally, the covenanted people arrived at the borders of
Canaan. The land of Canaan was known in their stories as the land given by Yahweh to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, their great Fathers. This is told in the Book of Joshua and the Judges.

a. The Capture of the Land of Canaan

Joshua, whose name means great warrior, took over the leadership of Moses (Ex. 1:-7). He led the
successful bloody conquest of the promise land, Canaan (Ex. 2 until 12). Wars, struggles, sufferings were
strongly overcome together with the support of the Judges, the Charismatic leaders who were actually
“tribal chief warriors”. They systematically helped Joshua in the great conquest of the land. The desert
people, now Israelites, waged a systematic conquest to the occupying tribes of Canaan. They claimed the
land as theirs and exercised the fullness of their ancestral domain and made the land fertile and productive.

When Israelites occupied the land of Canaan, the surrounding nations have witnessed the great turn
of prosperity and abundance in the land of Canaan. In the ingenuity of this people, the land gave its yield.
Life of Israelites became abundant and prosperous. The Israelites became rich and powerful to which they
attributed it as the result of their faithfulness to the covenant with Yahweh. It was in this time that the
fullness of the covenant has been experienced in the blessings of life. Yahweh’s covenantal promises were in
their fullness: Land (CANAAN), Descendants/Nation (ISRAEL), Self-identity (QAHAL YAHWEH), Self-rule (NO
FOREIGN DOMINATION) As a covenanted people, they considered all that happened to them as part of the
design of Yahweh for their salvation.

b. Creation of Monarchy (1 Sam. 8:1-22, 10:1-2, 12:1-2, 2 Sam. 1:1-7, 5:1-4, 1Kgs. 1:28-35)

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 Monarchy is a form of government ruled by a king. A kingdom, like the neighboring places,
has three pillars: political system, economic power and religio-cultural identity. The King of Israel was
anointed to promote justice and right for the Qahal Yahweh. The King’s fidelity to God is measured in his
fidelity to his own people.

The Israelite People get organized and chose to have a King. One of the strongest features of
covenant with Yahweh was the establishment of an Israelite nation into a Kingdom when they occupied the
land. Under the leadership of kings Saul, David and Solomon, the nation became a kingdom and garnered
as one of the best organized and wealthiest countries. Saul organized the strong political system. David is his
turn strengthened what Saul had started and established excellent economic resources that made Israel one
of the wealthiest countries. Solomon strengthened religio-cultural system that identified from the rest of the
kingdoms.

It was at that time when Israel became a strong nation. The Chosen kings were people of
proven integrity and ruled the kingdom with the guidance of the Spirit of Yahweh. Faith and obedience to the
covenant with Yahweh must be the central focus of the life of the King of Israel. This is the Golden age of
Israelites kingdom.

c. Division of the Kingdom (1 Kgs. 11:26-31, 12:1-15, 12:26-33)

Solomon, however, was not able to manage his power and wealth. Because of his great
concern for the building of the Temple, Solomon imposed high taxes especially in the Northern part of the
Kingdom. Solomon was not able to maintain the Golden Age of Israelites' might, power and glory. He not
only imposed high taxation but enforced forced labor as well. The oppression was greatly felt by the people.
People now realized that it is not Yahweh they were serving but the king.

The people felt that the Monarchy has lost the Spirit of the Community, Qahal Yahweh. After
Solomon’s death, the political power of Israelites slid down hill. The people refused to have a king. This
caused the division of the kingdom. The Northern part of Israel refused to be rule by a king again while the
Southern part wished to continue the monarchy. The north remained to be Israel and the south was named
Judah. Efforts were tried to put up king again but they ended failure to restore the original shape of
covenanted people. The might and glory of the once united nation vanished.

d. The Fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians (2 Kgs. 17:1-18)

Weakened because of the separation, these two tiny nations Israel and Judah became the
prey of the superpower countries of those days, Assyria and Babylon. Assyria in about 722 B.C.E captured
the Northern Kingdom. The entire populations in the Northern Kingdom were deported to Assyria and were
not able to return. Most of its people were settled in Mesopotamia and it where that the Assyrians absorbed
the captives of war.

During this time of strife and dissolution, Yahweh sent messengers to interpret in faith the
event to the despairing Israelites. These messengers were called the PROPHETS.

Who were the Prophets?

The word Prophet comes from Hebrew word, Nabi. This word finds two meanings in Ancient Near East (ANE)
civilization, namely: a) Foretelling the future which means reading the future events (ex. Nostradamus) and
b) telling Forth which means to announce and to denounce. They were to announce the “dbr YHWH”
or the Word of Yahweh and to denounce the transgression against the covenant. The prophets were not
given authority but a Charism. The clearest indicator when the Prophets were able to proclaim the Good
News is when status quo, structure or system has been shaken. The net messages of the prophets were
made clear to the people that Yahweh is against the twin sins of society: Idolatry and injustices. As
people of Yahweh they are commissioned to fight against them.

There are different phases in the life of the prophets:

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 Phases of life of the Prophets:
CALLING = (God calls the person)
PROTEST = (The person called may oppose the calling from God. God
will allow the person to express anxieties and fears.)
BARGAIN =(The one called can negotiate with God and God is willing to listen )
ACCEPTANCE =(The One being called accepts the calling of God)
MISSION =(Finally, the prophet is sent to the mission)

The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) outlined three typical tasks of the biblical prophets, namely:
to proclaim the WORD OF GOD with authority – WORD
to accompany this word with signs and wonders- DEED
to suffer a martyr's fate- DEATH

The prophets hailed out from the land where the twin sins of society: Idolatry and Social Injustice were all over
in the society. Idolatry and Social Injustice had grown huge and terrifying during the enthronement of kings in the nation
of Israel (a natural phenomenon of the kingdom structure) . The prophets condemned social injustices and idolatry of the
rulers of the nation because it is against the “DBR YHWH” (Word of God), these twin sins are life -threatening for the
people. Vitaliano Gorospe in his book, Forming Filipino Conscience cited Amos, Jeremiah and Isaiah denouncing idolatry
and injustices. The message of the prophets directly points on the covenantal relationship between God and His people
(Ex. 19:5-8). His loving concerns for the poor and oppressed [Anawim or Aniyim] (Ex. 22:21-23). The just one is one who
loves God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength ( Deut. 6:5) and love his neighbor as himself
(Lev. 19:18)

e. Capture and Exile of the Southern Kingdom to Babylon

(2 Kgs. 18:1-37, 24:1-20, 25: 1-13)

The same thing happened to the southern kingdom, Judah. At about 587 - B.C.E. the other
superpower, Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar, captured Judah and also deported most of the people to
Babylon. The Israelites were captives of war in Babylon. This is a painful experience of being away from their
home for fifty long years.

In the foreign land of Babylon, they have suffered so much deprivation. They worked for the
prosperity of Babylon. They cannot worship their God in the Temple and offer to Him the holocaust due for
Him. They were longing to breathe freely the spirit of Yahwism in their own land. This event now is the
proper time to go back to Yahweh and remember the holy covenant they swore in the desert. Babylon
allowed the Israelites to maintain their religion and to keep separate ethnic identity as Israelites.

The Biblical writers interpreted this event as a great spiritual retreat because they forgot their covenant with
Yahweh when they became so rich and powerful in the land of Canaan. Prophets continued to appear to
the Chosen people and interpreted in faith the experiences as captives of war in Babylon. The entire message
of the prophets is to be faithful to the covenant relationship with Yahweh. The prophets repeatedly stress the
Law Codes for the Chosen People: Coming back from dispersion, Concern for the Poor, Protection of
the Widows and the Orphans, Protection of the Stranger, Respect for the Wage Earners,
Condition of the Servants and slaves.

f. The Return from Exile (Ezra 1:1-11)

Babylon was captured by another superpower country, Persia. King Cyrus of Persia in 538
B.C.E allowed the captured people to return to their homelands. This order is intended for the benefit of
Persia. King Cyrus gave fundamental obligations to serve the interest of Persia were to expand the territory of
Persia, to increase the wealth of Persia, and to make Persia more Powerful. Despite this interest, the
Israelites entered into a treaty and vowed to do two obligations: (1) to pay tribute to Persia and (2) to
serve the Persian army.

The Israelites who maintained love for their homeland and hope for the restoration of Israel returned but a
large number probably remained along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers because the soil was more fertile
64
there. What those who returned to their land found was empty, devastated and alien land of Palestine. Yet
their deep faith in Yahweh and their adherence to one Religion had given them renewed life. Apparently, this
gave them the courage they needed to rebuild their country. Today, they are often times referred to as the
"Rest" of Israel and those who did not return are referred to as "DIASPORA" or the wandering Jews.

g. The Rebuilding of the Temple and Renewal (Ezra 3:2-4. 6:3-5, Nehemiah 3:1-6, 8:1-18)

Under the leadership of Zerubbabel and the prophets: Haggai and Zechariah, the temple
was rebuilt in Jerusalem but their city was still in ruins. Under Nehemiah, the city was rebuilt and through
priest, scribes and Ezra, the ancient religion was restored. There was relative peace in Palestine under the
rule of Persians which lasted couple of hundred of years.

h. Tribulations under Greeks (1 Mac. 1:1-64)

In 322 BCE, the Country was captured again by the fast growing superpower from the west,
Greece. The dashing Alexander, the Great, conquered Palestine. In a short period of his life, Alexander,
the great, brought to Palestine Greek culture and thought. The Jews experienced the cruelest occupations by
the foreign nations. Alexander's successors, the Ptolemies, exiled a large number of Jews to Egypt. The
Greeks tried to replace the worship of One God with their multi-gods and goddesses. Jewish ruler was
Antiochus IV who came to hate the Jews as dangerous enemies. He attacked Jerusalem on the Sabbath,
destroyed the copies of the Scriptures, forbidden the Jews to observed the Sabbath, stopped the practice of
circumcision, ordered the worship of gods and goddesses and performed heathen rites in the Temple.

i. The Maccabean Revolt and Hasmonean Rule: (1 Mac. 2:1-26)

The Jews were not able to bear the oppression brought by foreign nations. It was when their
religious freedom was curtailed that they could not tolerate anymore. Antiochus IV attacked their religion
with his cruel actions to the Jews. Their reaction was in a form of attacked led by the Maccabean family.
The revolt eventually led them to a self-ruled country for almost a century under the Hasmonean as their ally.
This was a period of political instability both in the warding off the pangs of Greek influence and quasi-self-
rule of the Jews. Hasmoneans had done injustices to the faithful Jews that led the temple priests to leave
their positions in the temple.

j. Roman Rule

Jewish self-rule did not mature. It ended when the Roman General Pompey captured Jerusalem in
63 B.C.E. The Romans controlled the area of Palestine for centuries after Pompey’s victory. The common
Jewish masses resisted but the leaders collaborated. They were happy to be rid of the pangs of the cruel
Greeks. The Jewish leaders welcomed the Romans and tried to get as many privileges as possible by
collaborating with the occupying power. The majority of the Jewish
Citizens remain in their faithfulness to their God, their nation and their religion. The masses suffered so much
because of the high taxation and forced military service imposed by the Romans and the corrupt Jewish
collaborators. Into this political, economic, cultural milieu, Jesus was born.
Schema of the Five Great Events
Tim Place Actors Human Events Reflection in Faith
e
2000 Mesopota Patriarchs: MIGRATION: a Semite tribe lived God’s call and promise
- mia, with Abraham around the city of Ur-migrated to Land: Honey & milk flow
1700 two great Isaac Haran, then to Canaan down to descendants,
BCE
powers Jacob Egypt. Self-rule
Assyria & Possible reasons for migration: great wars, Self-identity
Babylon search for fertile land, nomadic (Posterity, Prosperity,
Hebrew character, trade, calamity. Property, Power)
Ur, masses
Canaan, -Abraham, first true believer, (Gen. 12:1-5 and ff.)

65
 Egypt, migrated from UR (Iraq today) to
Haran Canaan (Palestine today)
1700 EGYPT Joseph SOJOURN IN EGYPT God’s protection and
BCE Jacob, Small band of Semites living in peace guidance
Hebrews and prosperity in Egypt. -God saved them from
Hyksos, the -Family of Jacob (Abraham’s descendants) famine
Semitic went to Egypt. Egypt under the -God gave them land
tribe who control of a Semitic group, the -God preserve the race
usurped Hyksos, who usurped the power from
the power Egyptians. Jacob’s family, being (Gen 36:4/Gen 49:26 and
of the Semites, were well-treated, they ff.)
Egyptians prospered.
1300 Egypt Jacob’s Period of Slavery
family -Egyptians revival, Hyksos lose Exodus 1:7-15 ff.
Hyksos power. Descendants of Jacob
Egyptians (Semites) fall into disfavour-
oppression and slavery. Source of
cheap labor
1280 Sea of Pharaoh ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY GOD’S DELIVERANCE
BCE Reeds and the The advent of Moses. He experienced WITH MIGHTY HANDS
Egyptians God in the Burning Bush and after the AND OUTREAHCED
VS. Plagues the people were in Exodus ARMS… WITH SIGNS
Moses- leaving Egypt. AND WONDERS:
Aaron They organized, planned, executed as -God in the Burning Bush
And the successful escape from the hands of -the Ten Plagues
Hebrew the cruel Egyptians. -crossing the Sea of Reeds
slaves -Desert Experience
Exodus 2, 3, 4 and ff.
Deut. 26:2-9
1250 Sinai Moses, the PEOPLE’S RELIGIOUS COVENANT/ ALLIANCE
BCE Desert Hebrew CONFEDERATION. WITH YAHWEH
masses People wandered in the desert as “I AM YOUR God, and you
nomads. They became united in the will be my people”
belief of One God. Believing in ONE -the making into Qahal
GOD(Yahweh) and subscription to Yahweh (Covenant)
ONE RELIGION(Yahwism) they -Ten Commandments
formed into the Qahal Yahweh. The Ex. 19:5 and ff.
ten commandments as their guiding
principle being Covenanted People.

1200 Canaan Joshua PEOPLE’S BATTLE AND God: fought and gave land
BCE The Judges POSSESSION OF THE LAND flowing with milk and honey
12 tribes of -Moses died at Mt Nebo east of the
Israel Dead Sea. (DT. 34:1-8)
-Israelites entered the land under
Joshua, the Great warrior.
-Israelites, as loose confederation of
Tribes, solidify their conquest of
Canaan with the Judges, the tribal
chieftains.
-Captured and infiltrated Canaan from
Jordan River through Jericho.

1000 Israel Saul – UNIFICATION OF THE COUNTRY Yahweh gives all the
BCE David -Israelites unified into a Kingdom blessings as a result of their
Samuel under Saul and David. loving relationship with

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 -Israel became rich and strong. Him.
935 Israel Solomon OPPRESSION – ISRAEL DIVIDED Unfaithfulness to the
BCE -Solomon built the first Temple in Covenant with Yahweh
Solomon’s Jerusalem.
Sons -He imposed taxes and forced labor
to maintain powerful infrastructure.
Samuel That was the beginning of Cf. Books of Kings and
government bureaucracy. Chronicles
-After Solomon’s Death, his sons
fought over the Kingdom.
-Kingdom was divided
--Israel (North) larger portion
--Judah (South) Land around
Jerusalem.
-followed by the capture of Israel by
the Assyrians

597 Judea Jeremiah EXILE IN BABYLON Unfaithfulness to the

BCE Babylon Nebuchadne DESTRUCTION OF covenant is punished by
zzar JERUSALEM Yahweh.
Prophets -the most important people in Judah
were taken into captivity by -a great spiritual retreat
Nebuchadnezzar.
-Jerusalem sacked and burned
-Temple was destroyed
-Book of Laws and Artifacts were lost
538- Babylon King Cyrus Rise of the Persians
400 Persia Prophet -Persians gained control over -God started to gather the
Palestine Nehemiah Babylon. scattered Israel.
Ezra -Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return
“Rest of home. -God called for an authentic
Israel” -Restoration started, Book of the Law renewal of the covenant
Diaspora was discovered in the ruins.
-Restoration of the Jewish worship. Ezra, Nehemiah

400- Greece Alexander, Tribulations under the influences

200 Egypt the of Greeks -sufferings, tribulations are
BCE Palestine Great -Greeks gained control punishments from God.
Ptolemies -Egyptians overthrow Persians -Restoration cannot prosper
Antiochus -they gained control over Israel without God
IV -God will send somebody to
perfect the work of
restoration.
168- Palestine Maccabean Revolt against the Greeks -God’s power in the
63 family -Israelites rebelled against Greeks struggle of His chosen ones
BCE under the leadership of the (1 and 2 Maccabees)
Maccabean family.
-attained a partial and uneasy
independence
76 Palestine Pompey Roman conquest. =Yahweh will come to take
BCE Israel High Priest -Israel was a colonized and over.
Jerusale Romans subjugated people again. =An anointed One of
m Jewish Officials Favored the Roman Yahweh will restore His
Judea masses occupation. The People started to covenantal promises.
resist oppression poverty. =New Heaven and New
Into this political milieu, JESUS WAS Earth
BORN.
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These Five Great events of the History of the Israelites People became the content of the Israelites Act of
Faith, Israelites Creed (Deut. 26:5-9 and Psalm 105). Faith for them grows out from the concrete
experiences. It is accepting the responsibility to transform one’s own situation. Yahweh for them is their God,
the invisible force present when men are united and determined to achieve a common goal. These five great
events were written in the hearts and minds of each descendant of Abraham as God’s Saving Actions
unfolded in their concrete experiences in history.

Study Questions

How did the Biblical People understand Salvation? Describe the stages of development of this understanding.
In what way believer of God today should understand salvation?
How does the correct, Biblical, adequate understanding of Salvation affect our spirituality?
In what way God works salvation? How must Justice be viewed s believer of God?
Why did God sent prophets to His chosen people? What was the main role of the prophets?
Why did Abraham called the Father of faith? What do we mean of Patriarchs, covenant and promises?
What was the role of Jacob and Joseph in preserving the family?
How did Moses enter into the life of suffering Hebrew slaves in Egypt? How Moses defend the rights of the
slaves, raise the level of their awareness and organize a systematic escape from slavery?
Why must Moses bring the Hebrew Slaves to the mountainous region at Mt. Sinai? What was the role of Mt.
Sinai in the creation of the Qahal Yahweh?
How did unity and solidarity of the community of Yahweh help in the occupation of the Land of Canaan? How
important was the Covenant that the Israelites entered into in Mt Sinai?
How would you describe the stay of the Chosen People “Israelites” in the Land of Canaan? How did their
experiences in the Land develop and shape the hope for the coming of the Messiah?
How did the Israelites experience the saving intervention of God in their History?
How did Israelites find God in the ordinary and common events of their life as a community, people or
nation?

Suggested Activities

Group reports, dramatization, etc.

Bible sharing
Workshops on Literary Format and Fixed Format
Now Testament writing

68
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bible: Christian Community Bible or The New American Bible or New Revised Standard Version

Church Documents:

Abbot, Walter, M. S.J. Ed. (1966). The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. New York: America Press
CBCP (1988) Pastoral Letter on Ecology: “What happen to our Beautiful Land?, Tagaytay City.
CBCP (1994). Catechism for the Filipino Catholics (CFC). Word and Life Publication, Manila.
CBCP-ECCCE Co-Publisher (1994) Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) .
Pope Francis 1 (2013) Evangelii Gaudium
Pope John Paul II (1998) Encyclical Letter “Fides et Ratio”on the Relationship between Faith and Reason (FR),
no. 1

Books

Bantilles, Russell (2013) God, Faith and Reason in the Philosophy of Nicholas Wolterstorff: A Doctoral
Dissertation, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, (An excerpt is published in CuadernosDoctorales de la
FacultadEclesiastica de Filosofia, vol. 23
Conway, D. (2008). What do I Own And What Owns Me? A Spirituality of Stewardship, Claretian Publication,
Quezon City.
Marx, Karl (1976) Introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Collected
Works, v. 3. New York, Introduction.
Pabillo Broderick (1994) The Bible 100% Human, 100% Divine. Salesiana Publishers. Makati.
PAUSANIAS, Description of Greece, Paus. 10.24.
POPE BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, November 14, 2012.
Tinoy, J., Briones, D.,Braga, N. (2008) God and His Work of Salvation: A Module for ReEd 1/101/1M. Holy
Cross of Davao College, Davao City.
THOMAS AQUINAS,Summa contra gentiles, I, q. 3.(From here on, SCG).
Williams, Thomas (2001), “Introduction to Anselm’s Proslogion”, in Proslogion, with replies of Gaunilo and
Anselm, Thomas Williams (trans.), Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., Indianapolis, p. vii.
Wolstestorff, Nicholas (1999) Reason Within the Bounds of Religion, 2nd ed., William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1999, pp. 15-20.
_________________, (2010) “Reformed Epistemology”, in Practices of Belief: Selected Essays, vol. 2, T.
CUNEO (ed.), Cambridge University Press, New York, p. 336.

Electronic References

POPE BENEDICT XVI, “Address to the Bishops of the United States during their Ad liminaVisit, Rome, January
19, 2012, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2012/january/documents/hf_ben-
xvi_spe_20120119_bishops-usa_en.html». (Emphasis is mine).
POPE BENEDICT XVI, “The Listening Heart: Reflections on the Foundations of Law”, Address to the Bundestag,
Berlin, September 22, 2011
«http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/september/documents/hf_ben-
xvi_spe_20110922_reichstag-berlin_en.html». (Emphasis is mine).
Kenneth R., “Augustine of Hippo (Part 2 of 2): Rightly Dividing the Truth”, in Reasons to Believe, April 1,
2001, «http://www.reasons.org/articles/augustine-of-hippo-part-2-of-2-rightly-dividing-the-truth».
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