REL ED 1 Mid Term Module

Mount Carmel College of Escalante, Inc.
Carmelite Street, Escalante City

College Department
Christian Formation Program Office
COURSE
COURSE
TITLE Basic Catechism REL.ED 3
CODE
DEPARTMENT YEAR LEVEL
SEMESTER First Semester ACADEMIC
( Midterm ) YEAR 2021
MODULE NO.2 Introduction to Religious Education CHAPTER NO.
LESSON NO.2 Introduction to Catechism
DATE
INTENDED At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:
LEARNING 1. Discuss the meaning of catechism and
OUTCOME
2. Identify the basic characteristics of the Filipino catholic.
INTRODUCTION
This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents
of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council
and the whole of the Church's Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers
of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church's Magisterium. It is intended to serve "as a point of
reference for the catechisms or compendia that are composed in the various countries".15
This work is intended primarily for those responsible for catechesis: first of all the bishops, as
teachers of the faith and pastors of the Church. It is offered to them as an instrument in fulfilling
their responsibility of teaching the People of God. Through the bishops, it is addressed to redactors
of catechisms, to priests, and to catechists. It will also be useful reading for all other Christian
faithful.
Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Teacher: Kevin Rey E. Caballeda
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PRE – ACTIVITY
Instruction: Give your answers on the following questions. Write it on a short-sized bond paper.
1. What is the purpose of the Catechism?
2. For whom is the Catechism intended?
DISCUSSION
On 11 October 1992, pope John Paul II presented the Catechism of the Catholic Church to the
faithful of the whole world, describing it as a “reference text” (1) for a catechesis renewed at the
living sources of the faith. Thirty years after opening of the Vatican Council (1962-1965), the desire
for a catechism of all Catholic doctrine on faith and morals, which had been voiced in 1985 by the
extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, came to fulfilment.
Five years later, on 15 August 1997, the Pope promulgated the editio typical of the Catechismu
Catholicae Ecclesiae and confirmed its fundamental purpose “ as a full, complete exposition of
Catholic doctrine, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives and prays
in her daily life”.
In order to realize more fully the Catechism’s potential and response to the request that had
emerged at the International Catechetical Congress of October 2002, Pope John Paul II, in 2003,
established a Commission under the presidency of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the
Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, which was given the task of drafting a Compendium of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, as more concise formation of its contents of faith. After two years
of work, a draft compendium was prepared and distributed among the Cardinals and the Presidents

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of Conferences of Bishops for their consultation. The draft, as a whole was evaluated positively in
the great majority of the responses that were received. Therefore, the Commission proceeded to
revise the draft and, taking account of the proposals for improvement that had been submitted,
prepared the final text.
There are three principal characteristics of the Compendium: the close reliance on the Catechism
of the Catholic Church; the dialogical format; the use of artistic images in the catechesis.
The Compendium is not a work that stands alone, nor is it intended in any way to replace the
Catechism of the Catholic Church: instead, it refers constantly to the catechism by means of
reference to numbers printed in the margins, as well as by consistent reliance on its structure,
development and contents. In fact, the Compendium is meant to reawaken interest in and enthusiasm
for the catechism, which, in the wisdom of its presentation and the depth of its spirituality, always
remains the basic text for catechesis in the Church today.
Like the Catechism, the Compendium has four parts, corresponding to the fundamental laws
of life in Christ.
The first part, entitled “The Profession of Faith”, contains a synthesis of the lex credendi, the
faith professed by the Catholic Church, as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed which is further
elaborated by the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. In the liturgical profession of the creed, the
Christian assembly keeps the principal truths of the faith alive in memory.

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The second part, entitled “The celebration of the Christian Mystery”, presents the essential
elements of the lex celebrandi. The proclamation of the Gospel finds its authentic response in the
sacramental life, through which Christians experience and witness, the saving power of the paschal
mystery by which Christ has accomplished our redemption.
The third part, entitled “Life in Christ”, recall lex vivende, through which the baptized
manifest their commitment to the faith they have professed and celebrated, through their actions and
ethical choices. The Christian faithful are called by the Lord Jesus to act in a way which befits their
dignity as children of the Father in the charity of the Holy Spirit.
The fourth part, entitled “Christian Prayer”, summarizes the lex orandi, the life of prayer.
Following the example of Jesus, the perfect model of one who prays, the Christian too is called to
the dialogue with God in prayer is the Our Father, the prayer that Jesus has taught us.
The Filipino Catholic
God became man in Jesus Christ our Lord, who came to save us from sin and bring us to
fullness of life. This is the Gospel which we Filipinos have accepted. As PCP II proudly declares:
“For us Filipinos, the first century of the coming millennium will mark the 500th year since we as a
people accepted the Faith” (PCPII) 3). It makes us the only Christian nation among our Asian
brethren. There are deep affinities between Christ’s message and the Filipino’s in most ways
thinking and acting.” Much of the Gospel has become part of us-compassion, forgiveness, caring
piety-and makes of us a basically decent people (PCPII 15). Through the past centuries, right up to

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our present critical times, growing more mature in the following of Christ has meant becoming more
truly and authentically Filipino.
PCP II insisted on the mutual interaction between Christian Faith and Filipino culture. “ Hence
we must take a close look at how the values that we have from our Christian Faith can strengthen
the good in our cultural values and correct what is excessive in them and supply for their
deficiencies” (PCPII 22). Likewise, for faith to mature in love, it must be interiorized. Church
teachings and practices must be personally appreciated and appropriated by us, as a people with our
own particular culture with our own ways of thinking and valuing. Faith must take root in the matrix
of our Filipino being so that we may truly believe and love as Filipinos (PCP II 72).
We Filipinos had a long history of every sharp and colourful religious experiences: From our
pre-Christian times, through the centuries of Spanish Christian evangelization, to the American
Protestant influx in the Commonwealth era, and the Japanese occupation during World War II, right
up past Vatican II’s Second Pentecost, People Power” and today’s “Basic Christian Communities,”
and the 2nd Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II). Our understanding and love of Jesus Christ
has been colored by our personal and national historical experiences of pain and struggle, of victory
and celebration. Our faith in Jesus is marked by our deep devotion to Mary, his Mother, and
our Mother and Model. All these experiences have somehow defined and clarified our unique
identity as persons, as Christians, as Filipinos, as a nation.
PCP II was held “to take stock of where we are; to look where we are going; to reanimate
our life in Christ; to unite all things in Him” (PCPII 7). Our Catholic Faith, therefore, must be
“enculturated” within specific and unique Filipino character which has in part shaped our faith-

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experiences through the years. This catechism represents a serious effort at just such an enculturated
presentation of the essentials of the Faith to the Catholic Filipino today.
To identify what it means to be a “Filipino Catholic” we ask: From whom do we naturally
draw our self-identity? Where do we find the deepest meaning in our lives? How do we react to
suffering? How do we commit ourselves to our ideals in life? What is our view of the world in all
its depth and hidden reality? Brief answers to these questions can be sketched by selecting a series
of five predominant Filipino characteristics, together with five essential traits of Jesus Christ, both
assumed within the typical “Filipino way” to Jesus. This will at once define the Filipino catholic as
well as show that in our country, to become more deeply Christian is to become more truly and
authentically Filipino.
A. Self-identity
Filipinos are family-oriented. The anak-magulang relationship is of primary importance to us
Filipinos.
B. Meaning in Life
Filipinos are meal-oriented (salu-salo,Kainan). Because Filipinos consider almost everyone as
part of their family (parang pamilya), we are known for being gracious hosts and grateful guests.
Serving our guests with the best we have is an inborn value to Filipinos, rich and poor alike.
C. Suffering in life
Filipinos are Kundiman-oriented. It is a sad Filipino song about wounded love Filipinos are
naturally attracted to heroes sacrificing everything for love. We are patient and forgiving to a fault.
(magpaka-alipin ako nang dahil sa iyo”) This acceptance of suffering manifests a deep, positive
spiritual value of Filipinos’ kalooban.
D. Life-Commitment

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Filipinos are bayani-oriented. We Filipinos are natural hero-followers. For all our patience and
tolerance, we will not accept ultimate failure and defeat.
E. World View
Filipinos are spirit-oriented. We are often said to be naturally psychic. We have deep-seated
belief in the supernatural and in all kinds of spirits dwelling in individual persons, places and things.
F. The Filipino Way
But accepting Jesus Christ as responding to these essential Filipino traits has historically come
about and continued in a typical “Filipino” manner. The outstanding characteristic of the Church in
the Philippines is to be a “pueblo amante de Maria” – a people in love with Mary. The typically
“Filipino “approach to Christ, therefore, is with and through Mary. Devotion to Mary has always
been intimately intertwined with Christ. The two central mysteries of our Faith in Christ: the mystery
of the Incarnation celebrated at Christmas, and of Redemption celebrated during Holy Week, are
deeply marked by the veneration of Mary.
G. The Filipino Catholic
From this Marian approach to the series of five Filipino characteristics interrelated with
essential traits of Jesus Christ, a rough sketch of us Filipino Catholics can be drawn. We are first of
all family-centerd Filipinos who can easily talk to God the Father through His only begotten Son-
made-man, our Lord Jesus Christ. Our devotion to the Sto.Nino and the Mahal na Birhen reveals
fundamental depths of our own self-identity.
Catechising
To catechize means to teach: more specially, to teach by word of mouth. Prior to the Second
Vatican Council, the chief catechists at the parish level were priests, religious brothers or nun. Since
the late 20th century, particularly in Europe and the Americas increasing the role of the parish,
catechizing also takes place in Catholic schools through more formal classes as of the curriculum.

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Catechists
Are often deployed to teach candidates who are preparing for the sacraments of reconciliation,
First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Baptism. Various age-appropriate religious education
texts and materials are used for instruction in addition to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Catechists have always been of particular importance in large geographical parishes, such as in
Africa, where priests have historically only been able to visit different parts of their parish
periodically. In the priest’s absence, the parish catechist takes on the role of being the main teacher
of the faith in that parish. Such as they are afforded a particular place of honor within their parish
community.
Catechumen
A person who receives instruction in the Christian religion in order to be baptized. According
to the New Testament, the apostles instructed converts after baptism (Acts 2:41), and Christian
instruction was evidently given to all converts (Lk.1:4, Acts 18:25, Gal.6:6). As the number of
Gentles in the Church increased, instruction became more definite. In the 4 th century, with rise of
heresy, detailed doctrinal teaching was given. But b this time the postponement of baptism had
become general (Constantine was not baptized until he was at the point of death), and therefore, a
large proportion of Christians belonged to the catechumenate. Most of them were merely
“adherents” of the church, while others were under definite instruction for baptism. As infant
baptism became general, the baptismal rites now used are adaptations of rites intended for the
reception of adult catechumens.

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APPLICATION
Direction: In 500 words, summarize the entire discussion. Write your work on a short-sized
bond paper.
SUMMARY
We are called both personally, as individual believers, and ecclesially, as members of the
Church, to share Jesus Christ with our Asian brethren by word and witness, through active
commitment to truth, justice, freedom and universal Christian love.
This means “going forth in-spirited to renew the face of the world the wider world of Asia and
beyond, giving of ourselves unto the renewal and unity of God’s whole creation” (PCP II 7).
Our vocation is to move from being truly “Church of the Poor,” through “Renewal Integral
Evangelization of Disciples of Christ” before the world (cf.NPP).
POST ACTIVITY
Direction: Answer the following questions. Write your answers in a short- sized bond paper
1. What are the qualities of a good Filipino catechist?
2. Discuss why Filipino people are considered to spirit oriented.

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COURSE TITLE Basic Catechism Course Code REL.ED 3

DEPARTMENT Year Level
SEMESTER First Semester Academic Year 2021
MODULE NO.2 Introduction to Religious Chapter No.
Education
LESSON NO.3 Revelation and Faith Date
At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:
INTENDED 1. Discuss the meaning of revelation;
LEARNING 2. Identify the purpose of revelation;
OUTCOME 3. Identify the kinds of revelation;
4. Explain the concept of faith;
5. Identify the essential dimensions of faith and characteristics
of the Christian faith.
INTRODUCTION
By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is
another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of
divine Revelation.1 Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to
man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in
Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

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PRE – ACTIVITY
Direction: Discuss subjectively the following questions. Write your answer on a short-sized bond
paper.
1. Can someone believe in God but not attend church?
2. Does someone need to attend church to be spiritual?
3. What benefits can someone get from going to church?
DISCUSSION
Divine Revelation
God’s makes himself known as Lord through divine revelation, which is given to all people
through creation and human nature and to specific people through events, inspired human words
recorded as Scripture, and Jesus Christ himself. The God of the Bible is a personal being, in contrast
with the gods of many other religions and philosophies who are abstract or impersonal forces. The
doctrine of the Trinity underscores this fact, for the biblical God is not only personal but a society of
persons, existing eternally in mutual love and deference (John 17).
So, whatever God does he makes known. The persons of the Trinity know one another
exhaustively, and each understands the thoughts and actions of the others. In human beings, there are
hidden depths in our nature so that we cannot fully understand our own actions and motives. But God
is fully known to himself. Much about God is mysterious to us, but not to him. One way Scripture
describes God’s exhaustive self-knowledge is by saying that he is a speaking God or, simply, that he
is Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John
1:1)

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God is not only eternal, holy, all-powerful, and so on, but he expresses and shares those qualities
through something like human speech. In his eternal nature, he has the power to speak (the “Word”),
and that power to speak is who he is: his Word is eternally with him, and his Word is his very nature.
John identifies this Word with Jesus Christ in John 1:14. In Jesus, the Word became flesh. So the
existence of the Word did not begin with Jesus’s incarnation. There are hundreds of references to the
divine word in Scripture, in both testaments, as the means by which God reveals himself.
Moreover, God reveals himself to himself, each Trinitarian person to the other two, and his
revelation extends beyond his own being. It comes also to the world he has created, and especially to
the intelligent creatures of that world: angels and human beings. Because self-revelation is his nature,
he wants all his creatures to know him.
The creatures of the world cannot know God exhaustively. One cannot know God exhaustively
unless one is God. But creatures receive great benefits from knowing God; indeed, they cannot live
without knowing him, for he is the author of life. This is true both of our natural lives and our spiritual
lives. Adam came alive when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). And Jesus
says that the great benefit of eternal life, his salvation from sin, is the benefit of knowing God:
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have
sent. (John 17:3)
In one sense, all human beings, even the wicked, know God:

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For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his
invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Rom. 1:18–20).
But many reject this revelation, people who, Paul says, “by their unrighteousness suppress the
truth.” (Rom. 1:18). Though God is clearly revealed to all, fallen people prefer to deny that they
know him, as Adam hid from God in the Garden (Gen. 3:8). When people say they do not know God,
it is not because God has failed to reveal himself, or that God’s revelation is not clear enough. Rather,
their ignorance of God is something they have done to themselves. They are lying to themselves,
trying to convince themselves that God does not exist or that he is obscure, while all the time God is
staring them in the face.
God’s personal name is Lord, which translates the mysterious name I AM which God revealed
to Moses in Ex. 3:14–16. His lordship connotes particularly his control, authority, and presence in
relation to the world he has made (see John Frame, The Doctrine of God, pp. 21–240, and The
Doctrine of the Word of God, pp. 3–14, 47–68). Everything he does reflects his lordship in these
ways, including his revelation. Scripture describes God’s word-revelation in terms of his control as
a powerful force: Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the
rock in pieces? (Jer. 23:29)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of
the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
It also makes clear that God’s word of revelation has supreme authority:

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The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken
will judge him on the last day. (John 12:48) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16–17)
And God’s word, his revelation, is also his presence, the place where he meets with his people.
God’s nearness to Israel is the nearness of his word (Deut. 4:7–8, 30:11–14). And God comes to be
“with us,” Immanuel, in the person of his Son Jesus Christ, his living word to us (John 1:1–14).
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
It was mentioned earlier that the biblical God is personal, not an abstract force like the gods of
the nations. His revelation is particularly a personal encounter between him and his people. When we
hear revelation, we hear God himself. Our response to it should be a response appropriate to supreme
power, to ultimate authority, and to an intimate Father.
General and Special Revelation
Theologians make various distinctions among types of revelation. The most common is between
general and special revelation. General revelation is revelation of God given to everybody. It is the
kind of revelation described in Romans 1. It tells us that God exists, what kind of God he is, and his
moral standards. In revealing God’s standards, it shows us that we have not measured up to them.
Paul says of general revelation that it reveals God’s wrath on sinners (Rom. 1:18). General revelation

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comes to us through the natural world (what is called natural revelation) and through our own nature.
For we ourselves are revelation, the image of God according to Genesis 1:26–27.
On the other hand, special revelation is revelation God gives to selected messengers, charging
them to bring the message to others. Those messengers may be angels, prophets, or apostles. The
message may be presented orally or may be consigned to writing, as when the apostles wrote
authoritative letters to the churches (see 1 Cor. 14:37–38). The Bible as a whole is a special revelation
of God in written form (2 Tim. 3:15–17). The messages of special revelation typically contain one or
both of two different kinds of contents: threats of judgment and promises of grace. The gospel is a
special revelation of grace, a message of supremely good news:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Christian Faith
Faith in its broadest sense is a central reality in Filipino life. It is an everyday “natural” factor
in all our human relationships and daily actions. For example, in accepting the word of others, we
already show our faith (paniniwala) in them. We readily obey the directions of those over us, at home,
at work, in our communities (pagsunod). We even entrust ourselves and our welfare to others:
doctors, teachers, judges, civic leaders, not to mention cooks, jeepney drivers, etc. Without such basic
human faith which includes believing acceptance, obedient action and personal entrusting, human
life would be impossible. Faith as a human reality, therefore, is central to our daily lives.
For Filipinos, this can be seen most clearly in our family life and friendships. We grow up,
nurtured and supported by the trust, love and fidelity of our family. We mature through a process of

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forming personal friendships, first as children, then as teenagers, finally as adults. But in each case,
there is a gradual revelation of our own inner self to our friend, and a free acceptance of our friend’s
self-revelation. If this friendship is to grow and mature, it must include a “turning toward” the other,
a conversion. We acknowledge our need and trust in the other’s friendship by listening to and
identifying with our friend.
Filipinos do all this spontaneously, naturally, but not without difficulty. Sometimes we turn
away, or refuse to listen, or are rejected by the other. But genuine friendships create mutual loving
knowledge of each other. In them we experience something that liberates us from our own
narrowness, and opens us to fuller life and love. We realize that friendship freely offered us by
another, also demands our free response. It is a response that is never just one act, but a long process
of growing intimacy with our friend. Inevitably, others among our families and associates are
eventually involved. Especially God.
Faith in God is grounded in God’s own revelation through his words and deeds in salvation
history. It is confirmed by the many reasons for believing that have been worked out throughout the
centuries, responding to the biblical challenge: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1 Pt 3:15).
Characteristics of Christian Faith
Total and Absolute

Already the Old Testament contrasted faith “in man in whom there is no salvation” with faith
in “the Lord who made heaven and earth . . . who shall reign forever” (cf. Ps 146:3, 5-6,10; Jer 17:5-
8). Only Faith in God calls for a total and absolute adherence (cf. CCC 150). Christ himself provides,

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especially in his Passion, Death and Resurrection, the best example of this total and absolute
commitment to God.
Trinitarian
For us Christians, Faith is our adherence to the Triune God revealed through Jesus Christ our
Lord. It is our friendship with Christ and through Christ with the Father, in their Holy Spirit. Through
Christ’s witness to his Father in his teaching, preaching, miracles, and especially in his Passion, Death
and Resurrection, we come to believe in Christ our Savior, in the Father, and in the Holy Spirit sent
into our hearts. Our Faith as Catholics, then, consists in our personal conviction and belief in God
our Father, revealed by Jesus Christ, His own divine Son-made-man, and their presence to us through
the Holy Spirit, in the Church (cf. PCP II 64; CCC 151-52).
Loving, Maturing and Missionary
Our Christian Faith is truly life-giving and mature only through love, for “the man without love
has known nothing of God, for God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). And to be Christian, this love must be
inseparably love of God and love of neighbour, like Christ’s. It thus impels us to mission, to
evangelize, by bringing others the Good News (cf. 1 Cor 9:16). Such a missionary spirit is the test of
authentic Faith because it is unthinkable that a person should believe in Christ’s Word and Kingdom
without bearing witness and proclaiming it in his turn (cf. EN 24; PCP II 67-71, 402). This means we
are all called to share in Christ’s own three-fold mission as priest, prophet and king (cf. PCP II 116-
21; LG 10-13).

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Informed and Communitarian
PCP II insists that Catholic Faith must be “informed,” that is “believing Jesus’ words, and
accepting his teachings, trusting that he has “the words of eternal life” (cf. Jn 6:68; NCDP 147). It
must be “communitarian” since it is the Church that transmits to us Christ’s revelation through Sacred
Scripture and its living Tradition, and alone makes possible for us an adequate faith-response (cf.
PCP II 65).
Inculturated
This Catholic faith in God and in Jesus Christ is never separated from the typical Filipino faith
in family and friends. On the one hand, we live out our faith in God precisely in our daily relationships
with family, friends, fellow workers, etc. On the other hand, each of these is radically affected by our
Catholic Faith in God our Father, in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Savior, and in their Holy
Spirit dwelling within us in grace. “This is how all will know you for my disciples: your love for one
another” (Jn 13:35; cf. PCP II 72-73, 162, 202-11).
THE THREE ESSENTIAL DIMENSIONS OF FAITH
Vatican II explains this faith-response as follows: “By faith man freely commits his entire self
to God, making ‘the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals,’ and willingly
assenting to the Revelation given by Him” (DV 5). Christian Faith, then, touches every part of us:
our minds (believing), our wills (doing), and our hearts (trusting). Let us briefly examine each aspect
in turn.

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Believing
Faith involves our basic convictions as Christians. “For if you confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead; you will be saved” (Rom
10:9). John sums up his Gospel with: “These things have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus
is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith you may have life in his name” (Jn 20: 31).
Faith, then, is knowing, but not mere “head knowledge” of some abstract truths. It is like the
deep knowledge we have of our parents, or of anyone we love dearly. Christian Faith, then, is personal
knowledge of Jesus Christ as “my Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28). Christ solemnly assures each of us:
“Here I stand knocking at the door. If anyone hears me calling and opens the door, I will enter his
house, and have supper with him, and he with me” (Rv 3:20).
Doing
But besides believing, faith is also doing. As St. James writes: “My brothers, what good is it
to profess faith without practicing it?” (Jas 2:14). Christ himself taught: “None of those who cry out
‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in
heaven” (Mt 7:21). Faith, then, is a commitment to follow (obey) God’s will for us. This we see
exemplified in Mary’s “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say”
(Lk 1:38).
PCP II brings out this “doing” dimension of faith as “witnessing” through “loving service” of
our needy neighbors. In our concrete situation, particularly urgent is the call for: 1) deeds of justice
and love; and 2) for protecting and caring for our endangered earth’s environment (cf. PCP II 78-80).

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Of course, we realize that we often do not do what we affirm in faith. But this awareness of our
failures emphasizes all the more the essential place of behavior in authentic Christian Faith. It also
makes us more conscious of our need for Christ’s Spirit to live out our faith in our actions. “For apart
from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). “Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace
of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the
heart and converts it to God” (DV 5).
Entrusting/Worshipping
Beyond believing and doing, faith is also entrusting oneself into God’s hands. Abraham, our
father in faith, at God’s command left everything to set out for a foreign land. Against all human odds
Moses trusted Yahweh to free the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt. In the New Testament, Jesus
worked signs and cures only with those who trusted in him. He promised the possessed boy’s father:
“Everything is possible to a man who trusts” (Mk 9:23).
Faith, then, is from the heart __ the loving, trusting, and hoping in the Lord that comes from
God’s own love flooding our hearts. This trusting Faith “lives and grows through prayer and worship”
__ personal heartfelt conversation with God that is the opposite of mindless, mechanical repetition
of memorized formulas. Genuine personal prayer and group prayer find both their inspirational
source and summit of perfection in the Liturgy, the Catholic community’s official public Trinitarian
worship of the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Holy Spirit (cf. PCP II 74-77).
Faith and Three Classic Questions

These three aspects of our Christian Faith __ believing, doing, and prayerful trusting __
respond to the three classical questions posed to every person in life, and to St. Augustine’s famous
triple definition of faith. To the question “What can I know?” Christian faith responds that we can

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know God as Our Father and Christ as Our Lord (credere Deum/Christum). “Know that we belong
to God . . . that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to recognize the One who is
true” (1 Jn 5:19-20). Pagkilala sa Ama, sa Anak at sa Espiritu Santo.
“What should I do?” is answered curtly by “Keep His commandments” (1 Jn 2:3), which means
to “love in deed and truth and not merely talk about it” (1 Jn 3:18). This demands acting on the
credibility of God’s teachings in Christ as true and dependable (credere Deo/Christo).
Finally, to the question “What may we hope for?” Christian Faith celebrates in prayer and
sacrament the unshakeable hope that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither
the present nor the future, nor powers; neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). In brief,
this hope means to believe in God “with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your
mind” (Mt 22:37), entrusting ourselves to Him in love (credere in Deum/Christum).
Faith and Salvation
But faith is not some “answer box” it is not some “thing” we have, keep, and own. Rather, real
faith is a force within us that by the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit gradually works a transformation
in our daily thoughts, hopes, attitudes and values.
In religious terms, we know that faith is necessary for salvation it is the “beginning of our
salvation” (cf. Trent, ND 1935; CCC 161). For “without faith it is impossible to please God”
(Heb 11:6). From experience we realize that faith brings us fuller life which can be described by three
basic values: genuine personal maturity, freedom and happiness.

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Maturity
Faith is a growth in personal maturity because it helps us “put childish ways aside” (1 Cor
13:11). It develops a basic honesty in us before God and man by making us aware of the sacrifices
demanded by authentic human love. It grounds our own self-identity in the fact that we are sons and
daughters of the Father, redeemed by the Blood of Christ our Savior, and inspired by their indwelling
Holy Spirit.
Freedom
Faith in Christ frees us from preferring “darkness rather than light” (Jn 3:19), “the praise of
men to the glory of God” (Jn 12:43). Without faith in God, we are at the mercy of “carnal allurements,
enticements for the eye, the life of empty show” so that “the Father’s love has no place in us” (1 Jn
2:15-16). As Scripture warns us: “the world with its seductions is passing away, but the man who
does God’s will endures forever” (1 Jn 2:17).
Spiritual Joy
In so liberating us, faith in Christ fosters the value of spiritual joy. So Mary proclaimed: “My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:46-47).
John the Baptist was “overjoyed” to hear Christ’s voice “that is my joy, and it is complete” (Jn 3:29).
Christ himself taught his disciples “so that my joy may be yours, and your joy may be complete” (Jn
15:11), a “joy no one can take from you” (Jn 16:22). For Christian Faith is our response to Christ’s
“Good News,” lived in the Spirit whose fruits are “love, joy, peace, patience, endurance, kindness,
generosity, faith, mildness and chastity” (Gal 5:22).

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Models of Christian Faith

During the weeks of Advent, we prepare for Christmas and reflect on the events surrounding
the birth of the Lord. In doing so, we cannot overlook the role of the Virgin Mary, who appears as a
key figure in the Christmas scene.
Mary is a model of faith for us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that faith is “the
theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us”
(CCC 1814). To better understand what this means in practice, we can look at the life of Mary, whose
acceptance of God’s invitation to be the mother of His Son is a great witness for us. By examining
the dialogue that took place at the Annunciation, we can gain deeper insight about what it means to
have faith.
The Gospel of Luke says that an angel was sent to Mary. The angel appeared to her, saying,
"Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." We are told that Mary “was greatly troubled at what was
said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”
When the angel announced to Mary that she would conceive Jesus, she responded with a
question: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" Mary did not respond to the angel
with blind faith, agreeing to something that she did not understand or rashly accepting something that
did not make sense. But nor did she doubt the angel or distrust his message simply because his words
were puzzling. Rather, her response was a question, humbly acknowledging to the angel that she did
not entirely understand and asking him to explain.

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Mary sought to understand more so that she could have the knowledge to properly consent.
She asked how such an incredible thing could happen, without doubting that it would take place. This
response should guide us in our faith. We are not called to blindly follow Church teachings without
understanding them. Rather, we should ask questions, seeking to increase our understanding, while
still believing as we do so. Of course, we must be careful to ask the right sources when we have a
question about our faith. Asking for explanations from people who are weak in their faith or hostile
to the Catholic Church may yield confusion or error. We should turn to those people in our lives who
are faithful and well-formed, those who adhere to Church teaching and truly live out their beliefs –
those who understand their faith and can lead us to a deeper understanding as well.
The angel responded to Mary’s question by explaining, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called
holy, the Son of God.” Mary replied by saying, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be
done to me according to your Word.”
The angel’s response explained the Incarnation, but it did not address all of the details
surrounding it. Would this happen immediately or at some point in the future? What should Mary tell
Joseph? How could God become man? Surely, Mary had unanswered questions. Yet she chose to
trust God and accept His will. Part of faith is trust. We must realize that we are finite creatures, and
we can never fully understand the plan of God, who is infinite. We can inform ourselves as much as
we are able, and then trust God, even if we still do not fully understand. God may not reveal the
fullness of His plans to us, but we can still have faith and place our trust in Him.

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Mary’s response to the angel, known as her “fiat,” illustrates true faith. She invited God’s will
to be done, welcoming all the blessings and challenges that would accompany it. Her whole-hearted
acceptance of God’s plan for her life would later be reflected by Christ, as he knelt in the Garden of
Gethsemane, praying to his Heavenly Father, “not my will but yours be done.” By following in the
footsteps of Mary, we can grow in faith. We can ask questions to deepen our understanding of Church
teaching, and we can trust God and embrace His will, even when we do not fully understand His plan.
Mary’s fiat at the Annunciation was affirmed throughout her life. At the Presentation in the
Temple, Simeon predicted that a sword of sorrow would one day pierce her heart. At the Crucifixion,
she stood at the foot of the cross, watching her Son suffer and die. Mary responded to these moments
with faith and trust, just as she did at the Annunciation. She embraced God’s will in every
circumstance of her life, and in doing so, she provided us with an example of true faith.
May we as Christians see Mary as our model as we strive to grow in our own faith!
APPLICATION
Direction. Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself this question “Am I a good faithful to
my God? In a short- sized bond paper, write a 500 words reflection based on the guide question.
SUMMARY
God makes himself known to his creatures because he first knows himself perfectly as a
personal, speaking God. Although all people suppress the knowledge of God in their sin, he has
clearly communicated about himself to his creatures through the creation and through human’s being
made in the image of God. On top of this general revelation, God communicates about himself to
particular people in special revelation, which includes the events of nature and history, human words

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that are inspired by God and recorded for us in Scripture, and through the person of Jesus Christ, who
is the ultimate image of God. In all of these different ways, God reveals himself as Lord, which is
comprised of his control, presence, and authority over all things.
POST ACTIVITY
Direction: Make a Five-Minute Video, motivating yourself to be a good follower of God by
believing, doing and prayerful trusting unto His words. Using other dialects or language is allowed
in this activity. SEND YOUR VIDEO ON MESSSENGER.

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Mount Carmel College of Escalante, Inc.

Carmelite Street, Escalante City

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

The Filipino Catholic

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

COURSE TITLE Basic Catechism Course Code REL.ED 3

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

General and Special Revelation

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Characteristics of Christian Faith

Total and Absolute

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Loving, Maturing and Missionary

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Informed and Communitarian

THE THREE ESSENTIAL DIMENSIONS OF FAITH

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Faith and Three Classic Questions

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Faith and Salvation

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Models of Christian Faith

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

Subject: Rel.Ed. 1 BaSic Catechism

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