I-Witness To The Word Growing in Love Student - S Manual

WITNESS TO
THE WORD
Growing in Love
A Students Textbook
Esperidion S. Abellana, MA ReEd

Fr. Magdaleno F. Fabiosa, SVD
Sr. Mary Martha N. Fe, OSF, MAEd ReEd
Marilou M. Mandawe, MA PM
Jocelyn E. Tagaro, MA ReEd
I have come to bring fire

upon the earth
and how I wish
it were already kindled.
(Lk. 12:49)
For the exclusive use

of the member schools and universities of the
Divine Word Educational Associations
(DWEA)
University of San Carlos Press

USC, Cebu City
Philippines
1
In the beginning was the Word.

And the Word was with God and the Word was God;
he was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him
and without him nothing came to be.
Whatever has come to be, found life in him,
life which for humans was also light.
Light that shines in the dark:
light that darkness could not overcome.
A man came, sent by God;
his name was John.
He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light
So that all might believe through him.
He was not the light but a witness to introduce the Light.
For the light was coming into the world,
the true light that enlightens everyone.
He was already in the world
and through him the world was made,
the very world that did not know him.
He came to his own,
yet his own people did not receive him;
but all who have received him
he empowers to become children of God
for they believe in his Name.
These are born, but without seed
or carnal desire or will of man:
they are born of God.
And the Word was made flesh;
he had his tent pitched among us,
and we have seen his Glory,
the Glory of the only Son
coming from the Father:
fullness of truth and loving-kindness.
John bore witness to him openly, saying:
This is the one who comes after me,
but he is already ahead of me for he was before me.
From his fullness we have all received,
favor upon favor.
For God had given us the law
through Moses,
but Truth and Loving-kindness
came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God,
but God-the-Only-Son made him known:
the one who is in and with the Father. (Jn. 1:1-18)
MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORS
Our Dear Students:

To express what is deep in our hearts, we will take the following short true story as takeoff. A college instructor who was a fresh graduate started teaching in one of the universities run
by the SVDs. In one of his classes, he once asked his students, What is the deepest desire of
your heart? Corroborating his conviction that human persons are basically good, he found out
that the overwhelming majority gave answers which may be described as abstract, intangible and
profound realities such as to be happy, to achieve world peace, to succeed in life as well as to
give and receive love. These responses he found so heartwarming. After all, he said to himself,
Stretched before me is a fertile ground where the seed of Gods word can take deeper roots,
eventually grow, and produce a hundredfold or even much more. With this thought, he
wounded up the session by saying, Class, in the tug-of-war deep within us between good and
evil, it is always the former that prevails.
At the end of the class, still on the upbeat, he headed towards the faculty room when a
group of guys accosted him. The most aggressive among them said, Sir, the deepest desire of
my heart, of our hearts is to join a fraternity. To join a frat is exciting especially when you
experience hazing. So the deepest desire of our hearts is to hurt and experience being hurt.
Taken aback by such a statement, the teacher became speechless as he had been many times
before when confronted with straightforward questions by students that demand immediate and
yet profound answers. After he silently invoked the presence of the Holy Spirit, as he is
accustomed to doing during moments of crisis, insights into the issue of joining fraternities
dawned on him. Then, he asked lots of corollary questions and the students willingly answered
until what originally started as a sort of provocation ended up as a sharing of life stories. The
most aggressive of them was the most open about his problem with his parents. He was
abandoned by his father when he was five. Then five years later, his mother went abroad and
lived with a foreigner. He was then left under the charge of his grandmother. As teardrops
trickled down his cheeks, the rest of the guys became very silent as if they were hearing the
sound of silence for the first time. This story suggests that some young people of today are
sometimes grappling with their true feelings. Instead of coming to terms with the need for love,
be it from family or friends or special someone, they entertain negative thoughts about
themselves.
It is for no more and no less than growing in love as the reason why this course, Witness
to the Word is introduced. But what kind of love is being referred to here? Whether it is love
for others such as family and friends or love for the country or whatever kind of love, so long as
it is that kind of love that reflects in some ways the unconditional love the Triune God has within
himself and towards his creation. In and through this kind of love, we each need to grow and
3
mature. Using the lens of faith, we can best understand this love within the mission of the
Trinity in and for the world. Out of love, God the Father sent his son into this world so that
those who believe in him may not die but may have eternal life (Jn. 3:16). This son of the
Father, Jesus Christ is the Word spoken of in this verse: In the beginning was the Word. And
the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God And the
Word became flesh; he had His tent pitched among us (Jn. 1:1-2, 14).
To this Word who has pitched His tent among us, we are in our hearts deeply beckoned to
witness. Being a witness to the Word is the mark, the identity not only of every member of the
Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and every lay partner of the SVDs like you our dear students
but also of every Christian. In a nutshell, becoming a witness means reflecting in our own
modes of being and doing the unconditional love of God as manifested in the person and mission
of Jesus Christ. This mission of witnessing has all the more become urgent in todays
materialistic world so pervaded by, in the language of St. Arnold Janssen, the darkness of sin
and the night of unbelief.
With such an identity of every SVD and of every Christian, the Divine Word Educational
Association (DWEA) of which your school is a member would like to see well-nurtured in all
SVD educational institutions all over the Philippines and the respective communities to which
these institutions belong. To address this concern, we the members of the Witness to the Word
working team: Mr. Esperidion S. Abellana, Fr. Magdaleno F. Fabiosa, SVD, Sr. Mary Martha
Fe, OSF, Mrs. Marilou M. Mandawe, and Mrs. Jocelyn E. Tagaro expended all our physical and
psycho-emotional efforts so that we can come up with this book entitled, Witness to the Word,
Growing in Love. As the title suggests, this course provides you with avenues and
opportunities so that in your own pace and unique ways you can wholeheartedly respond to the
call of the triune God deep in our hearts to love, to become the person God has created you to be
to become like the Word, his Son who is the perfect image of himself (Col. 1:15).
This book consists of many learning episodes designed in such ways that the love story
between God and his people in its entirety specifically from the creation scene down to the
experience of the people of God in the Old and New Testaments can be more or less covered.
The last part of the course highlights the missionary vision and activities of the SVDs as the
specific setting within which the love of God can be understood and experienced. Each learning
episode has two major parts. Whereas the first gives the contents in summary form, the second
presents the learning engagements labeled as Witness to the Word Growing in Love Portfolio.
The three types of learning engagements merit special attention. Placed right after the symbolic
Photo of a human mind/brain/head are activities meant to help you grow in knowledge and
understanding about the topic at hand. Why should these activities be undertaken by you? It is
because in loving, you cannot but take into account the great role of knowing. As the saying
goes, You cannot love someone you do not know. The second set of activities which you need
to engage in pertains to matters of the heart which in this context concerns with religious
values and feelings such as trust, piety, and gratitude expressed and nurtured through prayers, the
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sacraments, celebrations, and other related activities. These values and feelings are supposed to
have stemmed, as they should be, from the mind/head, that is, ones knowledge and
understanding. Whatever it is that you have perceived in your mind and nurtured in your heart,
you are supposed to translate it into action. That is why, the last set of activities, following
immediately the Photo of hands is provided. So, you see all the learning engagements are
intended to assist you in growing in a holistic manner. Love after all is holistic. It is inclusive.
To bring to a close this section, let us revert to the college instructors experience. After
around 20 years of teaching, he encountered another student who he would like to describe as
polite and respectful. This student would always help him in erasing the writings of the board.
He would always share his personal story with the teacher. In one of his sharings, the teacher
learned that he has never succumbed to the temptation of taking drugs and being addicted to
computer games and other negative stuff which many of the students in the same boarding house
where he was temporary staying have resorted to. So, the teacher asked this question, Why are
you so strong? What is the reason why you have remained uninfluenced by your co-boarders?
His answer was: My father really loves me. Wow! You are so blessed to have a loving father.
What is the name of your father? To the teachers surprise, the father of this student was his
student around 20 years ago the one who thought that to hurt and be hurt was what he really
desires. The teacher realized that this father who was once his student made a decision to
witness to the Word in the very concrete situation where he found himself. When he decided to
forgive, the miracle took place. He was empowered by love to become the person he was meant
to be. Love drove away his fear (1 Jn. 4:18).
Our beloved students, with this course, may you embark on the journey you must!
CONTENTS
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LEARNING EPISODE 1: THE WORD OF GOD IN THE LIGHT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Learning Encounter 1: Introduction Understanding the Word
as Dabar in the Old Testament and as
Logos in the Gospel According to St. John
Learning Encounter 2: The Image and Likeness of the Triune God

as Reflected in the Nature of Humans
16
Learning Encounter 3: The Image and Likeness of the Triune God

in Humans as Destroyed by Humans Themselves
21
Learning Encounter 4: The Intervention of the Triune God

in the Life of Abraham
29
Learning Encounter 5: The Intervention of the Triune God

through the Mission of Selected Prophets
35
Learning Encounter 6: Gods Intervention in the Old Testament:

Salient Points
44
LEARNING EPISODE 2: THE WORD OF GOD WHO BECAME FLESH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 58
Learning Encounter 7: Jesus Christ: the Word Who Reveals God
59
Learning Encounter 8: Jesus Christ: the Word Who Reveals the Human
65
Learning Encounter 9: Jesus Christ, the Word Who Brought Salvationthe Galilean Crisis and the Death of Jesus
72
Learning Encounter 10: Jesus Christ, the Word Glorified
82
LEARNING EPISODE 3: WITNESSING TO THE WORD IN THE WORLD THROUGH THE

HOLY SPIRIT
86
Learning Encounter 11: Gods Continuing Accompaniment in the Church
87
Learning Encounter 12: Interest in and Living the Word of God

in the World Today
90
Learning Encounter 13: When the Word Becomes Life
95
Learning Encounter 14: The Churchs Mission of Christian Witness
103
Learning Encounter 15: Witnessing through Prophetic Dialogue

with Different Dialogue Partners
113
Learning Encounter 16: Communication as a Characteristic Dimension

in Prophetic Dialogue
120
Learning Encounter 17: The Bible as a Characteristic Dimension

124
Learning Encounter 18: Justice, Peace and Integrity of Gods Creation (JPIC)
As a Characteristic Dimension in Prophetic Dialogue
135
Learning Encounter 19: Mission Animation as a Characteristic Dimension

149
Learning Encounter 20: The Society of the Divine Word in the Philippines:
Through the Years of Christian Witnessing
15
MATERIALS FOR LEARNING
163
REFERENCES
169
ABBREVIATIONS
174
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
175
LEARNING EPISODE 1:
THE WORD OF GOD
IN THE LIGHT OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT
In a nutshell, learning
episode one begins with the
Trinitarian mission of creation and
ends with Gods initiative towards
recreation. In the beginning, Gods
image and likeness, through His
Word and Breath, was reflected in
human beings. As a reflection of
God, human beings enjoyed the gift
of freedom. It was when they
misused this same freedom that
the image and likeness of God in
them was disfigured. From then
onwards, brokenness, pain and
death have become their lot. God,
in
His
unconditional
love,
intervened in the lives of the
Patriarchs and the prophets, in the
struggle of the Israelites so that He
can show the way in the journey
towards the Promised Land,
towards the acceptance of His
Word who became flesh.
Through the different learning engagements in

this episode, the students are expected to:
WORD
Understand the relationship of the Word to
God the Fathers act of creation and
intervention in the journey of the Israelites
towards the Promised Land;
WORSHIP
Be in touch with themselves as created in
Gods image and likeness; and
WITNESS
Respond in faith and love to the God who
speaks in their life-journey.
Learning Encounter 1
THE MEANING OF WORD AS DABAR IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
AND AS LOGOS IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN
Dabar is the Hebrew term for the English equivalent -word. Dabar, however, has more connotations than its English
counterpart. Aside from referring to the spoken word which is
the expression of a persons thought or will, dabar is, for the Jews
more than the spoken word; it may refer to a thing, an affair, an
event, an action, and the like. Once spoken, a word assumes a
quasi-substantial existence of its own. The following quotes from
the Old Testament (OT) are just samples of the Hebrew use of
dabar: it is life giving (Dt. 32:46-47); it has power to heal (Ps.
107:20); it was by Gods word that the heavens were made (Wis.
9:1; Ps. 33:5); using the comparison of rain and snow which come
from heaven and make the earth fruitful, God says: so shall my
word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me
empty (Is. 55:19).
"Heaven and earth

will pass away, but
My words will not
pass away.
(Mt. 24:35)
"By my own self I

swear it, and what
comes out from my
mouth is truth, a
word I say will not be
revoked. Before me
every knee will bend,
by me every tongue
will swear, saying, In
Yahweh alone are
righteousness
and
strength.
(Is. 45:23)
A word is the expression of the mind or the will of the

speaker. So in the OT, dabar when used in conjunction with the
word Yahweh (God) refers to Gods revelation through the
Prophets; it also refers to Gods laws which He gave to His people
through the prophets. Hence, dabar is not merely a revelation of
information but a powerful word that has its intrinsic capacity of
achieving what it utters, enunciates, or says. It has a certain
dynamic energy and power of its own; it achieves what it says
(when He spoke the world was created; at his command
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everything appeared [Ps. 33:9]; He gives a command to the

earth, and what he says is quickly done [Ps. 147]). His Word
means both revelation and salvation, for His Word does not only
reveal but it acts, it creates, and it saves. It is through His Word
that God guides and accompanies His chosen people to a goal He
has set for them.
Words which do
not give the light of
Christ increase the
darkness
- Mother Teresa of
Calcutta
Quote from:
[http://www.brainyquote.co
m/quotes/quotes/m/mother
tere125705.html]
Photo from:
http://www.vatican.va/news
_services/liturgy/saints/ns_li
t_doc_20031019_madreteresa_en.html
The most profound theological understanding of the Word

of God in the OT is found in the book of the Prophet Jeremiah.
Here, the Word of God is cherished as a form of Gods revelation
and the Prophet Jeremiah is its specific agent (20:18). It is
differentiated from human thoughts and words. Jeremiah talks
about the Word of God as a burning fire in his soul that shuts up
sharply in his bones so that he cannot contain it. What is meant
here is that he is inwardly a-flamed by the Word of God so that he
believes that he will perish if he does not speak of it. This Word is
intrinsically entwined in his own soul. It is tossed into it like a
burning brand. It demands to be passed on in his preaching
(20:7ff). This Word of God is the means and instrument through
which Yahweh guides, accompanies, and brings His chosen
people to His planned goal.
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews says, In the past
God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through
the prophets. . . (Heb. 1:1). The point of this passage is that the
Word of God, spoken through the Prophets, was Gods way of
guiding His chosen people. This point is important because it links
us to the New Testament (NT) understanding of the Word of God
as alluded to by this text, . . . but in these last days he has spoken
to us through his Son (Heb. 1:2).
By Fr. Magdaleno F. Fabiosa, SVD
The opening verse of the Gospel according to John says:
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and
the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God (Jn. 1: 1).
This text is replete with theological meanings in regard to the
person of Jesus Christ as the divine Logos. That the Word was
there at the beginning points to the reality that Jesus - the Alpha
and the Omega is not a created being which is suggested in the
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teachings of Plotinus1; that the word was with

God is in diametric opposition to Modalism of
Sabellius2 which propagated the belief that the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are just different
modes or aspects of the one God; and that the
Word was God is a clear refutation of the Arian
heresy 3 that considered Jesus as merely the
highest of all created beings.
The divinity of Jesus which these Biblical
verses pay much attention is the subject of
discussion among scholastic theologians and the
focus of the Christology of the different councils
such as Nicaea and Constantinople. In their
attempt to understand the ineffable mystery of
the divinity of Jesus in relation to the Father and
the Spirit, theologians used the term immanent
trinity. As suggested by the term immanent which
means inherent or existing within, immanent
trinity refers to the operation or activity of the
tripersonal God within himself. This internal
activity is one of perfect communion
characterized by loving presence, constant
communication, and total act of self-giving and
receiving.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only begotten Son of God, born of the
Father before all ages. God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten not made, consubstantial with
the Father through him all things were
made. For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven, and by the
Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, and became man. For our
sake he was crucified under Pontius
Pilate, he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
He
ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of the Father. He will
come again in glory to judge the living
and the dead.
- a section of the Nicene-Constantinople
Creed ( Youth Catechism, 2010: 30).
Logo from:
http://www.going4growth.org.uk/growth_through_t
he_year/trinity_sunday
Plotinus (205-270 AD), a great philosopher of the ancient world, taught that there is a supreme, totally
transcendent "One", containing no division, multiplicity or distinction; likewise, it is beyond all categories
of being and non-being (http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Plotinus).
1
Modalism also termed Sabellianism is the Trinitarian heresy proposed by Sabellius, a Christian priest and
theologian in the third century. According to him, God was one indivisible substance, but with three fundamental
activities, or modes, appearing successively as the Father (the creator and lawgiver), as the Son (the redeemer),
and as the Holy Spirit (the maker of life and the divine presence within men). The term Sabellianism was later used
to include all sorts of speculative ideas that had become attached to the original ideas of Sabellius and his
followers (http://encyclopedia2.tfd.com/sabellius).
3
The heresy called Arianism was one of the most divisive heresies in the history of Christianity. Founded by the
bishop Arius in Alexandria (c. 318), it propagated the idea that God created, before all things, a Son who was the
first creature, but who was neither equal to nor coeternal with the Father. According to Arius, Jesus was a
supernatural creature not quite human and not quite divine (http://encyclopedia2.tfd.com/arianism). Against
this heresy, the first Council of Nicaea in 325 affirmed the divinity of Jesus Christ as of the same substance with the
Father.
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Wherever there is love,

there is a trinity: a lover, a
beloved, and a fountain of
love.
- St. Augustine, 354- 430

(Youth Catechism, 2010: 34)
O Holy Spirit, descend

plentifully into my heart.
Enlighten the dark corners of
this neglected dwelling and
scatter there Thy cheerful
beams.
- St. Augustine
Text from:
http://christianquotes.ochristian.com/Holy-SpiritQuotes/
In view of the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, there

are two immanent divine operations or activities, namely,
knowing and loving. As the omniscient being, the Father is
engaged in a constant act of infinitely knowing himself, a
process which produces a concept, an image, a Verbum the
Word (the Son) which is also God since there is nothing
generated from God that is not God.4 In relation to this
process, the following is worth quoting, God the Father,
upon knowing himself, engenders the Son, who is the
perfect image of the Father. When he loves himself as the
Ultimate Good, he loves the Son and the Son necessarily
loves the Father. 5 This reciprocal act of loving between the
Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. As the uncreated
energy, the Holy Spirit is the breathing of love between the
Father and the Son. As already said, since there is nothing
that comes from God that is not God, the Holy Spirit shares
the same power, glory, and majesty as the Father and the
Son.
Experiential love is, thus far, the best context for
understanding the dynamic relationship among the three
divine persons. Going by the idea of Richard of St. Victor 6
that God, being perfect, must possess charity in the highest
degree 7, it can be said that Gods beloved, the Son who, in
turn loves him, must also be perfect and possess love to the
greatest extent. This supreme love which the Father gives to
and receives from the Son and vice-versa overflows to the
third person, the Holy Spirit. So, the reality of Holy Spirit
points to the reality that authentic love always overflows.
This superabundance of love God shares with his creation
especially with human beings is the reason that the Word
was sent into the world so that human beings can partake in
Belmonte, C. (Ed.). (2006). Faith seeking understanding. Mandaluyong: Studium Theologiae, Inc.
Cf. ibid.
6
Richard St. Victor died in 1173 but his birth date is unknown. This mystical theologian is called Richard of St.
Victor since he became an abbey of the Augustinian monastery, St. Victor in France from 1162 until his death. He is
famous for his most important work, De Trinitate ("On the Trinity") where he stressed that it was possible to
reach the essentials of the doctrine of the Trinity by the process of speculative reasoning. Retrieved from
http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Richard+of+St.+Victor
7
Sta. Maria, D. B. (1998). The mystery of the trinity in Christian life. Makati City: St. Pauls.
5
12
the divine nature (2 Pt. 1:4) of loving communion. Since love

overflows, God relates in love not only within himself but also without.
While the former is termed immanent trinity, the latter is called
economic trinity, that is, Gods act of relating with His creation, with
humanity. The triune God has revealed himself in the world. This
revelation can be understood well in the light of Gods act of speaking
through his Word as contained in the New Testament. Jesus Christs
paschal mystery passion, death, and resurrection is the greatest
manifestation of the Father who loves us for what we are.
By Esperidion S. Abellana
In the NT, God speaks through his Son (the Word -o- made
flesh). This is the conviction of NT theology. In the Parable of the
Sower, the seed expounded as the Word has taken place in Christ
event, in Jesus. The synoptics do not actually call Christ the Word of
God but their theological understanding of His mission shows how they
see Him as the definitive word of salvation directed by the Father to all
(see Parable of the Wicked Tenants in Mt. 21:33-39). 8
I have no
imagination.
I
cannot
picture
God the Father.
All that I can see
is Jesus.
- Mother Teresa
of Calcutta,
1910 - 1997
(Youth Catechism,
2010: 18).
This conviction of the NT reaches its depth in the Johannine

literature, especially in the Prologue to his gospel. There, we have the
basic insight of primitive Christianity that in the person and event of
Jesus, traditional religious values are present in a new and personal
way. The logos (the Greek word for dabar) has become an event, a
flesh, and a history in the person of Jesus Christ (. . . and the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among us).
Another very important point of the logos sayings in the
Prologue is not only the equation of the Word with Jesus; the new
thing is that the logos is the pre-existent Christ. In the person of Jesus,
made human like us, Yahweh himself accompanies and guides his
chosen people.
This parable talks about a landowner who sent his servants to the tenants of his land to get his share of the
harvest. The tenants grabbed the servants, beat one of them and killed another. The parable says that the
landowner sent other servants whom the tenants treated in the same way. AGAIN, he sent more servants whom
the tenants treated in the same way. Last of all, (other translation says: finally), the landowner sent his son
whom the tenants killed. Clearly, this parable is referring to the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, is the definitive
offer of salvation.
13
Edward Schillebeeckx wrote a theological classic on the Sacraments. In that book

entitled Christ the Sacrament of our Encounter with God, the author ventures into explaining
that Jesus, the Word made flesh, through his person, unveils the hidden Yahweh; in and
through the same Jesus, God is also able to express, in human terms, his idea of who the
human being is. Schillebeeckx calls this the dual role of Jesus He is the human expression of
who God is and He is also Gods idea of what the human being is supposed to be.
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Growing in Love Portfolio
Entry # 1 Sharing ones reflections with others and be enriched!
What recurring emotion have you been sensing at this point in your
life? What is the connection of your feeling to the topic discussed in
class, that is, the meaning of the word Dabar in the Old and the New
Testaments?
What does this feeling tell you about yourself? Do you think it has
something to do with the reality of God? If yes, what is it?
Then, share your answers with a family member or a friend. Ask your
friend/family member to make a comment on your reflection paper
before turning it in to the teacher.
14
Rubrics for Evaluation

For having identified the feeling
Comprehensiveness of ones realizations/insights*
Clarity/Organization**
For having shared ones feelings and realizations
TOTAL
35 points
15
15
35
100 points
*For Comprehensiveness
Excellent
(13-15)
Insights
presented are
very
comprehensive
and relevant;
almost all the
topics from the
lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Very Good
(10-12)
Insights are
moderately
comprehensive and
relevant: many of
the topics from the
lesson are covered
and are being
related to oneself
and experience.
Good
(7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant:
some parts of
the topics are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
experience.
Fair
(4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive:
few topics from
the lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
experience.
Poor
(1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant:
just 1 or no
topic from the
lesson is
covered and
related to
oneself and
experience.
Good
(7-9)
Fair
(4-6)
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas so unclear
and
disorganized.
**For Clarity/Organization
Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
almost error-free.
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
15
THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF THE TRIUNE GOD
AS REFLECTED IN THE HUMAN BEING
For us to understand correctly and appreciate the role
Jesus played in the history of salvation, it is very important to
see him in the light of Old Testament salvation history. (Vetus
Testamentum latet in Novo, Novum Testamentum patet in
Vetere: the Old Testament is hidden in the New; the New
Testament is clarified in the Old).
The glory of God is
man fully alive...
- St. Iranaeus of Lyons
(ca. 135-202)
Photo from:
http://3minutecatechesis.blogspot.com/
2010/07/st-irenaeus-father-ofchurch.html
Everything in salvation history starts on the first pages

of the book of Genesis 1-11. There, we have the ground of the
Christian understanding of who the human being is. In the first
five days, it says that God said a word and all things were
created: light, night and day, the seasons, the animals, plants,
flowers, the seas, the stars, indeed, the whole universe. On the
6th day, the scene changes; it seems that God wanted to stop,
to reflect and then decide to make a new reality; and then the
Book of Genesis reports those famous and revolutionary
words, Let us make. . . (notice the plural us). God created
man in His own image and likeness; he created them male
and female. What stands out in this description of the creation
of man is that God is a we. The created image, therefore,
necessarily reflects that we, i.e. man and woman is by nature
-- A RELATIONSHIP. If the original is a unity and a harmony of
relationships, then at the depth of the human beings DNA is
an orientation to unity and harmony in relationship. The
statement on the creation of the human being contains three
elements that are basic to the understanding of the human
being from the Christian perspective. They are:
16
1. The Human Being is CALLED TO DIALOGUE
Partner in Dialogue (a being of dialogue)
God talks and converses or relates with no one

else in creation except to the human being. He/She is
addressed by God as Gods Thou in an I-and-thourelationship (Gen. 2: 17-18)). This truth refers to the
basic orientation of the human being to God that
serves as the ground and the foundation of his/her
being and existence. This refers to the fundamental
openness of the human being to God that is
constitutive of his/her being human. This means that
unless this rapport with God is operative in the life of
the human being, he/she will never find fulfillment,
completeness, and wholeness in life. He will always
hanker for more. Nothing satisfies the human heart
except God for whom it was created. This is what St.
Augustine meant by his famous statement, You have
created us O Lord, and our hearts will always remain
restless, until it finds rest in you!
The limitless loving devotion to

God, and the gift God makes of
Himself to you, are the highest
elevation of which the heart is
capable; it is the highest degree of
prayer. The souls that have reached
this point are truly the heart of the
Church...
- Saint Edith Stein, 1891 1942
Text from:
[http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/
e/edithstein198685.html]
Partner in Creation (co-creator)
The human being is given responsibility to till

and take care of the earth (Gen. 2:15) and is given the
power to give names to the animals (Gen. 2:19-20).
This implies that the human being is not one among
the many creatures in creation but he/she has a
special role with regard to the material creation. He is
to control creation and to use it at the service of
his/her final purpose.
Photo from:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seint_Edith_
Stein.jpg]
17
Moreover, we read that man

cannot exist alone (cf. Gen.
2:18); he can exist only as a
unity of two, and therefore in
relation to another person. It
is a question here of mutual
relationship: man to woman
and woman to man. Being a
person in the image and
likeness of God, thus, also
involves
existing
in
a
relationship, in relation to the
other I. This is a prelude to
the definitive self-revelation of
the Triune god: a living unity in
the communion of the Father,
Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Pope John Paul II
(YOUCAT, 2010: 48)
Photo from:
[http://catholictv.blogspot.com/2011/04/catholictvto-air-beatification-mass-of.html]
CALLED TO FELLOWHIP
As Image of God, the human being was made male

and female (Gen. 1:27). No other helper is found for the
human being in creation except his fellow human being
(man and woman). Human existence is seen by Scriptures
as co-existence with others. To be in rapport with ones
fellow humans is constitutive of being human. He/She has
that inherent capacity to enter into dialogue, to
interpersonal relationship with others. This fact is the basis
for the conviction that woman and man complement each
other in their growth towards maturity and fulfillment.
The Human Being is CALLED TO LIFE
God commanded that they do not eat of the fruit of

the tree of life (Gen. 2:16-17) because if they do, they will
die. In other words, God called them not to die but to live.
This implies that God puts in their hands their own destiny
and future. It will be up to them to eat or not to eat, to die
or to live. As image of God, therefore, the human being is
called to construct his/her own future. In their hands is
placed their destiny. They have, therefore, inherent
freedom. Freedom is constitutive of being human. This
implies that the human is a being of vocation, which must
be achieved. He is not only an image of God; he/she HAS
TO BECOME image of God.
Scriptures present the human being, at the start, as
having a good rapport with: (a) God, (b) his/her fellow
human being, (c) the world of nature and creation, and
also (d) oneself. In the Garden of Eden, man and woman
were in SHALOM; they were at peace WITH GOD, at peace
WITH FELLOW HUMAN BEING, at peace WITH THE
MATERIAL WORLD (nature), and at peace WITH
THEMSELVES.
18
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 2 Evaluating a certain moral issue and publishing ones prayer or
poem on the same issue
Narrate news from well-known newspapers that depict a

specific moral problem in the Philippine society or share
a moral issue from your life. Evaluate such a moral
problem/issue/news in the light of the teaching of the
Church that human beings are created in Gods image
and likeness.
After having evaluated the moral problem, compose a

prayer of intercession for the people who can greatly
help in solving the moral problems narrated, or make a
poem that is expressive of what is in your heart in
relation to the moral problem(s) narrated.
Publish your prayer or poem on the internet through the

social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram as your concrete way of advocating for the
eradication of the moral problems cited. But see to it
that your prayer/poem is approved by your teacher
before being published.
19
Rubrics for Evaluation (15 x 2 = 30 points)

Criteria
Excellent (13-15)
Very Good (10-12)
Good (7-9)
Fair (4-6)
Poor (1-3)
1. The
case/moral issue
is well-narrated;
details and main
events are
clearly
presented.
All angles,
details, and
examples of the
issue are
presented.
Many angles,
details, and
examples of the
issue are
presented.
Some angles,
details, and
examples of
the issue are
presented.
Few angles,
details, and
examples of
the issue are
presented.
One angle, detail

and example of
the issue are
considered and
the presentation
is very limited
and opinionated.
2. Contents from
the lessons are
well- considered
in the
explanation or
analysis.
Almost all the

topics from the
lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Many of the
topics from the
lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Some of the
topics from
the lesson
are covered
and are being
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Few of the
topics from the
lesson are
covered and
are being
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
One or no topic
from the lesson
is covered and
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
3. There is
coherence and
clear
organization of
thoughts;
Grammar,
formulation of
sentences, and
choice of words
are appropriate.
There is an
excellent
coherence and
organization of
thoughts;
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Thoughts are very

well organized
and connected to
one another;
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly perfect.
Thoughts are
moderately
organized
and
connected to
one another;
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation
of ideas
unclear and
disorganized.
There are few

thoughts which
are not
connected to
one another;
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Most of the
thoughts are not
connected to
one another;
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
4. The poem or
prayer enables
the student to
be in touch with
the depths of
life.
Feelings point to
almost all the
deep realities of
life and to the
ultimate reality
God himself.
Feelings enable
the student to
know many truths
about himself and
the world around
him.
Feelings
enable the
student to be
in touch with
some aspects
of the self.
Feelings enable
the student to
reveal few
aspects of the
self.
No explanation
is given as to
how the feeling
reveals about
oneself.
5. For publishing.
For publishing ones work, a perfect score is given; a zero is given for not publishing.
20
THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS
OF THE TRIUNE GOD IN HUMANS
AS DESTROYED BY HUMANS THEMSELVES
Aside from the beautiful and positive picture of the human

being in Scriptures, the same Scriptures also contain a negative
picture of the human being after he/she sinned when they ate the
forbidden fruit.
1. The Fall
They were not satisfied to remain as creatures. They
wanted to be at the center of everything, like God. They wanted
to know what God knows and to see what God sees. They wanted
to be like God. This pride and self-centeredness brought
consequences not only to the human being but also to the rest of
creation as well.
The confession of
evil works is the first
beginning of good
works.
- St. Augustine,
354-430;
philosopher and
theologian
Quotation from:
http://christianquotes.ochristian.com/SinQuotes/
2. The Consequences of Sin
The Human Being is CURSED (Gen. 3:14-17).
The unique relationship that the human being had with

God is shattered to pieces. This break is expressed in Scriptures by
the fact that they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, away
from that beautiful life of SHALOM. He/She is not any more at
peace.
The Human Being is SCATTERED (Gen. 11:1-9).
O God, to turn
away from you is to
fall. To turn to you is
to stand up. To remain
in you is to have a sure
support.
- St. Augustine,
354-430;
philosopher and
theologian
(YOUCAT, 2010: 49)
Something also went wrong in his relationship with his

fellow human beings. Each one closed himself on himself. Instead
of being a compliment to ones growth, the other now becomes a
threat. They could not understand each other (Tower of Babel
Story).
21
Where sin increased,

grace abounded all the
more.
(Rom. 5: 20)
Grace is Christianitys
best gift to the world, a
spiritual nova in our midst
exerting a force stronger
than vengeance, stronger
than racism, stronger than
hate.
- Philip Yancey, 1997: 30
grace costs nothing

for the recipients but
everything for the giver.
- Philip Yancey, 1997: 67
The Human Being is A BEING TOWARDS

DEATH
Ones relationship with oneself is also disturbed. Life

now has no meaning and no end except in death and
annihilation. Like an over-ripe banana, it has no future but to
rot. What meaning does human life has when there is no
God? Human life has a future only in rapport with God. Since
this was broken, then human life has no future. If it has no
future, then it has no sense and purpose. The human being
then is a being that has no other future but TOWARDS
DEATH. Scriptures give us a deep insight into the human
situation. It says that, at the very depth of the human being
is a flaw. There is a basic disorder in ones being. Yes, the
human will relate with God and with ones fellow human
being but in order to use them for their own selfish
motives/interest/and agenda. There is also an affective
disorder in that the human being keeps on searching to be
loved and to love. The human being hungers for love.
In his own wisdom and goodness, which we will never
be able to fathom, God did not allow his creation to remain
as we have seen it. God decided to intervene. He took the
initiative to remedy and change the situation that human
pride and sinfulness has brought upon the human situation
and the whole of creation. The creation story with its fall and
the consequences of the fall ends in Chapter 11 of Genesis
with the bleak and dark picture of the human situation after
the fall. It is in this light that we understand the concept of
Salvation History.
22
To understand more the consequences of sin which the

preceding paragraphs highlighted, the concept of alienation 9 might be
of help. As a take-off point, I invite you to recall a time when you
committed a sinful act or failed to do the good and the right. After
that incident, what did you feel? Did you feel positive or negative? I
would like to presume that all you felt was negative. Why is it like
that? The answer lies in our being able to understand our very nature
as human beings -- created in Gods image and likeness. In the
preceding learning encounter, we learned that as created in Gods
image and likeness, we are called to reach out to others in a gesture of
love, in true generosity. We are beckoned to image in our ways the
Creator of life and love.
The act of sinning is a movement of going away from ones
good self, from others who are equally good, from nature which
reflects the goodness of the Creator, and from the Creator himself, the
Ultimate Good. The alienation from self, signified by the strange
feeling of nakedness and embarrassment Adam and Eve experienced
after eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:7), takes many forms such as
self-pity, guilt and worry-complex, failure to appreciate oneself,
attachment to material things, and not forgiving oneself which may
result to suicide. Narcissism and the inability to forgive oneself is a
strong impediment in accepting Gods forgiveness. In the final analysis,
there is an exception to the Pauline teaching which says, I am certain
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither
the present nor the future, nor comic powers, were they from heaven
or from the deep below, nor any creature whatsoever will separate us
from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Rom.
8:38). What or who is the exception? It is oneself. It is the person
himself in his total and final refusal to forgive himself which prevents
him from accepting in humility and gratitude the unconditional love of
God that God who has been all the while loving and forgiving us even
before we have asked for forgiveness. Human freedom, therefore, is a
wonderful and yet a dangerous gift.
Boredom
comes
from
failing to see the
community of life
within ourselves,
and
ourselves
within
Gods
community.
- Robert J. Wicks,
1991:9
The concept of sin as alienation from self, others, nature, and God is taken from the workbook of the Religious
Education students of the University of San Carlos (USC) entitled, The Longing and Searching for God. But this
workbook also got such an idea from an author whose name escapes my memory.
23
" the still largely

unsolved problem of the
foreign debt of the poorer
countries. The principle
that debts must be paid is
certainly just. However, it
is not right to demand or
expect payment when the
effect would be the
imposition of political
choices leading to hunger
and despair for entire
peoples. It cannot be
expected that the debts
which
have
been
contracted should be paid
at the price of unbearable
sacrifices. In such cases it
is necessary to find - as in
fact is partly happening ways to lighten, defer or
even cancel the debt,
compatible with the- Pope John Paul II
Centesimus Annus,
1991:35
Photo from:
http://www.romegiftshop.com/st
pebamisoan.html
Alienation from others, with whom we are supposed to

relate in love, is shown in manifold evil acts such as murder,
abortion, genocide and the like. If alienation from self is anger
turned inward, alienation from others is, on the whole,
violence turned outward. It is symbolized by the painful story
of Cain murdering his own brother Abel because of envy (Gen.
4: 1-16). No wonder why envy, along with pride, anger, lust,
greed, etc., is considered deadly because it can lead to death,
not only physically but also spiritually. In the light of
psychology, to get jealous is acceptable but to get envious is
not. What is the difference between the two? Whereas the
former refers to ones desire to own what one does not have,
the latter goes beyond. It seeks the destruction of the owner
of the thing or object desired.
In the much bigger scheme of things, this alienation
from others extends to the society, to the whole nation, and
eventually to the entire world. Today, it is evidenced in war
and violence, racial discrimination, nuclear race, widening
chasm between the rich and poor countries, and many more.
In the guise of globalization, alienation from others continues
to take a deeper root and becomes all the more difficult to
destroy. In this regard, Albert Nolan in Jesus Today writes,
The globalization that many people are protesting about
today is the globalization of a particular economic culture,
neo-liberal capitalism, a thoroughly materialistic worldview
based on the principle of the survival of the fittest, a culture
that destroys other cultures and indigenous wisdom, making
the rich richer and the poor poorer around the world. 10 The
biblical story in the Old Testament that best signifies this type
of alienation is that of Babel (Gen. 11: 1-9), where people
misunderstood one another since they were speaking in
different languages.
10
This thought of Albert Nolan in Jesus Today (Quezon City, Philippines: Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc.),
2006: 31, is based Linden, I. (2003). A New Map of the World .London: Darton, Longman and Todd. Pp. 37-51.
24
The other type of alienation which stems from an

act of sin is alienation from nature. Best symbolized by
the flood story (Gen. 6-9), this experience of
estrangement is manifested in human beings disregard of
the laws of nature and disrespect towards Mother Earth.
The extensive and indiscriminate act of raping the natural
resources by multinational corporations is more to blame
than the sporadic acts of poor people who exploit natures
resources because of extreme poverty. The release of
toxic waste from establishments and nuclear testing is
also responsible for the great imbalance in the ecosystems
that results in calamities. There are more formidable
phenomena obtaining in the world today which can be
imputed to human neglect.
The last type of alienation which is inseparable
from the other types is separation from God. After eating
the forbidden fruit, the man and the woman hid from God
(Gen. 3:8-12). This is an appropriate illustration of the
human persons alienation from his Creator with whom he
is meant to be united. All the forms of alienation already
discussed are alienation from God since an act away from
the creature is also an act of moving away from the
Creator. But, there are phenomena in the world today
which by their very nature clearly and directly assault the
reality of God, such as occult practices, satanic
movements, and the proliferation of thoughts hostile to
religion.
To beat our breast and say mea culpa (my sins) is
deemed necessary upon the awareness of our own
sinfulness which have penetrated the structures of
society. But let us not be disheartened because while sin
disfigures the image of God in us, love restores it. Let us
not forget what John said, Perfect love drives away fear
(1 Jn. 4:18). To emphasize the truth that the commitment
to love is far greater than any human instinct and is in fact
the greatest in the hierarchy of human and Christian
values, let us close this section with an ancient-story:
Indeed, the love for
money is the root of every

evil.
(1 Tim 6:10)
When we ignore the

inner promptings of our
hearts to love those whom
we
dont
understand,
injustice is frequently one of
the sad results.
- Robert J. Wicks, 1991:15
25
My dear friends,
let us love one
another for love
comes from God.
Everyone who loves
is born of God and
knows God.
A wise man from India was walking along the Ganges River
with his disciple, when suddenly he noticed a drowning scorpion.
He reached down with his bare hand and safely brought the little
animal ashore. At that moment, the scorpion stung him. They say
it causes terrible pain. The wise mans hand began to swell. As
soon as he put him down on the ground, the scorpion slowly made
its way back to the water again. Although his hand was terribly
swollen and he was in severe pain, he once again took the
scorpion out of the water. His disciple simply observed.
Those who do not

love have not known
God, for God is love.
The one who lives
in love, lives in God
and God in him.
So let us love one
another, since he
loved us first.
(1 Jn. 4: 7-8, 16b, 19)
The third time he removed the scorpion from the water with his
hand extremely swollen and in terrible pain, he placed him further
away from the rivers edge. By then the disciple could no longer
bear to see this go on and said, Master, I dont understand. Its
the third time that youve removed this animal from the water
and it stings your hand. You must be in awful pain. And he, with
the peaceful expression of those who know the secret of good,
who have victoriously conquered the territory of love and
renunciation of the heart, those who can envision heavenly truths,
turned to his disciple and said, My son, this animals nature is to
sting, but mine is to save! 11
11
The story and its drawing are taken from Universal Church of the Kingdom of God India (UCKG Help Center).
The Wise Man and the Scorpion. Retrieved from [ http://uckghelpcentreindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/wise-manand-scorpion-wise-man-from.html]
26
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 3: Publishing ones video or power point presentation
-
Form a group with 5-6 members. Each group must

make a video or power point presentation that has the
following parts:
1) a specific social problem evident in the Philippines,
2) an analysis of the social problem in the light of the
false or cursed nature of humans (Gen. 3:1-15),
3) a proposed solution to the social problem, and
4) a prayer or a song or poem that brings to a close the

presentation; it must be related to personal life and
experience.
- Publish your group video or power point presentation on

the internet or any local publication as your way of
raising the Filipinos level of social awareness and
sensitivity. But seek first the approval of your teacher.
27
Rubrics for Evaluation (15 x 2 = 30 points)

Criteria
Excellent (13-15)
Very Good (10-12)
Good (8-9)
Portrayal of the
social issue is
comprehensive
and holistic,
accurate, and
detailed.
All sides, causes,

and effects of
the issue are
considered.
Examples are
more than
sufficient.
There is sufficient
use of examples
in presenting the
issue from almost
all angles. Causes
and effects take
into account both
attitudinal and
structural causes.
Analysis is
rooted in
Scriptures and
Churchs
teachings.
The use of
relevant
Scriptural texts
both from the
OT and NT is
clearly linked
with many
Churchs
documents such
as PCP II, Vatican
II, CFC, CCC, etc.
Churchs
teaching is
enlightened by
the human
sciences.
Ability to relate
the social
issue/problem to
their lives as
reflected in the
prayer/song/
poem
Almost all
aspects of their
lives (family,
student, citizen,
etc.) are
included.
Students are
able to identify
themselves as
part of the
problem.
Attempt to
publish their
video/power
point
presentation
Fair (4-7)
Poor (1-3)
Some
important
sides of the
issue are
looked into
but examples
are limited.
Very few sides

of the issues
are considered
and no
concrete
examples are
given.
The issue is
presented
using only
one side
and, thus,
limited and
very
opinionated.
No example
is given.
Relevant
Scriptural texts
taken either from
the OT or NT are
used and are
linked with many
pertinent
documents.
Churchs teaching
is not enlightened
by the human
sciences.
Relevant
Scriptural
texts from
both OT and
NT are used
but their
connection to
the Churchs
teaching
cannot be
established.
Analysis made
use of the
Scripture but
the text used is
not relevant.
The text is not
explained in
relation to
pertinent
Churchs
documents.
Analysis is
very biased
using only
ones
personal
experience
as basis.
Almost all aspects

of their lives are
included but
students cannot
identify
themselves as
part of the
problem
Only very few

aspects of
their lives are
considered.
Students
cannot see
themselves as
part of the
problem.
Just their own

personal wants
and needs are
considered.
Broader
contexts such
as their
relationship
with family,
Church, society,
etc. are
considered.
Their prayer,
poem or
song is not
related to
their lives.
As long as the students can publish their work, they get a perfect score.
28
THE INTERVENTION OF THE TRIUNE GOD
IN THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM
Abraham lived in an age where the measure of success was
very simple. Being nomads all they wanted in life were the
following: a fathers house, an extended family, ones own family,
and some animals to call their own. Abraham had all these as
revealed in Genesis 12. He was a successful man but only one thing
disturbed this success he had no children because Sarah was
barren. Having children was important to them because of their
belief that after life for them was to exist with their children and
their childrens children. The call of Abraham came when he was at
the peak of success. Here, God took the initiative and called
Abraham to enter a relationship with Him. The text, Call of
Abraham (Gen. 12:1-2), has the message that God wanted to
covey:
your Country
your Kins
your Fathers house;
and go to a land
I will show you.
I will give you many
descendants
and they will become a
great nation.
I will bless you and make your name
famous so that you will be a
blessing.
I will bless those who bless you.
I will curse those who curse
you, and through you
I will bless the nations.
Leave
We walk by faith
and not by sight.
(2 Cor 5:7)
What, in effect, God is saying is this: leave behind the basis

of your security, your success and make God and his promises as
the basis of your life and your security. They should not depend on
29
their own resources but in God, in his promises. And then they will iscover
that God can be trusted. Commit yourself to the Lord and he will act on
your behalf.
To hope is
the way we
are saved.
But if we
saw what
we hoped
for,
there
would be no
longer
hope; how
can
you
hope
for
what
is
already
seen.
(Rom. 8:24)
Abraham obeyed, trusting only in Gods word. He started the journey

to a place he did not know. While on his way, Sarah (whose womb was
dead on two scores for she was beyond the age of childbirth) got
pregnant: God can be trusted. Abraham became THE FATHER OF FAITH.
His faith in Gods word became the basis of his security; the basis of his
life.
ABRAHAM was called from the land of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia. The Old
Testament map of Israel began with Abraham's journey into Canaan. It is believed by
some scholars that Ur was suffering a depression near the end of the third millennium
B.C., which would
have
explained
God's call to leave
Ur. Abraham and
his father, Terah,
along
with
his
nephew Lot, and
their wives, left
their home and
journeyed to Haran.
It is widely held that
they made this trip
around 2000 B.C., though the exact dates vary from scholar to scholar. Haran is likely
named after Abraham's brother, who had died unexpectedly in Ur, leaving his only son Lot
behind for Abraham to raise. The most likely route they took from Ur led through the
12
ancient city of Mari.
The God revealed in the life of Abraham is one of great

compassion. Seeing the plight of Abraham and his wife, that is, having no
children, He allowed things to happen in their lives so the blessings of land
and descendants can be theirs. These blessings were accepted by
Abraham with open hands and with great faith. Faith -- the desire of the
human heart to be connected with God and the gesture or act of going
upward to encounter God enables the believer to meet God in his loving
act of going down to liberate human beings. Abrahams faith empowered
12
The map and the text are retrieved from http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/old-testament-map.html
30
him to hold on to Gods promises and see them fulfilled.

This was best exemplified not only in his act of leaving
everything and taking the risk of journeying to the
unfamiliar and the unknown but also in his willingness to
offer his son, Isaac 13 to God (Gen. 22: 1-24).
Abrahams aborted act of offering his son to God is
replete of theological meanings in relation to faith and
human beings conception of God. In here, faith, though
No one, when tempted,

should say, This temptation
comes from God. God is never
tempted and he can never tempt
anyone. Instead, each of us is
lured and enticed by our own
evil desire. Once, this desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin,
and sin when fully grown, gives
birth to death.
(Jas. 1:13)
God is faithful and will not
let you be tempted beyond your
strength.
He will give you
together with the temptation,
the strength too escape and
resist.
(1Cor. 10:13).
an expression of complete dependency on Gods power

and love, should not be understood merely as blind
obedience to God who is sometimes misconstrued as
capricious and sadistic. Gods command for Abraham to
offer his son Isaac may give Bible readers the impression
that God is not only testing Abrahams faith but tempting
him to do an immoral act of murdering ones own son.
Understood appropriately in the context of Gods
unconditional love as the main theme that runs through
the entire Scriptures, the angels intervention which
stopped Abraham from offering his son is enough proof
that God did not approve the practice of human sacrifice
in worship, something which was prevalent among pagan
religions at that time, e.g. the killing of infants as an
offering to the god, Moloch. Abraham, influenced by the
pagan cultures of the time, must have thought of offering
For when man looks into his

own heart he finds he is drawn
towards what is wrong and sunk
in many evils which cannot
come from his good creator.
(Gaudium et Spes, 13)
Men are not punished for

their sins, but by them.
- Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915
(American editor, publisher and
writer,)
From:
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/men_ar
e_not_punished_for_their_sinsbut_by_them/144437.html
13
The photo of Abraham offering his son Isaac is retrieved from

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northrop_Abraham_Offers_Isaac.jpg
31
So we no
longer
pay
attention to the
things that are
seen, but to
those that are
unseen, for the
things that we
see last for a
moment,
but
that
which
cannot be seen
is eternal .
(Rom. 4: 18)
his son as a sublime act of a worship, but in the end his conscience told
him that his God is loving and compassionate and as such, does not
want murder. That God did not want human sacrifice is confirmed by
Fr. Nil Guillemete when he stated, And it was only at the very last
moment, when he raised his knife over the boys prone body, that in a
flash, his mind was flooded by a new insight: Elohim was a God of life,
not a God of death, and he would never want a father to take the life of
a son, not even for a religious purpose. 14
It is within the framework of a compassionate God that
problems in our lives should not be imputed to Gods wrath which is a
prevalent in the Old Testament. Rather than thinking of sufferings as
God-given, we should look at them as natural consequences of the
disruption of the laws of nature or simply as effects of sins. In this
regard, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, every sin, even
venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be
purified either here on earth, or death in the state called Purgatory.
This purification frees one from what is called temporal punishments
of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived as a kind of
vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the
nature of sin. 15 Confirming this teaching of the Church, Msgr. Sabino
A. Vengco, Jr., SThD succinctly puts, Human disasters and tragedies due
to human decisions and malice are better called effects or
consequences of sin. Theologically, these natural calamities and
disasters are definitely not acts of God. 16
As evidenced in the faith-life of Abraham, faith is three-pronged:
1) belief that involves rational thinking which in theology is termed as
faith seeking scientific understanding or fides quaerens intellectum
scientificum 17, 2) trust in God, when amidst the inexplicable realities of
life, the believer holds on to God as expressed in prayer and worship,
and 3) loving action or faith that seeks social justice and love for others
especially the least. The first two aspects of faith were best reflected
respectively in Abrahams critical analysis of his faith, i.e., not following
Fr. Nil Guillemete, SJ. The Scandalous Bible (2650 F.B. Harrison Street, 1300 Pasay City, Philippines: Paulines),
2010: 76, printed 2011.
15
Catechism of the Catholic Church . Manila, Philippines: ECCCE, Word and Life Publications. 1994: 1472.
16
Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco, Jr. Itanong Kay Monsi (1203 Makati City, Philippines: St. Pauls Philippines, Kadiwa sa
Pagkapari Foundation), 2012: 8.
17
The additional term scientific/scientificum I got from OCollins Gerald, SJ, The Tripersonal God (New
York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press), 1999: 3-5.
14
32
the ritualistic practice of human sacrifice in his time, as well as, in his act of setting out to a
foreign land where everything was unfamiliar in order to obey Gods commands. This act of
risking to venture into the unknown is Abrahams concrete act of enfleshing his love for God
and his wife Sarah who can be considered as among the least since being barren is an
experience of social and psychological poverty.
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 4: Receiving and sharing Gods gift of faith and healing!
Read Mk. 5: 24- 34 on the Hemorrhaging Woman. Explain in just

3-5 sentences the connection of the Bible story to the faith of
Abraham.
Identify one aspect of your life which resonates with that of the
hemorrhaging woman, that is, the area in your life which needs
healing. Then, explain whether you can trust in Gods power to heal
or not.
Choose a family member or a friend. Make that family member or

friend feel that you trust him or her by seeking his/her advice in
regard to the area of your life which needs healing.
33

Comprehensiveness of contents*
Having identified the areas in their lives which need healing
For explaining whether they can trust in God or not
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
20
20
15 x 2= 30
100 points
*For Comprehensiveness
Excellent
(13-15)
Insights
presented are
very
comprehensive
and relevant.
Almost all the
topics from the
lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Very Good
(10-12)
Insights are
moderately
comprehensive and
relevant. Many of
the topics from the
lesson are covered
and are being
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Good
(7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant.
Some parts of
the topics are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Fair
(4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive.
Few topics from
the lesson are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Poor
(1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant.
One or no topic
from the lesson
is covered and
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good
(7-9)
Fair
(4-6)
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
34
THE INTERVENTION OF THE TRIUNE GOD
THROUGH THE MISSION OF
SELECTED PROPHETS
A prophet means, for many people, a
person who foretells the future. He is thought
to predict the outcome of some future events.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for
prophet was nabi. This word did not stress
the prophet as a predictor of future events,
but rather the prophet as a spokesman for God
in the present 18. The prophets were the
spokesmen of God and communicated Gods
message to men. This divine message could
refer to the past, present, or future. Because
of the supernatural illuminations through
which the divine message came to him, a
prophet was also called a "Seer" (I Kings 9:9). 19
The central message of the prophets is
faithfulness to the Covenant of God. The whole
history of Israel is a history of people turning
their back on God despite Gods love and
faithfulness.
The
prophets
constantly
reminded the people of Gods love, calling
them back that they might only live in His love.
The prophets were Gods instruments of the
true liberation of His people.20 To cast more
light on the concept of prophets, the following
Section entitled Prophetic Hope, may be
quoted verbatim from the Catechism for
Filipino Catholics (CFC, 437 440).
They were so angry with Jeremiah, they

beat him and locked him and locked him
inside the house of Jonathan the secretary
which had been transformed into a prison.
Jeremiah was put in the dungeon cells and
was kept there for a number of days.
(Jer. 37: 14-16)
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.com
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=st+joseph+freina
demetz&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&e
i=_D8sUeehJMJmQXlpICgBw&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=
629
St. Joseph Freinademetz is considered

a prophet in his own time. He
encouraged many of the Chinese Christians
to be missionaries to their own people as
catechists, religious, nuns and priests. His
life was an expression of his motto, The
language that all people understand is that
of love.
http://www.svdindia.org/main.php?p=St_Joseph_Ferina
demedtz
18
Abiog, M. A. (1995). Journey of faith: Old Testament. Quezon City: FNB Educational, Inc.
19
www.cathtruth.com/catholicbible/prophet.ht
20
Ibid (1)
35
Exodus Walk- We witnessed the

powerful story of Exodus. Exodus, like the
word EXIT, means "going out". It is given this
title because it tells the greatest story of the
Israel's
history
when
Abraham's
descendants escaped from the cruel slavery
of Egypt. (See Prophet Isaiah 51:1-2).
Fr. Renato Malbog, who acted as
Moses, had a simple stick when he led us, the
Israelites, out of Egypt. This stick symbolizes
our mission to be with one another in the
journey, to stay together and to lead
everyone to the promise land. All of us have
the capacity to lead, and the capacity to
bring people to the promise land. We began
our journey and together, we will fulfill our
mission. Moses is considered one of the
greatest prophets in Salvation History.
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says

your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem . . .
her guilt is expiated (Is 40: 1-2).
From:
http://svd4cdcamp2012.blogspot.com/p/day-2.html
Prophetic Hope. There are always

those who, overcome by the tragedies of
life, claim such a new world is impossible
even for God. To them the Lord replied
through the prophet, I am the Lord, the
God of all mankind! Is anything impossible
to me? (Jer 32:26-27). Thus, God makes
Himself the firm foundation for the hope
held out to the people by the prophets.
This prophetic hope is, first of all,
grounded on the memory of Gods great
saving acts in the past. Look to the rock
from which you were hewn, to the pit from
which you were quarried. Look to
Abraham, your father, and to Sarah,
who gave you birth (Is. 51:1-2). Thus
grounded, hope works against the
rootlessness with which modern secularism
plagues us all.
Second, prophetic hope looks
essentially also to the future and to posterity.
It helps us to overcome our excessive
individualism. My salvation
shall
remain forever, and my justice shall
never be dismayed (Is. 51:6).
Third, prophetic hope is a promise of
Gods forgiveness which brings comfort and
frees us from the guilt of sin. Comfort, give
comfort to my people, says your God. Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem . . . her guilt is
expiated (Is. 40: 1-2).
Fourth, prophetic hope sketches a
new life that drives out resignation and
despair. They that hope in the Lord will
renew their strength, they will soar as with
eagles wings; they will run and not grow
36
weary, walk, and not grow faint (Is. 40:31).

Lastly, prophetic hope bursts out of
all narrow pragmatic, utilitarian views by
offering a vision of the future that only God
can create. Lo, I am about to create new
heavens and a new earth; the things of the
past shall not be remembered or come to
mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing
and happiness in what I create (Is. 65:1718).
Called to be a Sprinkling Can, Called to become

Prophet By: Fr. Ed Herberger, SVD
Recently, an elderly gentleman stood
up at the end of Mass, and in a loud voice
shouted, "Forty-six years ago, a young man was
ordained a priest. That young man was Father
Ed." Once I caught my breath, I commented that
my life as a priest for 46 years has been amazing
and full. It would take a book to put flesh on
that "amazing and full" life as a priest, but I
don't intend to write a book either now or later.
God is speaking to us today through

the Old Testament prophets. The prophetic
message is inspiring and extraordinary active
ministry of the Catholic Church in the
Philippines in its thrust for justice through a
preferential option for the poor. The
prophetic conversion of hope in the Lord, of
fidelity to the Covenant with God our Savior,
remains ever new and ever relevant. 21
Through our baptism, we become
members of the mystical body of Christ, the
Church and are called to share in the
priestly, kingly and prophetic role of Jesus.
We are commissioned to proclaim the Word
of God through our words and actions.
Matthew 5: 14-16 says, You are the light of
the world. A city seated on a mountain
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle
and put it under a bushel, but upon a
candlestick, that it may shine to all who are
in the house. So let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
21
If I ever did write the book that I'm not

going to write, one chapter would be entitled,
"People Who Knock on my Door. Each one had
their own story or need or gift or request or
inquiry. Some took just a few minutes of time,
others hours. Some were looking for an
attentive ear, or for advice, or a prayer for
guidance or healing. Some were hurting, while
others were full of joy. Others were searching,
or wanting their opinions to be heard.
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest/Fr--Ed-Herberger,-SVD.aspx
The article from CFC was retrieved from www.eccceonline.org/publications/CFC/index.htm
37
Some came asking to have their child

baptized, or to register for marriage preparation
sessions, or to sadly announce the death of a
loved one and make arrangements for the
funeral. When the "People Who Knock on my
Door" has gone, they leave behind a gift. They
left an imprint of their spirit on me. Even though
at times they talked about some of the "garbage"
in their life, there was always something
beautiful within that I was allowed to see.
These verses find resonance in the

words spoken by Pope John Paul II during
his speech to the Filipino people: My dear
brothers and sisters, this is your dignity and
your strength: to remain united with Christ,
sharing his salvific mission, promoting his
cause, building up his kingdom of truth and
life, holiness and grace, justice, love, and
peace. You do this day after day, week
after week, in the ordinary yet extremely
important setting of your daily Christian
lives.
The story of Fr. Ed Herberger, SVD is
a story of a modern prophet in our world
today in enfleshing Christs mission of
salvation, spreading his word and building
his kingdom. In his life story, He wrote the
following words, If I ever did write the
book that I'm not going to write, the three
chapters would be People Who Knock on
my Door, Saints I Met Along the Way and
Where Do I Get These Homilies From?.
Another chapter in that book that I'm not

going to write would be entitled, "Saints I Met
Along the Way. So many people have edified
and inspired me. Most would be shocked to know
that someone thought of them as a Saint. People
who are going through difficulties or hardships,
yet remain faithful on their life's journey have
over and over again been an inspiration for me. In
my 21 years in the Caribbean, I admired those
who whether convenient or inconvenient showed
a spirit of willing and cheerful service.
The first chapter would tell us of a

story of Gods people with different needs
and can only be unfolded and understood
in the eyes of a prophet. They are stories
of peoples joy, pain, and sorrow and a
story of people in dire need of Gods love
and mercy. Whatever stories the people
told Fr. Herberger left an imprint in his soul.
And in his two eyes, he was able to see the
beautiful story of Gods love for His people.
The second chapter would tell us of
a story that inspired him most because in
this chapter of his life he saw God in the
diverse experiences of many people he had
38
If I ever did write that book that I'm not

going to write, still another chapter would be
entitled, "Where Do I Get These Homilies From?"
Preparing the Sunday homily is generally a
laborious struggle and a reward for me. Grappling
with the Word of God for any given Sunday,
challenges me in my personal life, and also
challenges me in finding a way to express that
message in a meaningful and inspirational way for
the community. When I begin my preparation and
before preaching, I ask God to go where I cannot
go.
This leads me to an analogy of my calling

as a Priest. After sunset I often water the flowers
in the courtyard with a green plastic-leaky
patched-up-sprinkling-can. One day I imagined
the different flowers thanking the green plasticleaky patched-up sprinkling can for nourishing
them and satisfying their thirst. Then I told the
plants that the sprinkling can is only an
instrument, a container for carrying the water. It
shouldn't thank the sprinkling can. The plants
then asked me where the water came from, so
they could thank the source of the water. In an
answer I could only say, "Somewhere out there in
the heaven. (Fr. Ed Herberger, SVD)
met on the way. He considered them as

saints in modern times, because they
edified him, inspired him and encouraged
him to live faithfully as he carry out his
threefold mission of Jesus as king,
prophet and priest. Their willingness to
serve God in the midst of pains and
difficulties moved him to work hard for
the glory of God.
Preaching the Sunday homily was
supposed to be the third chapter of his
book. He told us, Preparing the Sunday
sermon was generally a laborious
struggle but rewarding. Yes, it was a
struggle for him because he had to
prepare a homily that would appeal and
touch the heart of those who would hear
his message. However, it gave him
happiness because he knew that many
were inspired to listen to Gods word and
love him more as they hear Gods
message of love through the homily he
shared. In our world today, there are so
many prophets who are active in their
ministry. They have one mission to
accomplish: to bring Gods message to
everyone, to tell the world of His love,
and to help break the situation of despair
and hopelessness to all mankind.
By Sister Mary Martha Fe, OSF
39
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 5: Becoming a modern day prophet!
Option I: Isaiah and Jeremiah Today
- Read Isaiah 1: 1-31 and Jeremiah 2: 1- 37.
- Compare the scenarios portrayed in these passages
with the social situation of the Philippines and then,
answer this question: If Jeremiah and Isaiah were
alive today, what do you think would they do in
response to the Philippine social situation?
Contents/Relevance*
Clarity/organization**
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
15
45 points
*For Contents/Relevance
Excellent
(13-15)
Insights presented
are very
comprehensive and
relevant. Almost all
the topics from the
lesson are covered
and are being
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Very Good
(10-12)
Insights are
moderately
comprehensive and
relevant: many of the
topics from the lesson
are covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Good
(7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant: some
parts of the topics
are covered and
are being related
to oneself and
ones experience.
Fair
(4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive:
few topics from the
lesson are covered
and are being
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Poor
(1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant: just
1 or no topic from
the lesson is
covered and
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Good
(7-9)
Few grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
Fair
(4-6)
Some grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas so unclear
and disorganized.
Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and sentence
formulation are nearly
error-free.
40
Option 2: The Life of My Birthday-Saint.

Do a research on the life of the saint whose feast day falls on your birthday. After
narrating comprehensively the life of the Saint, point out the saints remarkable character that
made him a prophet in his own time, and relate that character to what it is like to become a
prophet in our own times today.
(45 points)
Criteria
Excellent
(13-15)
The life of the
All the details
Saint is
and main
comprehensively events are
presented
presented.
correctly.
Very Good
(10-12)
Many main
events with
details are
given.
Good
(7-9)
Very few
main events
are given but
with many
details.
Fair
(4-6)
Answer to the
question how
the life of the
saint relates to
the idea of
becoming
prophets in the
world today is
clear and
comprehensive.
Life of the saint

in relation to
modern times
is excellently
explained with
the use of
sufficient
relevant and
appropriate
examples.
Life of the
saint is well
explained
with the use
of sufficient
examples
some of
which are
not so
relevant and
appropriate.
Life of the
saint is well
explained
but many
examples
are not so
relevant and
appropriate.
Life of the
saint is fairly
explained
with many
irrelevant and
inappropriate
examples.
Life of the
saint is very
poorly
explained and
all examples
are irrelevant
and
inappropriate.
Presentation of
Grammar and
ideas is clear and sentence
formulation are
organized.
error-free.
Grammar
and
sentence
formulation
are nearly
error-free.
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation
of ideas
unclear and
disorganized.
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation
of ideas
unclear and
disorganized.
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation
of ideas so
unclear and
disorganized.
Very
few/limited
details but
with main
events are
given.
Poor
(1-3)
No detail is
given. Only
one main
theme or
event is
narrated.
41
Option 1. The Prayer of St. Arnold Janssen

Read the favorite prayer of St. Arnold Janssen and pick the line
you find most striking --- that which will inspire you to answer
Gods prophetic call as a student of an SVD administered school.
Share with others your feelings/reactions in regard to the prayer.
Re: "Father Arnold's Favorite Prayer"
Fr: Canonization Stampita
"Lord Jesus Christ, I adore you as the Son of God and
through the mediation of your loving Mother I
beseech You, send me from out of the abundance of
your loving Heart the grace of the Holy Spirit in order
that He enlighten my ignorance, purify and sanctify
my sinful heart, and confirm me in your holy love.
This I ask through the love of the Father and the Holy
Spirit, through the abundance of your infinite mercy,
and through the merits of all your saints.
Amen."May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all
people?
Re: Spiritual Motto
Fr: Canonization Stampita

For participating in the prayer
For identifying your feeling/reaction and sharing it with the class
TOTAL
70 points
30 points
100 points
Option 2. Interpretative Song

- Form three groups. Interpret the song and present in the class.
YOU ARE MINE (By David Haas)
I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near
I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me
Chorus:
Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine
I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name
Chorus:
Come and follow Me
I love you and you are mine
I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live
Chorus:
Come and follow Me
I love you and you are min
42

Manner of Presentation*
Relevance**
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
15 x 2 = 30
60 points
*For Manner of Presentation

Excellent
(13-15)
Cooperation or
teamwork is very
evident; There is
creativity and use
of varied
materials.
Very Good
(10-12)
Cooperation or
teamwork is
evident; there is
creativity but the
use of varied
materials is not
observed.
Good
(7-9)
Teamwork is
less evident
and there is
the use of
few
materials
Fair
(4-6)
No teamwork:
only 2-3
members are
actively
involved. No
use of varied
materials.
Poor
(1-3)
No teamwork:
Presentation is a
one-man show and
other members did
not participate well.
No use of varied
materials.
**For Relevance
Excellent
(13-15)
The presentation
is very relevant:
almost all
significant life
issues in the
personal, familial,
and societal
levels are
depicted.
Very Good
(10-12)
The presentation is
moderately
relevant: all aspects
of personal and
familial aspects are
depicted but
connection to
society is quite
unclear.
Good
(7-9)
The presentation
is relevant: some
aspects of
personal and
familial life are
portrayed but
connection to
society is not
established.
Fair
(4-6)
The
presentation is
less relevant:
issues focused
only on personal
life issues
without being
connected
clearly to family
and society.
Poor
(1-3)
The
presentation
is not
relevant:
connection to
all aspects of
life is not
established.
43
Proclaiming the Good News

-
Read Hebrews 11:33. In view of the prophets who announced the

good news and denounced the bad news, think of a person
(family member, friend, school mate, teacher, neighbor, enemy,
etc.) whose goodness needs to be proclaimed or affirmed. Then,
make a love letter or letter of affirmation for that person. Give
the letter to the person concerned.

Content of the letter*
For giving the letter
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
70
100 points
* For Content of the letter
Excellent
(13-15)
Contents reflect
very clearly the
topic/lesson.
Very Good
(10-12)
Contents of the
letter reflect
moderately the
topic/lesson.
Good
(7-9)
Fair
(4-6)
Contents of
the letter
reflect less the
topic/lesson.
Contents of the
letter reflect
least the
topic/lesson.
Poor (1-3)
Contents are not
related to the
lesson/topic.
44
GODS INTERVENTION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
SALIENT POINTS
Salvation History is the story of Gods intervention
in human affairs in order to remedy and change the
situation which the human being has brought to himself.
It would take a long time to discuss the whole OT
salvation history. What we will do is highlight salient
points that are important to understand this process and
also to be able to get in touch with Gods pattern of acting
in behalf of his chosen people. He continues to behave in
the same way even with us today. So, getting in touch
with this pattern of behavior will give us a good basis for
an image and an understanding of God.
Election
Even before I formed

you in the womb I have
known you; even before
you were born I had set you
apart, and appointed you a
prophet to the nations.
(Jer. 1:4-5)
The ultimate end of Gods intervention is the good

of the whole humanity and creation. But in order to do
this, God always uses the instrumentality of one or a
collective as a means and vehicle of his intervention. This
is connected with the idea of CONSECRATION: that God
selects or sets aside someone or some people for a task He
ants done for the good of the whole. This is a pattern that
remains constant in the Old and the New Testament
salvation history, and even today. This is the only correct
context to look at our vocation to the religious/missionary
life.
Another pattern connected with election is that
Gods choice does not follow the category of human
standards. Gods categories are not the same as ours (e.g.
the choice of David who was only a kid, who knew only
how to tend the sheep; 1 Sam. 16:1-13). In the case of his
first move, God could not have chosen a worst group of
people the slaves in Egypt who had no influence at all.
This choice ascertained that what happened to them
45
could only have been done by somebody else, not by them.

Desert Experiences
The original ancestors of the chosen people were
nomads. As nomads, they shared the same religiosity of
nomadic tribes in that area and at that time. A particular
characteristic of that religion was that they believed in a
spectrum of Gods (family gods, clan gods, barrio gods, town
gods, etc.), the highest of whom they called the EL -- the
creator. When they were freed from the slavery in Egypt and
were saved from the Pharaohs army as they passed through the
Red sea, they realized that it was this EL, the Creator-God,
who was behind all these. These two traditions merge into one
in Psalm 135/136. A new content which the Jews added to their
image of God is of him as a LIBERATOR OF THE OPPRESSED. This
was based on their Exodus experience as they were crossing the
Red sea. Their sojourn and experiences in the desert gave them
another basis for the new content in their idea of God. He was a
GUIDE. During the day, God showed them the way to go through
the pillar of smoke and at night through a pillar of fire. He was
also a PROVIDER because when they had nothing to drink, God
gave them water that came out from a rock. When they had
nothing to eat, God sent them manna and quails to eat.
The election and desert experience of the Israelites
which Fr. Fabiosa brought into light in the preceding paragraphs
has a great bearing on our life. Using faith as the prism through
which we understand the depths of life, it can be said that
human existence is always graced; that is we each have a graced
history. Human existence is always graced because in it God is
always present. It is the locus of the loving activities of God
which are, more often than not, beyond the narrow confines of
human theorizing. On the whole, the events in this world are
divinely orchestrated so that we human beings, at the
completion of time, can experience the fullness of glory and
In the desert, the

human
person
encounters either the
true loving God before
whom there is no other
(Ex. 20:1-4) or the false
god represented by the
golden calf. In the world
today, what is being
symbolized
by
the
golden calf?
In explaining the Godconcept of Paul Tillich,

a GermanAmerican theologian
(August 20, 1886
October 22, 1965),
Thomas Hart writes:
If the word God means
nothing to you, he says,
think about where you
experience depth in
your life. This is where
you encounter God, for
God is the depth
dimension of all reality.
- Thomas Hart, Theology

teacher and therapist
(Hart: 1994: 11)
46
freedom as children of God an experience which even creation

will share after having been freed from the fate of death (Rom. 8:
18-21). The Finger of God 22 is silently but powerfully working
not only in the entire world but also in our lives, in our hearts in
particular, with a view to achieving the end which in biblical
parlance is termed Kingdom of God.
We are all pencils

in the hand of God.
- Mother Teresa of
Calcutta
Towards Gods kingdom of peace, justice, and joy (Rom.

7:14), we must journey. This is our destiny. God has elected us
for this purpose. The first letter to the Ephesians beautifully
expresses this destination of ours, God chose us in him before
the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his
presence. From eternity, he destined us in love to be his sons and
daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and
generous will (Eph. 1: 4-5). To aid us in this noble journey, God
has endowed us with manifold gifts and blessings. He has given
us talents, capacities, and abilities (2 Cor. 3:5, 1 Cor. 4:7, 1 Cor.
3:6) so we can use them in loving and receiving love which is the
only way to get to our destination of being with him. Walking by
faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), let us be hopeful and believe
that everything comes from him, has been made by him and has
to return to him (Rom. 11: 36). The greatest gift God has given
us, which shows us the way, is the incarnation of his Word, Jesus
Christ. Sojourning on Earth, Jesus revealed to us the way of faith,
hope, and love. After his death, Jesus Christ continues to lead us
through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 15:26-27).
Our being chosen or elected necessitates, like among the
Israelites, a desert experience. Unlike neurotics, let us not
willfully seek the desert 23 because the desert will find us.
Painful events, unexpected and uninvited, will come into and
intrude our lives. Faced squarely, they serve as purifying
moments giving us opportunities to grow and become better
persons. Taking place in the desert are temptation experiences
22
Finger of God is another biblical term for the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead. It is an appropriate
metaphor for the ways by which God powerfully and lovingly touches the life of humans and the whole of the
universe. In the Old Testament, creation is described as a work of Gods fingers (Ps. 8:4) and the Ten
Commandments, as Gods law of love, were written on the tablets of stones by the same fingers (Dt. 9:10). These
laws of love are etched by God in the hearts of humans by his fingers (2 Cor. 3:3).
23
By desert here, I meant sufferings and pains.
47
which should not be construed as designed by God. But

God allows human beings to undergo temptation. Why?
The following passage from the Scriptures can give us a
profound answer, God is faithful and will not let you be
tempted beyond your strength. He will give you together
with the temptation, the strength to escape and to
resist (1 Cor. 10:13).
Resisting and overcoming the temptations in the
desert is not the most important thing that takes place.
Rather, it is the awareness of Gods abiding presence.
Similar to the experience of the Israelites, in the desert
of ones life, God can be encountered as one who
provides guides, liberates, and defends the oppressed
and the exploited. In the midst of suffering, the Spirit of
God reveals itself as a source of consolation,
illumination, and grace. A case in point is the famous
story of Carlo Carreto, a Little Brother of the Gospel
who lived in Beni Abbes, Algeria and in Spello near
Assisi. 24 In his younger years, before he joined the Little
Brothers of Jesus at the age of 44, he enjoyed mountain
climbing. He desired to become a successful mountain
climber not for self-glorification, not for selfish interest,
but for service. He wanted to rescue people caught in
the mountain storm. What a very noble intention! But
by a twist of fate, things went awry. One time when he
was hiking, he experienced a problem with his leg. A
nurse friend offered help to remedy the situation. But
the wrong vial, which turned out to be a poison, was
injected, and this paralyzed him for the rest of his life.
For so many years, Carlo Carreto suffered due to the
mistake of his friend. With the passing of years, however,
he realized that suffering is something of great relevance
in life. For him, it is only the man or woman who has
suffered who has the right to speak to others about
suffering. 25 He did not try to give watertight answers
My grace is enough for you;

my great strength is revealed in
weakness.
Gladly, then will I boast of my
weakness that the strength of
Christ may be mine. So I rejoice
when
I
suffer
infirmities,
humiliations, want, persecutions:
all for Christs sake! For when I
am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Cor. 12: 9-10)
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.com/
24
News and Archive of the Spiritual Family of Charles de Foucauld were retrieved from
http://www.jesuscaritas.info/jcd/fr/4154/why-o-lord-inner-meaning-suffering
25
Ibid.
48
to the question 'Why does God allow suffering?' Rather, he reflected

that God draws the best qualities from men and women by allowing
them to suffer and that the the most terrible suffering of all is the
quest for selfish pleasure, leading to revulsion and death. 26
(Yahweh) kept
all the promises
he had made to
the people of
Israel.
(Jos. 21: 45)
Blessed
be
Yahweh who has
given rest to his
people Israel as
he promised; for
not one of his
promises, given
to Moses his
servant has been
broken.
(1 Kgs. 8: 56)
26
Covenant
This is a very important concept not only in the OT but also in
the NT. It is, therefore, important to understand the cultural
background of this concept. After having shown his greatness through
what he did to the Israelites, showing to them that he can be trusted
and that he fulfills his promises, God took the initiative to enter into
covenant with them.
To have a good grasp of what this element of Jewish religiosity
meant, we have to look at it in the context of their socio-cultural
background. They were nomads and animals constituted their
economic base. They had to wander from one place to another for the
sake of their animals. In the process, they entered territories not their
own. They, therefore, had to ask permission from the tribal leader of
the place to allow them to graze their animals and protect them from
bad elements. They had to haggle over the terms of the covenant, so
that for their animals to graze in the land, the leader would guarantee
protection only in exchange for some gift, such as a bull, sheep, or
goat. If the terms are agreeable, the covenant would be sealed with a
meal. Then a piece of flat stone would be broken in two, one of which
would be given to the owner of the land while the other would remain
with the nomads. This pledge would be a guarantee that the terms of
the covenant are obeyed and followed. If something untoward
happened to the them in the process, they could complain to the
owner of the territory, bringing their piece of stone with them to show
to the latter that they had made a covenant.
Ibid.
49
In a covenantal relationship, the one who

needs the favor of a partner normally takes the
initiative to accomplish such a covenant. However,
although it was Israel from whom a covenant was
essential, it was actually God who took the initiative
to enter into covenant with them, as if God was the
one who needed it (Ex. 20:6-17; Dt. 5:6-22; 6:4-13;
7:7-15). The covenant event was the first event by
which God slowly led his people back to their
destination. In the covenant, he revealed the Torah,
which would guide Israel on their way of life such
that, if they failed to follow the laws, they would
slowly be brought back by it to where God originally
wanted them to be.
It is vitally important,
therefore, that the wealthier States, in
providing varied forms of assistance
to the poorer, should respect the
moral
values
and
ethnic
characteristics peculiar to each, and
also that they should avoid any
intention of political domination.
(Pacem in Terris* on the Evolution of
Economically Underdeveloped
Countries)
*Pacem in Terris, which means Peace
on Earth, is the encyclical of Pope John
XX111, April 11, 1993
Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD

Relative to the preceding paragraph, a
covenant may be viewed in broad strokes as an act
of an overbearing person towards the weak or the
one in need. As culturally conditioned, the stronger
or more powerful party can dominate the other in
laying out the terms. To quote John L. McKenzie, SJ,
the stronger could impose his will upon the weaker
or the victor upon the vanquished; or inversely the
vanquished or the weaker party could seek a
covenantal relationship with the stronger. 27 The Old
Testament theme of covenant reflects this unequal
footing between the two parties.
He called the Second Vatican

Council (19621965) but did not live to
see it to completion, dying on 3 June
1963, two months after the
completion
of
his
final
encyclical, Pacem in Terris. He was
beatified on 3 September 2000, along
with Pope.
Text From:
http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Pope+John+XXIII
Photo from:
http://saints.sqpn.com/pope-blessed-john-xxiii/
27
McKenzie, J. L. (1965). Dictionary of the bible. New York/London: Macmillan Company.
50
As a sign of
Gods
promise
not to destroy the
earth by flood,
the
rainbow
reminds us of our
right and duty to
promote human
life and protect
the environment.
The Lord is
my shepherd, I
shall not want.
(Ps. 23:1)
28
29
In all the covenant stories between God and the people,

Yahweh was the one who decided with sovereign liberty to be the
provider, protector, and liberator and dictated the conditions to be
observed. Take, for example, the mythical story of Noah where
God promised that he would never again destroy the world by a
deluge (Gen. 9:11) as a punishment for peoples wickedness; he
prohibited homicide and the eating of blood (Gen. 9:4ff). As the
book of Genesis (8:21-22) tells us, God, after having smelled the
aroma of Noahs burnt offering, got rid of the bow as a primitive
weapon of war by casting it away from the earth into the
heavens 28 to remind himself of his solemn promise.
Another instance is the agreement God made with Moses
and the rest of the Israelites. This is the covenant proper in the Old
Testament, the model or paradigm of all formal pacts with God. 29
The essence of this covenant can best be captured by this verse:
You shall by my people and I will be your God (Jer. 7:23, 11: 4,
24:7; Ez. 11:20; Ho. 2: 25). This implies that Yahweh who carried
the Israelites on eagles wings and brought them to himself (Ex. 19:
4) will henceforth continue to be their liberator, protector, and
provider on the condition that they will be faithful to him. To aid
them in maintaining their fidelity to Yahweh, the Ten
Commandments were given (Ex. 20:1-17).
It is true that at first blush the covenants God made with the
Israelites may appear as an act of dictatorship. However, a deeper
analysis will prove the opposite. As already mentioned by Fr.
Fabiosa, the covenant all started with the initiative of the allpowerful God. Impelled by no more and no less than love, he
intervened in the life of the Israelites so he could save them. In fact
the prophets portrayal of the Israelites covenant with Yahweh as a
love-relationship makes it unique and different from all the
covenants in the Old Testament times. In this regard, the following
descriptions of such a covenantal relationship are worthmentioning: Israel is the flock, and Yahweh the shepherd. Israel is
the vine, and Yahweh the vinedresser. Israel is the son, and
Yahweh the father. Israel is the spouse, and Yahweh the
McKeating, C. (2010). The call to mission. Makati: St Pauls.

Ibid, 67.
51
bridegroom. 30 An example of Scriptural scenarios that graphically

illustrate these relationships is the conversation between David
and Nathan. In this story, (2 Sam. 7:1-17), the relationship
between God and David and, by extension, between God and the
descendants of David is described as one between father and son.
This is made clear when the prophet Nathan, in repeating
Yahwehs message to David, said: I will be a father to him and he
shall be my son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod,
as men do. But I will not withdraw my kindness from him as I did
from Saul when I removed him out of your way (2 Sam 7: 14-15).
Another case in point is the prophet Ezekiels description of
Yahweh as the bridegroom and Israel as the bride: I passed by
later and saw you were at the age of love and spread part of my
garment over you to cover your nudity. I made a covenant with
you with an oath a word of Yahweh and you were mine (Ez.
16:8).
Contrary to the
ritualistic religion of
the
Israelites,
authentic
religion
plays a great role in
life. In this regard, the
following statement
below
is
worthquoting:
Promised Land and Prosperity
God eventually led the Israelites to that land he promised
them flowing with milk and honey (an expression which means
prosperity). In the Promised Land they became economically and
politically prosperous. They became a nation that surrounding
nations had to reckon with. This prosperity reached its peak in
what they would call the Davidic Dynasty. But it is a human
experience that prosperity brings along with it the seeds of its own
destruction:
+
The people started to do lip service to their part of the
covenant.
+
Relationship with God became a matter of ritual and rite.
+
The few rich started to exploit the majority who were poor.
(See Jeremiah 26:1ff). God, true to his nature as Father, tried to
send his representatives (Prophets, Judges, and Kings), to remind
the people of their part of the covenant. The prophets tried to
show to the people the evil they were doing. After some time of
30
Among
those
respondents
who
prayed regularly and
depended on their
religious beliefs to
cope, I found a higher
sense
of
life
satisfaction and lower
level
of
death
anxiety.
Harold Koenig, MD,
2000: 83
(Dr. Harold Koenig is
the executive director
of Christian Medical
and Dental
Associations)
Leon-Dufour, X. (Ed.). (1990). Dictionary of biblical theology. Pasay City, Philippines: St. Pauls.
52
No matter what prophet

God sent to reaffirm His love
for them, the people of Israel
met the prophet with
obstinacy,
disbelief
and
hostility. Even if they had a
change of heart, it was fairly
short-lived.
Soon they
returned to their idol worship
and the offering of the
sacrifices. Because of the
toxicity of their feelings of
guilt and shame, they could
not believe God could love
them.
Jesus purpose as Messiah
was to confront and discount
this perception we have about
ourselves as worthless, and to
release us from the bondage
of the inner power that keeps
us in a negative state of
mind.
- Jack Walters, 1995: 27--(Jack Walters, SJ is a practicing
psychotherapist, co-director of
the IAM Counseling and
Retreat Center in New Albany,
Pennsylvania.)
reform, however, the people went back to their sinful ways.

Then God sent Jeremiah, the Prophet, who went around the
towns and marketplaces of Israel. Naked like the day he was
born and with a yoke around his neck, he warned the chosen
people unless they change their ways, they too would
become naked and carry a yoke around their necks. The
people did not listen; instead, they had him deported and
they continued their sinful ways. They did not heed God
because they were a rich and powerful nation.
Babylonian Captivity
Despite their military power, Israel was conquered by
the Babylonians. The policy of the Babylonian King was to
bring all captives to Babylon and make them slaves. This is
what happened to Israel the chosen people of God. They
became slaves in a foreign land with no protection from God
who was present in Jerusalem. They were back to zero, back
to where they started in Egypt slaves. This was a traumatic
experience to the nation:
+
After all the experiences of Gods intervention on
their behalf, they realized they were special to God because
God did these things to no other nation except to us.
+
They were special to God, the creator and the
highest of all Gods, who made covenant with them.
+
Gods favor, presence, and protection were
responsible for whatever prosperity they have arrived at.
+
Why then did this sad event of slavery and captivity
in a foreign land happen?
+
How can God allow this to happen to us, his chosen
people?
53
The prophets interpreted for them this traumatic

experience by saying to them: You did not live up to the
demands of the covenant despite having been reminded
very often. Through this event of slavery and exile, God was
clearly canceling the covenant he made with your
forefathers. Just as God intervened in your favor in the
past, so he will do in the future; make a new covenant.
Eschatological Promise
God tried to break the shell that enveloped man
and woman by pounding the shell from outside. But God
realized it was too hard. A new and a more radical strategy
had to be used. He had to work from inside. He decided to
do it on his own: I will gather you from the foreign
nations and bring you home. I will sprinkle you with clean
water, and you will be clean and acceptable to me. I will
wash away everything that makes you unclean, and I will
remove your disgusting idols. I will take away your
stubborn heart and give you a new heart and a desire to
be faithful. You will have only pure thoughts, because I
will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my
laws and teachings. You will once again live in the land I
gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be
your God (Ez. 36:24ff).
In regard to the concept

that, alone and unaided, man
and woman can never save or
realize themselves, and that
Gods grace cannot be merited,
the following toxic beliefs are
worth-mentioning:
Gods love and favor depend
on my behavior.
The more money I give to
God, the more money he will
give to me.
I can work my way to
heaven.
God uses only spiritual
giants.
- Stephen Arterburn and Jack
Felton, 2001:78
Summary Points:
+
Alone and unaided, man and woman can never save
or realize themselves.
+
Despite human unfaithfulness, God will always
remain faithful.
+
Humans failure and sinfulness is not greater than
Gods love and goodness; it cannot destroy Gods plans.
(Whereas, Arterburn is a well

known speaker, licensed
minister and best-selling
authors of more than 50 books,
Felton is a licensed therapist,
ordained minister)
54
They burned the house of

God, broke down the walls of
Jerusalem, set fire to all its
palaces,
and
destroyed
Separated this lengthy
everything of value in it. The
paragraph survivors were deported by
Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon:
they were to serve him and his
descendants as slaves until the
kingdom of Persia came to
power.
(2 Ch. 36: 19-20)
The Israelites taken into

captivity.
Photo from:
http://clipart.ochristian.com/Bible_Char
acters_Clipart/Daniel_Clipart/index2.sht
ml
31
The main theme of the Babylonian exile and the

post-exilic restoration of Israels life and worship
centers on God and not on the Israelites or the
Babylonians. The tragic events in the life of the chosen
people just highlight the main event, that is, Gods
loving intervention. Why did God have to intervene? It
is because salvation cannot be worked out or merited.
As Fr. Fabiosa said, Alone and unaided, man and
woman can never save or realize themselves.
While it is true that human freedom is powerful,
Gods grace is mightier or better put, the mightiest. The
Israelites agreed to keep the covenant, to become the
people of God (Gen. 19:8), but later, as evidenced by
what happened in the desert and immediately prior to
the exile, they wallowed in sin. This brings us to the
truth that after the fall, human nature continues to be
weak, made strong by the Spirit of God who lives in us
calling us always to repentance, to love. The concept of
unmerited grace is a theme that runs through the
teachings of Jesus Christ and is at the heart of
Christianity. Philip Yancey writes, Grace is Christianitys
best gift to the world, a spiritual nova in our midst
exerting a force stronger than vengeance, stronger than
racism, stronger than hate. 31
Gods grace of unconditional love, the main
teaching of Jesus, is also the principal motif in Gods
dealing with his chosen people.
This love is
characterized by faithfulness despite the unfaithfulness
of human beings. The unfaithfulness of the Israelites is
portrayed in the metaphor of harlotry. Like Hosea and
Jeremiah, the prophet Ezekiel who was exiled as well to
Babylon, depicted the people of Samaria and Jerusalem
as harlots.
Yancey, P. (1998). Whats so amazing about grace? Mandaluyong City, Philippines: OMF Literature, Inc.
55
As to the people of Samaria, Ezekiel says: You

played the harlot with the Assyrians as well because you
were never satisfied. Yes, you played the harlot with
them but you remained insatiable. Then, you multiplied
your prostitutions in a land of merchants, Chaldea, and
even with that you were never satisfied (Ez. 16: 28-29).
But, Israels prostitution is worse because unlike an
ordinary harlot, she scorned payments, gave gifts to
her lovers and bribe them to come to her (Ez. 16: 32). Of
the unfaithful Israel, Yahwehs words are so scathing: In
you, Israel, father and mother are treated with
contempt, in you the alien is oppressed, the fatherless
and the widow are wronged. You have despised my holy
things and profaned my Sabbaths (Ez. 22: 7-8).
Human unfaithfulness cannot destroy Gods
loving plan. God intervenes amidst suffering. The coming
of King Cyrus of Persia who allowed the return of the
Israelites to their land may be interpreted as Gods
intervention through the instrumentality of persons.
Yahweh is really the Good Shepherd (Ps. 23; Ps. 100: 3;
Is. 40:11) who goes out to seek the lost or strayed sheep.
This God does not only seek the lost one but also gives
him life. As the book of Ezekiel (37:1-14) graphically
narrates, the dry bones which were once lifeless and dry,
began to join together, to have sinews and muscles, and
then to move after the breath of Yahweh was breathed
on them. These bones symbolize Israel who was dead in
sin but became alive because of the transforming power
of Yahweh.
Literally, the realization of Israels experience of
coming to life took place when the chosen people of God
were able to return to Canaan and start anew.
Instrumental in the restoration were Nehemiah and Ezra
who respectively led in the rebuilding of the temple and
Israels life of worship. In a deeper sense, Israels
experience of restoration as a holy people is an allusion
to the eschatological promise, that is, the coming of
May Christ dwell in your

hearts through faith; may you be
rooted and founded in love. All
of this so that you may
understand with all the holy ones
the width and length, the height
and depth in a word, that you
may know the love of Christ
which surpasses all knowledge,
that you may be filled and reach
the fullness of God.
(Eph. 3: 17-18).
Photo from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SVo
uet.jpg
Dry bones, hear the word of

Yahweh! Yahweh says: I am
going to put spirit in you and you
will live. I shall put sinews on you
and make flesh grow on you; I
shall cover you with skin and give
you my spirit that you may live.
And you will know that I am
Yahweh.
(Ez. 37: 4b-6)
56
Gods kingdom in fullness another motif of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 6: Being true to ones commitments or promises!
Read an article or watch news on international agreements such as

APEC summit, NATO, etc. or any local agreement such as usury or
better known as 5/6. Critique these political or economic
agreements in view of the covenant God made with his chosen
people. Write your answer in not more 10 sentences.
Express in a prayer or drawing or poem your feelings or reactions

about the same international agreement.
In view of the truth that agreements are supposed to be observed

justly, realized or actualize a good promise you made to your family
members or friends. Describe in at least a paragraph such a
promise and how you intend to realize the same.
57

For making a prayer/drawing/poem
For describing ones plan to realize the promise
Analysis of the agreement in the light of the lesson*
Clarity/organization/coherence of thoughts**
TOTAL
20 points
20
15 x 2 = 30
15 x 2 = 30
100 points
*For Analysis of the Agreement

Excellent
(13-15)
Analysis has
exhausted all the
topics taken up in
class and
examples are
more than
sufficient and very
relevant.
Very Good
(10-12)
Analysis considers
almost all topics
and examples are
sufficient.
Good
(7-9)
Analysis
includes more
than two topics
but with limited
examples.
Fair (4-6)
Poor
(1-3)
Analysis
Analysis is very
includes two or limited: it
three topics but involves only
with very
one topic and
limited
has no
examples.
examples.
**For Clarity/Organization/Coherence
Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good
(7-9)
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Fair
(4-6)
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
58
LEARNING EPISODE 2:
THE WORD OF GOD WHO
BECAME FLESH IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
The incarnation of the
Word, the focus of the
present section is Gods
greatest act of emptying
himself (Phil 2:7). Out of
great love, he took the risk of
becoming human like us in
all ways except sin (Heb.
4:15) so that we can be
saved. In his whole salvific
act from birth to his public
ministry and to his paschal
mystery Jesus Christ, the
incarnate Word becomes the
perfect image of the invisible
God (Col. 1:15) and the
epitome of what it is like to
become a real human being.
After having participated actively in the varied

learning activities relative to the lessons, the
students should be able to:
WORD
See the entirety of the life of Jesus from the
incarnation to the paschal mystery as redemptive
and as a model of what it is like to become fully
human;
WORSHIP
Be grateful for the unconditional love of the Father
as revealed in the person and mission of Jesus; and
WITNESS
Enflesh in their lives the message of the paschal
mystery.
Photo from
http://clipart.ochristian.com/Photos_of_Jes
us_Clipart/The_Birth_of_Jesus_Clipart/index
3.shtml
59
JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD WHO REVEALS GOD
The image of God that Jesus revealed uses the
symbol ABBA! The content of the term (ABBA) Father is
adequately captured in the following three statements
that form the very foundation of our Christian faith.
1. God Always Loves Me Unconditionally
No matter how I feel, no matter who I am, no
matter what I have done, how sinful I may be, how far I
may imagine myself to be from God, how messed-up my
life may be? There is one reality I can count on: God loves
me, and he loves me with no conditions at all! God is
concerned with what is best for me (Jer. 29:11-14). He
will never give me up as a hopeless case because he loves
me. I can neither reduce nor increase this love for me.
The only thing I can do is reject it or accept it graciously
and in accepting find in it the fulfillment of my life, my
identity.
Many find it hard to accept such a statement
about Gods love for them. They are not sure if God can
love them without conditions at all. Many find this idea
of God hard to accept. They cannot accept such an idea
of God because they already feel guilty just thinking of
God and definitely find themselves unworthy of such a
love. Their idea of God is like this: God would accept and
love them only after they shall have amended their lives
through good deeds and penance. They believe that they
have to make themselves worthy of such a love. There is
nothing we have to do in order to be loved by God,
because even before we do the things we intend to do
that would make us worthy of God, we are already loved
by God (cf. woman caught in adultery in John 8:3-11). 32
Then Jesus said, neither do I

condemn you. Go from now on
do not sin anymore.
(Jn 8:11)
From:
http://catholiclane.com/thepharisees%E2%80%99-pride/womancaught-in-adultery/
32
God, in and through Jesus, offered to the woman who was caught in adultery, forgiveness, acceptance and love
even in the dirt that she was in. Gods love knows no conditions at all; it is offered for free.
60
So the problem is not Gods love for me but

whether or not I can accept a God who, despite myself,
is behaving to me lovingly. Can I let this love into my life,
let it permeate me and change my life? Can I respond in
a way that I too love God with all my heart, with all my
soul, with all my strength, and with everything that I am?
(Mt. 12:28-34) Can I have the courage to accept that God
accepts me although I know that I am unacceptable?
This idea of Gods unconditional love is at the heart of
the message of Jesus. In fact, it is the content of the
good news. Jesus conveyed this truth through his
parables. Jesus did not relate the parables to teach us
how to live; He gave them to correct our notions about
who God is and how God loves.
While he was still a long way
off, his father caught sight of him.
He ran to his son, embraced him
and kissed him
(Lk. 15:20)
Come back to the Lord your
God. He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his
promise; he is always ready to
forgive and not to punish
(Joel 2:13)
2. God Always Forgives + Forgets

God will never give us up: the constancy of his
love depends on what he is and not on what I am or on
how I behave. No matter how I may have messed up my
life, how unchristian my life has been, with what
indifference I have behaved towards this love, God
always forgives me and he forgets. Even more, he offers
me a future full of hope that exceeds all expectations
and dreams I might entertained for myself. God will
never give us up. Here are some texts about Gods
forgiveness: Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind
and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise; he
is always ready to forgive and not to punish (Joel 2:13). I
have swept your sins away like a cloud (Is. 44:22).
Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will
not be angry, I will not be angry with you forever (Is.
3:12). I will forgive their sins and I will no longer
remember their wrongs (Jer. 31:34). You are a God who
forgives; you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry
(Neh. 9:17).
61
Sad to say, however, so many people find it difficult to believe in such a forgiving God.
They cannot accept a God who gives them a second chance. The best image of this forgiving God
is the Father 33 in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:11-32), a father who receives us back
without any questions at all. But
we have to be realistic that if our
past has been forgiven, it does
not mean that the effects of our
sins are also automatically
healed. Deeply ingrained habits
will never go overnight. We have
to cooperate with Gods forgiving
love through discipline and
sincere efforts to overcome the
craving of the past and to let
myself gradually be cured.
However, only he who admits his
sins and faults without any
excuses can really receive Gods
forgiving love. This honesty is the
first step toward receiving Gods
pardon and forgiveness.
Another aspect of forgiveness that bothers a lot of people is their seeming inability to
forgive. People say that they feel like hypocrites when forgiving a person because even after a
good confession, they still feel in their heart the resentment and the hatred towards another
person. In effect, what they are saying is that as soon as they forgive, they expect the feelings in
their heart to disappear. This wrong expectation stems from a wrong notion of our being
human. We are not like fluorescent lamp which, when we turn on the switch, the light goes on,
and, when we turn the switch off, light goes off. That is not the way God created us. He created
us with a heart that takes time to heal from hatred and resentment. When we forgive
somebody who hurt us deeply, God even does not expect that the feeling of resentment will
disappear as soon as we forgive. It will remain because that is the way God created our heart. It
will take time for that feeling to heal.
It was Martin Luther King who explained what it means for a Christian to forgive. When he
did this, we all know what he was talking about because of the experiences he underwent in his
33
The photo above, The Return of the Prodigal Son, is an oil painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt. He made
this painting within two years of his death in 1669. The photo was retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_(Rembrandt)
62
struggle against discrimination. He said: When I forgive,

the feelings of resentment and hatred will remain in my
heart. I can still feel the pain. When I forgive a person
who hurt me deeply, that hurt will remain. However, as a
Christian, I do not want that feeling of resentment and
hatred to become a wall between me and the person
who hurt me such that I cannot anymore reach out to
him in Christian charity, especially if he is in need of my
help. It will take time for that hurt to heal. What one
should do is not dwelling on the memory of what
happened.
3. God is Always Present With and For Me
However, as a Christian, I do
not want that feeling of
resentment and hatred to become
a wall between me and the person
who hurt me such that I cannot
anymore reach out to him in
Christian charity, especially if he is
in need of my help.
- Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15,

1929 April 4, 1968) was an
American clergyman, activist, and
leader in the African-American Civil
Rights Movement. He is best known
for his role in the advancement
of civil rights using nonviolent civil
disobedience.
Photo from:
http://imgur.com/r/QuotesPorn/KeYil
Text from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_
King,_Jr.
There are many names given to Yahweh in the

bible. The most adequate seems to be EMMANUEL
which means GOD-WITH-US. Yahweh is a God who cares
for us and who loves to be with us. We will discover the
quality of Gods being-with-us if we trace the
connections of the word EMMANUEL to its Hebrew
original. The one word that might most adequately
express the nature of EMMANUEL -- God in his
relationship with us human beings -- is the word
COMPASSION found in the book of Exodus 34:6-7a: I am
the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my
people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep my
promises to my people.
In Hebrew, the word used for compassion is
RAHAMIN. This is the same word used in referring to the
womb of a woman. Thus the word compassion in
Hebrew has the connotation of loving the way a mother
loves a child from her womb. It denotes the following:
the ability to suffer with, to be filled with empathy, to be
able to share the suffering and pain of others, and also
experience their joy and happiness as if it were
happening to me. Compassion implies moving directly to
those people and places where suffering is visible and
63
most tangible and to build there a home without ever

leaving it (And he dwelt among us).
The true mystery of God is not that he takes away
our pain, our sufferings, but that he wants to share it
with us. The real good news in Jesus message is that God
is not a distant God, unmoved by our misery and pain,
but a God who is with us, who is moved by our pain
and misery, who participated in the fullness of our sinpermeated condition. But the nature and behavior of
God towards his creature does not guarantee that we will
never have to suffer or that we are insured against every
eventuality. It just tells us that God will always be there,
with his compassionate love, and we can always count on
his presence. This conviction is what is behind that
famous Psalm 23: Even if I go through the deepest
darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are ever with
me.
Even if I go through the deepest

darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord,
for you are ever with me.
(Psalm 23)
For us there is one God: the

Father, from whom all things come
and for whom we live and one Lord
Jesus Christ
(1 Cor 8:6)
Photo from:
http://trustexercises.blogspot.com/
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 7: Knowing and loving your Father more!
Interview your own father or in case this is not possible, interview the
father of your friend in terms of his perceptions over the issue of child
rearing. Then, critique such perceptions in view of Gods unconditional
love.
Express in a symbolic drawing your feeling towards your father or

compose a prayer thanking God for the gift of your own father.
Give a gift to your father as an expression of gratitude, love and the

like. If this is not possible, you can give gifts to fathers in the home for
the aged.
64

*Analysis of ones fathers manner of child rearing
For making a symbolic drawing expressing ones feelings
in regard to ones father or for thanking God for ones father
For giving the gift to their fathers or to the fathers
in homes for the aged
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
30
40
100 points
*For Analysis of ones Fathers manner of child rearing

Criteria
Gods
unconditional
love as basis
for analysis is
excellently
considered;
many
examples from
the Bible and
Churchs
documents are
used.
Excellent
(13-15)
Gods
unconditional
love as basis
for analysis is
very well
considered;
some
examples from
the Bible and
Churchs
documents are
used.
Very Good
(10-12)
Gods
unconditional
love is
somewhat
considered;
some examples
from the Bible
but many
examples from
Churchs
documents are
used or viceversa.
Good
(7-9)
Gods
unconditional
love is used
but
considering
only one
source for
examples the
Bible or
Church
documents.
Some
examples are
given.
Fair
(4-6)
Gods
unconditional
love is used
as basis for
analysis using
only one
source (Bible
or Churchs
documents)
but very few
examples are
given.
Poor
(1-3)
Gods
unconditional
love is used
but no
examples from
the Bible and
Churchs
documents are
given. Only
ones own
ideas are
presented.
65
JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD WHO REVEALS THE
HUMAN
In his own wisdom and goodness God shows to

us in Jesus what it means to be truly human and how to
respond to His invitation to a love-life relationship with
Him. We can discover this by looking at the
characteristic attitudes in the life of Jesus.
A. To love God is to do his will
If there is anything that stands out and which is
undeniable in the life of Jesus, it was his concern to
love God as the center of his life. This is the
consequence of his experience of Gods unconditional
love. This concern to make God as center of his life was
translated by Jesus in human terms by being always
ready to do the will of his Father. In scriptures we find
the following quotes: If you obey my commandments
you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my
Fathers commandment and remain in his love (Jn.
15:10); It is not they who say to me, Lord, Lord, who
enters the Kingdom of Heaven (who loves me), but they
who do the will of my Father who is in heaven (Mt.
7:21). In chapter ten of the Letter to the Hebrews, the
author says this of Jesus: You do not want sacrifices
and offerings, you are not please with animals burned
whole on the altar or with sacrifices to take away sins,
but a body you have prepared for me, then I said, here I
am, to do your will, O God (Hebrews 10:5-7); If we
say that we know God, but do not obey his commands,
we are liars and there is no truth in us....This is how we
can be sure that we are in union with God: if we say
that we remain in union with God, we should live just as
Jesus lived (1 Jn. 2:4-6). .. He has not left me alone
because, I always do what pleases him (Jn. 8:29).
If
you
obey
my
commandments you will remain in
my love, just as I have obeyed my
Fathers
commandment
and
remain in his love
(Jn. 15:10)
Photo from:
http://www.allthingsclipart.com/privacy.htm
66
Here, we find in words of scriptures that cannot

be misinterpreted: To love God is to do the will of
God. We are touching base here with the most essential
understanding of Christian life. To do the will of God is
the norm that binds us all together, lay, religious,
priests, rich and poor, young and old, into being sons
and daughters of the one and only God our Father. The
most important reality in our Christian life is not the
fact of being a priest, a religious-missionary, a married
person, or somebody committed to a single lifestyle.
These are contexts where we live-out our common
Christian vocation (to do the will of God) 34, to be in
personal rapport with God.
Then Jesus laid his hands on his

eyes again and the man could see
perfectly. His sight was restored
and he could see everything
clearly.
(Mk. 8: 25)
Photo from:
With these observations we are putting things in

their right perspective, as far as our Christian life is
concerned. Jesus has shown us the example. For us, to
love God is also to do his will. This means, to be always
ready to give up our own so that God can lead our life
according to his own plans, plans for our welfare not for
our woe.
B. To love God is to love the neighbor
Another unmistakable characteristic of Jesus is
his love for the neighbor. Jesus gives the impression
that when dealing with the neighbor he is always on tiptoes, so to say, very careful, giving the impression that
he is treading on holy and sacred ground. This is not
surprising because it is Jesus himself who taught us to
34
How does one know and discover the will of God. One unmistakable way, which Jesus exampled for us in his life,
is to discover Gods will in the consequences of ones life vocation (i.e. being mother of a family and a wife to ones
husband; being father of a family and a husband to ones wife; ones work and profession; being a priest; a
religious; living a single lifestye; etc.). By doing these consequences well and conscientiously, with all our heart
and soul, we are also doing the will of God and thus show concretely that we love God. This kind of Christian life
brings God, who people think is in cloud number 9, down to the ordinariness of our everyday life. In the ordinary
and banal things of everyday life, we meet him and we can love him.
67
love the neighbor as a means of our loving God. In fact, in

the 18th chapter of Matthews gospel (21-35), in the
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, he clearly teaches us
that our gratitude to God for the undeserved love we
experience must be shown by replicating to our neighbors.
This seems to be the logic of the gospel. In Matthews
gospel, the master tells the unforgiving servant: After I
have condoned your big debt, you should have done the
same to your fellow servant. The same theme is present in
the Johannine literature. 1 Jn. 4:10-11 says: This is what
love is, it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his son to be the means by which our sins are
forgiven. If this is how God loved us, THEN WE SHOULD
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
The following are some features of the quality of
Jesus dealings with his neighbors which we can gather
from scriptures. In these qualities, Jesus is teaching us
what it means to love, and what love involves.
1. Sensitive to the feelings of others (Mt. 8:1-4; Mk.
1:40-45; Lk. 5:12-16)
This characteristic of Jesus love for the neighbor
must be seen in the light of Jewish culture and religious
practice. It was a Law of Moses that people should not
mingle with the sick and sinners. In fact, they had precise
laws on how to deal with those with contagious disease,
especially those with leprosy. The Law of Moses specified
that these should live outside the City walls; they should
have bells around their necks, so as to warn people that
they had contagious disease; and people should stand at a
certain distance when dealing with lepers (10 meters
away).
This official then left the

kings presence and he met one
of his companions who owed
him a hundred pieces of silver.
He grabbed him by the neck and
almost strangled him, shouting,
Pay me what you owe! His
companion threw himself at his
feet and asked him, give me
time, and I will pay everything.
The other did not agree, but sent
him to prison until he paid all his
debt.
(Mt. 18: 28-30)
Photo from:
The gospel incident we are referring to talks about

Jesus, not only going near the leper, but, adding insult to
injury, he touched the leper. Only those stricken with
contagious disease will understand this act of sensitiveness
68
to the feelings of those whom society considers

outcasts. This action of Jesus is, of course, in stark
contrast to the way we behave to each other. When
dealing with others, we do not care about how people
feel. In fact, we sometimes consciously and purposely
treat others so as to hurt their feelings. We are
insensitive to the way others feel. Is this not at the
root of breakdown of marriages, when husband and
wife take each others feelings for granted? Here,
Jesus is teaching us a facet of what it means to love
our neighbor.
But a Samaritan, too, was going
that way, and when he came upon
the man, he was moved with
compassion. He went over to him
and treated his wounds with oil and
wine and wrapped them with
bandages. The he put him on his own
mount and brought him to an inn
where he took care of him.
(Lk. 10: 33-34)
Photo from: http://clipart.christiansunite.com/
When Jesus went out again

beside the lake, a crowd came to him
and he taught them. (Mk. 2: 13)
Photo from: http://clipart.christiansunite.com/
2. Time to waste for the others (Mk. 6:30-38)

This characteristic of Jesus love for the
neighbor has to be seen in the light of the gospel
incident in Mark 6:30-38. Verses 30-38 are actually a
continuation of verses 6 13 of the same chapter (The
Sending of the 12): The apostles returned and met
with Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.
With this verse, we can conclude that they must have
agreed to meet at a given place after their mission (or
apostolate) experience. The disciples had many
experiences to share with Jesus and with each other.
However, there were so many people coming and
going that Jesus and the disciples didnt even have
time to eat. Thus anticipating their tiredness and
wanting to be alone by themselves for their sharing,
he decided to go to the other side of the lake so that
they could be alone by themselves. But the people got
wind of where they were going so they went ahead to
the other side of the lake so that when Jesus and his
disciples arrived there by boat Jesus saw the crowd
and his heart was filled with pity, because they were
like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach
them many things. Without shortchanging and
adding anything new to the gospel incident, we may
say: After letting go of his tiredness, and his other
69
plans, he began to teach them many things. JESUS

HAD TIME TO WASTE FOR and WITH OTHERS, he was
willing to let go of anything (his plans, his
tiredness), in order to love and be of service to the
others. Any time spent for and with others is never
wasted time, if done out of love for the other. In the
book The Little Prince, the author has this beautiful
quote: The time you waste on your rose is what
makes that rose important to you!
During Holy Mass, after the twofold consecration, the host was
changed into live Flesh and the wine
was changed into live Blood, which
coagulated into five globules, irregular
and differing in shape and size.
3. Respect the freedom of others (Jn. 6:67)

If the synoptic gospels have what is called
the Galilean Crisis, John has his Eucharistic Crisis
the moment when Jesus was misunderstood by the
people. To get an insight into what this involved, we
have to see this incident in the light of the Jewish
culture and religious practice. Life to a Jew was
located in the blood. This is not difficult to
understand because butchering animals in primitive
times was done by cutting the jugular vein of the
animal. As soon as the jugular vein is cut, the life of
the animal slowly ebbs until the last drop of blood;
then, the animal dies.
Life belongs to God. This must be the reason
why Jews are not allowed, by law, to eat animals
whose blood is still in their bodies. For them, Kosher
meat means animals butchered by cutting the jugular
vein. The following statement of Jesus must be seen
in this light: I am telling you the truth, if you do not
eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood;
you will not have life in yourselves. Whoever eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will
raise him to life on the last day. For my flesh is real
food, my blood real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him. . . .
Many of his followers heard this and said, This
teaching is hard. Who can listen to it? . . . . Because
The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is

real Blood.
The Flesh and the Blood belong to
the human species.
The Flesh consists of the muscular
tissue of the heart.
The Flesh and the Blood have the
same blood-type: AB (Blood-type
identical to that which Prof. Baima
Bollone uncovered in the Holy
Shroud of Turin).
In the Blood there were found
proteins in the same normal
proportions (percentage-wise) as
are found in the sero-proteic makeup of the fresh normal blood.
In the Blood there were also found
these
minerals:
chlorides,
phosphorus, magnesium, potassium,
sodium and calcium.
The preservation of the Flesh and of
the Blood, which were left in their
natural state for twelve centuries
and exposed to the action of
atmospheric and biological agents,
remains
an
extraordinary
phenomenon.
Photo and text from:
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/la
nciano.html
70
of this, many of Jesus followers turned back and would not go with him anymore.
The human reaction of one put on the spot, as Jesus was, would have been to give an
explanation, especially to his chosen few. But Jesus did not. He respected their freedom to
choose and to make a decision. It is very interesting what John says in his gospel when this
problem was at its critical height. Jesus went to his disciples and asked them, and you would
you also like to leave? To love the other also means respecting the freedom of others to make
their own decisions, even allowing them to make mistakes in the process.
4. Seeing oneself as servant (Jn. 13:2-11)
The last supper is a living commentary to the meaning of Jesus life before this incident,
and a commentary, as well, to what was to happen the next day (his suffering and eventual
death on the cross). Strategic to this commentary was the washing of the feet of his disciples.
This was an act that only slaves (or servants) would do; and yet Jesus did it to his disciples. In
fact, Peter, in unbelief, refused that his feet be washed by Jesus. After this unbelievable
moment, Jesus explained to his disciples what He did. His coming to this world, his life, and his
suffering and death on the cross the next day was an act of service for humanity. This is why he
came, this is why the Word became flesh and dwelt among us: that we may have life and have
it to the full.
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 8: Becoming truly human like Jesus!
Look for a story in the New Testament that depicts what it is to be truly
human as exemplified by Jesus Christ. Describe the story in 5-10
sentences.
After describing the story, identify one positive attitude or trait you have
which can help you put into action the message of the story.
Think of a person, say a friend, colleague, relative and even an enemy to

whom you can extend an act of kindness which will nurture the positive
for Evaluation
trait or attitude you haveRubrics
identified.
Make a one-paragraph report of
what you have done.
71

Description of the Biblical Story*
15 x 4 = 60 points
For having identified their positive attitude/trait
20
For the narrative report
20
TOTAL
100 points
*For Description of the Biblical Story

Excellent
(13-15)
The story is
narrated with
all the details
correctly
given and the
whole Photo
is presented
Very Good
(10-12)
Ample details are
given; very few
aspects of the
whole Photo of
the story are
missed out.
Good
(7-9)
Some details are
given; some parts
of the whole
Photo of the
story are missed
out.
Fair
(4-6)
Very few
details are
given; many of
the aspects of
the whole
Photo of the
story are
missed out.
Poor
(1-3)
It is very clear
that the story
is not
understood.
72
JESUS CHRIST: THE WORD
WHO BROUGHT SALVATION THE GALILEAN CRISIS
AND THE DEATH OF JESUS
Was the role of Jesus only to preach about who God
(Yahweh) is and to be an example and pattern (coming from
God) of who the human being is supposed to be? Was his
role like that of pushing the ball and then leaving it rolling
on its own, or did he have a more important role to play?
We have to journey through the experience of Jesus prior to
his paschal mystery (suffering, death, and resurrection) to
be able to answer this question.
Prior to the Galilean Crisis
The gospel according to

matthew
presents
the
Beautitudes as part of the
Sermon on the Mount. As
expressed by the term, the
Beatitudes are set of attitudes
needed for us to be to
become truly human beings
called to become the likeness
of Jesus Christ.
Photo from:
If we look at the activities of Jesus in the synoptic

Gospels, we will see a Jesus who, after his baptism, was so
busy and concerned about the preaching of the Kingdom of
God. He gave the impression that he had no time to finish
what the Father asked him to do. In fact, in order to reach
all corners of Israel, he chose people whom he sent ahead
of him, two by two, to prepare the way for the preaching of
his message about the Kingdom of God.
The Galilean Crisis
Then all of a sudden a certain shift in concern comes
into the picture. Commentators of Scriptures tell us that at
a certain point in Jesus' life, his Father made him realize
that aside from preaching about the Kingdom, he had to
take on the role of the ebed Yahweh (the suffering
servant)35 described by the Prophet Isaiah.
35
The suffering servant figure in the OT (especially Is. 53) has a very precise meaning: through the vicarious
suffering and death of the servant, Yahweh will bring to fulfillment His plans for creation, the Kingdom of God.
73
We can compare this realization to someone who is

supposed to break open the shells that envelops every
human being, as consequence of sin. He discovered that the
shells are too hard to pound from the outside. This
experience makes him understand that he had to do it
another way; he has to go all the way to die for them and
work from within. Such a moment of change was what
occasioned by what is called the GALILEAN CRISIS (Mt. 16:1320; // Mk. 8:27-30; Lk. 9:l8-21). This was the moment when
Jesus realized that the people misunderstood him. He asked
the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" He got
different answers. Then Peter made his profession of faith.
What is interesting to note in this incident is that right after
this incident, Jesus predicted his passion for the very first
time (Mt. 16:21-23). Here is the shift in concern. From now
on, he would not talk about the Kingdom of God and would
not go out preaching to people anymore. What he did was
talk about his impending death, concentrating his attention
with the chosen 12. The explanation given is that Jesus
realized that what His Father wanted him to do was to take
on the role of what Isaiah in the Old Testament predicted
about the SUFFERING SERVANT -- ebed Yahweh (Is. 52:13
53:12). This figure in Isaiah is one who, through and because
of his vicarious suffering, will bring about the realization of
God's plans. Having understood this, Jesus, although very
clearly in difficulty, accepted his Father's will to die for the
many.
What do people say of

the Son of man? Who do you
say that I am? Peter
answered, You are the
Messiah, the Son of the
living God.
(Mt. 16:16)
Photo from:
The Cross of Jesus

A realistic picture of Jesus looks like this: Jesus came
as an open man (the ideal man) full of love and enthusiasm to
lead His people to the final fulfillment of the New Covenant.
It seems -- as Scriptures indicate -- that He thought He would
convert His people, lead them back to Yahweh. But Jesus
realized that He could never get the people by a direct
appeal; the shells were too hard and His pounding on the
outside remained unanswered.
74
Photo from:
The Galilean crisis made Him realize this. He saw

through this incident that God was showing Him the way He
should redeem the people (bring about the Kingdom). The
Father's will was that He should take up the role of the
Servant of God (ebed Yahweh). He realized, therefore, that
there was no other way left except to prove "his love to the
very end" (Jn. 13:1ff). He had to intensify His love to the
ultimate measure possible for a human being: the giving up of
one's life. Only then could He penetrate the shells. "No one
has greater love than the one who lays down his life for his
friends." Once this was made clear to Jesus that this was the
will of the Father, we do not find a man who fanatically and
blindly runs into his death. But he struggled tremendously
with the Father's will.
Here are some texts connected with what we just
discussed but which we usually take for granted when we read
them:
Heb. 05:07
In the days of his flesh, Jesus made his prayers
and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save
him from death..... Even though he was the Son, he learned
obedience by means of his suffering."
Lk. 22:44
Mk. 15:34
His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the

ground."
He cried on the cross in his feeling of being forsaken by God. At three o'clock
Jesus cried out with a load shout, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
The Implications of Jesus Death

Was Jesus afraid of death? What was it that made him to be horrified concerning his
dying? To answer this, we must look at what Jesus' death reveals. The death of Jesus reveals
three realities:
1. Jesus' Death Reveals Man's Real Existence
Jesus on the cross reveals to us how far we had been away from God, how forsaken the
human being really is. Jesus, who wanted to be one of us in "everything except sin," took upon
himself the condition of the human being. He entered the stage of the human situation: -cursed by God cut off from his fellowmen/women -- a being towards death. He who was so
75
close to his Father, whose love meant everything to him, saw

the real situation of people cut off from God. The more He
identified himself with us and became one with us in our sinful
condition, the more Jesus realized what his mission contained.
The Father takes him as he wants to be taken as one who
takes the burden of human forsakenness, selfishness, and
hopelessness upon himself. Jesus takes the shells of people
upon himself by identifying himself with them in all their sinful
condition.
Here are some texts from scriptures connected with
what we have just discussed. Perhaps we have read, but we
have never realized the impact of what they meant. In the
context of our discussion, however, it is hoped that their
meaning sinks in.
Rom. 8:3
"God dealt with sin, by sending his own Son in a

body as physical as any sinful body, and in that
body God condemned sin."
Gal. 3:13
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law,

by being cursed for our sake, since Scripture
says: cursed be anyone who is hanged on the
cross."
2 Cor. 5:21
"For our sake God made the sinless one into sin,
so that in him we might become the goodness of
God."
It was not physical death that Jesus was afraid of. What
made him cry to his Father was that horrible burden of human
sinfulness which would mean for him that he had to conquer it
with his love. The cry on the cross is the moment when Jesus
identified himself most fully with us in our God-forsakenness. In
this moment, it seems as if the love of the Father, from which
he drew meaning for his whole life, stopped flowing. So Paul
could say, "God made him as sin for us." He touched hell. This
is what the creedal formula means when saying, "He descended
to the dead."
By his crucifixion,
Jesus Christ identified
himself fully with us in
our sufferings and he
stretched out his hands
to embrace the whole of
humanity.
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.co
m/
76
I want to see God and, in

order to see him, I must die.
St. Teresa of Avila
(YOUCAT: 95)
Saint Teresa of vila, also

called Saint Teresa of Jesus,
baptized as Teresa Snchez de
Cepeda y Ahumada, (March 28,
1515 October 4, 1582) was a
prominent Spanish
mystic,
Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite
nun, and writer of the Counter
Reformation, and theologian of
contemplative
life
through mental prayer. She was a
reformer of the Carmelite Order
and is considered to be, along
with John of the Cross, a founder
of the Discalced Carmelites.
Text and photo from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%
C3%81vila
Jesus came and became human like us in

everything except sin (Heb. 2:17; Rom 8:3-29; Phil 2:7;
Heb 4:15). This means that he took upon himself the
condition of man in terms of the consequences of
human sin. He entered the state of mans real
condition (CURSED, SCATTERED, A BEING TOWARDS
DEATH). The more Jesus identified himself with us, the
more he became one with us; the more he realized
what his mission was. The Father took him as he
wanted to be taken, as one who took the burden of
mans forsakenness, selfishness, hopelessness, upon
himself. Jesus took upon himself all the shells of men
by identifying himself with us in our sinful condition. It
was on the cross and in his cry of abandonment that
Jesus identified himself most perfectly with the human
being. There he experienced the consequences of
human sinfulness:
cursed:
He felt that his rapport with his Father stopped. He felt
he was abandoned by that love from where he drew
meaning and sense for his life. . . . . . Father, why have
you forsaken me?
scattered:
He experienced what it meant to be alienated from
ones fellowmen and women; alienated by heaven and
earth. The people whom he chose and trained left him.
The people for whom he was dying were jeering at
him. They mocked him and shouted that he be
crucified; asking for his death.
a being towards death:
With no Father to lean on and give meaning to what
was happening to him on the cross, with no fellowmen
and women to give consolation, what sense was there
to all his suffering? For what was he suffering? The
77
death that was so imminent seemed meaningless.

Everything would end in death. What a senseless life,
what a senseless end, what a senseless death.
2. Jesus' Death Shows What the Human is
supposed to be
Jesus, as we already said, is the model of what it
means to be human. He is the image after which we all
have to be shaped. We are asked to remold and recast
our way of thinking and acting according to the ways of
thinking and acting of Christ. "You should be minded
as Christ Jesus was...." (Phil. 2:5-11). In Jesus, we know
what it means to be truly human, truly authentic, and
what kind of life is worth living.
3. Jesus' Death Reveals to us who God is
"No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, who
is nearest to the Fathers heart, who has made him
known" (Jn. 1:18). Yes, God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son... God sent his Son into the
world not to condemn the world but to save it" (Jn.
3:16-17). Another passage we could look at is Luke
15:11-32 on The Prodigal Son. This is an example of
God's love for us. This is what John in the gospel and
letters could say, "My children: God is love." Jesus is the
key that opens all the hidden treasures of Gods
wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2-3). Yet, when all doors
are open there is only one message that rings loud and
clear: how immeasurable Gods love for us is.
THE SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS ON

THE CROSS
THE FIRST WORD
"Father, forgive them, for they do
not know what they do."
Gospel of Luke 23:34
THE SECOND WORD
"Truly, I say to you, today you will
be with me in Paradise."
THE THIRD WORD
"Jesus said to his mother: "Woman,
this is your son".
Then he said to the disciple: "This is
your mother."
Gospel of John 19:26-27
THE FOURTH WORD
"My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?"
Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34
THE FIFTH WORD
"I thirst"
Gospel of John 19:28
THE SIXTH WORD
When Jesus had received the wine,
he said, It is finished";
and he bowed his head and handed
over the spirit.
Gospel of John 19:30
THE SEVENTH WORD
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit":
78
WHAT THE FATHER DID

Before she breathed
her last, St. Therese of
Liseieux said to the
sisters, I am not
dying; I am entering
life.
St. Therese of Liseieux
(YOUCAT: 95)
Saint Thrse of
Lisieux (January 2,
1873 September 30,
1897), or Saint
Thrse of the Child
Jesus and the Holy
Face, born MarieFranoise-Thrse
Martin, was a French
Carmelite nun. She is
also known as "The
Little Flower of Jesus"
or simply, "The Little
Flower".
Texts and photo from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_of_
Lisieux
The death of Jesus is the ultimate form of obedience and

self-giving to his Father and to his fellowmen/women. But since
Jesus is also the expression of the Father's love for humanity, then
we can say that the death of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate form
of Gods expression of his love for the whole of humanity. This love
of God took the form of a human being in his Son Jesus, and that
love was located in time and space where ever Jesus was. But Jesus
did not remain dead. God raised him from the dead. God's love is
more powerful than death. What this resurrection of Jesus from the
dead means is that God's love, which was imprisoned in time and
space -- so to say -- in the person Jesus, now becomes available
and at work everywhere and at all places in virtue of the
resurrection. It is externalized" and "eternalized" in the power of
the resurrection, the power of love. This power and this love now
penetrate the shell of men/women to lead them once again
towards salvation --towards becoming sons and daughters of God,
towards authenticity.
CROSS
The ultimate sign of Jesus love for all
RESURRECTION
Jesus love is eternalized into the power of the Holy Spirit.
REDEEMED
Through the resurrection man is released from Satans hold
This power of the risen Christ has given us back our
freedom, i.e. the possibility to become what we are supposed to
become:
From being CURSED,
we are called to be SONS + DAUGHTERS OF GOD.
" the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's
power we cry out to God, Father" (Rom. 8:15). "To show that you
are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. The
Spirit who cries out, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6).
79
From being SCATTERED,

we are all called to FELLOWSHIP.
There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles,
between slaves and free men, between men and women;
you are all one to love. To love, and to be able to relate to
each other, is for John the effect of Christ's liberating
power released in his resurrection: "We have passed from
death to life and of this we are sure because we have loved
our brothers/sisters" (1 Jn. 3:14).
From a BEING TOWARD DEATH,
we are called to LIFE and be FREE.
Anyone who knows Easter

cannot despair.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(YOUCAT: 68)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(German: [dit
bonhf]; 4 February 1906
9 April 1945) was a
German Lutheran pastor, theo
logian, dissident anti-Nazi,
and founding member of the
Confessing Church. His
writings on Christianity's role
in the secular world have
become widely influential, and
many have labelled his
book The Cost of Discipleship a
[1]
modern classic. Apart from
his theological writings,
Bonhoeffer became known for
his staunch resistance to
the Nazi dictatorship. He
strongly opposed Hitler's
euthanasia program and
genocidal persecution of the
Jews.
We were slaves but Christ has set us free. "Freedom

is what we have -- Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as
free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves
again" (Gal. 5:1). This freedom which the risen Christ has
brought is the freedom to become what God intended us
to become. We have been given the power to become
what we are supposed to become. All of this is made
possible through Christ in the Spirit. All what we have been
saying are made possible because of the paschal mystery
(the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus). "All men
have sinned and are far away from Gods saving grace. But
by the free gift of God's power, they are all put right with
him through Jesus Christ, who sets them free (Rom. 3:23).
The Holy Spirit is the gift of the risen Lord. He is the love of
Photo and texts from:
God for us made incarnate in Christ and eternalized in the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_
resurrection. The Holy Spirit is the power of the risen Lord,
Bonhoeffer
the power that will transform us into the "new" as it raised
Jesus from death:
". . . And how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in
us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death and
seated him at his right side in the heavenly world" (Eph. 1:19).
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from death lives in you, then he who raised Christ
from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you" (Rom.
8:11).
80
NOW WE COME TO A FULL CIRCLE. When the

human being destroyed God's plan for them, God
intervened in order to bring them to what he originally
intended them to be. In the process of this intervention
in the OT, God realized that the human being was
incapable of doing it alone. So God decided to do it his
own way. So through the prophet Ezechiel, he promised
to send his Spirit who will help man from within to live
up to his part of the covenant (Ez. 36:24).
The Spirit, the gift, and power of the
For now we see as in a mirror
dimly, but then face to face. Now I
resurrection have been given to us to help us arrive at
know in part; then I shall
what God intended us to be. The presence of the Spirit
understand fully, even as I have
been fully understood.
in us does not mean that he will take over and that we
(1Cor. 13:12)
have nothing to contribute. We still have an essential
role to play. We have to allow the Spirit to work in us,
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.com
we who are caught up in our weaknesses and
proneness to sin. We have to say our own "yes" and live
as Jesus lived. The power to be able to do that is already present in us. The ball is in our hands.
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 9: Taking an active role in your parish or religious/faith groups
Formulate prayers of the faithful/thanksgiving that revolve around the
theme of Jesus death and resurrection or compose poems with themes
related to the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ.
Connect with your respective parishes or religious organizations/faithgroups and volunteer to take charge in praying the prayers of the faithful
or the thanksgiving prayers you have formulated during the Sunday Mass
or during the celebrations of your faith-groups.
During your worship, offer cash or in kind as a concrete way of helping in
the building of the mystical body of the Glorified Jesus.
81

*Relevance and comprehensive content of the
formulated prayers/poems
For merely participating in the religious activities
TOTAL
15 x 4 = 60 points
40
100 points
*For Relevance and comprehensive content

Excellent
(13-15)
Insights presented
are very
comprehensive and
relevant: almost all
the topics from the
lesson are covered
and related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Very Good
(10-12)
Insights are
moderately
comprehensive
and relevant:
many of the
topics from the
lesson are
covered and are
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Good
(7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant:
some parts of
the topics are
covered and are
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Fair
(4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive:
few topics from
the lesson are
covered and are
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
Poor
(1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant: 1
or no topic
from the lesson
is covered and
related to
oneself and
ones
experience.
82
JESUS CHRIST, THE WORD GLORIFIED
Photo from:
en.wikipedia.org
By means of touch and the

sharing of a meal, the risen Jesus
establishes direct contact with his
disciples.
Photo from:
www.svdphn.org
Every time, then, you eat this

bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the death of the Lord
until he comes
(1 Cor. 11:26)
Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood, remains in me,
and I in him.
(Jn. 6:56)
36
The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning

truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived
as the central truth by the first Christian community,
handed on as fundamental by Tradition, established
by the documents of the New Testament; preached
as an essential part of the Paschal Mystery along with
the cross:
Christ is risen from the dead!
Dying, he conquered death
To the dead, he has given life (Byzantine
Liturgy, Troparion of Easter). 36
Jesus resurrection brings us to the reality that
the Word did not only become flesh and dwell among
us (Jn. 1:16) but was glorified after having conquered
sin, evil, and death. This event defies scientific
explanation because it is beyond history and yet it is
within the physical or material realm. Some
resurrection narratives can attest to this claim. The
Lucan narrative (Lk. 24: 36-43) recounts the
resurrected Jesus appearing in bodily form before the
disciples. He invited them to touch and see for
themselves that he was physically real and not a
ghost which has no bones and flesh. By means of this
appearance, Jesus was able to prove that his glorified
state is different from his previous earthly existence
and yet a continuation of it. Jesus invitation to
Thomas (Put your finger here and see my hands;
stretch out your hand and put it into my side [Jn. 20:
27]) is his way of proclaiming to his disciples that he is
the same Jesus who suffered, was crucified, and died.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Manila, Philippines: ECCCE and Life Publications), 1994: 368
83
Yet at the same time this authentic, real body

possesses the new properties of a glorious body. 37 In
fact, Jesus was able to appear to his disciples who were
gathered behind closed doors (Jn. 20: 19ff). In this regard,
the Catechism of the Catholic Church further tells us that
the glorified body of Jesus is not limited by space and
time but able to be present how and when he wills; for
Christs humanity can no longer be confined to earth, and
belongs henceforth only to the Fathers realm. 38 This
resurrection of Jesus is an assurance to us mortal human
beings that, though flesh and blood cannot share the
kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15: 50), we will be raised and
transformed on the last day to be with God.
Christs Resurrection - and the risen Christ himself
- is the principle and source of our future resurrection;
Christ has been raised from the dead, first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep....For as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ shall all be made alive. The risen Christ lives in the
hearts of his faithful while they await that fulfillment. In
Christ, Christians have tastedthe powers of age to
come and their lives are swept up by Christ into the heart
of divine life, so that they may live no longer for
themselves, but for him who for their sake who died and
was raised. 39
The resurrection has a great bearing not only on
our life of faith particularly over what will happen to us
after our earthly journey but also on our day-to-day
struggles. In life we are always confronted with our little
paschal mysteries so to speak. A case in point is the life
of students. Students passion may be compared to their
daily struggles, like coming to their classes on time and
exerting efforts to beat deadlines and the like. Their little
dying is compared to the days when they prepare for their
term exams and burn their midnight candles. Their
resurrection is during the days when they will receive
And he departed from our

sight that we might return to our
heart, and there find Him. For He
departed, and behold, He is
here.
~St. Augustine
Source:
http://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2007/04
/resurrection-quotes-from-churchfathers.html
37
Ibid, 645
Ibid, 645
39
Ibid, 655
38
84
their passing grades or even high marks. Our life is just a vicious cycle of passion, death, and
resurrection. So as to face challenges, trials, and problems, whether great or ordinary, we
should always turn to Jesus who faced His Paschal Mystery with total obedience to the will of
the Father so that in the end we will all become victorious and have an expectant heart, so that
at the end we, too, can have our own resurrection by the grace of God.
By Jocelyn E. Tagaro
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 10: Praying with and for others!
Compose a one-paragraph reflection on the relevance of the resurrection

in your life and the society.
Find your respective prayer partners. Take turns with your prayer partner
in reading yours and his/her reflection paper.
Write on the paper of your prayer partner a message of affirmation.
85

Relevance of the contents*
Organization of thoughts, grammar, spelling**
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
15 x 2 = 30
40
100 points
*For the Relevance of the Contents

Excellent
13-15)
Connection of
the resurrection
to personal life
and society and
vice-versa is very
well established.
All aspects of the
topics/insights on
the resurrection
are related to
personal life and
the society.
Very Good
(10-12)
Many
topics/insights on
the resurrection
are related to
personal life and
the society.
Many examples
are provided.
Good
(7-9)
Fair
(4-6)
Poor
(1-3)
Some
Few
Connection of
topics/insights on topics/insights on the resurrection
the resurrection
the resurrection
to personal life
are related to
are related to
and society and
personal life and personal life and vice-versa is not
the society. Some the society. Few
established. No
examples are
examples are
example is given.
given to illustrate given.
ideas.
**For Organization of thoughts, grammar, spelling

Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good
(7-9)
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Fair
(4-6)
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
86
LEARNING EPISODE 3
WITNESSING TO THE WORD IN
THE WORLD
Bearing the title of
the course Witness to the
Word, this section may be
considered as the climax for
it presents the missionary
spirit of being a Christian in
the context of the SVD
mission
of
prophetic
dialogue.
It starts with the
Church as the community of
disciples who believe in the
promise of Jesus that He will
be with them always until
the end (Mt. 28:20) and,
then, brings the readers to
the foundations of love and
service as an act of witness
to the truth that Jesus
manifested in his in his life.
As SVDs or lay
partners of the SVDs, coming
to terms with the dynamic
spirituality of St. Arnold
Janssen his unique way of
responding in faith to the
Word as the Truth is of
great necessity.
At the end of this learning episode, the students are

expected to:
Word
Deepen their understanding of what Witness to the
Word in the World is through the fourfold prophetic
dialogue with the different dialogue partners in the
light of the SVD mission and the shift of paradigms on
mission;
Worship
Nurture in them the appreciation of and love for the
Word of God through the different forms and styles
of worship and interfaith gathering with faith
seekers, people of other traditions, people of other
cultures, and the poor and marginalized; and
Witness
Strive to become witnesses to the Word through an
effective faith-filled and welcoming communication,
solidarity with the poor, openness to the faith
seekers, attitude of tolerance with people of other
faith traditions and cultures, and undertakings which
promote justice peace and integrity of creation
advocacy.
87
GODS CONTINUING ACCOMPANIMENT
IN THE CHURCH
By communicating his Spirit to His brothers and
sisters, called together from all peoples, Christ made
them mystically part of His body. The community,
therefore, of those who are baptized, gathered together
by the Word of God as partakers of the Eucharist, and
continues the presence of Christs ministry in our world
today. Through the lifestyle, mentality, and values lived
by her members, the Church anticipates in a human way
that Kingdom where unity, justice, peace, and harmony
reigns for all eternity: -- Gods dream and the dream of
every human being as well.
Jesus promised that He would never abandon
the community without his accompanying guidance.
This promise - that he will not leave us until the end of
the world - remains true even in our times. God sends a
person or persons in every given age to be a channel of
his abiding concern for his Church and creation.
The 1st and 2nd centuries saw the watering down
of the radicalism of early Christianity. This came about
because the Christians accommodated themselves to
the lifestyle and values of the world. The things of
heaven, the after-life, and the gospel values lost their
attraction. Life in this world became THE value. The
radicalism of early Christianity became a thing of the
past. It did not take long for God to inspire men and
women to leave the world and go to the desert and live
the radical demands of the gospel, in solitude or in
communities.
..and I will ask the Father and

he will give you another Helper to
be with you forever, that the Spirit
of truth whom the world cannot
receive because it neither sees him
nor knows him. But you know him
for he is with you and he will be in
you.
(Jn. 14:16)
From now on the Helper the
Holy Spirit whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you
all things and remind you of all
that I have told you.
(Jn. 14:26)
We are witnesses to all these
things, as well as the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those who
obey him.
(Acts 5: 32)
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.com/13641216
61/Pentecost_Clipart/Pentecost001.jpg
The lives of these few men and women became

reminders to others of the primacy of God in human
life. This intervention of God continued on throughout
88
St. Anthony the Great, founder of

Christian mysticism and Christian
monasticism in the history of Christianity
is the practice of renouncing worldly
pursuits so one can completely devote to
spiritual work.
Photo from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_monasticism
leap in the development of the means

of communication however, results to a
breakdown of communication between
persons. An undeniable example of this is
the breakdown of families
- Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD
Photo from:
http://lifebeyondthesea.com/?p=888
history. When the spread of Christianity became

the need of the time, God raised Dominic and the
Dominican family as an answer to that need.
When the world and even the Church (especially
the official Church) became so concerned with
material possessions and riches, God raised Francis
of Assisi to remind the whole Church of the value
of poverty. When the world was enraptured by
new discoveries of the New World, God raised
Theresa of Avila to remind the Church of her need
for relatedness with God, in prayer.
Every age has its own particular problem. A
problem that characterizes the present age is in
the area of communication. Compared to us, no
age has ever seen a qualitative leap in the
development of the means of communication.
However, it is so ironic that our age is
characterized by a breakdown of communication.
An example of this is the breakdown of families.
Marital casualties are not anymore a phenomenon
in the West and the economically advanced
countries. It is a reality that plagues our country
today. It is thus a problem of our age. Is there
something, perhaps, that God is trying to do to
answer the problem, as he did in the past ages? Is
his continuing care and concern for his Church and
creation still palpable today?
89
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 11: Sharing your life of prayer!
Record your participation in the celebration of a specific Sunday
Eucharist or worship/celebration in your faith-communities. Then,
supply the following data.

For attending the Mass or the celebration
Content of Reflection*
For sharing ones reflection with others
TOTAL
20 points
15 x 2 = 60
20
100 points
*For Content of Reflection

Excellent (13-15)
The Gospels connection
to life is not only
explained very clearly
and comprehensively
but is related to the life
of the Churchs life. All
possible examples are
exhausted.
Very Good (10-12)

The Gospels
connection to life
is very clearly
explained. Many
examples are
given.
Good (7-9)
The Gospels
connection to
life is
explained
somewhat
clearly. Very
limited
examples are
given.
Fair (4-6)
The Gospels
connection to
life is explained
vaguely. No
example is
given.
Poor (1-3)
Ideas are not
connected to
one another
and are not
relevant to
life.
90
INTEREST IN AND LIVING
THE WORD OF GOD
IN THE WORLD TODAY
Some of the famous Catholic

movements and communities which
appear in the Directory of
International Associations of the
Faithful, published by the Pontifical
Council for the Laity are as follows:
Bread of Life Community
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Services
Christian Life Movement
Communion and Liberation
Cooperators of Opus Dei
Couples for Christ
Cursillo Movement
Legion of Mary
Marriage Encounter
Oasis Movement
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Teresian Association
Work of Mary (Focolare Movement)
Work of Nazareth
World Movement of Christian
Workers
These movements manifest
different concrete ways of living the
Word in the world today.
Source:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/mo
vecoms.HTM
Reform movements, within the ambit of

religions, are an undeniable phenomenon of our age.
There are reform movements in major religious
groupings in the world today. If we are sensitive
enough, we will realize that God, through His Spirit, is
no doubt at work in the world today. Let us limit
ourselves within the Catholic Church. Reform
movements are enjoying popularity in the Church,
even in Philippine Church. A particular characteristic of
this phenomenon is that it is happening among the lay
people; indeed, it is being initiated by the lay people
themselves. One common denominator in the reform
movement is the peoples interest in the Word of God
and their emphasis on putting it into practice. The
many years of living the Word of God has influenced a
very interesting development -- a Theology of the
Word of God that has evolved from within the reform
movement.
The Word of God has a unique and central
place in Christian life. The point of departure to see
the intimate link between the Word of God and
Christian life is found in the correct understanding of
the meaning of REVELATION. Revelation is an event in
which God gives himself to us in order to make us
partakers and sharers of his own divine life. Bridging
the infinite gap that separates him from the human
beings, God took the initiative to reach out to them,
conversing with, and relating intimately with them.
He wanted to establish a dialogue, a rapport of
friendship.
Thus, in revealing Himself, God
communicates himself to us so that we in turn may be
91
able to enter into communion, rapport, and

relationship with him, thus living the divine life and in
the process discovering ourselves as complete, full, and
whole.
Christian life, therefore, is born from this
initiative of love on the part of God. Thus, Christian life
is not so much a fruit of ascetic involvement of the
human being; rather, a consequence of allowing
ourselves to be transformed by that relationship with
the Word of God, as a sacrament of God. The Word of
God was made flesh in Jesus. In him, therefore, the
dialogue between God and man is not anymore like
that in the OT when he used mediators (cf. Hebrews
1:1-2). In Jesus, the Word of God, God is a person with
whom one can relate in a person to person manner.
Divine life is, therefore, communicated to the full in
and through Jesus. Revelation between God and the
human beings has become existential and vital.
The person of Jesus manifested God through his
TEACHINGS and his ACTIONS (behavioral pattern). Now
that Jesus is not anymore with us physically, one of the
ways where this relationship happens is in and through
the Word of God in the Scriptures. We still get in
contact with Jesus through his teachings and actions.
Sacred Scripture is truly the Word of Life; it is the Word
of the living God, the God of life. It is Word that
communicates his life. It is the Word that makes us live
that new life. It is Word that consequently we can and
must translate into life.
This photo depicts one of the

programs of Caritas Manila
Caritas Youth Servant Leadership
and Education Program. This is an
example of the Word of God is
lived in the world today.
CARITAS MANILA is the lead
Catholic agency for social services
and
development
of
the
Archdiocese
of
Manila.
Its
programs and services are directed
towards
the
total
human
development
of
marginalized
people and the promotion of social
justice in the light of the Churchs
Catholic Social Teaching.
Photo from:
thttp://caritasmanila.org.ph/index.phpure
and quoted texts from:
Christian life is born from Gods initiative to

reveal himself so that there can be established a
relationship, a dialogue between him and us. It is also
born from our response to that initiative revealed
through Jesus his Word. The goal, the end of this
92
THE HOLYNAMIANS LIVING THE

WORD IN THE WORLD
Photo from:
http://www.hnu.edu.ph/main/hnnews/index.p
hp?office=31&artno=111139&vol=100&ish=1
Last August 28, 2010, SMART

COMMUNICATIONS,
INC.
in
partnership
with
Holy
Name
University-CEDev,
conducted
a
mangrove planting at Tubig Daku,
Taloto District, Tagbilaran City in
the
Local
coordination
with
Government Unit of Taloto and with
the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR).
relationship, is a progressive and full transformation

into him. This happens through the power of the
Spirit. This development reaches the point when we
can say with St. Paul: It is not anymore I who live but
Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20; Gal. 4:19). The Word of
God that God addresses in Christ is the most practical
and concrete way to live in Christ, to allow ourselves
to live by him, to be him, and with him in the Father.
It cannot be taken for granted that in order to
have an authentic dialogue/rapport with God, it is
necessary to live the Word, to be the Word. In fact,
the bible itself calls the Word of God as WORD OF
LIFE. We read in the Letter to the Hebrews: The Word
of God is alive, is living (4:12). In order to have that
life, that divine life which knows no end, one has to
be engrafted in Christ as the vine to the branches.
That engrafting however, happens under precise
conditions: If you remain in me and my Words remain
in you. . . . (Jn. 15:7). To remain in Christ and to have
his Word in us are synonymous. His Words are the
vital sap that flows in us and makes us one thing with
him and among ourselves. When Jesus affirmed, My
mother and my brothers and sisters are those who
listen to the Word of God and put it into practice (Lk.
8:21), he makes us understand that the Word of God
makes us related to him, makes us people belonging
to his new family, closer than blood relatives.

http://www.hnu.edu.ph/main/hnnews/index.p
hp?office=31&artno=111139&vol=100&ish=1
93
In front, therefore, of a God who communicates,

the principal activity that is asked of us is that of
listening and acceptance. This is one of the most
fundamental themes of biblical spirituality. Many times
in both the Old and the New Testaments, this invitation
is always made: Listen to Him, listen to his words, and
listen to the word of the Lord. In Hebrew, to listen does
not connote only listening with the ears, but also with
the heart. So, listening in Hebrew is not only passive
acceptance or reception of what is heard. Authentic
listening that which is done with the heart as well as
with the ears, is tantamount to assimilation and
interiorization of the Word to a point that the Word
informs the whole Christian experience and molds the
Christian into a new person. This is what living the Word
of God does; the person appropriates the values, the
attitudes, and the mentality of Jesus. Therefore, living
the Word of God transforms a person into Jesus himself.
One of the fruits that one experiences in living
the Word of God is a deeper understanding of it. As one
slowly puts the Word of God into practice, one also
understands, and the more one understands the more
one puts it into practice. St. Jerome said: Only the one
who lives the gospel understands the gospel. John
Cassian has also this to say: Scriptures is revealed to us
in a clearer manner, and opens for us its heart, or its
marrow, when the meaning of the Words is not revealed
to us by some explanation but by the lived experience
that we have made. It is not the reading of the Word of
God that makes us capture its meaning, but our
experience of living the Word. St. Bernard also said:
Only the one who lives the Word of God concretely
understands the Word.
Ignorance of Scripture is
ignorance of Christ.
St Jerome
Saint Jerome ( c.347 30 September

420) was a Roman Christian priest,
confessor, theologian and historian,
and who became a Doctor of the
Church. He was the son of Eusebius,
of the city of Stridon, which was on
the border of Dalmatia
Pannonia.
He is best known for his
translation of the Bible into Latin
(the Vulgate) and his commentaries
on the Gospel of the Hebrews. His
list of writings is extensive.
He is recognised by the Catholic
Church,
the Eastern
Orthodox
Church, the Lutheran Church, and
the Church of England (Anglican
[2]
Communion) as a saint. Jerome is
commemorated on 30 September
with a memorial.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome
By Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD
94
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 12: Sharing your life of prayer!
Read the given Biblical texts. Then, fill up the table.
Afterwards, share your answers with a classmate, friend, or family

member who in turn will write his/her comments or words of
affirmation/encouragement on your paper.

For each answer
For sharing ones answers with others
TOTAL
25 x 2 = 50 points
50
100 points
95
WHEN THE WORD BECOMES LIFE
To understand and appreciate the impact of the
Word of God in our everyday lives as human beings,
there is a presupposition that needs to be explained.
The presupposition is the basic human fact that all of us
are wounded but in different degrees. This
woundedness goes back to basic human need the
need to be loved and to love. This is the need that
makes us constantly bend back upon ourselves and
make us self-centered.
The source of difference in degree is how this
need was fulfilled or not fulfilled in our childhood. As
we grow older this need expresses itself in subtle ways
(seeking for attention, doing things in order to be
noticed, seeking the acceptance of people whom we
consider important). We even go to the point of
manipulating things, events, and people in order to get
even a semblance of attention from people around us,
attention that is so temporary. This causes much unfreedom in our everyday life and creates undue anxiety
and stress that causes migraine and high blood pressure
that have to be controlled by expensive maintenance
medicine.
Photo from:
http://warrantedbelief.wordpress.com/2011
/03/05/the-relevance-of-the-old-testamentlest-we-forget/
What follows are some effects in our life when we put

the Word of God into practice:
----- It heals the human woundedness!
The basic human sickness is self-centeredness
that stems from our need for love. The discovery and
experience of Gods unconditional love that is the heart
and center of Gods Word, brings a sense of peace that
the world can never give. This message of Gods
unconditional love touches the very source of our unfreedom and anxiety. We are loved as we are, with no
Photo from:
http://freed2love.blogspot.com/
96
conditions at all.
If this becomes a concrete
experience in ones life, it immediately brings healing.
It brings a sense of peace that, as John says in his
gospel, a peace that the world cannot give. This
experience must be sustained in ones everyday life so
that one becomes sensitive to the manifestations of
this love in ones concrete life. This is strategic for
Christian because these experiences, no matter how
little and insignificant, strengthen the conviction in
the individual about Gods love and encourages him or
her to respond with courage and conviction.
----- It changes Ones Self-Image!
Associated Press/Bullit Marquez Residents affected by typhoon Bopha
crowd as relief goods are distributed
at New Bataan township, Compostela
Valley in southern Philippines Sunday
Dec. 9, 2012. The number of missing
in the wake of the typhoon that
devastated parts of the southern
Philippines has jumped to nearly 900
after families and fishing companies
reported losing contact with more
than 300 fishermen in the South
China Sea and Pacific Ocean, officials
said Sunday. (AP Photo/Bullit
Marquez)

http://news.yahoo.com/hundreds-fishermenmissing-philippine-storm-123049979.html
Psychologists point out that the elements

which most cripples full personality development is
personal low or poor self esteem which is caused by
the negative experiences we had in childhood or in
any stage of our growth. A poor image of oneself has
repercussions in our life and in our standing before
God.
The Word of God tells us that we are loved by
God unconditionally. As sacrament of God himself,
we can safely say that God our Father behaves to us in
the same as Jesus taught and behaved. Anyone
touched concretely by this truth will experience and a
freedom unheard of before. This experience can bring
about untold psychological changes to our life. It
brings self-esteem which is so strategic to the growth
of each one of us. This becomes the right and the only
correct starting point of our relationship with God
Gods unconditional love and acceptance of all of us.
This fact of Gods love must become a day to
day experience and we must respond to this love by
putting His words into practice. Because one has
sought to fulfill His Words to the letter, God responds
by fulfilling the gospel promises also to the letter. For
the little that we give to Him, he gives back to us a
97
hundred times as much. What we ask is given. God

will show us that He is truly Father and we are His sons
and daughters. If we live the Word of God, we have
not only a beautiful statement to be repeated; rather,
we have a Father who becomes to us a day-to-day
experience. And then we know what being loved
means.
----- It brings the experience of freedom!
As consequence of that unmerited love that is
unconditional, the individual lives the Word of God not
in order to be loved by God but as an expression of
ones gratitude. Therefore, the desire to live the Word
of God is not imposed. It is something freely chosen as
expression of gratitude, as a way of saying thank you
to God.
There is one major concern of the Word of God
that branches off into directions. The major concern is
that we should not live for ourselves any longer; we
have to die to ourselves. Our life is too short and too
precious to waste on our own selfish concerns. It must
be spent either for God and or for neighbor, as
exemplified for us by the Word who became flesh.
When our love for God (which we show by doing his
will) and our love for neighbor (which we show by
being of service to them) when this becomes our
main concern in life, we are thrown out of our selfconcern and self-centeredness.
Living the Word of God is like a

caterpillar in the cocoon, it starts
to move and grow until it comes
out as a beautiful, multi-colored
butterfly.
Photo from:
http://pensacolayp.com/ppdi-blog/man-anda-butterfly/
As a historic event, EDSA people

power revolution in 1986 showed
the unity of the Filipino people in
ousting a dictatorial government.
As consequence, we are rid of the desire to

please others, to be accepted by them, to manipulate
so as to get their attention an experience that is
Photo from:
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/edsa%20
fleeting and temporary. We go beyond them as too
people%20power
cheap a concern to deserve so much attention. Thus,
we begin to experience a certain freedom never
experienced before. It is that freedom the gospel talks
about the freedom of being sons and daughters of
God; which we experience as so valuable that we do not want to ever part from it.
98
----- It changes Ones mentality (causes a social

revolution)
Photo from:
http://constantblabber.wordpress.com/tag/
pilipinas/
Photo from:
http://lovepinaspinoy.blogspot.com/
Civilian
volunteers
in
Nabunturan, capital of Compostela
Valley, distributing relief goods.
http://www.gov.ph/2012/12/14/photorelease-relief-operations-in-compostelavalley-december-13-2012/
Another evident fruit of putting the Word of

God into practice is that it changes our way of thinking
and as consequence, also our acting. We are usually
the ones who build walls around ourselves in terms of
relationship with people. Most of these attitudes we
imbibe from our family background, from the culture,
and from the media with which we are bombarded with
everyday. We relate only with our own kind. We reject
people, who think and behave differently from us
(decided by age, social class, economic status, and even
gender bias). All of these create walls around us, or are
conflict points with others. We sometimes get caught
in this mentality without us realizing that we are wrong.
As we get in contact with the Word of God we
realize that we are loved by God unconditionally with a
love like that of the Father. This experience opens our
eyes to the fact that we are all children of one and the
same God. Thus, we are brothers and sisters to each
other. In fact the Word of God enjoins us to love one
another as brothers and sisters, since God is our Father.
This necessarily breaks down the walls that we have
built around us and have divided us. There is only that
command to live Jesus in the other. This new mentality
and way of acting is contagious. It makes concrete what
the gospels say: a city set on the mountain cannot be
hidden. In fact, this was the very comment that the
early Christians evoked from their fellow Jews who did
not convert to Christianity: see how they love one
another. The experience of God which is very personal
and private opens our eyes to the fact that we all
belong to one family under God as our Father. When
the Word of God is lived, it can become the source of
lasting social change.
99
----- It changes our perspectives in life!

What does it profit anyone if he/she gains the
whole world but in the process loses his/her soul? There
is only one thing necessary, to love God and to love our
neighbor as ourselves. This gospel truth has changed the
lives of so many people. Those whose life and world orbit
around things which are passing and temporary have lost
the meaning and direction in life. The encounter with the
gospels revelation of a God and afterlife can really
change the perspective toward life itself. A sense of
rootedness sets in, a sense of having a purpose and
direction in life gives color and taste to ones everyday
life; and the ordinariness of things we do day in and day
out takes on solemnity and value because God can only
be loved and chosen in the present moment at ones
disposal. Sufficitmalitiadiei.
One does not disregard the present, the worldly,
and the ordinary, in view of the sure coming of the
Kingdom. The present, the worldly, and the ordinary are
the locus, the material, and the context where our choice
of God and our love for God, happens. It is in the present
that the new heaven and the new earth are constructed.
Life is not divided as ordinary or special. Everything takes
on a solemnity, a value, and an importance. Yes, the new
heaven and the earth will arrive in the future and in Gods
own good time. But because of the paschal mystery of
Jesus, the new heaven and the new earth are not only
coming; they have already started in the present.
Besides, our encounter with the Gospel totally
changes our lives as Christians. Before, we used to focus,
for the most part, on not committing sins. Now, the
gospel was showing us a more positive and dynamic
Christianity, which forcefully thrusts us towards our
brothers and sisters. This is the dynamism which people
of today, especially the young, are seeking for. Not only
a me-and-God Christianity, but a Christianity that says
something about the world I am living in and the people I
Photo from:
http://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/pray
er-list/
Photo from:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRe
views-g298573-d310890-r148065526Quiapo_ChurchManila_Metro_Manila_Luzon.html
100
am living my life with. A Christianity that does not only

make us await heaven but a Christianity that urges us to
transform this world into a heaven.
----- It helps us grow in Spiritual Life!
In the past, spiritual growth was characterized by
concentrating ones effort on ridding oneself of the
negative areas of our life, areas that militate against the
life of the Spirit. Thus concentrating on the negative has
developed into the idea of cleansing oneself in order to
Photo from:
http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/tag/frbe worthy of God. Besides, experience has shown that
roger-solis-svd/
the more we concentrate and focus on the negative
elements of our person, the more they grow in strength.
When one concentrates ones attention on living the
Word of God (doing his will and loving the neighbor), one
discovers that in the process, change truly happens in us even without our exerting too much of
an effort. One becomes more patient, more understanding, more humble, more pure, more
detached, and, of course, more loving. These virtues come as a consequence of living the Word
of God. In fact, we discover that we truly put on the mentality, the values, and attitudes of
Jesus. By living the Word of God we experience with joy that indeed the Lords yoke is easy and
light.
----- It generates Christ in Us!
The Word, which is the presence of Christ, generates Christ in us and in other people as
well. It is true that if we are Christians, there is grace in us even before we live the Word of God
with commitment. We possess the life of Christ and with it we undoubtedly have the light and
the love of God. But like the caterpillar in the cocoon, it starts to move and grow until it comes
out as a beautiful, multi-colored butterfly. This is why we say that when start to live the Word
of God, it is like the annunciation in our life. Christ in us starts to move and grow. And as we
live the Word, Christ grows more and more in us, making us open to be evermore filled with
Him. We truly become sons and daughters in the Son.
----- It helps create Christian Communities!
Living the Word of God helps creates of every group (families, organizations, religious
congregations, and any lasting group) into a Christian community. From our discussion, it
should be very clear that putting ourselves at the service of our neighbor is the concrete
expression of our love for them. When this love becomes mutual, it generates the presence of
the resurrected Christ in the form of the Spirit between the two or more who love each other
101
as Christ loves them. This presence of the resurrected Christ is what makes of any group in the
Church a true Christian community, a community of the disciples of Jesus, an ecclesiola, who
are recognizable by the love that they have for each other. Wherever two or three are
gathered in my name, I am with them in their midst (Mt 18:20).
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 13: Publishing your own story of actualizing the Word of God in your life!
Narrate a personal story on how you actualized the Word of God in your
life.
Pray or reflect using your own story.
Publish your story in your school paper or in the National paper as a

concrete way of sharing the Word of God with others.
102

Quality of ones personal story*
15 x 2 = 30 points
Organization of thoughts, spelling and grammar** 15 x 2 = 30
20
For publishing the story
20
TOTAL
100 points
*For Quality of ones personal story
Excellent
(13-15)
Presentation of
personal story is
very well done.
All the significant
details are
narrated, and
insights are very
profound.
Very Good
(10-12)
Good
(7-9)
Presentation of
Presentation of
personal story is personal story is
very well done.
well done. Some
Ample significant very important
details are
details are
considered, and included, and
insights are
insights are less
profound.
profound.
Fair
(4-6)
Presentation of
personal story is
fairly done. Very
few details are
narrated, and
insights are
shallow.
Poor
(1-3)
Personal story is
poorly done. No
clear
presentation of
details, and can
hardly be
understood.
Fair
(4-6)
Poor
(1-3)
Lots of
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
**For Organization of thoughts, spelling and grammar

Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Good
(7-9)
Grammar and
Few grammatical
sentence
errors and
formulation are
sentence
nearly error-free. formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear
and
disorganized.
103
THE CHURCHS MISSION OF CHIRISTIAN
WITNESSING
A Christian witness is one who has a
mission of following in the footsteps of Jesus.
There is no other else who can best be
associated with the mission of Jesus or
embody his ideals except the authentic
Christian himself. Every Christian has to own
this task as a personal mission. The full
acceptance of the nature of this commitment
leads him to be drawn into full obedience to
the Father of Jesus.
In witnessing, the challenge that
Christians need to stand for and by is the
truth that Jesus stood for in his life
particularly in his public ministry, that is,
there is a Father who, in his unconditional
love, wants his children to gather into his
loving embrace. In the light of this loving
desire of the Father, the mission of Jesus finds
great meaning: For the Son of Man has come
and to save what was lost (Lk. 19:10). From
this end, all are led by Jesus to God the
Father. Jesus emphatically teaches his
followers that God is a loving and truly caring
Father for His children. If this truth is held as
of great importance in our life as Christians,
then everything in us --- our dreams,
intelligence, freedom, and conscience must
be put in the service of Jesus mission.
Then he poured water into a basin and

began to wash the disciples feet and to
wipe them with the towel he was wearing.
(Jn. 13: 5)
Photo from:
http://www.claretianformation.com/en/apostolicdimension/114-jpic/328-a-formation-itinerary-for-aprophetic-religious-life/
Pope Francis, then Cardinal Bergoglio,

washing the feet of a young AIDS patient,
Holy Thursday, 2001
From:
http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2013/03/popefrancis-foot-washing-and-cross.html
104
Missionary activity is a
spiritual battle where the
individual can only be successful
when he is supported by others.
- St. Arnold Janssen
Text from:
Taken from Witness to the Word Vol 2,
p8 by Leonardo R. Estioko, SVD
If this is a mere human

endeavor, then its collapse is
inevitable. But if it is your work,
O Lord, then show your powerful
arm!
-St. Arnold Janssen
Text from:
Taken from Arnold Janssen A Pictorial
Biography published by Editorial Verbo
Divino, Spain.
St. Arnold Janssen (18371909),

a great Catholic
missionary, an indefatigable
worker for the Good News of
Jesus and the founder of the
Society of the Divine Word, the
Holy Spirit Missionaries Sisters
and the Holy Spirit Sisters of
Perpetual Adoration.
St. Paul understood clearly the demands of this

call to mission. This evangelizer courageously acted out
the message of the Gospel. He fully embraced and
treated it as his very own mission: Yet I consider life of
no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and
the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear
witness to the gospel of Gods grace (Acts 20:24). He
enforced a whole new way of seeing and understanding a
revolutionary lifestyle of an authentic Christian to put on
the new self, created in Gods way in righteousness, and
holiness of truth (Eph. 4:24). He had a special conviction
of Christs greatness, saying that every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
(Phil. 2:11).
In the lifetime of Jesus, this mission is embedded
in the formation of his community of friends, the
apostles. He appointed them for this purpose: that they
might be with him and he might send them forth to
preach (Mk. 3:14). He commissioned them to be his
witnesses saying: Go, therefore, and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you (Mt. 28:19-20).
After Jesus has risen, he fulfilled his promise to his
followers by sending the Holy Spirit: From the Father I
will send you the Spirit of truth. When this helper has
come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you
too, will be my witnesses for you have been with me
from the beginning (Jn. 15:26). At Pentecost (Acts 2: 141), the Holy Spirit animated them to a life full of
conviction over Jesus emanating presence, a saving
presence to which they need to witness.
105
The Church continues to announce this

message of Gods salvation in, with, and through
Jesus. Being called to a mission, this church
envisions herself as a community of disciples - an
evangelizer of faith. In broad strokes, evangelization
is understood as the proclamation of Gods
kingdom of peace, justice, and joy (Rom. 14:17) in
words and deeds. It refers to all the undertakings
the Church engages in as a way of cooperating in
the work of the Holy Spirit and in renewing the face
of the earth. In a specific sense, it is linked with the
teaching, governing, and sanctifying roles of the
Church. In this regard, Pope Paul VI, in his apostolic
exhortation EVangelii Nuntiandi, emphasizes that
the Church exists in order to evangelize, that is, to
say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel
of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God,
and to perpetuate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass
(EN, 14).
The document of the Second Plenary Council
of the Philippines (PCP II) calls for a renewed
evangelization (PCP II 186) which implies that new
approaches and present contexts be taken into
account so that the missionary activities of the
Church be filled with vigor more than ever before.
This undertaking is not easy for it begins with a
renewed evangelization which has conversion as its
requisite. This conversion entails a change of view,
feeling, interest, dream, and lifestyle in becoming
authentic disciples of Jesus, in responding to the
issues of the contemporary times.
But those sown on rich soil are

the ones who hear the word and
accept it and bear fruit thirty and
sixty and a hundredfold.
(Mk 4:20)
It is unthinkable that a person

should believe the word and submit
himself to the kingdom
without
becoming a person who bears
witness to it and proclaims it in his
turn.
- Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi
106
There is a tremendous need for evangelization among

Christians and outside of Christianity. The efforts done for the
implementation of catechetical programs are not enough for faith
formation. To quote the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines:
Our struggle to build the Kingdom of God is a pilgrim journey to
truth and justice, to love and peace, a journey to full life (PCP II,
263).
The definitive aim

of catechesis is to put
people not only in
touch, but also in
communion
and
intimacy, with Jesus
Christ.
- General Directory for
Catechesis (GDC), 80
Photo from:
www.annunciationparishab
q.org
40
41
Renewed evangelization has, as its first element, renewed

catechesis (PCP II, 156). Catechesis is education in the faith,
especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted in an organic
and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the
fullness of Christian life. 40 For pastoral purposes, catechesis is
used for that form of ecclesial action which leads both
communities and individual members of the faithful to maturity of
faith. 41 Intensive catechesis for the whole church the people of
God enables the faithful to receive the good news of Gods
revelation and be able to comprehend and interpret them by
finding meaning in the light of the Gospel in our contemporary
world. Basically, all followers of Jesus are called to stand in witness
to Jesus Christ who died, who has risen, and who will come again.
A Christian in witness is a Christian in faith.
Catechesis needs to be supported with the witness of
individual Christians and the entire Christian Church. To stand in
witness to the message of Jesus is to adopt the holistic approach to
evangelization and catechesis. The National Catechetical Directory
for the Philippines (NCDP 2007) presents the guidelines in
reference to the new evangelization envisioned by the church. It
has these three equally essential dimensions needed for the
formation of an authentic Christian Faith. These three-fold
dimensions are the same dimensions of evangelization understood
in a broad sense:
From the glossary index of CFC, p 602; cf. Catechesi Tradendae, 18

This quote was retrieved from http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/gencatdi.htm; GCD 21
107
Word or Doctrine (What do we believe?) This

dimension is composed of creedal truths which proclaim
the good news of Gods self-revelation in Jesus and its
mysteries. These are church teachings rooted in the
Scripture, taught by the Magisterium, and held as truth.
The structure of the whole content of catechesis must be
theocentric and trinitarian: through Christ, to the Father,
and in the Spirit. In the Spirit, the knowledge of the
mystery of Christ and the way to the Father are realized.
Therefore, catechesis must always put in clear light this

presence of the Holy Spirit, by which men are continually
moved to have communion with God and fulfill their duties
(GDC 41). In a nutshell, since Jesus Christ is the incarnate
Word of God the Father and the embodiment of the Good
News, this aspect of evangelization and Christian formation
(catechesis) can rightly be called the proclamation of the
The person of profound

knowledge of Christ cannot but
manifest this same knowledge in
his way of dealing with others. The
following story about Fr. Heinz is a
case in point:
He recalled, at night I would
go out and visit street children
who were living on the sidewalks.
I saw people looking for food in
trash cans and living on the
sidewalks and thought that if this
is the case, there must be many
people living on the dump sites. So
I just took my motorcycle and
followed a dump truck. His
experience brought him to the
dump sites of Cebu and bravely
stayed there for a month. There,
he shared their way of life, their
livelihood, their food, their
struggles, their joys, and their
pains. and also their sickness,
he added with a laugh. Soon he
attracted others into his cause. A
day care center was established
with the effort of educating
children and promoting nutrition
as well as on-going formation for
their parents. And the rest is
history. His dedication to also help
the poorest of the poor in Cebu
inspired so many... Fr. Heinz, SVD
(General Superior 2012) posted by
Father. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD
FR. Heinz Kulueku, SVD with the

street children
From:
http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/tag/fr-heinzkuluke-svd/
108
Word.
This Word-dimension of evangelization must be seen
more than the basic contents of evangelization or catechesis
because in the final analysis, the Word is, in here, a person
Jesus Christ himself. By implication, the Word-dimension of
evangelization means growing in knowledge, understanding,
and belief in Jesus Christ.
Worship - (How do we celebrate what we believe?) As
evidenced in the way of Jesus, the proclamation of the
kingdom of God is always nurtured with a deep prayer life,
As the commemoration
of the Last Supper, the
Eucharist is the highest
form of Christian worship.
Worship is a celebration
of Christs real presence.
Christs
presence
is
encountered
in
our
dealings
with
others
especially the poor, the
oppressed
and
the
exploited.
Witness as living a
Eucharistic life means
finding God and allowing
him to find us in our
struggles to love and be
loved by the least of the
society.
Photo from:
1363603261/Easter_Clipart/The_L
ast_Supper_Clipart/The_Last_Sup
per010.gif
with an intimate relationship with his Abba Father. Learning

from, as it should be, the ways of Jesus, we too as Christians
need to have all our missionary activities rested on a profound
spirituality which is expressed in prayer and the celebration of
the Sacraments (cf. NCDP, 213). In the light of the experience
of the early Christian community (Acts 2: 43ff), this dimension
of evangelization and catechesis may be described as the
Christian faith being prayed and celebrated.
109
Witness or Morals (How do we live our

faith?) The early Christian kerygma brought to
us today in the catechesis our personal
response of faith. Hence, it is necessary to
make the message of Jesus as our own. Living
the Commandments and Beatitudes serves as a
guide of love in Christian living -- to grow in
commitment to the promotion of total human
life. The norm of moral living is grounded on
love. In the integration of faith in the ordinary
lives of Christians, the Church continuously
emphasizes the loving service of ones
neighbor as one norm for authentic worship
(NCDP, 214).
Christian Witness, the other term for
this dimension of evangelization and catechesis,
directs our life to the ways of Jesus. Its goal is
the maturation of our faith, which intensifies
the integration of the three dimensions
Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a model

Christian witness.
Borne out of her
experience, she said:
"I see God in every human being. When I
wash the leper's wounds, I feel I am nursing
the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful
experience?" -- 1974 interview
Do not think that love, in order to be
genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we
need is to love without getting tired.
Every time you smile at someone, it is an
action of love, a gift to that person, a
beautiful thing. Good works are links that
form a chain of love.
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Let us not be satisfied with just giving
money. Money is not enough, money can be
got, but they need your hearts to love them.
So, spread your love everywhere you go.
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta
http://christhecomrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/rememb
ering-blessed-mother-teresa of.htm
110
doctrine/word, worship, and morals/witness and the need to touch our heads, hearts and
hands. The Church says that by celebrating in worship, the truth Christ our Life we both
make our prayer more realistic and are
empowered by grace to know and act in a
Christian manner (NCDP, 269).
By Marilou M. Mandawe
This is My commandment, that you

love one another, just as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this that one
lay down his life for his friends.
John 15: 12-13
Photo from:
http://www.claretianformation.com/en/apostolicdimension/114-jpic/328-a-formation-itinerary-for-aprophetic-religious-life
This Witness-dimension of evangelization

can be understood more in the light of the parting
words of Jesus in John 15: 12-17 which are a
command of love and service for one another. A
calling addressed to all people and race, rich and
poor alike, this verse is a call to know the Word,
and become Witness to the Word. This is the
horizon towards which all SVD educational
institution must journey, to respond to the
challenge of Jesus: Love one another as I have
loved you and go to the world and bear much
fruit. This is what Christianity truly means. It
should be borne in mind that the witness-aspect
of faith or of evangelization and catechesis cannot
stand without the other aspects Word and
Worship. The Word-dimension, once emphasized
over the others, becomes an indoctrination or
dogmatism. While Worship runs the risk of
becoming fanaticism or mere ritualism if divorced
from Word and Witness, Witness slides down
towards mere social work or activism without
Word and Worship. This being the case, it is
understood that the witness to the Word is one
who has grown and will continue to grow in the
three areas or dimensions.
111
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 14: Participating actively in the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation!
Work hand in hand with the Campus Ministry of your school or with your parish.
Inquire if there is a Sacrament of Confirmation scheduled
for this particular semester. If there is, volunteer to help
according to the task assigned to you: 1) to help design a
Confirmation-Liturgy situated within the context of the
three dimensions of faith or of evangelization, 2) to
volunteer as readers, acolytes, lectors, collectors, etc., 3) to
be among the participants. If you are not yet confirmed,
join as one of the candidates for Confirmation. If you
belong to other faith traditions and you feel uncomfortable
joining the Sacrament of Confirmation, you may choose
another activity (with teachers knowledge and permission)
that fosters interiority and is more or less equivalent to the
Sacrament of Confirmation in terms of value.
Afterwards, make a one-page reaction/reflection on your

experience in relation to the meaning of faith. This may be
done either through a drawing or collage with texts or
explanations, poem, essay, and the like.
112

For participating in/attending the activity
Insights/messages portrayed are relevant to the lesson*
Organization of thoughts, spelling and grammar**
TOTAL
70 points
15
5 x 2 = 30
115 points
*For Insights/messages portrayed are relevant to the lesson

Excellent (13-15)
Reflections or
insights
excellently show
the
interrelatedness
of the three
dimensions of
faith with
sufficient
examples or
illustrations
culled from the
Scriptures and
ones
experience.
Very Good (10-12)

Reflections or
insights show well
the interrelatedness of the
three dimensions of
faith but examples
or illustrations,
though sufficient,
are taken only from
one source, that is,
either Scriptures or
ones personal
experience.
Good (7-9)
Reflections or
insights show
the interrelatedness of
the three
dimensions of
faith but
examples or
illustrations
either from the
Scriptures or
experience are
many but not
sufficient.
Fair (4-6)
Reflections or
insights somewhat
show the
interrelatedness
of the three
dimensions of
faith but examples
are lacking.
Poor (1-3)
Reflections or
insights hardly
show the
interrelatedness of the
three
dimensions of
faith.
Examples are
very limited.
**Organization of thoughts, spelling and grammar

Excellent (13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good (10-12)

Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good (7-9)
Few
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation
of ideas
unclear and
disorganized.
Fair (4-6)
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
Poor (1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors, and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
113
WITNESSING THROUGH PROPHETIC DIALOGUE
WITH DIFFERENT DIALOGUE PARTNERS
42
How do we Witness to the Word (i.e. continue the

mission of Jesus) in the world today? The Society of the
Divine Word has grappled with this question. The General
Chapters focused their discussions on this issue. These
efforts came up with the idea of DIALOGUE started by a
document of Vatican II entitled, Gaudium et Spes and
developed further by the FABC. The SVD chapter of 2000
described this new way of doing mission under the term:
PROPHETIC DIALOGUE. God continues to offer salvation
to everyone in the world today regardless of culture, race,
and religious affiliations. His unconditional love,
concretized by Jesus teaching and actuations, is the basis
of this inclusiveness of the offer of salvation. Everybody is
a candidate to partner with us to be at the service of what
God is really doing in our world today that allows us to
dream that a New World is possible.
One Heart Many Faces

best captures the meaning of
the SVD mission of prophetic
different
dialogue
with
partners, a mission which is
rooted in the prayer of Jesus to
his Abba Father: May they all
be one as you Father are in me
and I am in you. May they be
one in us; so the world may
believe that you have sent
me.
(Jn. 17: 21)
Logo from:
http://noplaceforhateharwich.blogspot.
com/2009_06_01_archive.html
42
The logo is taken from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Divine_Word_Missionaries_logo.png
114
I felt privileged to receive this invitation to

speak on interreligious dialogue in Indonesia,
the country with the worlds largest Muslim
population, and at Sunan Kalijaga State
Islamic University, which is noted for its
openness to such dialogue. This opportunity
was possible through my missionary work of
teaching at CTU and the relationship of trust
developed between the Divine Word
Missionaries and Syafa. Being a bush
missionary is one way of being part of Gods
mission, and being a teacher in higher
education is another important way of doing
this! (Fr. Roger-Schroeder, SVD)
The SVD chapter of 2000 has this new

way of doing mission under the term
PROPHETIC DIALOGUE which is expressed in
the song, One Heart Many Faces. It tells us
that the heart of God is meant to be shared to
all faces in the world regardless of cultures,
races, and religious affiliations. Everybody is an
SVD partner in continuing Jesus work of
salvation and spreading His message of love to
all people.
The same chapter identified the

following as our DIALOGUE PARTNERS: (a)
faith-seekers or people who have no faith
communities, or religious affiliations [primary
evangelization and re-evangelization]; (b)
people who are poor and marginalized
[commitment to the poor and the
marginalized]; (c) people of different cultures
[cross cultural witness]; and (d) people of
different faith traditions and secular ideologies
[inter-religious understanding].
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest/Fr--Roger-Schroeder,-SVD.aspx
Divine Word Missionaries are called

by the local Church from all corners of the
globe to live among the people, listen to their
needs and help everyone hear the voice of
God through evangelization, formation,
biblical pastoral ministry, Mission animation,
communication, and works of justice and
peace for the integrity of creation, Divine
Word Missionaries make this vision a reality.
The idea of adding the word

PROPHETIC to DIALOGUE was the conviction
that we do not dialogue from a neutral position
but from our Christian faith and convictions.
It is in dialogue that the witness to Gods
love is demonstrated and shared our own
convictions boldly and honestly, especially
where that love has been obscured by
prejudice, violence, and hate.
115
From http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians---Missionaries/Priest
Together with our dialogue partners, we hope

to hear the voice of the Spirit of God calling us
forward, and in this way our dialogue can be called
prophetic (CS 54). In this dialogical stance, we refuse
to force anyone to our vision of the truth, no matter
how convinced we are that it is God. The same stance
makes us accept the conviction that we can only
propose the truth to others and invite them to our
vision of it. The prophets did not only proclaim but
they listened they listened to the Word of God
wherever it was revealed.
The reflection of Father Fabiosa echoes Pope

John Paul IIs address to the Bishops of the Visayas
and Mindanao calling each one to give due respect to
one of the worlds great religious traditions, Islam and
to actively maintain good relations with the Muslim
communities. One cannot love God and hate his
brothers (John 4: 20-21). The example of Fr. Roger
Schroeder and Fr. John Hung Le provide us the picture
of what they want to convey. Both of them responded
to the call of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II and
became witnesses to Gods love by sharing their own
faith and convictions boldly and honestly with their
dialogue partners.
My first missionary assignment

was to Papua New Guinea. As an
assistant priest at St. Anne Parish,
Dirima, I assist the pastor by visiting
different tribes within the parish. I
celebrate the Eucharist at outlying
mission stations, not only on Sundays
but also on weekdays. I climb
mountains to bring the sacraments to
the elderly and sick who cannot come
to church. I walk to some outstations
which are far away from the parish
because the roads are always bad and
cars cannot be used. Some journeys
take only a few hours; others can take
up to two days. At these outstations, I
sleep with families in bush houses and
I eat whatever they have. I cannot
carry any food on the trip because it is
too heavy and I am carrying
everything I need to celebrate Mass
and the sacraments. (Fr. John-HungLe, SVD)
From: http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians---Missionaries/Priest/Fr--John-HungLe,-SVD.aspx
116
From: http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians---Missionaries/Priest
Many SVDs, who are considered our

modern prophets, are all over the world. They
listen to the Word of God and are inspired by the
Holy Spirit to continue the mission of the Church
and the legacy of St. Arnold Jansen through
Prophetic Dialogue. Pope John Paul II used to say,
the Good News we proclaim can only be proposed
and never imposed. As partners of the SVDs, all of
us are called to become prophets in our own little
way. To do this, we need to imitate the humility
and goodness of Jesus. But we can only attain this
spirituality if we are in constant communion with
the Lord through prayer, reflection, contemplation,
and trust in the Lord. Only then can we become
bearer of Gods love to our dialogue partners,
whether they are faith seekers or people without
religious affiliation, people with different religious
traditions, or people who are poor and
marginalized.
_____________________________________
When the general visitor, Fr. Kleden, SVD wrote his

official report, he commended Paul for his work among the
poor. He called it an important aspect of missionary

activity. Bro. Pauls silent ministry was officially
baptized. The project became known as Friends of the Poor and Marginalized. Today, Bro. Paul Bongcaras, SVD
continues his work among the poor. Last year, the ministry supported the educational needs of 175 street and poor
kids in elementary and secondary school. Many young people were rescued from a life of trafficking and
prostitution and were given a chance to learn a skill. Bro. Pauls brothering activities help hundreds of children
who are societys throwaways. He also inspires many young brothers who have the calling to serve the poor.
- Bro. Dennis Newton, SVD
117
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 15: Putting into action the meaning of prophetic dialogue!
Option 1:
Copy from the internet the song: One Heart Many Faces by Fr.
Raul Caga, SVD. Write a one-page reflection about the song in
relation to Prophetic Dialogue, and;
Conclude the reflection with a short interfaith dialogue prayer.
Share your reflections with your seatmates.

For participating in the singing
Clarity/organization/coherence of thoughts*
For sharing their reflections with their seatmates
TOTAL
40 points
15 x 2 = 30
30
100 points
*For Clarity/organization/coherence of thoughts

Excellent
(13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good
(10-12)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good
(7-9)
Few grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
Fair
(4-6)
Some
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
Poor
(1-3)
Too many
grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations
make the
presentation of
ideas unclear and
disorganized.
118
Option 2: Exposure Activity

-
Make a research on the meaning of each form of Dialogue and look for a Bible verse
that corresponds to the meaning of each dialogue. Then, use these forms of
dialogue in critiquing or analyzing your experience of immersion.
Forms of Dialogue
Bible Verse
Dialogue of Life
Dialogue of Action
Dialogue of Theological Response
Dialogue of Prayer and Religious Experience
Engage in a one-day immersion in your locality or any place in consultation with the
office of your school that takes charge of community outreach activities.
Possible area of exposure: squatter area, factory, garbage dump, relocation area, (if
possible to people with other religion and culture)
After the exposure, do the following: a) compose a prayer or make a drawing that
expresses the impact of the immersion on you, and b) analyze your experience in
light of the forms of dialogue.
Correctness of the definition/description of the form of dialogue*
15 points
Appropriateness of the chosen verse in relation to the form of dialogue**
15
For engaging in the immersion (so long as the student participated,
he/she gets a perfect score on this criterion)
30
Insights/Thoughts in relation to ones analysis***
15 x 2 = 30
For making a prayer/drawing (so long as the student makes,
he/she gets A perfect score)
10
TOTAL
100 points
119
*Correctness of the definition/description of the form of dialogue

Excellent (13-15)
Very Good (10-12)
Description or
definition is
excellent with
no errors in
sentence
construction.
Description or
definition is very
well-made with
very slight errors
in sentence
construction.
Good (7-9)
Description or
definition is
well-made with
errors in
sentence
construction.
Fair (4-6)
Description or
definition is
somewhat
correct with
many errors in
sentence
construction.
Poor (1-3)
Description or
definition is
poorly done with
so many errors in
sentence
construction.
**Appropriateness of the chosen verse in relation to the form of dialogue

Excellent (13-15)
Very Good (10-12)
The chosen verse

applies to all the
aspects and
ramifications of
SVD prophetic
dialogue and all
the various
paradigms on
mission.
The chosen verse

applies to many
but not all the
aspects and
ramifications of
SVD prophetic
dialogue and all
the various
paradigms on
mission.
Good (7-9)
Fair (4-6)
Poor (1-3)
The chosen
verse applies to
some aspects
and
ramifications of
SVD prophetic
dialogue and all
the various
paradigms on
mission.
The chosen verse

applies to very
few aspects and
ramifications of
SVD prophetic
dialogue and all
the various
paradigms on
mission.
The chosen verse

hardly applies at
all to the aspects
and ramifications
of SVD prophetic
dialogue and all
the various
paradigms on
mission.
***Insights/Thoughts in relation to ones analysis

Excellent (13-15)
Very Good (10-12)
Good (7-9)
Fair (4-6)
Poor (1-3)
Ones
experience is
analyzed in view
of the
interrelatedness
of all the forms
of dialogue.
Examples are
more than
sufficient.
Ones experience is
analyzed in view of
the interrelatedness
of all the forms of
dialogue. Examples
are many but not
sufficient.
One form of
dialogue is not
considered in
the analysis of
ones
experience.
Quite a few
examples are
given.
Two or more
forms of dialogue
are not
considered in the
analysis of ones
experience. Few
examples are
given.
Three or all the

forms of dialogue
are not considered
in the analysis of
ones experience.
No examples are
given. If there are,
these examples are
inappropriate.
120
COMMUNICATION 43 AS A
CHARACTERICTIC DIMENSION IN
PROPHETIC DIALOGUE
44
Fr. Tam Nguyen, SVD completed his studies at

Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in 2007. Two
years later, he graduated, was ordained.
He asked to go back to Togo for his first
assignment. He said, The people there were so
happy to see me back. You know how
relationships develop over the years.
Making a parish a missionary parish was

the subject of his masters thesis. Missionary
training prepares a person to go into any
situation and to instinctively reach out to those
in need.
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest
We have identified the horizon, the

final destination of our missionary
endeavor: Gods kingdom, where human
diversity is valued. We have also witnessed
the characteristics of Gods kingdom
through the Prophetic Dialogue. The 2000
SVD chapter has identified our primary
partners in this dialogue. Now we come to
the pathways (NECESSARY ATTITUDES)
which characterize our missionary journey.
What Jesus did at the well with the
Samaritan woman gives us a clue to what
these attitudes are.
43
This part is lifted from an article by Tom Ascheman, SVD, which appeared in Verbum, Vol. 47, no. 1, (2006), pp.
27-36; and a talk of Fr. General to the Provincials of European Zone, entitled Prophetic Dialogue from the XV to
The General Chapter Advance, Difficulties and Challenges, 2005.
44
The logo was retrieved from http://www.svdphhttp://www.svdphc.org.ph/index.php/about-us/svd-philippines
121
Father Tom Nguyen, SVD showed us the

necessary attitude in engaging in prophetic dialogue.
He voluntarily asked to go back to the West African
nation of Togo and stayed there for more than five
years on mission and returned to his alma mater as
a formator and educator to share his life
experiences. Jesus attitude towards the Samaritan
woman at the well inspired him to live as SVD
missionary. He was always willing to be of assistance
to those who were in need of his helping hand.
He showed us how to communicate lovingly
and bring Jesus to the heart of every person he
encountered. This is the pathway towards an
effective communication. He took the initiative of
reaching out to people. If we follow the steps of
Father Nguyen, our dialogue partners will not have
difficulty in understanding and knowing who Jesus is
in their life. They could see Jesus as a loving and
caring person, a forgiving person, and a person who
loves anyone whoever and whatever he is. And just
like what Father Nguyen said, we could also say,
But in the end, they gave me more than I give
them. The joy and the meaning of my vocation, and
my faith, seeing how they have faith in God in their
desperate situation, it inspired me. In terms of
mission, its not only going out to do something for
the unfortunate, but also to know more about
yourself and more about God, and to bring the two
together.
The incident at the well with the Samaritan

woman clearly portrays Jesus as the one who took
the initiative to open the communication: He asked
for a drink of water. The woman would not have
dared to say anything at all had Jesus not started the
conversation. We should imitate Jesus in taking the
Being mission minded means

actively inviting, listening, celebrating,
collaborating and reaching out to
people to address their needs: a family
facing difficulties, a child who needs
attention, an elder who needs someone
to talk to.
He returned to the classroom to

educate and enlighten seminarians and
students as they discern their path to
religious life and future ministries. He
can relate to those years, as well as the
years he spent helping people on
missionall the children he helped to
go to school, the sick that he took to
the hospital in the middle of the night,
the women he helped to get out of
abusive relationships.
But in the end, they gave me more
than I give them. The joy and the
meaning of my vocation, and my faith,
seeing how they have faith in God in
their desperate situation, it inspired
me, he said. In terms of mission, its
not only going out to do something for
the unfortunate, but also to know more
about yourself and more about God,
and to bring the two together.
Fr. Tam Nguyen, SVD
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians---Missionaries/Priest
122
initiative to open communication with people to whom we are sent (our dialogue partners).
Very little missionary service will take place if we dont. We need to go out and meet our
partners where they are and as they are; that is part of communication. We need to be able
to talk about things in their world, in a language that they can understand. We need an open
attitude to hear their questions and experiences. All these are part of communication.
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 16: Sharing the word of God through a Bible sharing!
Ask your teacher for a guideline on how to facilitate a Bible

sharing.
In groups of 3-5 members, link with the office of your school

that takes charge of community outreach activities. Offer your
assistance to facilitate a Bible sharing among the poor and
the marginalized using the account of the Samaritan woman at
the well (Jn. 4:1ff).
Before they go to the area, translate the following quarter

hour prayer in the vernacular and use it as the opening prayer
in the Bible sharing.
123
Quarter hour prayer

(SVD Spirituality)
God eternal Truth, we believe in you.
God our strength and our salvation, we hope in you.
God infinite Goodness, we love you with our whole heart.
You have sent your Word as Saviour of the world, let us all be one in him.
Send us the Spirit of your Son, that we may glorify your name. Amen.
Lord Jesus, teach us all to learn from you, for you are meek and gentle of heart.
Make a reflection paper on Communication in Prophetic Dialogue in the Context of

the Bible Sharing.
For engaging in the Bible sharing
50 points
For translating the prayer into the dialect and praying it during the immersion 20
For the reflection paper
15 x 2 = 30
TOTAL
100 points
For the Reflection Paper

Skills
Depth of reflection
50%
Use of relevant
evidence and historical
context
25%
Language use and

organization
25%
Very Good (10-15)

Demonstrate a
thoughtful, conscious
and thorough
understanding of the
Bible sharing in relation
to the lesson on
communication in
prophetic dialogue.
Use specific, relevant
and convincing
examples from the
sharing to support
claims in their own
writing, making
insightful and applicable
connections between
texts.
Use language that is
fluent and original, no
grammatical errors,
with evident sense of
clarity and organization
Good (5-10)
Demonstrate a basic
Bible sharing in relation
to the lesson.
Fair (1-5)
Demonstrate a limited
Bible sharing. The
reflection needs
revision.
Use examples from the

sharing to support most
claims in the reflection
writing with some
connections made
between texts.
Use incomplete or
vaguely developed
examples to only
partially support claims
with no connections
made between texts.
Use basic but

appropriate language,
exhibiting occasional
grammatical errors that
made the reflection
unorganized.
Use language that is

vague or imprecise
exhibiting frequent
errors that make
comprehension difficult.
124
THE BIBLE 45 AS A CHARACTERICTIC DIMENSION
IN PROPHETIC DIALOGUE
The initial conversation between Jesus

and the woman was about getting a drink of
water (a physical need). But Jesus took the
conversation to a deeper level by talking about
living water (a deeper, spiritual need). The
conversation suddenly became a sort of bible
reflection. This led to talking about the
different ways in which Samaritans and Jews
worshipped God. We need to be steeped in the
Bible so that we will be capable of sharing the
story of Gods constant care and concern for us
his people and relate that to our contemporary
and everyday concerns. This is what the Bible
ministry is all about; to help us and our dialogue
partners interpret the story of our lives in the
context of the wider story of Gods love for us.
Poster from:
http://www.ecbacbcp.com/apps/blog/show/22545642
45
By Fr. Magdaleno F Fabiosa, SVD
Photo of the Bible was taken from http://clipart.christiansunite.com/Bibles_Clipart/index6.shtml.
125
Proclaim the Word, Profess the Faith! This is our

common exhortation for this year which Pope Benedict XVI
has called a Year of Faith (October 2012 October 2013),
made even more opportune by the launching of a global
Synod aimed at starting off a New Evangelization in the
world that is growing cold with the winter of materialism
and secularism. Even as we proclaim the Sacred Scriptures as
Word of God, let us not forget that this Word become flesh
in Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14). We are not to proclaim the Word as
lifeless lines from the pages of a book. Rather, we must allow
it to transform us - as individuals, as families, as
communities of faith, and as a nation. 46
This cannot happen if our encounter with the Word
does not facilitate our encounter with the living Word
whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our own
eyes, whom we have touched and carefully watched; the
Word who is life, this we share with you! (1 Jn. 1:1-2). 47
Let me end by borrowing from the lyrics of the

beautiful song Power to Unite of the Catholic Family Bible
Encounter: Read the Bible; the Word of God will give you
strength to face the challenge of living. Read the Bible; open
it, feel it, understand it. It is the source of our hope when life
is too heavy to bear, when all seems lost and unclear. Read
heavy to bear, when all seems lost and unclear. Read the ible
For I am not ashamed of

the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that
believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek.
Romans1:16
Bro. Bernie Spitzley, SVD

Laypeople are invited to
assume leadership positions
and share in our spirituality as
Divine Word Missionaries.
This collaboration in ministry
is evident in the biblical
apostolate.
The Biblical Apostolate and

Collaboration with the Laity
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/MeetOur-Seminarians---Missionaries/Priest
http://www.svdvocations.org/MeetOur-Seminarians---Missionaries/Priest
46
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians---Missionaries/Priest
The text and the photos below were retrieved from http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest/
47
126
Each church has weekly Bible sharing

sessions some at homes, others in neighboring
clusters. We also have three Bible sharing
communities: Golden Grove, Emmaus and the
Mustard Seed Community. We will never build a
church at these sites, but we do have vibrant
faith communities that are Bible-based and have
trained laity. Yes, the people rely on us to help
with transportation, but so much of the sharing,
the actual ministry, is done by the people with
the people.
We create age-appropriate activities for the
children, youth and the adults. We use the Bible
as a tool, a resource that help the families
become more biblically literate and familiar with
the great stories of the Bible. Bible sharing
becomes relevant to the group when the people
are able to connect faith and Scripture with the
events in their daily lives.
and its message will wipe away your tears.

Profess the faith only in the Living Word.
Let this Word come alive in us, fellow
disciples and apostles, and through us, in
the Philippines let it set the rest of Asia
ablaze! 48
The SVD Bible ministry all over the
world is active in making Jesus alive either
through Mass Media, Basic Bible Seminar
(BBS), Bible Sharing Groups, Basic Bible
Facilitators Seminar (BBFS), Core Team
Formation Seminar (CTFS), Bible Enrichment
Seminar & Training (BEST), Lay Liturgical
Ministers Seminar (LLMS) & Young LLMS
YLLMS, Bibliodrama, Biblical Retreats,
Formation of Retreat Guides, Spiritual
Companion, and Bible Camp Assemblies
and Gatherings. Through these different
Bible ministries, the SVDs are taking the
initiative to reach out to their different
prophetic dialogue partners especially to
the faith seekers, to the poor and
marginalized, and to others so that the
story of Jesus becomes alive in their life.
Members speak of how the Bible is important

because as part of our daily lives, it feeds,
strengthens, and guides us through the perils
and joys of our lives on the way to salvation.
-Bro. Bernie Spitzley, SVD
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest
48
By Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio S. David, DD Chairman- ECBA Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of San Fernando
Pampanga as found in http://www.ecba-cbcp.com/apps/blog/entries/show/22545642-national-bible-week-2013
127
These dialogue partners may be compared

to the Samaritan woman at the well. She needed
something to quench her thirst, but Jesus saw her
and took the initiative and invited the woman to
see him as the living water. The woman
responded and found Jesus as the true Messiah
who would liberate her from her physical thirst
and sinfulness. We can follow the path of Jesus if
we follow what Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio S. David,
DD said, We are not to proclaim the Word as
lifeless lines from the pages of a book. Rather, we
must allow it to transform us - as individuals, as
families, as communities of faith, and as a
nation.
The work of Bro. Bernie Spitzley, SVD can
prove to us that the statement of Father Pablo is
true when he said, Members speak of how
important the Bible is because as part of their
daily lives, it feeds, strengthens and guides them
through the perils and joys of their lives on the
way to salvation.
Birth of Mary, SVD Foundation Day
(September 8) and the Bible49
On September 8, 1875, Father Janssen
founded his missionary community by opening his
first mission house in Steyl, Holland. Since its
beginning, the Society of the Divine Word has
considered September 8th as its birthday.
Fr. Ruel F. Lero, SVD
SVD PHS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

Divine Word Mission Center
17 Pelaez, St., 6000 Cebu City
The Biblical Apostolate Office was
established in the SVD Philippine
Southern Province (2003) in order to
coordinate the biblical initiatives and
activities of the entire Province especially
in its three identified apostolates,
namely, education in University of San
Carlos [Cebu City], Holy Name University
(Tagbilaran City), and Liceo del Verbo
Divino (Tacloban City), formation
(formation house for Brothers (Cebu City)
and for Clerics (Davao City), and pastoral
ministries (Parishes in Agusan del Sur,
Surigao City, Zamboanga Sibugay, and
Bohol).
From:
http://cbfsea.wordpress.com/philippines/svd-phsdivine-word-missionaries/
49
This title is an adaptation of the article found in this website:

http://www.svdmissions.org/birth_of_mary_svd_foundation_day_september_8/. The readings in italics found
below are taken verbatim from the same website.
128
It was no coincidence that the foundation

day of the Society was also the feast of the
Nativity of Mary. Saint (Blessed) Arnold, in his
personal devotion, recognized Mary as the
chosen one: filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary gave
birth to the Divine Word. "She is our model of
faithful attentiveness and ready response to
God's word; she will help us to bring the Divine
Word to others". (Const. 406). 50
"The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his

word, received from an angel the glad
tidings that she would bear God"
- Saint Irenaeus, Father of the Church
Photo from:
http://clipart.christiansunite.com/Christmas_Clipart/M
ary_and_Baby_Jesus_Clipart/
Text from:
http://catholicquotations.blogspot.com/2007/12/neces
sity-of-devotion-to-blessed-virgin.html
50
God has designed our lives according to

his plan for all of us. Sometimes His plan is
unfathomable and cannot be understood and
only He can comprehend. His plan for the
Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in Salvation
History was foretold in the Old Testament. The
SVD constitution said, Mary gave birth to the
Divine Word and she will help us to bring the
Divine Word to others. Therefore, the existence
of the Divine Word Missionaries in the World is
Gods plan, too. This marvelous work of God was
manifested when He commissioned St. Arnold
Janssen to found a missionary community on the
feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Just as Mary gave birth to the Divine Word,
Mary also was chosen by God to oversee the
work of the Divine Word Missionaries to make
His Word become alive in the minds and hearts
of all people.
http://www.svdmissions.org/birth_of_mary_svd_foundation_day_september_8/
129
In addition, Gods plan for the SVD missionaries is

accompanied by the loving protection and guidance of the
Blessed Mother. Marys perfect example of obedience, humility,
and simplicity as shown in her life in the Scripture serves as
inspiration to all Divine Word missionaries in spreading the Word
of God in the world. Furthermore, the Bible apostolate of the
SVD is guided by the exemplary life of the Blessed Mother. The
story that follows entitled The Poverty of Our Beginnings 51,
narrated by Father Felmar, Castrodes Fiel, SVD gives us a picture
of the role of Mary in the humble beginnings of the SVDs in the
Philippines.
The Poverty of Our Beginnings
It was the poverty of our humble beginnings in the SVD
Philippine mission that inspired Fr. Joseph Heuwagen, SVD to
bring the first statue of the Virgin of the Poor to our country. From
the later part of the 1950s until the 1980s, the German
Secretariat of Banneux dispatched statues for their compatriots
mission stations around the world. During Fr. Joseph Heuwagens
visit to Banneux in the autumn of 1957, German pilgrims donated
a statue of the Virgin of the Poor to him. He brought the statue
upon his return. He wrote:
It is interesting that the customs in Manila released the
statue on 15 January, anniversary of the first
apparitionThe statue arrived in February. As day of its
blessing, I chose 2 March, the last day of the apparition
in Banneux, so that I would have enough time to make
the Virgin of the Poor known through sermons and
public relations. (Jungfrau der Armen, n3/1958,
translated by Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD)
The Virgin of the Poor

Divine Word
Seminary, Tagaytay
From:
http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/tag/
our-lady-of-the-poor/
Fr. Felmar Castrodes
Fiel, SVD
This is a testament that the Virgin of the Poor continues to
draw her SVD sons and daughters to herself, especially the
younger generations, to always connect us with the poverty of our
beginnings and to constantly remind us to continue our mission for the poor.
By Sr. Mary Martha N. Fe, OSF
51
http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/tag/our-lady-of-the-poor/
130
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 17: Growing more in appreciation and love for the Bible as Gods Word!
Option 1
Sing the song The Power to Unite. After singing, choose a part of
the song and share to the class your reflection on it in relation to the
significant role of the Bible in Prophetic Dialogue.
For singing and reflecting on the song
Content/Insights*
TOTAL
40 points
15 x 2 = 30
15 x 2 = 30
100 points
*Content/Insights
Excellent (13-15)
Insights presented
are very
comprehensive
and relevant:
almost all the
topics on the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Very Good (10-12)

Insights are
moderately
comprehensive and
relevant: many of
the topics on the
Bible and prophetic
dialogue are covered
and are being
related to oneself
and experience.
Good (7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant:
some parts of the
topics on the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and
experience.
Fair (4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive:
few topics on the
Bible and
prophetic dialogue
are covered and
are being related
to oneself and
experience.
Poor (1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant: just
1 or no topic on
the Bible and
prophetic
dialogue is
covered and
related to
oneself and
experience.
**For Clarity /Organization

Excellent (13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good (10-12)

Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Good (7-9)
Few grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Fair (4-6)
Some grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Poor (1-3)
Too many
grammatical errors
and sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas so unclear
and disorganized.
131
Option 2: Read Luke 19: 1-10 ( Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector)

-
Who is Zacchaeus? What did Zacchaeus do in order to see Jesus?

What was the response of Jesus?
Write a letter to Zacchaeus commending him for his conversion story.

Content/Insights reflected in the letter*
Clarity /Organization
TOTAL
15 x 2 = 30 points
15 x 2 = 30
60 points
*For Content/Insights reflected in the letter

Excellent (13-15)
Insights presented
are very
comprehensive
and relevant:
almost all the
topics in the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Very Good (10-12)

Insights are
moderately
comprehensive
and relevant:
many of the topics
in the Bible and
prophetic dialogue
are covered and
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Good (7-9)
Insights are less
comprehensive
and relevant:
some parts of the
topics in the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue are
covered and are
being related to
oneself and ones
experience.
Fair (4-6)
Insights are least
comprehensive:
few topics in the
Bible and
prophetic dialogue
are covered and
are being related
to oneself and
ones experience.
Poor (1-3)
Insights are not
comprehensive
and relevant: just
1 or no topic on
the Bible and
prophetic dialogue
is covered and
related to oneself
and ones
experience.
Good (7-9)
Few grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Fair (4-6)
Some grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Poor (1-3)
Too many
grammatical errors
and sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas so unclear
and disorganized.
For Clarity /Organization

Excellent (13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good (10-12)

Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
Option 1:
In groups of 5-8 members, conduct a prayer service using Bibliodrama.
This experience will help you meditate and reflect on the Word of God
and examine your relationship with God and others. It will open your
heart and mind, especially on sharing your experiences on the Word
and become a better person God wants you to be.
132

For the time spent in the preparation of the prayer service
For participating in and facilitating the prayer service
Theme/Content of the prayer service*
Manner of facilitating the prayer service**
TOTAL
20 points
20
15 x 2 = 30
15 x 2 = 30
100 points
*For Theme/Content of the prayer service

Excellent (13-15)
Bible themes are
excellently
connected to
almost all the
topics or themes
on prophetic
dialogue.
Very Good (10-12)

Bible themes are
very well
connected to
sufficient
topics/themes on
prophetic
dialogue.
Good (7-9)
Bible themes
are
connected to
some topics
or themes on
prophetic
dialogue.
Fair (4-6)
Bible themes are
somewhat
connected to many
topics or themes
on prophetic
dialogue.
Connection is not
clearly established.
Poor (1-3)
Bible themes are
far from or not
connected to the
themes or topics
on prophetic
dialogue.
**For Manner of facilitating the prayer service

Excellent (13-15)
Cooperation is
excellently
shown: all
members took
an active role.
Creativity and
resourcefulness
are shown to a
highest degree.
Very Good (10-12)

Cooperation is so
evident but few
members had little
participation.
Creativity and
resourcefulness
are shown to a
very high degree.
Good (7-9)
There is slight
cooperation:
some members
were passive
and failed to do
their expected
assignments.
Creativity and
resourcefulness
are shown to a
high degree.
Fair (4-6)
There is passive
cooperation
among the
members who
played the role of
mere
participants.
Creativity and
resourcefulness
are shown to a
less degree.
Poor (1-3)
There is no
cooperation at
all: it is simply a
one-man show.
Creativity and
resourcefulness
are hardly
evident or not
shown at All:
Option 2:
-
Sing the song, In the Light of the Word heartily. As you sing, remember your
identity as Witness to the Word.
Identify the feeling you felt while singing the song and give an explanation for
such feeling. This may be done through sharing or writing.
133
IN THE LIGHT OF THE WORD

On this day, we praise You
O God for the joys and tears
And for the breath of life
On this day we thank you O God
Serving You and all men
Is enough reward
Kindle in us the fire of your love
And your Spirit take not from us
From the dark and evil of the night
Bring us to the dawn of your
Everlasting light
Refrain:
Gather your people together
With your light renew

The face of the earth
From this day on and tomorrow
Give us new birth we ask you this
In the light of the word
May the darkness of sin
And the night of unbelief
Vanish before the light of the Word
And the spirit of grace
And may the heart of Jesus
Live In the heart of all men, Amen. Ref.
We ask you this in the light of the Word

For participating in the singing
For identifying ones feelings and psychological state
For providing an explanation
TOTAL
60 points
20
20
100 points
In groups of 4-6 members, write a pledge of commitment on how you

can propagate love for the Word of God. Defend your beliefs through
the use of the Scripture, and follow the example of Jesus in your
attempts to dialogue with the faith seekers, with people of other faith
traditions, with people with other cultures, and with the poor and
marginalized people.
Publish your work in the internet via the social media such as
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. or in local newspapers and publications. However, let your
teacher check your work if it is publishable, and will not encroach on the rights of others.
For publishing the pledge of commitment
Contents/themes reflected in the pledge of commitment*
Clarity /Organization
TOTAL
40 points
15 x 2 = 30
15 x 2 = 30
100 points
134
*For Contents/themes reflected in the pledge of commitment

Excellent (13-15)
Themes of the
pledge of
commitment are
excellently
connected to
almost all the
topics on the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue. A
dialogical yet firm
stance in regard to
ones faith is
evident to the
highest degree.
Very Good (10-12)

Themes are very
well connected to
sufficient topics on
the Bible and
prophetic
dialogue. A
dialogical yet firm
stance in regard to
ones faith is
evident to a very
high degree.
Good (7-9)
Themes are
connected to some
topics on the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue. A
dialogical yet firm
stance in regard to
ones faith is
evident to a high
degree.
Fair (4-6)
Themes are
somewhat
connected to
many topics on the
Bible and
prophetic
dialogue.
Connection is not
clearly established.
A dialogical yet
firm stance in
regard to ones
faith is evident to a
less degree.
Poor (1-3)
Themes are far
from or not
connected to the
topics on the Bible
and prophetic
dialogue. A
dialogical yet firm
stance in regard to
ones faith is
hardly or not
evident at All:
Good (7-9)
Few grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Fair (4-6)
Some grammatical
errors and
sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas unclear
and disorganized.
Poor (1-3)
Too many
grammatical errors
and sentence
formulations make
the presentation
of ideas so unclear
and disorganized.
For Clarity /Organization

Excellent (13-15)
Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
error-free.
Very Good (10-12)

Grammar and
sentence
formulation are
nearly error-free.
135
JUSTICE, PEACE AND
INTEGRITY OF CREATION
AS A CHARACTERICTIC DIMENSION
The concern to discover the
movement of Gods grace in the world
today, necessarily throws us in the midst
of the ethos of our times. We find this in
JPIC concerns. However, this dimension is
a bit hard to recognize if we limit JPIC to
social involvement and solidarity with the
poor. Yes, they are fundamental
elements, but they are not the only ones.
In the incident at the well with the
Samaritan woman, Jesus taught us
something on issues related to religious
tolerance, cultural openness, and the full
participation of women. When Jesus said
that a day was coming when true worship
of God would not depend so much on the
Jerusalem temple or on the temple at Mt.
Gerizim, he was making very strong
statements. In Jesus time there was a
sharp
religious
hostility
between
Samaritans and Jews.
Martin Luther King and St. Arnold Janssen What did these two men have in common? "Each
man had a dream; each man affected the world in
profound and different ways. And their respective
dreams can merge as one - just look at me," says
Fr. Darrell Kelly, SVD.
Though imposing in both physical size and

background, Kelly's love for his ministry and fellow
man is unconditional, tempered by a realism born
of his life experiences and a healthy dose of
humor. While working as a prison guard, Kelly
says, "I reminded myself to stay in the Word - to
remember that the prisoners are still my brothers,
and children of God. I needed to go where they
were, and meet them there."
From
http://www.svdvocations.org/
Meet-Our-Seminarians---Missionaries/Priest
136
Confirmed as a Catholic on Easter

Sunday, 1996, at St. Gabriel's Parish in
Mound Bayou, MS, Kelly's road to the
Society of the Divine Word was almost
accidental. But all along, he maintained
the belief of his African American
community that "God hasn't brought me
this far, to leave me now." And though the
SVD charism and mission appealed to him,
Kelly jokes that the biggest obstacle to
overcome
was
his
grandmother's
opposition. "She told me you were born a
Baptist and youll die a Baptist.
Father Kelly, SVD emphasizes that both

Martin Luther King and St. Arnold Janssen
believed that every living person needs respect.
Linked by a special grace, or "charism," both of
them have each this gift for the sake of others
and the Kingdom of God. Fr. Kellys words and
works answer the JPIC concerns and strengthen
Jesus teachings on loving and accepting
everyone as our brothers and sisters in the Lord
without losing our identity as Christians. Jesus
showed tolerance and acceptance to the culture
of the Samaritan woman who was not
acceptable in the eyes of the Jewish people. He
broke the barrier and showed no prejudice.
Jesus respectful and kind ways taught us that
we should be open and understanding to the
culture and beliefs of our dialogue partners and
walk with them in our journey towards a loving
and peaceful world.
From:
http://www.jofreeman.com/photos/Kingfuneral.html
Dr. King's legacy, he says, "maintains

that we should not change the culture, but
rather, walk into it with open eyes." And
today, there are 6,000 SVD members
immersed in the cultures of 70 countries,
carrying on the legacy of St. Arnold
Janssen. He said: My dream is to be the
best SVD parish priest and person that I
can be
A further tension became evident when

the disciples came back on the scene. They
noticed that Jesus had been speaking with a
woman, and a Samaritan woman. What a
scandal! Perhaps it was a good thing they did
not know the details about her many husbands.
Jesus respectful way of treating the woman was
a prophetic challenge to the cultural norms of
his time. His conversation challenged both the
woman, and the disciples to re-examine their
ethnocentric and chauvinistic attitudes and to
open themselves to new possibilities for a more
peaceable and just society. As followers of the
Incarnate Word, who came into the world to
transform it, we take the world seriously and
137
look for ways to cooperate in Gods ongoing recreation.

____________________________________________
Fr. Mark Weber, SVD
In order for us to fully comprehend the

challenge Jesus displayed to his disciples and the
Samaritan woman, Fr. Mark Weber, SVD gave us a
beautiful reflection of what Witness to the Word is, as
explained by Fr. Fabiosa in the succeeding paragraphs.
Fr. Mark Weber said:
What does mission work actually mean for
the church in this day and age? We know that our
mission as followers of the Divine Word means that
we give witness to Gods love, and to the inclusiveness
of the Reign of God proclaimed by Jesus. But how do
we give this witness in our contemporary context?
Witness and Proclamation: This might seem
obvious, as we consider missionary work to consist of
witnessing to Gods Word and proclaiming the Good
News. We all give witness in our daily life at home, in
our neighborhood, at work, or wherever we interact
with others. The church at the parish level witnesses
to the Gospel through its programs of outreach to the
poor and needy as well as through evangelization
efforts. Proclamation or evangelization is done with
respect for the others and their own worldviews and
beliefs. We proclaim our faith in Jesus and his
Kingdom, but we do so with the awareness that we
are but earthen vessels who can only proclaim Gods
love in our own inadequate ways.
From:
http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians---Missionaries/Priest
138
Bro. Duylinh Tran, SVD
His work involved vaccination and

nutrition program as well as providing help and
comfort for victims of HIV-AIDS. In the two
years he was there, he helped 400 adult HIVAIDS patients and about 70 children who were
infected by their parents. He organized support
groups, conducted job training activities,
supported projects to assist them in their daily
living, and fought the spread of HIV-AIDS
through awareness programs.
There were many days when I slept on the

ground because it was too hot, he said. But
overall, I would say it was a very good
experience, working with the people. The
volunteers are very dedicated, willing to spend
their time and energy to work with the
people.And their work was appreciated. The
people are very gentle, very simple, and very
hospitable. They welcome you wherever you
go. They greet you, hug you, and love you.
With those kinds of affirmations for my work, I
feel that I did something.
From http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians--Missionaries/Priest
While we come to know the faith as it

has been passed on to us in our particular
culture, it is essential that we realize that
there is no single Christian culture. Each
culture that receives the Word embodies it in
its own language, symbols, and structures. Of
course, every culture includes elements that
may be contrary to the Gospel, and these
need to be critiqued. What is essential in our
missionary work, however, is that we do not
expect Christianity in other cultures to look or
feel just like my own cultural incarnation of
the Gospel.
____________________________________
The Jews and the Samaritan people
differ in religious customs and traditions;
however, as what Father Fabiosa stated,
Jesus respectful way of treating the woman
was a prophetic challenge to the cultural
norms of his time. Jesus discourse with the
Samaritan woman despite their cultural
differences reveals his message of true
discipleship and ideal prophetic dialogue in
carrying out the words and ministry God.
Each one of us is called to follow the
path that Jesus had trodden and the path he
had shown to those who want to follow him.
This is our challenge, a call to love everyone,
a call to accept everyone: Jews and Gentiles,
Christians or Muslims. All are equal in the
eyes of God. This is what Father Mark Weber
meant when he said, What is essential in our
missionary work, however, is that we do not
expect Christianity in other cultures to look
or feel just like my own cultural incarnation
of the Gospel.
139
If we examine the missionary

journey of Bro. Duylinh Tran, SVD, he could
be a living portrait of what prophetic
dialogue is all about. He cared for the sick
and the poor without discrimination. He is
indeed a true witness and prophet in our
present world.
AVOIDING MILF
Story of Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD in Diocese

of Ipil Mabuhay , Zamboanga, Sibugay
October 20, 2011
Justice, Peace, & the Integrity of Creation:

Caring for the poor and neglected
has always been part of the churchs
mission. In addition to direct service of the
poor, the church has come to see that our
mission also calls us to challenge unjust
social and economic situations that
engender poverty and oppression. The
gospel calls to bring good news to the poor
and freedom to those oppressed demands
that we seek to make an impact on the
structures social, economic, political
which keep people in poverty. This concern
extends to care of all of creation as well,
making concern for the health of Gods
good earth part of our mission as well (Fr.
Mark Weber, SVD).
Text Brigade with the Teachers.

Thursday, October 20, 2011 (My third day in
Tabuk, the other side of Olutanga Island. I
arrived here last October 18 for my 4-day round
of masses in our 7 chapels. During the night, we
stay in the houses of our chapel leaders.)
From: http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/category/diocese-of-ipil/
7 AM received text from a parishioner from the

opposite side of the island: dre lalong lumalapit
sa dagat ang mga putok ng baril. Ayon sa info,
the MILF already asked for help sa mga kasama
sa Labatan. (N.B. Last Saturday, October 15,
2011 A clash broke out between the combined
police and military forces and around 50 fully
armed MILF rebels around 2:45 p.m. at Sitio
Talaib, Labatan Village, Payao, Zamboanga
Sibugay province. This place is very near
Olutanga Island, we could hear the exchange of
gunshots and blasting. Since Labatan is just at
the opposite side of the island, we decided to
push through with our masses.) "If God is with
us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
Mga Bakwit, Refugees in Mabuhay
140
9:30 AM had my wedding mass in St. Francis Xavier Chapel

Tumalog.
11:30 AM Lunch.
1:30 AM Prepared for my mass at Mabuhay Agro-National
High School. Suddenly, the barangay captain came and
informed us that the mayor ordered that I, together with my
escorts as well as the teachers, be pulled out immediately
because many troops of MILF arrived in the next barrio
(parang Cubao-Ortigas lang). Naghahanda na rin ang mga
ito for reinforcement sa MILF troops who were fighting in
Sitio
Talaib.
We were cautioned not to pass by the next barrio
since passing there is already very risky and dangerous.
Baka ma-hostage pa kayo kasama ang mga teachers.
Turco
The smiling child
We did not waste any time. When all the teachers were
ready, we also trooped to Turco, where a boat took us to
Poblacion Mabuhay. Like a scene of a movie, we became so
uneasy when at mid-sea, the boat suddenly stopped.
Despite the rising tension, I could not take my eyes off this
child who innocently smiled at me.
The following pictures and

stories that follow are different
missionary works of the SVDs
promoting justice, peace, and
integrity of creation putting into
action Father Webers definition of
JPIC. One of the stories is the story
of Father Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel,
SVD entitled, Avoiding MILF,
placed as side notes on the
preceding pages.
Read his experience and
you will feel the thrill and life of an
SVD missionary and how he
became an inspiration to the
people entrusted to his care. His
love for the Eucharist became his
inspiration to work bravely for the
Lord. His plea for us is, Please do
include us in your prayers. It will
still be a long journey for us. We
literally live each day according to
the grace and mercy of God.
Tomorrow is uncertain, but our
faith feeds us with hope that in the
end, the good always triumphs
against evil. God bless us. What a
beautiful work for justice and
peace! What an inspiration! 52
4:03 PM Thank God, a boat filled with cafgus assisted us

(sigh of relief!). We reached the Poblacion safe and sound. I
could not forget this day. Thank you, St. Michael the
Archangel! Thank you Lord for keeping me safe!
Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD
From: Fr. Fiel SVD
http://fielsvd.wordpress.com/category/diocese-of-ipil/
52
141
Here is another story. Father Benigno

P. Beltran is another SVD priest whose
missionary endeavor is worth emulating. His
work for the poor is a sign of hope and
encouragement for all of us. The most recent
book he had written, Smokey Mountain:
Ravaged Earth and Wasted Lives tells us of
his preferential love for the poor and the
plight of the scavengers in the Smokey
Mountain.
Father Jim Mulroney shares Father
Beltrans story in a unique way. He said, Fr.
Beltran has spent over a quarter of a century
working with the scavenger residents living
atop of the third largest untreated garbage
dump in the world. He has helped to organize,
house, educate, and empower a community
that truly embodies living on the margins of
society. With a foundation of spiritual and
value formation, Fr. Beltran has helped the
people of his unique parish to help
themselves, finding self-respect and hope.
The Life of Fr. Benigno Beltran, SVD
Since the early 1950s, the dump has been

home to a burgeoning population of rag and
bone merchants. Now an innovative Divine
Word priest, Fr. Benigno Beltran of the Risen
Christ parish, is introducing a new computer
lingo into the daily conversation with words
like bandwidth, e-trading and income streams.
From: http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians--Missionaries/Priest
He has obtained hardware from the

Taiwanese government, won a contract in
computer coding in Hong Kong, begun work
with a German corporation to begin mining
the old dump for heavy metal, sponsored the
startup of a composting and recycling
business, and worked with women in the dump
to manufacture organic health soap.
Fr. Beltran has also launched a Churchsupported program in Arabic computer

programming for Middle Eastern clients. He
even wants to change the pejorative name of
the dump to Silicon Mountain as a sign that
things are on the move. He has the approval
and blessing of the Manila archdiocese for a
new trading network that will link his and
seven other parishes with farm cooperatives,
allowing poor people in the city and the
country to deal with each other.
142
Restoring Beauty, Restoring Hope is another inspiring story of Fr. German Mehler, SVD.
His account is narrated by Bro. Dennis Newton, SVD:
He was born and raised in Germany. After his ordination, he was assigned to
the Philippines. Fr. Mehler has served as a pastor in a number of remote areas of the Philippines
and has undertaken a special medical ministry in addition to his regular duties as pastor. His
current assignment is pastor of Conception Parish on the tiny island of Sibale in Romblon. The
parish encompasses the entire island, which has a population of approximately 4,500. Most of
the people live in poverty. 53
Fr. Mehler traces his ministry to an American Divine Word missionary, Fr. Raymond Kolk,
SVD. While assigned to the University of San Carlos in the Philippines, Fr. Kolk began a medical
program for children with birth defects and other medical conditions. Over 4,000 children have
been helped through Fr. Mehlers efforts. The children and their families are joyful and relieved
53
from: //www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-Seminarians---
143
of the transformation resulting from the surgery.

Without this life-changing surgery, the children
could become disadvantaged outcasts. Because
of it, they can grow up and be productive
members of society.
Father Mellers work is admirable. His
love for the poor and underprivileged promotes
integrity of creation. Defective children are
given special care and through his concern for
them, these children can face the future with so
much hope to and soon become an asset in our
society someday.
Another work of love that touches me is
the story Fr. Valan Arockiasamy, SVD entitled,
Ship to Shore, My Ministry to Seafarers:
The life of a seafarer is hidden from
most people. Many seafarers have to work away
from their families and local communities for
nine to twelve months at a time, often
accompanied on their journeys by loneliness,
depression, spiritual deprivation, and even
exploitation.
They who sailed the seas in ships,
Trading on the deep waters,
They saw the works of the Lord
And his wonders in the abyss.
(Psalm 107:2324)
The seafarers are our modern martyrs
and heroes. Because of poverty, many of them
confront sadness and pain just to provide good
future for their families. They do not mind the
laborious work and gigantic waves that
accompany their journey for days and months.
Besides the arduous work, danger is always at
their side especially on dangerous places like
Somalia, Africa and other risky places targeted
Fr. Valan Arockiasamy SVD
I am a full-time chaplain for the

Apostleship of the Sea, known internationally
as Stella Maris, in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Stella Maris was founded in Glasgow,
Scotland, in 1920 and was approved by Pope
Pius XI in 1922.
Our first duty is visiting seafarers on their
ships. We usually do ship visits during daylight
hours and we do not let bad weather deter us.
For ships lying at anchor, we are taxied out on
tug boats. We also visit ships docked at oil,
coal, and cargo terminals and we regularly
visit seafarers who are in hospitals or prisons.
When I board a ship, I take newspapers,

books, magazines, prayer cards, Bibles,
rosaries, films, and recorded television
programs. Our center tries to supply these
items in many languages. If a seafarer wants
to call his family, we sell discounted telephone
cards. I preside at ecumenical prayer services
and celebrate Catholic Mass for seafarers who
request it. Regardless of the crews religion,
many request a blessing before I leave a
vessel. On a rare occasion, I have been turned
away from a visit because I am a Catholic
priest or because of my race or nationality.
A seafarers life is not easy, and the nature of
the work is dangerous and demanding.
From: http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-Our-
144
Last year, over one thousand people

were taken hostage by pirates. Many
seafarers use a port call to visit the
Mariners Club, where they can meet
privately with a chaplain to discuss a
personal or spiritual problem so I maintain
regular office hours. If a seaman has a
problem with unpaid wages, a safety
concern, a contractual issue, or allegations
of abuse or mistreatment, a chaplain can
intervene on his behalf.
From: http://www.svdvocations.org/Meet-OurSeminarians---Missionaries/Priest
On October 27, 1982, Pope John Paul II

addressed seafarers with a special message
that summarizes very well my ministry:
In fulfilling this mission to seafarers,
you face a most challenging and difficult
task. You are dealing with people who live
in a dispersed milieu. They face painful
problems, such as separation from family
and friends and the resulting feelings of
isolation and loneliness; for extended
periods of time they live and work at a
great distance from a territorial parish. In a
real sense, the seafaring world has become
a missionary world. Remember that you are
not alone in this awesome task. The whole
Church is one with you in solicitude and
prayer. The local Churches have a special
role to play in the pastoral care of seafarers
and other migrant groups.
by sea pirates. Aware of the seafarers flight,

Pope John Paul II addressed them with this
special message on October 27, 1982,
Remember that you are not alone in this
awesome task. The whole Church is one with you
in solicitude and prayer. The local Churches have
a special role to play in the pastoral care of
seafarers and other migrant groups.
The work of Fr. Valan Arockiasamy SVD as
Seafarers chaplain has answered the loving
concern of the Church to uplift the life of the
overseas workers, and to assure them that in
their voyage, they are not alone. In their journey,
the church is accompanying them, and someone
up there is present in their hearts, helping them
in their daily endeavors. As instrument of God,
Fr. Valan is considered a promoter of Justice,
peace and integrity of creation in his own unique
way. Great Work!
I am very grateful for the opportunity to

serve the special community of seafarers.
Climbing up a rope ladder on windy day has
become quite a routine. Now the thought
of riding a horse terrifies me!
Fr. Valan Arockiasamy SVD
145
In addition to the stories narrated in the

previous pages, the JPIC activities spearheaded
by the SVDs in Cebu City merit attention. The
following photos show these different JPIC
movements.
PIC-IDC IMPLEMENTS PROJECT ON THE PROTECTION

OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW 15 YEARS OLD
& BELOW/ 2012-09-18
http://jpicidc.org.ph/news
The relief operation for victims of super

typhoon Bopha (Pablo) was successfully
carried out on December 28, 2012. Through
the help of many benefactors, donors and
volunteers, we were able to distribute 77
tons of rice, more than a thousand boxes of
canned goods and noodles. JPIC -Cebu City
CEAP 7 ONE WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN
CELEBRATION OF WORLD AIDS DAY & NATIONAL AIDS
SUNDAY/2013-01-11
JPIC-IDC implements project on the

protection of children in conflict with the
law 15 years old & below. 2012-09-18
146
SVD-USC in Action
16 Families from Umapad Dumpsite

Now Own Homes. Dedon Manufacturing
Inc., together with its partners Justice,
Peace and Integrity of Creation-Integrated
Development Center Inc. (JPIC) and Karl
Kubel Stiftung (KKS), completed its rehousing project for Umapad scavengers in
barangay Baglnga, Compostela town,
From: http://jpicidc.org.ph/news
Northern
TRAINING ON THE USE OF THE ELEARNING

MODULE FOR THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS OF JPIC-KKS
STREET CHILDREN PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED LAST
FEBRUARY 19-22, 2007 AT THE COMMUNITY SCOUTS
YOUTH REHABILITATION CENTER. DYLAN P. DIZON, PH.D.,
THE FOUNDER OF THE EDUCATION OUTREACH THRU
ELEARNING PROJECT HIMSELF FACILITATED THE
TRAINING.
- JPIC Cebu City, Philippines.
JPIC IDC Integrated Rural Development Project for

Women and Children in Guiwanon, Bantayan Island,
Cebu
From:
http://jpic-idc.org.ph/projects/view/ird_wc_bantayan
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 18: Promoting justice, peace and integrity of Gods creation!
Option 1:
Locate 2 passages from the scripture as a support for each advocacy on
promoting justice, peace and integrity of Gods creation. Then,
research on the life of any of these saints: St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Pedro
Calungsod, Richie Fernando, SJ, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa of
Calcutta, St. Francis of Assisi and other saints. Lastly, fill up the
corresponding columns on the next page.
147
Scripture
Describe the way or

life story of the saint
that best portrays the
given values.
My advocacy as a
student in an SVD
administered school
Reflection
Justice
Peace
Integrity of
Creation

Appropriateness of the chosen passage as Biblical foundation for:
Justice
Peace
Integrity of Gods Creation
Understanding the life of the saints in relation to the values indicated
Appropriateness and Practicability of Ones Advocacy for:
Justice
Peace
Integrity of Gods Creation
TOTAL
20 points
20
20
10
10
10
10
100 points
Option 2: The Case of Alexander Armas

-
Read the case of Alexander Armas on the following page and do the following:
a) Relate the case to the SVD mission of promoting JPIC.
b) Compose a prayer or express in a drawing your reactions or feelings or
response to the case.
c) Publish your prayer or drawing on the internet social media as a way of
promoting JPIC. See to it that your outputs are worth-publishing or posting
on the internet.
Come up with your own criteria for grading your outputs. Sample rubrics are
provided.
148
149
MISSION ANIMATION
AS A CHARACTERICTIC DIMENSION
Mission is the term usually given to those
particular undertakings by which the heralds of the
Gospel, sent out by the Church and going forth into the
whole world, carry out the task of preaching the Gospel
and planting the Church among peoples or groups who do
not yet believe in Christ (AG 6). This missionary task of
the Church was reflected in the humble religious life of St.
Arnold Janssen.
As per good example of the founding Father, St.
Arnold Janssen, the SVD (Societas Verbi Divini in Latin)
missionaries are given the mandate to listen to the Word
of God, that is, Jesus Christ, and proclaim him to all:
Moved by the Holy Spirit, these priests and brothers have
gone far in their mission ad gentes. 54 The SVD is a
community of men missionaries who hail from different
parts of the world, with diverse and multicultural roots.
They are found in more than 60 countries numbering
more than 6000 priests and brothers engaging in varied
missionary works. Being missionaries, they envision a
dialogue that fosters the attitudes of solidarity, respect,
and love which are all integrated into their personal and
communal life and to all their pastoral activities. 55
Even when carrying out

external duties, I feel an
almost constant longing and
desire for silence so that I
might serve God undisturbed
in prayer and work,
Blessed Maria Helena

Stollenwerk is the cofoundress of the
Missionary Sisters of the
Holy Spirit.
Her life is defined in
silent prayer allowing her
to listen to the stir of her
heartto where God is
guiding her.
54
The Latin words AD Gentes means to the nations is used as the official title followed with the text Decree on
the Missionary Activity of the Church. This was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965.
55
Cf. IDW 3 92006), p21. Dialogue.
150
SVD communities take the stance of being

called to especially stress the universal
inclusiveness and the openness to diversity of
Gods love (GC 2000, 45). Just like St. Arnold
Janssen, who is described as a man of prayer, the
Society takes his example of becoming a man of
prayer. The fruits of fervent prayer of the
founding Father burst forth ministries that today
circle the world.
The SVD characteristic
dimensions have become part of their identity as
missionaries, both in the national and
international scenes: Biblical Apostolate, Mission
Animation, Communication and JPIC (Justice,
Peace, and Integrity of Creation).
Taken from:
Book Arnold Janssen, 1837-1909: A Pictorial Biography
published by Editorial Verbo Divino
What can we do? First pray. Ask the Lord

for harvest. Second, sacrifice. The closing
remark of the Inaugural Address is this
appeal to the assembly. Prayer and sacrifice
characterized the beginning and steady
growth of the Founders holy task.
Quote From:
The Witness to the Word Vol 2, p7 by Leonardo R.
Estioko, SVD.
The SVDs live out their varied ministries in

view of dialogue and communion. Animating the
world with the divine Word makes a whole lot of
difference and is a big contribution to the growth
of the church and to the development of the
whole world. Schools, seminaries and parishes,
and specialized centers such as publication
houses, radio stations, and JPIC centers are
established and managed by the SVDs that served
as their pathways towards living out the
characteristic dimensions of prophetic dialogue.
Indeed, it is a humble mission that runs parallel to
the mission of St. Paul who rooted his mission in
the mission of Jesus. In his second letter to the
Corinthians he wrote, All that is done by God,
who through Christ changed us from enemies into
his friends and gave us the task of making others
his friends also (5:18).
151
This SVD mission is not something exclusive

to the SVD members themselves but is one which is
shared to all: Wherever the SVDs are in the world,
there are also lay people 56 in partnership with
them. In doing the Christian mission apostolate,
the SVDs cannot do it by themselves. In regard to
the Church, Vatican II documents remind us that
the Church can never be without the lay
apostolate; it is something that derives from the
laymans very vocation as a Christian. Scripture
clearly shows how spontaneous and fruitful this
activity was in the Churchs early days (cf. Act
11:19-21; 18:26: Roman. 16:1-16; Phil. 4:3). 57
Divine Word Missionaries take heed of the
Churchs teaching on the inclusiveness of mission
by sincerely involving lay people. Their mission
initiatives called them to lead the lay people to
participate in the building of Gods kingdom on
Earth; not to get hold of them but to develop
enthusiastic relations in working with them. As
they proclaim the Word of life to the people, they
also give meaning and purpose to their vocation.
The Church made clear that no member plays a
purely passive part, sharing in the life of the body it
shares at the same time in its activity. 58 Hence, the
lay people are called to participate in the work in
Gods vineyard, and to own the responsibility to
cooperate in the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Mission Animation among the SVDs and
their lay partners is thus an indispensable
characteristic dimension of the SVDs mission of
prophetic dialogue. This SVD Mission Animation
goes back to the time of Arnold Janssen who, in his
Believing is bearing witness to the

Lord through our life by obeying his
commands and living the Gospel. Our
Lord enjoins us, your light must shine
before others that they may see your
good deeds and glorify your heavenly
Father (Mt 5:6) to this witness of a
good life must be added the witness of
proclaiming the Lord: We believe and
therefore we speak (2 Cor 4:13).
Second Plenary Council of the Philippines
(PCP II 78)
56
Lay people or laity refer to those baptized Christians who are not ordained as priests nor as members of any
religious congregation.
57
Vatican II Documents, Apostolicam Actuositatem 1.
58
Ibid, 2.
152
lifetime, worked for mission awareness. In those critical times of kulturkampf, 59 he thought of
establishing a mission house outside Germany as the actions of the Catholic priests were
restricted. He also promoted missionary ideals to the Germans and the world by creating a
printing press that issued a magazine on mission Little Messenger of the Sacred Heart. Truly,
Fr. Arnold in his time awakened the people of his time the zeal to mission work.
Mission Animation became especially obvious toward the end of the dialogue between
Jesus and the Samaritan woman
at the well. But it is a strange
situation to contemplate. While
the disciples were standing
around
scandalized,
the
Samaritan woman hurried away
to tell her neighbors about the
man she had met at the well.
Perhaps, what Jesus is teaching
with this incident is that our lay
partners are there not to help our
missionary work but they are
missionaries in their own right.
Thus, we should put much effort
in helping them find ways and
means to be missionaries in their
own daily activities. This, of course, would mean a radical rethinking. What, for example, does
inter-religious or inter-ethnic encounter mean for a mother or a father, precisely in their roles
as father and mother? What does solidarity with the poor and marginalized mean for a
husband and a wife? What does faith sharing mean for co-workers, neighbors and friends?
The conclusion of Jesus dialogue with the Samaritan woman is that she became a
missionary. And, as a fruit of his dialogue with a Samaritan friend, Jesus has been welcomed by
an entire Samaritan town. At the end of the story, it was the woman who took the initiative to
open up a wide space for communication with her neighbors she went to share with them
59
Kulturkampf is a German word which means culture struggle. Discriminatory laws were unleashed by Otto von
Bismarck, wherein many Catholic priests and bishops were hindered in their activities. Those who opposed
were ousted from their position or tortured.
153
what she discovered. With that, the cycle of missionary dimension started over again (bible,
JPIC, mission, communication).
May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word
and the Spirit of grace; and may the Heart of Jesus live in our hearts and in the hearts of all
people.
Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 19 Owning the Mission of Jesus as Mine Too
Compose a discourse with the theme Jesus Mission is My Mission.

Presentation follows.
Criteria
1. Sound
Mission
Ideas
(60 %)
2. Delivery
(40 %)
Excellent
14-15 points
All contents
from the lessons
are well covered
in the discourse.
Very Good
11-13 points
Almost all the
topics from the
lesson are
considered in
the discourse.
Good
7-10 points
Some topics
are included in
the sharing of
ideas.
Fair
4-6 points
Few subtopics
are
mentioned.
Poor
1-3
No connection
at all to the
topic on
Mission
Animation
Excellence in
confidence and
persuasiveness
Satisfactory in
confidence
and
persuasiveness
Moderately
satisfactory in
confidence
and
persuasiveness
Fair in
confidence
and
persuasiveness
No confidence
at all; Failed to
give a
discourse in
the first 5
minutes of the
presentation
154
Prepare for a prayer service on the renewal of baptismal vows.

Opening Song:
Come and Sprinkle Me
Come and sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord and I will be cleansed
Come and wash me holy God, and Ill be whiter than snow
I
Sing glory to the Father, Sing glory to the Son

Glory to the Holy Spirit, glory everyone.
Allelluia, allelluia, allelluia (2x)
Sing glory to the Father, Sing glory to the Son
Introduction:
Let us renew our baptismal vows. Let us make enthusiastic commitments in our personal
encounter with Christ in our families, school, country and the world.
Leader: Do you reject Satan?
All:
I do.
Leader: And all his works?
All:
I do.
Leader: And all his empty promises?
All:
I do.
Leader: Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
All:
I do.
Leader: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary
was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at
the right hand of the Father?
All:
I do.
Leader: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
All:
I do.
Leader: God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water
and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord
Jesus Christ forever and ever.
All:
Amen.
155
Gospel Reading: The Empty Tomb (Jn 20:1-9)

Guide Questions:
1. In the resurrection of Jesus, do we see suffering and failure? Or do we see hope and
promise? In what way is the resurrection of Jesus real in your own life?
2. What plans do you have in order to make the Animated Word truly alive among the
youths?
Faith Sharing:
Sharing of reflection follows.
The Lords Prayer

Closing Song:
New Life
Refrain
New Life, New Life.
You came to bring us new life.
New Life, New Life.
We find such joy in your abundant life.
You are the source of our great joy the fountain of our life.
You give us living water.
You bid us come and drink
We come to you we bless you lord.
We glorify your name.
We bless you Lord.
We worship you.
We thank you for your gift of new life.
Repeat Refrain
156

Criteria
Excellent
(13-15
points)
Very Good
(10-12
points)
Good
(7-9 points)
Fair
(4-6
points)
Poor
(1-3
points)
1. Preparation for the

resources needed for
the prayer service (30%)
Copies for the prayer
and holy water
Practice of learning the
songs
Music instrumentals
guitar, piano, CD
Chair arrangement in Ushape or circular shape
Bible for the gospel
reading
Assigned persons - the
prayer leader, bible
reader, and
instrumentalist
All necessary Many

resources
necessary
are present. resources
are present.
Some
Few
resources
resources
are present. are
present.
One or no
resource is
present for
the use in
the prayer
service.
2. Participation in the
actual prayer service
(30%)
Helped in creating mood
for prayer
Needed materials are
made available.
Facilitated the prayer
service
All students
help in the
prayer
service.
Many
students
help in the
prayer
service.
Some
students
help in the
prayer
service.
Few
students
help in
the
prayer
service.
One or no
one of the
students
took the
responsibility in
the prayer
service.
3. Quality plan of actions

for the youth in the
Mission Animation
(40%)
All plans of
actions are
applicable
and doable.
Many plans
of actions
are
applicable
and doable.
Some plans
of actions
are
applicable
and doable.
Few plans
of actions
are
applicable
and
doable.
One or no
plan of
actions is
applicable
and
doable.
157
*Learning Encounter 20
THE SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD
IN THE PHILIPPINES:
THROUGH THE YEARS OF CHRISTIAN WITNESSING
Truly there is a reason for the Philippine SVD
Missionaries to remember, rejoice, and renew their
commitments for the fruitful years of mission after
the relentless lives of St. Arnold Janssen and St.
Joseph Freinademetz who serve as models and
heralds of the Gospel of Jesus. A good number of
Filipino SVD missionaries work in different countries in
the world today.
Having 148 Filipino SVD
missionaries working in forty-one countries all over
the world, 60 the table has been turned, from being
recipients of Christianization, the Philippines has
become a mission-sending country. Though many
Filipino SVDs are faced with inevitable difficulties in
foreign missions, it is their resiliency during these
situations that refuse to break their spirits. Being men
of faith and prayer, the sacrifices of the Filipino SVDs
serve as inspiration to draw all towards interest in
mission work.
Precious is the Life Given for

Mission
- Peter McHugh SVD
Recorded in the stories of the Philippine SVD

Missions are the men of goodwill who were sent
outside the country and who lost their lives while in
active ministry. The first Filipino SVD missionaries who
died in the foreign lands were: Fr. Glicerio Paraguya,
SVD, (Ghana, Africa) and Fr. Antonio Barriatos, SVD,
(Paraguay.) 61 It is also worth noting that the first
Filipino SVD missionaries ever sent were: Fr. Fernando
de Pedro, SVD, and Fr. Manuel Villaruz, SVD who were
assigned to Indonesia. 62 The richness of vocation in
60
Witness to the Word Society of the Divine Word Philippines 1909-2009. Manila: Logos Publication, Inc., 2009, 97.
Ibid, 97.
62
One With You. A Tribute to Filipino SVD in Foreign Missions. Manila: Mission Angels, 2000.
61
158
the Philippines which has provided missionaries to the

world is clearly evident. This has made a visible trace of
maturity towards Filipino mission awareness.
Fr. Fernando de Pedro, SVD

(1917-1991)
he was observed to
be people hardly had
unbelievably generous to
a fault and known for
giving hefty donations for
the completion of churches
and capels and the
education of poor but
deserving chiLeader:en. He
even went out of his way
to construct decent housing
for slum dwellers, even if
the people hardly had the
means to pay him back. He
also started a fund drive
called December Fund for
the Poor. a true disciple,
SVD missionary and soldier
of Christ.
Quoted from One With You
A Brief History
Philippine SVD missions came from its humble
beginnings - a territory that Fr. Arnold approved for doing
missions. Fr. Arnold received a request from the
Archbishop of Manila, Jeremias Harty, to come to the
Philippines. At first, he was not interested in the invitation
because responding to such would mean acceptance to the
missionary role in existing parishes, when what he and
other confreres wanted was new mission territories, where
there were heathen to be converted. It was through the
advice of Fr. Eberhard Limbrock, the SVD Prefect
Apostolate of New Guinea that convinced the founder to
send missionaries to the Philippines. In Fr. Limbrocks
correspondence, he reported to the founder the crises the
Philippines was facing. In his letter, he wrote: wellmeaning people falling victims to error or reverting to
worse forms of heathen would break ones heart. 63 He
sought for assistance from the Founder to relieve the
distress of the Filipinos.
In 1909, two SVD missionaries were sent to the
Philippines, specifically in Pilar, Abra: Fr. Ludwig Beckert, a
former missionary in China and the newly ordained, Fr.
John Scheiermann. Fr. Beckert was the first Father
Superior. These two SVD missionaries are recognized as
the founder of SVD Philippine Mission. Fr. Arnold sent the
first delegation for the purpose of promoting local clergy
and drawing the Catholics back to faith. Extensive
missionary works were taken by the Abra SVD fathers.
Hence, the mountain province of Abra became the cradle
of the Society.
63
Bornemann, F. (1981). A History of the Divine Word Missionaries. Romae: Apud Collegium Verbi Divini; pp. 328344.
159
In 1912, the female counterpart of the SVD, the first

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, arrived in Tayum, Abra. Sisters
Cyrilla, Hieronyma, Cleta and Cortona founded the Holy Spirit
School which, in later years, increased in terms of the
number of students. Together with them were two SVD
brothers, Br. Ulrich Mayer and Patricius Grabasch.
Fifteen more priests were sent to the Philippines just
before World War I (1914-1918). But in the next years,
German mission to the Philippines was barred. In fact, eight
SVD priests were ousted from the country. They were
brought to USA and were kept there for two years.
Philippine mission was almost in the brink of closure but the
missionaries pleaded to the Generalate for the retention of
the mission.
Maintaining the Missions
After the death of Fr. Beckert, the office of the
Regional Superior was transferred from Abra to Manila in
1920. Fr. Miguel Hergesheimer succeeded the vacant seat.
In 1933, Fr. Theodore Buttenbruch, the Regional Superior,
founded Christ the King Mission Seminary, located in Quezon
City. This is the institution for the formation of young men in
preparation for religious life through academics and spiritual
pursuit. The Church teaches us that the priest is sent forth
by the Father, through the mediatorship of Jesus Christin
order to live and work by the power of the Holy Spirit in the
service of the Church (PDV 12). 64 The seminary became the
source of vocations which reflects the richness of harvest in
the Philippines.
Fr. Manuel Villaruz, SVD,

(1920-1998),
the
first
Filipino missionary sent for
foreign missions.
Being the first, I had to

be strong in faith and
example. I was constantly
reminded of St. Pauls
words, Every time people
think they can, let them
take care as they may also
fall. But I stayed up and
on.
(2 Cor 4:13)
Quoted from One with You
Through the years, the Society took its direction in

building schools, seminaries and hospitals; opening radio
stations and printing press; starting up with specialized
centers for the marginalized; and assuming and organizing
parishes and ministries.
64
Catechism for Filipino Catholics 1947.
160
The Filipino SVD priests were called to a

wider scope of service. To mention a few, Fr.
Simeon Valerio, SVD, former Provincial Superior,
became bishop for the Vacariate of Calapan; F.
Vicente Manuel, SVD, became the first bishop of
the Apostolic Vacariate of San Jose, Occidental
Mindoro; and Fr. Arturo Bastes, SVD, the bishop of
the dioceses of Romblon and Sorsogon, SVD.65
Fr. Antonio M. Pernia, SVD,

the first Asian Superior General of
the SVD missionaries.
Photo from:
http://www.usc.edu.ph/news_and_announce
ments/?news=31
Fr. Pernia further specifies Divine

Word Missionaries identify as
prophetic dialogue with the Word,
while our mission takes the form of
contemplation, respect for others
and humility. He noted that
Contemplation means being with
people rather than doing something
for them. Respect for others means
that we do not impose or own
agenda but we try to discover Gods
own agenda in their lives. (An
excerpt from the article A Filipino
Superior Generalwritten by Arturo
M. Bastes, SVD in the magazine-SVD
WORD IN THE WORLD, 2002).
In 2000, the election of a Filipino Superior

General Fr. Antonio Pernia gave honor not only to
the Filipino SVD missionaries but to the Philippine
Church. He was the first Asian Superior General
who rose to the highest position and gave an Asian
face to the Church. In a way, his election provides
a mark of how well Christian mission is doing in the
Philippines.
Apostolic Ministry
The Society that has grown through the
years looks back to the sacrifices of the founding
generations. With grateful hearts, we do not only
remember their life-touching stories as religious
priests and missionaries, but we rejoice over the
abundance of harvest having lives empowered with
the Word of God. Together with them, we renew
our commitments that would foster and promote
Christian mission awareness.
65
SVD Word in the World. Illinois: Divine Word Mission Center. 2002, 33-36.
161
WITNESS TO THE WORD

Entry # 20: Promoting My Identity As Witness to the Word
Compose a saying or motto that will capture the essence or value of

mission promotion.
With this saying or motto, make a bookmark on which a
personalized message is printed. As an expression of Christian
witness, in a little but sincere way, give the bookmark to a prayer
partner.

Criteria
1. Sound
Mission
Promotion
(60%)
2. Creativity
(40%)
Excellent
(14-15 points)
Excellently
captures the
essence of
mission
awareness
Excellence in
using
attractive
designs and
recycled
materials,
making the
output
attractive
Very Good
(11-13 points)
Satisfactorily
captures the
essence of
mission
awareness
Satisfactory in
creativity and
ingenuity
Good
(7-10 points)
Moderately
Satisfactory in
capturing
mission
awareness
Moderately
Satisfactory in
creativity and
ingenuity
Fair
(4-6 points)
Fair in
capturing
mission
awareness
Poor
(1-3 points)
No connection
to the topic on
Mission
Animation
Fair in
creativity and
ingenuity
Less creative
and ingenuity
162
The whole class recites the Prayer for the Missionaries led by a studentprayer leader.
Prayer for Missionaries
O almighty God, Lord of the harvest of souls, we ask You to guide and
bless all who have gone forth to preach the gospel. Endow them with
the gifts of generosity and concern. Send your Holy Spirit on them, that He may strengthen them
in weakness, comfort them in trials and direct their efforts. May He open the hearts of their
hearers to receive Your message. Let Your revelation enlighten all minds for the salvation of
souls, and let Your love heal every heart and body for the happiness of each person. May all
people consciously acknowledge You and serve You by living the teachings of Your Son. We ask
this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 66
66
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pray0048.htm
163
MATERIALS FOR LEARNING

ARTICLE
From Superiority to Mission as Prophetic Dialogue 67
Dr Ross Langmead, November 2012, Myanmar Institute of Theology
______________________________________________
http://rosslangmead.50webs.com/rl/Downloads/Resources/PropheticDialogueNov12.pdf
To be prophetic is to speak Gods word into our context. It is what the biblical prophets
did. For Christians it is to proclaim the Good News into our specific situation. It is to challenge
our society.
To be in dialogue is to engage with others in respectful conversation with the desire to
learn and to share. When we are in dialogue we are more open than usual. We listen and
learn better than usual. But we also share what we believe, in respect and humility. Dialogue
can only occur between people who consider the other person an equal. A dialogical
conversation is marked by courtesy and patience, never by aggression or arrogance. Dialogue
is a form of love.
The term prophetic dialogue has been introduced into missiology recently by Stephen
Bevans SVD and Roger Schroeder SVD, two Catholic missiologists who are members of the
order called the Divine Word Missionaries and who teach at the Catholic Theological Union in
Chicago, one of the leading centers of missiology in the world.
Prayer for Missionaries
PRAYERS
O almighty God, Lord of the harvest of souls, we ask You to guide and bless all who have
gone forth to preach the gospel. Endow them with the gifts of generosity and concern. Send
your Holy Spirit on them, that He may strengthen them in weakness, comfort them in trials and
direct their efforts. May He open the hearts of their hearers to receive Your message. Let Your
revelation enlighten all minds for the salvation of souls, and let Your love heal every heart and
body for the happiness of each person. May all people consciously acknowledge You and serve
You by living the teachings of Your Son. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 68
67
The questions numbered 1, 2 and 3 respectively are not part of the original work of Dr. Ross Langmead. They
are just inserted within the article to facilitate easy answering on the part of the students.
68
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pray0048.htm
164
Quarter hour prayer

(SVD Spirituality)
God eternal Truth, we believe in you.
God our strength and our salvation, we hope in you.
God infinite Goodness, we love you with our whole heart.
You have sent your Word as Saviour of the world, let us all be one in him.
Send us the Spirit of your Son, that we may glorify your name. Amen.
Lord Jesus, teach us all to learn from you, for you are meek and gentle of heart.
SONGS
Come and Sprinkle Me
Come and sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord and I will be cleansed
Come and wash me holy God, and Ill be whiter than snow
I sing glory to the Father, sing glory to the Son
Allelluia, allelluia, allelluia (2x)
I sing glory to the Father, sing glory to the Son
Huwag kang Mangamba
KORO:
Huwag kang mangamba, 'di ka nag-iisa
Sasamahan kita, saan man magpunta
Ika'y mahalaga sa 'King mga mata
Minamahal kita, minamahal kita
Tinawag kita sa 'yong pangalan
Ikaw ay Akin magpakailanman
Ako ang Panginoon mo at Diyos

Tapagligtas mo at Tagatubos (KORO)
Sa tubig kita'y sasagipin
Sa apoy ililigtas man din
Ako ang Panginoon mo at Diyos
Tapagligtas mo at Tagatubos (KORO)
165
In the Light of the Word

On this day, we praise You
O God for the joys and tears
And for the breath of life
On this day we thank you O God
Serving You and all men
Is enough reward
Kindle in us the fire of your love
And your Spirit take not from us
From the dark and evil of the night
Bring us to the dawn of your
Everlasting light
Refrain:
Gather your people together
At the breaking of the bread
With your light renew
The face of the earth
From this day on and tomorrow
Give us new birth we ask you this
In the light of the word
May the darkness of sin
And the night of unbelief
Vanish before the light of the Word
And the spirit of grace
And may the heart of Jesus
Live In the heart of all men, Amen. (Refrain)
New Life
Refrain: New Life New Life. You came to bring us new life.
New Life New Life. We find such joy in your abundant life.
You are the source of our great joy the fountain of our life.
You give us living water. You bid us come and drink
166
We come to you we bless you lord.

We glorify your name. We bless you Lord.
We worship you. We thank you for your gift of new life. (Refrain)
Salt and Light
Salt and light, we are the salt and light
We bring to the World the warmth of love
The bounty of Graces that comes from above.
One in Christ forevermore in Jesus Christ.
Are we for we have been called to reach out
To love to be salt and light forever
For a world that God holds dear.
We are the salt for all mankind
We tell this good news to the weak and blind
to give them strength to make them see our Lord and Christ.
We are the light for the whole world
Our light must shine above the earth
as men see the Good that we do
Praise for God will ring through
STORIES
Cases
1. 1981, April 13: Fr. Godofredo Alingal, SJ, parish priest of Kibawe, Bukidnon. Shot in his
convent by three suspects. One acted as lookout, two proceeded to his room. He was shot as
soon as he opened the door, according to an account published in the book, That We May
Remember published by the Promotion of Church Peoples Rights in May 1989. The Bishop of
Bukidnon in 1981, Bishop Francisco Claver, SJ, said, We start with this one fact: If there is
anything certain in the many uncertainties that surround the murder of Father Alingal, it is this:
He was gunned down because of his unflinching proclamation of the Gospel of Justice. 69
2. 1988, July 1. Fr. Mario Estorba, SVD. Parish priest of Loreto, Agusan del Sur. Killed in Butuan
City.
According to the book, Green backlash: Global subversion of the environmental
movement by Andrew Rowell, Estorba was gunned down two weeks after he filed a complaint
69
http://goodjesuitbadjesuit.blogspot.com/2011/10/murdered-jesuits-case-still-unsolved.html
167
arguing for better working and remuneration conditions with a local logging company. The
Asian Centre for the Progress of Peoples said he was killed for fighting illegal loggers. 70
3. The Oblates in the Jolo region have been the victims of extremists on a number of occasions.
Several Oblates have been murdered, including Bishop Benjamin de Jesus, O.M.I. who was killed
outside the cathedral in 1997. In 2008 Fr. Jesus Reynaldo Roda,
O.M.I. was slain while praying in a chapel. 71 Fr. Rey was a man
full of passion for the islanders. He worked for quality education in
the said God-forsaken island to give the young people opportunity
to pursue higher education. He invited NGOs and some
benefactors to journey with his people as they eke a livelihood in
an island forsaken by the powers that be. 72
Fr. Benjie, OMI was the least likely victim of violence. He
was one of the kindest and one of the most peaceful creatures on
earth. As a scholastic and a missionary, he would prefer to do house chores to street
demonstrations. Yet, in the end, the lamb-like Fr. Benjie ended in the altar of sacrifice victim of
wanton violence and fanaticism in the name of God. 73 Bishop Ben and Fr. Benjie were made
of the same stuff. They were kindness personified. Bishop Ben would go around Jolo and the
whole Vicariate always with a smile and a greeting of peace on his lips. He would listen
endlessly to the cry of his people, Muslims and Christians alike. The martyrs teach us a great
lesson that living is learning to suffer with grace, with elegance; to struggle, certainly, but at the
same accepting suffering and tragedy without hatred or loss of hope. 74
For this toilet attendant, its honesty over poverty

This is the title of the report written by Edison A. delos Angeles in Philippine Daily Inquirer
dated June 11, 2011. The article tells the exemplary honesty of Hermisa Cejas, the 45-year
old toilet attendant at the public market of Mandaue City in Cebu. In spite of her poverty,
she had turned over at least P500,000 in cash and checks inside bags and wallets, and three
cell phones left inside the toilet since she started working as a casual employee in 2009. Her
70
Carolyn O. Arguillas Minda News, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). Daily Archives November 2,
2011 as found in: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2011/10/27/of-13-priests-killed-from-marcos-to-pnoyonly-one-case-solved/
71
http://www.omiusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=213%3Aphilippine-church-bombedduring-christmas-mass&Itemid=144&lang=en
72
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/211568/opinion/blogs/rethinking-martyrdom
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
168
admirable act of honesty, which is rooted on a strong faith in God as she professed, had
been recognized by Mayor Jonas Cortes as a good example for the public.
(The WORD in other words, Jan. 31, 2013)
The Elephant and the Blind Men 75
Once an elephant came to a small town. People had read and heard of elephants but
no one in the town had ever seen one. Thus, a huge crowd gathered around the elephant, and it
was an occasion for great fun, especially for the children. Five blind men also lived in that town,
and consequently, they also heard about the elephant. They had never seen an elephant before,
and were eager to find out about elephant. Then, someone suggested that they could go and
feel the elephant with their hands. They could then get an idea of what an elephant looked like.
The five blind men went to the center of the town where all the people made room for them to
touch the elephant.
Later on, they sat down and began to discuss their experiences. One blind man, who had
touched the trunk of the elephant, said that the elephant must be like a thick tree branch.
Another who touched the tail said the elephant probably looked like a snake or rope. The third
man, who touched the leg, said the shape of the elephant must be like a pillar. The fourth man,
who touched the ear, said that the elephant must be like a huge fan; while the fifth, who
touched the side, said it must be like a wall.
They sat for hours and argued, each one was sure that his view was correct. Obviously,
they were all correct from their own point of view, but no one was quite willing to listen to the
others. Finally, they decided to go to the wise man of the village and ask him who was correct.
The wise man said, Each one of you is correct; and each one of you is wrong. Because each
one of you had only touched a part of the elephants body. Thus you only have a partial view of
the animal. If you put your partial views together, you will get an idea of what an elephant
looks like.
The moral of the story is that each one of us sees things exclusively within ones point of
view. We should also try to understand other peoples points of view. This will enable us to get
a proper perspective on different situations and events.
75
http://www.k4care.net/index.php?id=44
169
REFERENCES
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Educational, Inc.
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. (2009). Pasay City: Paulines.
Anderson, R. W. (1986). Understanding the Old Testament. 4th ed. Quezon City: Claretian
Publications.
Arguillas, O. C. (2012). MIndaNews, Pontifical institute for foreign missions (PIME). Retrieved
November 17, 2012 from http://pimephilippines.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/
Arnold Janssen 1837-1909, A Pictorial Biography. (1987). Spain: Editorial Verbo Divino.
Arterburn, S., and Felton, J. (2001). Toxic faith, experiencing healing from painful spiritual
abuse. Colorado: Waterbrook Press.
Ascheman, T. (2006). Prophetic dialogue from the XV to the general chapter advance,
difficulties and challenges.
A talk of Fr. General to the Provincials of European Zone. (2005). Prophetic dialogue from the XV
to the general chapter advance, difficulties and challenges.
Austin, F. (Ed.). (2001). Gaudium et Spes. Pasay City: Paulines Publishing House.
Austin, F. (Ed.). (2001). Lumen gentium in Vatican Council II, the conciliar and post conciliar
documents. Pasay City: Paulines Publishing House.
Bastes, A. (2005). Talk on Witness to the Word during the 3rd DWEA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
Tagaytay City.
Belmonte, C. (Ed.). (2006). Faith seeking understanding Mandaluyong: Studium Theologiae,
Inc.
Bornemann, F. (1981). A history of the Divine Word Missionaries. Romae: Apud Collegium
Verbi Divini.
Braganza, J. V. (Ed.). (1984). In the light of the word. Manila: Arnuldos Press.
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1994). Manila: ECCCE, Word and Life Publications.
Catechism for Filipino Catholics. (2005). Manila: ECCCE, Word and Life Publications
170
Catechism for Filipino Catholics. (2012). Retrieved October 27, 2012.

Centesimus Annus. (1991). Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1991 on the
hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
Dei Verbum. (2001). Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation promulgated by His Holiness
Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965 in Vatican Council II, the Conciliar and Post
Conciliar Documents. Edited by Flannery Austin, OP. Pasay City: Paulines Publishing
House.
Deus Caritas Est. (2005). Encyclical letter of the supreme pontiff Benedict xvi on Christian love
Retrieved from
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Ecclesia in Asia. (1999). Pasay City: Daughters of St. Paul.
Estioko, L. (2007). Witness to the word. Manila: Logos Publications..
Evangelii Nuntiandi. (1975, December 8). Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Paul VI.
Finn, C. C. (2012). Please hear what I am not saying. Retrieved October 27, 2012 from poem
http://www.poetrybycharlescfinn.com/pleasehear.html
General Directory for Catechesis. (1998). Pasay City: Daughters of St. Paul.
Guillemete, N. (2010). The scandalous bible. Pasay City: Paulines.
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Hahn, S. (1998). A God who keeps his promise, Gods covenant love in scripture. Michigan:
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SVD2006. Rome: SVD Publications.
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In Dialogue with the Word. (2012, September 11). Documents of the 17th General Chapter
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Koenig, H. (2000). The healing connection. Nashville: Word Publishing.
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Leon-Dufour, X. (Ed.). (1990). Dictionary of biblical theology. Pasay City: St. Pauls.
McKeating,C. (2010). The call to mission. Makati: St Pauls.
McKenzie, J. L. (1965). Dictionary of the bible. New York/London: Macmillan Company.
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National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines. (2007). Manila: CBCP.
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News and Archive of the Spiritual Family of Charles de Foucauld retrieved from
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OMIEditor. (2012). Mission Stories, Missions News , Church Bombed During Oblate Christmas
Mass Retrieved November 17, 2012 from
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One With You: A Tribute to Filipino SVD in Foreign Missions. (2000). Manila: Mission Angels.
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Pati, E. (2012). Divine word missionaries: Mission animation. Retrieved October 27, 2012 from
http://phnmission.wordpress.com/phn-mission-animation/
Porta Fidei. (2012). Pasay City: Paulines.
Pulvinar, S. (1992). The Church and the sacraments. Quezon City: Vibal Publishing House Inc.
Sta. Maria, D. B. (1998). The mystery of the trinity in Christian life. Makati City: St. Pauls.
SVD word in the world. (2002).Illinois: Divine Word Mission Center.
Tell the world Catechetical modules for mission animation. (2000). Quezon City: Claretian
Publications.
Tothamkara, G. V. (2012). Church documents on interreligious dialogue. Retrieved 2012 from
http://cccaprf.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/church-documents-on-interreligiousdialogue/
The Wise Man and the Scorpion. Retrieved from
http://uckghelpcentreindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/wise-man-and-scorpion-wise-manfrom.html
Vengco, S. A. J. (2012). Itanong kay Monsi. Makati City: St. Pauls Kadiwa sa Pagkapari
Foundation
Walters, J. (1997). Jesus healer of our inner world. Pasay City: Daughters of St. Paul.
Weber, K. (1990). Come follow me. California: Benziger Publishing Co.
Wicks, J. R. (1991). Reflections, psychological and spiritual images of the heart. Quezon
City: Kadena Press.
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Yancey, P. (1998). Whats so amazing about grace? Mandaluyong City: OMF Literature, Inc.
Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church. (2010). California: Ignatius Press.
173
ABBREVIATIONS OF DOCUMENTS
AA
Apostolicam Actuositatem
AG
Ad Gentes
CCC
Catechism of the Catholic Church
CFC
Catechism for Filipino Catholics
CS
Chapter Statement of the SVD General Chapter
DCE
Deus Caritas Est
DM
Dialogue and Mission
DV
Dei Verbum
EC
Ecclesia in Asia
EN
Evangelii Nuntiandi
ES
Ecclesiam Suam
GC
SVD General Chapter
GDC
General Directory for Catechesis
GS
Gaudium et Spes
LG
Lumen Gentium
NA
Nostra Aetate
NCDP -
National Catechetical Directory for the Philippines
PF
Porta Fidei
PCP II
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines
BO
Presbyterorum Ordinis
RM
Redemtoris Missio
174
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For the Christian, life is filled with so much grace. In our journey of making this Witness
to the Word teachers manual and its corresponding students workbook, from the start to the
finish, grace had abounded.
The invitation to be part of the project in coming up with this book is grace in itself.
Along the way, we found loving and kind people who helped and supported us with their
guidance, encouragement, collaboration, and suggestion.
To name some, they are the
administrators of the University of San Carlos, namely: Fr. Anthony S. Salas, SVD (Vice
President, Academic Affairs), Dr. Ramon S. del Fierro (Dean, College of Arts and Sciences), Dr.
Antonio E. Batomalaque (Dean, College of Education), and Br. Romualdo E. Abulad, SVD (Chair,
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies). As with the Holy Name University, they are:
Fr. Ruel Lero, SVD (Vice President, Academic Affairs), Fr. Teodoro P. Gapuz, SVD (Dean, College
of Arts and Sciences), and Fr. Ansel Nicasio, SVD (Chair, Department of Religious Education).
We are indebted to Melgie Lim for assisting particularly in coordinating the two school
partners: USC and HNU. She had constantly helped us in so many ways which made our work
easy. We also owe words of gratitude to the secretaries and personnel of Holy Name University
who extended assistance in many ways. Setting aside the technical help, the psycho-emotional
is worth mentioning. In the series of meetings held in HNU, Bohol, we felt that the red carpet
was rolled out before us. Indeed, this is a proof of Boholano hospitality.
Meriting special recognition is the contribution of Ferdine Loureese , the daughter of
one of the co-authors of this project, Mrs. Marilou M. Mandawe. With her young mind as a
Grade 5 student of the University of San Carlos North Campus, she had placed the values and
ideas of the authors to visuals through her artistic drawings.
Another word of special thanks is in order here: to our students in the University of San
Carlos and Holy Name University for impacting our lives greatly as we have imparted to them
the lessons of this book through our class sessions. They have inspired us to labor even beyond
working time to complete this book. We have kept in mind that in our toil, this work may bring
great influence on and meaning to their lives.
175
We sincerely acknowledge as well the following websites from where we got useful
resources: the 5 SVD websites: www.svdphn.org; www.svdcuria.org; www.svdphc.org;
www.svddivineword.org; and www.svdmissions.org and also www.clipart.christiansunite.com
for the clip arts design, Wikipedia and the other websites indicated on the pages of the books.
Finally, to the Divine Word Educational Association (DWEA) from which the concept of
creating the Witness to the Word textbook all started and specifically to all the representatives
of the member-schools of DWEA the different VPAAs, deans, chairs, coordinators and faculty
-- who gave their comments and suggestions as well as those priests, nuns, colleagues, and our
families who helped and challenged us to live a life in Witness to the Word, we remain
grateful.
May the heart of Jesus live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people!
176

I-Witness To The Word Growing in Love Student - S Manual

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WITNESS TO

Esperidion S. Abellana, MA ReEd

I have come to bring fire

For the exclusive use

University of San Carlos Press

In the beginning was the Word.

MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORS

Our Dear Students:

Learning Encounter 2: The Image and Likeness of the Triune God

Learning Encounter 3: The Image and Likeness of the Triune God

Learning Encounter 4: The Intervention of the Triune God

Learning Encounter 5: The Intervention of the Triune God

Learning Encounter 6: Gods Intervention in the Old Testament:

Learning Encounter 10: Jesus Christ, the Word Glorified

LEARNING EPISODE 3: WITNESSING TO THE WORD IN THE WORLD THROUGH THE

Learning Encounter 11: Gods Continuing Accompaniment in the Church

Learning Encounter 12: Interest in and Living the Word of God

Learning Encounter 13: When the Word Becomes Life

Learning Encounter 14: The Churchs Mission of Christian Witness

Learning Encounter 15: Witnessing through Prophetic Dialogue

Learning Encounter 16: Communication as a Characteristic Dimension

Learning Encounter 17: The Bible as a Characteristic Dimension

Learning Encounter 19: Mission Animation as a Characteristic Dimension

MATERIALS FOR LEARNING

Through the different learning engagements in

"Heaven and earth

"By my own self I

A word is the expression of the mind or the will of the

everything appeared [Ps. 33:9]; He gives a command to the

The most profound theological understanding of the Word

teachings of Plotinus1; that the word was with

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

Wherever there is love,

- St. Augustine, 354- 430

O Holy Spirit, descend

In view of the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, there

the divine nature (2 Pt. 1:4) of loving communion. Since love

This conviction of the NT reaches its depth in the Johannine

Edward Schillebeeckx wrote a theological classic on the Sacraments. In that book

WITNESS TO THE WORD

Rubrics for Evaluation

Everything in salvation history starts on the first pages

1. The Human Being is CALLED TO DIALOGUE

Partner in Dialogue (a being of dialogue)

God talks and converses or relates with no one

The limitless loving devotion to

Partner in Creation (co-creator)

The human being is given responsibility to till

Moreover, we read that man

As Image of God, the human being was made male

The Human Being is CALLED TO LIFE

God commanded that they do not eat of the fruit of

WITNESS TO THE WORD

Narrate news from well-known newspapers that depict a

After having evaluated the moral problem, compose a

Publish your prayer or poem on the internet through the

Rubrics for Evaluation (15 x 2 = 30 points)

Very Good (10-12)

One angle, detail

Almost all the

Thoughts are very

There are few

Aside from the beautiful and positive picture of the human