LIBERATION

How can you say

that we are very
ESSENTIAL
blessed today in QUESTION
terms of expressing
one’s faith?
INTRODUCTION
 DO YOU
KNOW THIS
SYMBOL?
“Ichthys”
“Ichthys”
FISH
 “Ichthys”
-is a Christian
secret symbol for
Jesus Christ.
 ΙΧΘΥΣ
Ἰēsous (Jesus) Jesus
/ch/ Χristos (Christ/Anointed) Christ,
/th/ Θeou (of God) Son
of God,
Υios (Son)
Savior
/s/ Σōtēr (Savior)
Why did they
use the
Symbol of
Fish?
 Significance of Fish in the Bible
The fish is also used by Jesus to explain "the Sign of Jonah".
This is symbolic of Jesus's resurrection, upon which the whole
Christian faith is established.

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him,

saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he
answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for
a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the
prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
(Matthew 12:38-40)
 Significance of Fish in the Bible
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was
thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind."
(Matthew 13:47)

“Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the

Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will
send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them
from every mountain and every hill, and out of the
clefts of the rocks." (Jeremiah 16:16)
LIBERATION
 The
EMPEROR BATTLE of
CONSTANTINE MILVIAN
and BRIDGE
 It was no
By AD 285 the longer
Roman Empire feasible
had grown so to govern
vast. all the
provinces
The Emperor The Eastern
Diocletian Empire
(Byzantium)
divided the & the Western
empire Empire
into halves (Rome)
Western Eastern
Empire: Empire:

Emperor Emperor
Maximian Diocletian
• Emperor Maximian
had a son
MAXENTIUS.
• But Emperor
Diocletian chose his
assistant
CONSTANTIUS I, to
rule the West.
Western Eastern
Empire: Empire:
Emperor
Emperor
Constantius I
(Father of Constantine) Galerius
Constantius I
married Helena a
Christian convert.
And they had a
son,
CONSTANTINE. Reyna Helena
• After Constantius I died,
Maxentius claimed the
imperial title in the Empire.
So, Constantine waged war
against him in the Milvian
Bridge.
The night before the
battle, it is said that
Constantine had a
dream:

"In this sign, prevail"

PX Monogram
is the first two
letters of the Greek
word for Christ
(Χριστός) –
PX Monogram
is the first two
letters of the Greek
word for Christ
(Χριστός) – (Christos)
PX Monogram
is the first two
letters of the Greek
word for Christ
(Χριστός) –
X (Chi) and P (Rho)
PX Monogram
is the first two
letters of the Greek
word for Christ
(Χριστός) –
X (Chi) and P (Rho) Chirho
Constantine
gave Licinius his
companion the
Eastern Empire.
Western Eastern
Empire: Empire:

Emperor Emperor
Constantine Licinius
LIBERATION
 The
The EDICT OF Liberation
MILAN and of
Christianiy
In A.D. 313, both
Constantine and
Licinius announced
that Christians may
practice their faith
freely without
persecution.
AFTER THE DECLARATION:

Constantine together
with his mother, Helena The Eastern
built magnificent new Empire
church buildings for (Byzantium) and
worship and spread the Western
Christianity around the Empire (Rome)
Empire
Queen Helena
Emperor Constantine
AFTER THE DECLARATION:
• Sunday was proclaimed
as a day of rest. The Eastern
• Crucifixion was Empire
abolished. (Byzantium) and
• Constantine encouraged
the Western
Christian customs and
feasts. Empire (Rome)
In A.D. 324,
Constantine had to combat the
Licinius executed Arian heresy
**because Licinius and to
still persecuted proclaim the
Christians in the Nicene Creed.
Eastern Empire
**because
Constantine
wanted to become
the only Roman
Emperor of the
whole empire.
The Apostles’ mission of
spreading Christianity
became successful when
it dominated the whole
of Roman Empire during
the Liberation period.
From about 200,000
Christians during the
persecution period, the The Eastern
number rose up to Empire
6,000,000 after just (Byzantium) and
100 years
the Western
Empire (Rome)
LIBERATION
 The
ST. HELENA TRUE
and CROSS OF
CHRIST
 INTRODUC TION
/SANTA CRUZAN/ =Holy Cross
-refers to the pilgrimage/
journey in search of the
Holy Cross of Christ
To eradicate the influence of
Christianity, the Roman Emperor
Hadrian (A.D. reign 117-138),
Hadrian levelled the top of Mount
Calvary and erected a temple to
the pagan goddess Venus.
He also cut away and levelled
the hillside where Jesus tomb
stood and built a temple to the
pagan god Jupiter.
Ironically, this destruction
actually preserved the sacred
sites.
With the authority of her
son, Queen Helena made
a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, to Israel.
About the year A.D.326, the temple of
Jupiter was demolished, and the
workers began to excavate the area.
They discovered the remains of the
tomb of our Lord Jesus. They built a
new shrine over the tomb,
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in
Jerusalem.
The temple of Venus was also
demolished, thereby exposing the
site where Christ was crucified. The
Emperor Constantine himself
wrote to St. Macarius, Bishop of
Jerusalem, ordering him to make a
search for the cross on Mount
Calvary.
A learned Jew named Judas
seemed to have some knowledge
of the whereabouts, and was
pressed into service. Just east of
the site, three crosses were found
in a rock-cistern.
The three crosses were removed from
the cistern. A woman, dying from a
terminal disease, was brought to the
spot. She touched the crosses, one by
one. After she touched the third cross,
she was cured, thereby identifying the
true cross.
/SANTA CRUZAN/ =Holy Cross
-refers to the pilgrimage/
journey in search of the
Holy Cross of Christ
The Santacruzan was a novena
procession remembering St.
Helena's mythical finding of the
cross.
Nine days of prayer (a novena) in
respect of the Holy Cross lead the
Santa Cruzan.
This colorful pageant parade is arranged in
this order:
Methuselah - he is bearded, curved with
age, riding a cart looking preoccupied with
toasting some grains of sand in a pan over a
fire. This is a reminder that all that glitters
will end up as dust like what he is toasting.
Reyna Banderada - a young lady dressed in
a long red gown carrying a yellow triangular
flag. She represents the coming of
Christianity.
Aetas - represent the state of the country
before the coming of Christianity. These are
the unconverted Filipino pagans.
Reyna Mora - represents the dominant
religion before Christianity (feminine of
Moro from the Moslem religion).
Reyna Fe - symbolizes the virtue of faith -
the first of the theological virtues. She
carries a cross.
Reyna Esperanza - symbolizes the virtue of
hope - the second theological virtue. She
carries an anchor.
Reyna Caridad - symbolizes the virtue
of charity - the third theological virtue.
She carries a red heart.
Reyna Abogada - the defender of the
poor and the oppressed. She wears a
black graduation cap (toga) and gown
and she carries a big book.
Reyna Sentenciada - has her slim
hands bound by a rope. She is the
symbol of the innocents who have
been convicted. She is escorted by two
Roman soldiers.
Reyna Justicia - an image of the
"mirror of justice". She carries a
weighing scale and a sword.
Reyna Judith - representing Judith of
Pethulia who saved her city from the
Assyrians after she beheaded the cruel
holoferns. She carries the head of the
beheaded man on one hand and a sword on
the other.
Reyna Sheba - who visited the famous King
Solomon and was overwhelmed by his
wisdom, power and riches, she carries a
jewelry box.
Reyna Esther - the biblical Jewish who
secured her countrymen from death and
destruction through timely intervention
with the King Xerxes. She carries a scepter.
Samaritana - the woman who Christ spoke
to at the well. She carries a jug on her
shoulder.
Veronica - the woman who wiped the face
of Jesus. She carries a bandana printed with
the three faces of Jesus
Tres Marias
a. Mary of Magdalene - she
carries a bottle of perfume;
b. Mary, Mother of Christ -
she carries a handkerchief;
c. Mary, mother of James -
she carries a bottle of oil.
Marian - celebrating the
many titles of the Virgin
Mary.
 a . Divina pastora (Divine Shepherdess)
- she carries a shepherdess' staff.
b .Reyna de las Estrellas (Queen of
Stars) - she carries a wand with a star.
c . Rosa Mystica - she carries a bouquet
of roses.
d . Reyna Paz (queen of peace) - she
carries the symbol of peace.
 e. Reyna de las Propetas - she carries
an hour glass.
f. Reyna del Cielo (Queen of Heaven) -
she carries a flower. She has two (2) angels.
g. Reyna de las Virgines - she carries a
rosary and is surrounded by two (2) little
angels.
h. Reyna de las Flores (Queen of
Flowers) - she carries a bouquet of flowers.
Reyna Elena (Queen Helena)
She is the highlight of the
procession, the legendary founder
of the true Cross, represented by
the small cross she carries. She is
escorted by her son, Constantine.
What are the similarities that you
realize on these three symbols:
LIBERATION