We Filipinos are

followers of
Christ, his
disciples. To trace
his footsteps in
our times means
to utter his word
to others, to love
with his love, to
live with his
life; . . . To cease
following him is to
betray our very
identity.(PCP II 34)

Catholics must
give expression to
this newness of
[Christian] life in
their own society
and culture and in a
manner that is in
keeping with the
traditions of their
own land. (AG, 21)

 we

must be
familiar with our
culture, we
must purify and
guard it,
develop it in
accordance with
present-day
conditions.

we must take a
closer look at how the
values that we have
from our Christian
Faith can strengthen
the good in our
cultural values and
correct what is
excessive in them and
supply for their
deficiencies(PCP II
22).

From whom do we
naturally draw ourselfidentity? Where do we
find the
deepestmeaningin
our lives? How do we
react tosuffering?
How do
wecommitourselves
to our ideals in life?
What is ourview of the
worldin all its depth
and hidden reality?

fivepredominant
Filipino
characteristics,
together with five
essential traits of
Jesus Christ, both
assumed within
the typical Filipino
way to Jesus.

Filipinos arefamilyoriented.
This familycenteredness
supplies a basic
sense of belonging,
stability and security.
It is from our families
that we Filipinos
naturally draw our
sense of self-identity.

Jesusas both
theSon of
God(Anak ng
Amang Diyos)and
theSon of Man
(Anak ng
Tao)endears
himself naturally
to us familyoriented Filipinos.

Filipinos aremealoriented(salu-salo,
kainan).
Serving our guests
with the best we
have is an inborn
value to Filipinos,
rich and poor alike.
We love to
celebrate any and
all events with a
special meal

Eating together in
table fellowship with
the presence of the
risen Christ(cf. 1 Cor
10:17),Communion
,in other words,
constitutes the corewitness of the early
Church as a
Eucharistic
community.

Filipinos
arekundimanoriented.Thekundi
manis a sad Filipino
song about
wounded love.
Filipinos are
naturally attracted
to heroes sacrificing
everything for love.

Jesus,
theSuffering
Servantof the
prophet Isaiah, is
portrayed through
our favorite Filipino
images ofPadre
Hesus Nazareno,
theSanto
Entierroor the
Sacred Heart.

Jesus the Suffering

Servant can thus
reach out to us
Filipinos as a
healing and
forgiving Savior
who understands
our weaknesses,
our failures, our
feelings of
depression, fear
and loneliness

Filipinos arebayanioriented.A
bayaniis a hero.
We Filipinos are
natural herofollowers.
For all our patience
and tolerance, we
will not accept
ultimate failure and
defeat.

JesusasChrist the
King(Cristo
Rey)responds well to
thebayani-oriented
Filipino. As born social
critics, organizers and
martyrs, we Filipinos
see Jesus Christ as
the Conqueror of the
world by his mission
asprophet,kingand
priest(cf. PCP II 5761).

Filipinos arespiritoriented.
We have a deep-seated
belief in the
supernatural and in all
kinds of spirits dwelling
in individual persons,
places and things. Even
in todays world of
science and technology,
Filipinos continue to
invoke the spirits in
various undertakings,
especially in faithhealings and exorcisms

Jesusthemirac
le-workerwho
promised to send
his Spirit to his
disciples to give
them new life(cf.
Jn 15:26; 16:7; 1314), is thus very
appealing to us
Filipinos.

Family-centered
Filipinos who can
easily talk to God the
Father through His
only begotten Sonmade-man, our Lord
Jesus Christ. Our
devotion to
theSto.Nio and
theMahal na
Birhenreveals
fundamental depths of
our own self-identity.

Secondly, we find
meaning in our lives and
learn to face the hunger
and poverty around us in
encountering Jesus as
Eucharist in our parish
community. Around the
table of the Lord, we
Filipino Catholics are
drawn by prayer to share
our time, energy and
very lives, for the service
of our needy brethren
and for the building-up of
truly Christian
communities of justice,
love and healing.

Third,as Filipino
Catholics, because
we have met Christ
the Suffering Servant
in his Passion, we can
pray about sin and
forgiveness, about
justice and
reconciliation, about
the suffering and
Passion of our own
Filipino people today.

Fourth, we Catholic
Filipinos, resilient as
the
bamboo(kawayan)
and sturdy as
thenarra, commit
ourselves to Christ,
our hero-king, in
deep gratitude for
the gift of faith and
for being Filipino.

Lastly, our world vision as

Catholic Filipinos is
gradually transformed by
Christs Spirit-in-the-world
in our Church community
In the depths of the
Filipino spirit is a longing
forkaayusan, for order
out of chaos, a longing for
the life that the creative
Spirit of Jesus gives as a
gift, a gift which is
likewise a challenge(cf.
PCP II 257).

as baptized into
discipleship of Jesus
Christ, discover
ouridentityas
adopted children of
our Father and as
members of Christs
Body, the Church,
inspired by Mary
our Mother;

in the breaking of
bread around the
table of the Lord,
findmeaningin
sharing ecclesial
fellowship with one
another and with
Christ, their Priest
and Eucharist;

in meeting the
Crucified Savior
are sustained in
thesufferingsand
hardships of life,
and receive
forgiveness for
their sins through
his Sacraments;

commitourselves
to our Risen Lord
and his mission
through the gift
ofFaith, celebrated
in greatHopein the
Sacraments, and
lived out
inLoveand service
of their fellowmen;

form ourworldvisionled by
theSpirit of the
Risen
Christ,experienced
in the Christian
community, the
Church,which
sustains us in our
pilgrimage of life-inChrist; and

approach and live

out this Christian
life within the
powerful inspiring
presence of
Mary,our Mother
and Model.