Theology Week 1 6

St.
Gregory The Great

MIDTERM LEARNING RESOURCES
Week 1: Introduction to Theology 1

HELLO! Welcome to the new school year 2021-2022!

Today, Christians are spread all over the world with the mission to preach and teach the Gospel. As a Theology 1 teacher, I am willing to share with you
the mission that Jesus has given me. Rest assured that I’ll be with you throughout fulfilling our missionary task and throughout your undertaking to know
further about Jesus and the Church. Let’s unite as one in setting forth in faith and make disciples of our nation. With this, I will be your guide in helping
Jesus’ mission which is our mission too. Together, let’s have a journey towards wholeness and be part of team S E R B I which we are called to, Serve,
Empower, Reform, Build, and Initiate change for the world.Let’s continue to respond to the mission entrusted by Jesus to us. Before we finally start,
may we pray first the Louisian Prayer.
O God, wellspring of goodness and blessings, we give you thanks and praise as one Louisian community.
The graces You incessantly grant upon us and Your divine providence have sustained our beloved University throughout the years of mission and
excellence.
Having been founded by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we pray that You keep us committed and dedicated to our mission and
identity to serve the Church and the society as we become living witnesses to the Gospel values proclaimed by Jesus. For if we are steadfast in our good
and beautiful mission, our works will bring success not only to ourselves but also to those whom we are bound to love and serve.
Inspired by St. Louis our Patron Saint, who was filled with a noble spirit that stirred him to love You above all things , may we also live believing that we
are born for a greater purpose and mission as we dwell in Your presence all the days of our life.
Grant all these supplications through the intercession of Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

VISION
University of Saint Louis is a center of 21st century education advancing in MISSIO ET EXCELLENTIA through relevant instruction, dynamic research,
responsive community engagement, global partnership, sustainable operation and jubilating faith.
MISSION
Inspired by the wisdom of God, USL as a CICM Catholic academic community is committed to integral human formation for the building of the Church and
the society.

USL QUALITY POLICY
Devoted to Mission. Committed to Excellence.
As we uphold the Catholic identity in faithfulness to the Gospel of Christ, as we carry on the CICM mission in the integral human formation and social
transformation, and as we stand committed to continual quality improvement to provide client satisfaction, We, at the University of Saint Louis, commit to
work towards providing high quality instruction, research, community engagement, and Christian Formation to produce globally competitive graduates.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CORE VALUES
The University of Saint Louis upholds the philosophy that education is for building of self and persons for the Church and the Society. Wisdom builds. To
these ends, the following are University of Saint Louis’s core values integral in the formation of every member of the Louisian community.
Christian Living. We are witnesses to the Gospel values as taught and lived by Christ thus making God’s love known and experienced by all. We seek
and maintain uncompromising standard of quality in teaching, learning, service, and stewardship of school resources.
Professional Responsibility. We are committed to efficiently and responsibly apply the learned principles, values and skills in the chosen field of
discipline, taking initiative and command responsibility in one’s professional advancement.
Social Awareness and Involvement. We engage ourselves with society by listening to the prevailing issues and concerns in the society, thereby
initiating and participating in constructive and relevant social activities for the promotion of justice, peace and integrity of creation and for people’s
wellness and development consistent with the CICM charism.
Innovation, Creativity and Agility. We keep ourselves relevant and responsive to the changing needs of our stakeholders by being flexible,
solution oriented, and having cutting-edge decisions and practices.
VISION, MISSION, GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
VISION
USL- SHS is a choice pre- collegiate school in a 21st Century learning environment.
MISSION
USL Senior High School commits to provide secondary education towards holistically developed graduates with strong foundation in the pursuit of desired
college degree to serve the Church and the society.
GOAL
To form adolescents with strong religious foundation, relevant skills and constant passion for excellence in their curricular, co- curricular and extra-
curricular endeavors akin to their respective track and strand in pursuit of the degree desired in college and the profession with which to serve the church
and the society.

OBJECTIVES
Christian Formation
Promote Christian faith and deeper sense of community engagement among stakeholders.
Form students to be goal- oriented- empowered and mature (GEM attributes).
Excellence
Offer a relevant and comprehensive Science and Technology enhanced curriculum with the use of excellent school facilities.
Offer comprehensive student programs to develop the students’ critical thinking, research competencies and effective communication skills.
Provide opportunities to make career choices to prepare students’ college career path.
Linkage and Partnership
Build strong and effective partnership with stakeholders and the local community in the implementation of school programs and projects.
Indicate a deep sense of nationalism and appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of the country.
Principal Purposes of Evangelization
The baptized with the knowledge of the mystery of salvation, become even more aware of the gift of Faith they have received.
The baptized learn how to worship God the Father in spirit and truth.
The baptized develop into a perfect manhood and to strive the growth of the Mystical Body.
The baptized become aware of their calling and learned how to help in the Christian formation of the world.
1. NATURE AND AIM OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Religious Education is an integral dimension of the Church’s evangelizing mission.
Evangelization is the total mission of the Church in bringing the Good News into all strata of humanity transforming it from within (EN 18-27).
Catechesis aims to make men’s faith become living, conscious and active through the light of instruction (NCDP 114).
Religious Education is education in the faith especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted in a systematic into the fullness of Christian life (CT
18).
Dimensions of Religious Education (Knox, 2003)

Religious Education is "education in the faith...especially the teaching Of Christian doctrine...imparted in an organic and systematic way with a view of
initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life" (CT 18). It is an essential process for the integral Christian formation of Jesus' disciples today. How is
this goal achieved? Knox (2003) identifies three dimensions by which Religious Education has to take place:
a. INFORMATION (Faith as Believing). The first level involves imparting basic information about the Christian/Catholic faith, which includes
statements and explanations of doctrine and official teaching, creeds of belief, moral values, historical information, Scripture, Sacraments, liturgical
celebrations. It is very important that we come to know and understand our faith so as to live according to this faith.
b. FORMATION (Faith as Trusting). The level of formation is "the level of affect, or emotion, or value." Believers feel deeply that what they know
about faith "has personal value for them - that it is relevant to their present and future situation and experience something that adds meaning to their
life." This formation aspect of Religious Education corresponds to the "trusting" aspect of faith.
c. TRANSFORMATION (Faith as Doing/Obeying).The level of transformation is the level of personal commitment to Jesus that leads to conversion.
It is in this level that believers "develop and renew their faith to make a personal commitment to Jesus, a commitment that involves knowledge and gut-
level emotion, a commitment that makes Jesus Christ become real and present in every aspect of life and fills that life with meaning."
To emphasize further these dimensions, the National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines (NCDP) identifies five specific goals of Catechesis and/or
Religious Education:
the understanding of the truth about the Catholic faith, drawn directly from the basic sources of faith — the Holy Scripture, Tradition and
Magisterium;
the education in the basic principles and practice of Christian morality — the actual concrete way in which Filipino Catholics are called to
freely relate to God, to others, and to themselves;
the instruction of Catholics on how to pray and to participate actively in the Church's liturgy.
the development of a sense of belonging and committed service as active members in the Church community; and
the incarnation of the Christian faith in attitudes and values of daily life, and at the same time the interpretation of daily life in the light of the
Gospel (NCDP 124-131).
Goals of Religious Education (NCDP)

Understanding of the truth about the Catholic faith drawn directly from the Holy Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium.
Education in the basic principles and practice of Christian Morality.
Instruction of Catholics on how to pray and to participate actively in the Church’s liturgy.
Development of a sense of belonging and committed service as active members in the Church community.
Incarnation of the Christian faith in attitudes and values of daily life.
University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USL) was established through the request of His Excellency Msgr. Teodulfo Domingo to have a Catholic school

for boys in Tuguegarao in 1965. The request was approved by the CICM Superior General, Fr. Charles Pieters. During its opening, the university has
138 enrolled boys, composed of two sections for 1st year and one section for the 2nd year. The institution grew and opened courses in Civil
Engineering, Commerce, Liberal Arts, and Junior Secretarial course. In 1971, the school started to accept girls. The institution was finally granted its
university status in 2002 by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
2. THE CICM RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PEDAGOGY

There is no single best method of Catechesis (National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines).
The efficacy of every method of Catechesis is based on its intelligent use by the catechist and on the total human environment of the Catechesis.
The workings of the Holy Spirit are considered as the ultimate source of efficacy (NCDP 412-413).
A renewed Catechesis should be Christo-centric and rooted in the Word of God (PCP II 157).
See-Discern-Act Method (Cardinal Joseph Cardijn)
SEEING the analysis and assessment of one’s contextual experiences and beliefs as a Christian.
DISCERNING the mutual dialogue of faith experiences and teachings of the Church founded on Scriptures and Tradition.
ACTING the renewal and transformation (metanoia) in living out the Christian faith.

Religious Education is the "core of the core curriculum" in a Catholic school (Pope St John Paul II). Placing Religious education at the core of the
curriculum in Catholic schools helps the school to fulfill its mission to educate the whole person in discerning the meaning of their existence, since
"Religious Education is concerned not only with intellectual knowledge but also includes emotional and affective learning. It is in the mystery of the
Word made flesh that the mystery of what it is to be human truly becomes clear.
The Church Teaching leads the learners to the rich tradition of the Catholic Church which helps concretize the mission of continuously realizing the
good news of salvation to humanity entrusted by Christ. Through thematically selected documents from the Magisterium of the Church, the learners
are clearly guided of their role as members of the Church – as part of the body of Christ.
VALUE STATEMENT:
“It’s not about the church meeting your needs; it’s about joining the mission of God’s people to meet the world needs." -Brian D. McLoren
REMINDERS:
Kindly be reminded that there is a specific online consultation schedule which starts from 8:00-12:00 in the morning and 1:30-4:30 in the afternoon.
For any question or clarification, you may contact any of the following:
St. Gregory The Great
WEEK 2: The CICM

HELLO! Welcome Back!

A blessed day, great FAITHers! Last week, you just learned about the USL Vision-Mission, Louisian Core Values, and the Religious Education in
Catholic Schools. Therefore, I am expecting that you have developed a deeper understanding about the essence of these topics especially the Core Values
which you can apply later on in your life. I am also hoping that you are still eager to learn new interesting lessons because for this week, you shall be given
another lesson to study and another learning task to submit.
I am hoping that as a student, you shall do your part and will give your best in learning and accomplishing all your tasks. This new normal may not
easy but with both our efforts, we can still make teaching and learning process effective. Before we finally start, may we pray first the Louisian Prayer.
O God, wellspring of goodness and blessings, we give you thanks and praise as one Louisian community. The graces You incessantly grant upon us and
Your divine providence have sustained our beloved University throughout the years of mission and excellence.
Grant all these supplications through the intercession of
Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

1. CICM AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Religious Education, as a form of Catechesis, is an essential part of the CICM missionary activity. The late Fr. John Van Bauwel, CICM, wrote that
Catechesis “was and remains to be an important concern of all CICM missionaries in the Philippines since their arrival on November 2, 1907".
Bishop Constant Jurgens, one of the first nine CICM missionaries in the country, wrote Katecismo ti Doctrina Kristiana which was published in 1916 by
the Catholic Mission Press (a printing press put up by the CICM).
The education apostolate has always been considered by the CICM as a special means of accomplishing the mission of God entrusted to them.
Education is a means of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus and of forming Christian communities, especially among the youth. Hence, in almost
every place where the CICM missionaries were assigned, a parish and a mission school were established. In the Philippines, more than 200 CICM
mission schools/stations were established. Most of these schools were turned over to the local parishes.
The following are the six prime educational institutions of the CICM Philippine province which remained strategically important to their new pastoral
direction, especially in terms of the evangelization of the youth and the development of the local church.
Prime Educational Institutions of the CICM Philippine Province

School: Saint Mary’s Uiversity Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya
Founder: Fr. Constant Jurgens, CICM, Fr. Achilles de Gryse, CICM and Fr. Godfrey Lambrecht, CICM
Established: 1928
Motto: Sapienta a Deo, “Wisdom from God”

School: Saint Louis University Baguio

Founder: Fr. Seraphin Devesse, CICM
Established: 1911
Motto: Sapienta Aedificat, “Wisdom Builds”

School: Saint Louis College La Union
Founder: Msgr. Salvador Lazo

Established: 1964

School: Saint Louis College Cebu
Founder: Msgr. Wilfried Daels, CICM Established: 1971
School: Maryhill School of Theology
Founder: Fr. P.V. Parijs, CICM, Fr. A. Chupungco, asb, Fr. E. Flameygh, CICM, Fr. H. Hendrick, CICM, Fr. P. Staes, CICM, Fr. L. Wostyn, CICM
Established: 1971
Motto: Sampuso, Sandiwa, “One Heart, One Soul”

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CICM’s origins lie in Scheut, Anderlecht, a suburb of Brussels; that is why we are mostly known as the Scheut Missionaries. Presently, our
international name "CICM Missionaries" is preferred, although, in the United States of America, the Congregation is mostly known as
Missionhurst.
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Every CICM educational institution lives up to the missionary identity of the CICM. Inspired by the mission of Jesus, CICM educational institutions envision
to give special attention to the oppressed, the disadvantaged, and the handicapped. To realize this vision, the CICM-RP Province has the following general
educational objectives:
General Educational Objectives of CICM-RP
to form an educational community of administrators, faculty, students, personnel, and parents who are conscious that their knowledge, skills, and
attitudes should be geared to become a sign of the kingdom and to realize their highest human dignity;
to give the educational community an adequate exposure to the Catholic faith, in Catechesis, as well as in liturgy and practice, to enable Catholics to
grow to maturity in faith, and to be inviting and open to non-Catholics and non-Christians through sound ecumenism and mutual respect;
to animate the lay people in our institutions through the Church and CICM vision on education, promoting the teaching profession in whatever field as
a special charismatic service to God's people;
to reflect continually in the light of Catholic faith upon the growing treasures of human knowledge and to transmit it through teaching, research, and
various services to our communities;
to be committed to the service of the people of God and human society in general: to study contemporary problems such as the dignity of human life,
promotion of justice and peace, and a just sharing in the world's resources;
to look for ways and means to give the same chances to the children of as many disadvantaged families as possible;
to serve as a dynamic base for the CICM Institute by which it creates awareness for the missionary task of the universal Church and engages in vocation
animation;
to cooperate with the local Church, striving for a common vision, while respecting its authority and the CICM orientation.
to integrate and promote the life-giving aspect of the cultural and moral values of the people;
to strive in providing the society academic excellence of international standards that radiates the Christian life through relevant Religious Education
which is an integral component of the missionary activity of Catholic educational institutions where CICM schools were originally founded.
2. FOUR COMPONENTS OF CHRISTIAN FORMATION

a. Prayer and Liturgy
In the life and ministry of Jesus, prayer occupies a very essential part. We find in the gospels several accounts of Jesus at prayer. He often goes off to a
deserted place (Mk 1: 35) or to the mountain and spend the whole night in prayer (Lk 6-12). He is a perfect model and teacher of prayer to His
disciples, both then and now. He even teaches His disciples the most basic of all Christian prayers, the “Our Father.”
“Prayer is a vital necessity to Christian life…, Prayer and Christian life are inseparable” (CCC 2743-44)
Prayer is “intimate conversation with GOD” (St. Teresa of Avila). It is through prayer that we too can grow in our personal relationship with God.
Liturgy is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed…” (SC 10). It is Christian’s (Catholic’s) official public worship, which is
centered in the Eucharist and the other sacraments. In the Liturgy, the Christian community gathers around the Lord whose presence is encountered
through the assembly, the minister, the scriptural Word, the prayers and songs, and the species of bread and wine.
In the Liturgy, we assemble and pray in the name of our Lord through whom we have “access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). Here we
encounter in faith the Lord. In other words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, as quoted in the CBCP’s Pastoral Letter, “We can also encounter Christ in
reading the Holy Scripture, in prayer, in the liturgical life of the Church. And it is only in this personal relationship with Christ, in the meeting with the
Risen One, that we are truly Christian.”
b. Religious Education
Religious Education is more than just giving “religious information,” or knowledge about religion like the Scripture, doctrine, church history, liturgy
and morality.
It should lead every Christian towards a personal and intimate relationship with God. It should make every Christian aware of God’s presence and be
touch with Him who cares for human beings.
Religious Education, the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “contributes to the overall formation of the person and makes it possible to transform knowledge
into wisdom of life.”
Through Religious Education, “school and society are enriched with true laboratories of culture and humanity in which, by deciphering the significant
contribution of Christianity, the person is equipped to discover goodness and to grow in responsibility, to seek comparisons and to refine his or her
critical sense, to draw from the gifts of the past to understand the present better and to be able to plan wisely for the future” (Pope Benedict XVI, 2009).
Religious Education in CICM schools is geared towards the integral Christian formation of the youth so that they will become mature, active and
responsible members of the Church and society.
c. Social Involvement
Christians are called to take an active part in transforming the community, society and the whole world.
It is an essential part of our life to be actively involved in finding solutions to the problems of our society such as poverty, oppression, discrimination,
graft and corruption, criminality, environmental destruction, and many other societal problems.
It is an integral part of our life to be actively involved in finding solutions to the problems of our society.
Transformation in our community, society, and the whole world.
We are called upon to carry on the work of God here on earth.
d. Vocation-Mission Animation
A Christian vocation is a response to the call of God to live life as a faithful disciple of Jesus.
Out of His great love, God has willed and planned that we are brought into this world. He calls on us to live to the fullest (Jn. 10:10). He calls us to take
part in the life and mission of the Church. Through our Christian Baptism, He has called us to be disciples of His Son. God invites us to give our
generous and loving response to His call.
In order to make the entire school community become aware of that call, and that generous response that it requires, the CICM has a Vocation-
Animation Program Activities for the program are undertaken throughout the school year especially during the months of September and October.
Through such activities, the school community is invited to express concretely its support to the missionary work of the whole Church in general, and to
the CICM missionary projects in particular.

As a missionary congregation of priests and brothers, the CICM is an instrument of the Church in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. It has performed
this mission with vigor and dedication. It would be very interesting to know how the CICM came about. What inspired its founder in establishing this
congregation? What is its charism? How come it continues to exist up to the present?
1. HISTORY OF CICM
CICM is known as The Conregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and was established in 1862 by Fr.
Theophile Verbist, in Scheut, Anderlecht, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. Hence, the members of the congregation
arealso known as the Scheut fathers or Scheutists. In the US, they are known as Missionhurst Missionaries. In the Philippines, they are identified as the
Belgian missionaries.
The founder of the CICM, Fr. Theophile Verbist, was a diocesan priest from Antwerp, Belgium. As a priest in the Archdiocese of Malines, he served as a
staff in a minor seminary, as chaplain in a military academy, andasdirectorof the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Since 1840, some members of this
religious congregation of sisters have been working in different missionary regions. According to oral tradition, it is in the chapel of the sisters that,
while praying, Fr. Theophile Verbist set up his plan to become a missionary.
Fr. Theophile Verbist's desire to consecrate himself to the life of a missionary started to be realized when the Treaty of Peking was signed on October
25, 1860.
In 1865, Fr. Theophile Verbist and three confreres: Fr. Alois Van Segvelt, Fr. Ferdinand Hamer, Fr. Francois Vranckx and a Belgian layman, Paul
Splingaerd arrived in Xiwanzi, Inner Mongolia and took over the Vicariate Apostolic from the Lazarists, Being new to a foreign land, they had to face a
lot of difficulties, including the harsh terrain, severe weather, vast distances, learning the language of the people, and unfamiliar diseases. But these
challenges did not prevent them in planting the seeds of CICM missionary work.
on February 23, 1868, Fr. Theophile Verbist died of typhoid fever, in a small village of LaoHu-Kou. He was 45 years old. On hearing of his death,
Indeed, in the period between 1865 to 1887, CICM sent no less than 74 missionaries to Inner Mongolia to continue the missionary work that Fr.
Theophile Verbist started.

In 1888, there were more than a hundred CICM missionaries. Because of this growth in number, and the growing demand for missionaries in other
countries, the CICM expanded its missionary work.
In 1931, the first CICM missionaries arrived in Singapore. Today, in this very important trading and busiest port in the world, the CICM missionaries
continue to minister to foreign workers and seafarers, and promote interreligious dialogue.
Six years later, in 1937, the CICM established its mission States, in founded Indonesia. a Catechetical Here, the Institute, CICM a minor seminary, and
an agricultural school.
After World War II, the CICM responded Church born to the invitation of the Bishop of Osaka, and started ministering to the Japanese people in 1948.
Among the different works of the CICM in Japan, inter-religious dialogue is of utmost importance.
Haiti known as the poorest country in the Americas, started to receive CICM missionaries in 1953. Among other missionary works, the CICM is
involved in family and youth creation, apostolate, and justice, peace and integrity of creation.
In 1958, Filipino CICMs were among the pioneering group of CICM missionaries that started mission work in Dominican Republic. In 1963, Brazil
started to welcome CICM Missionaries. Three years later, in 1966, the first team of CICM missionaries arrived in Cameroon.
In 1976, Zambia and Senegal were added to the growing number of CICM mission stations. Nigeria and Mexico welcomed CICM missionaries in 1977
and 1979, respectively.
In 1990, CICM missionaries embarked on a new mission in Chad, while in 1992, the arrival of CICM missionaries started the Catholic Church's
presence in Mongolia. Angala and Mozambique became part of the CICM missions in 1995 and 1999, respectively.
2. THE CICM MISSION AND CHARISM

The CICM is an international religious missionary congregation, dedicated to the incarnate Word under the name and patronage of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
It is a missionary congregation founded in order to participate in the mission that Jesus has entrusted to the whole Church.
Every CICM missionary is called to follow Jesus, to share His life and destiny, and to conform everything to Him in faith. The CICM missionary is called
to go beyond geographical and religious boundaries to share Jesus Christ with all those who do not know Him.
This is the CICM charism ad-gentes (to the nations), ad-extra (towards the outside): to go where they are sent "where they are most needed in frontier
situations". Every CICM missionary is willing to leave behind everything, including his family, culture, and possessions. He is sent to proclaim the Good
News of salvation to all nations. This Good News is a gift from God that liberates people from all forms of oppression and sin.
The first edition of the CICM constitution, as approved by the Holy See in 1900, states that: "The CICM is to preach the Good News to the people of
China; to establish the Christian community and to take care, especially, of abandoned children". From this statement, three general pastoral concerns
of the CICM missionary activities are implied: evangelization, establishment of Christian communities, and care for the youth.
As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Through the Bible, God speaks to us today, as He Himself had spoken to the people of the
Scriptures. So, as we commence the religious education program in the Senior High School of the CICM schools, let us open our hearts, and minds to the
message of God in the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.
First, we will have some basic background about the Bible. After which, we will reflect upon one of the significant themes in the Old Testament-the
household of God. Following the main divisions of the Old Testament, we will trace the beginnings of the household of God, look into its rise and fall, and
examine how it was nourished and sustained. By doing so, we hope that we can also nourish our life, as followers of Jesus and members of the household of
God today-the Church.
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CICM missionaries are called to go beyond geographical and religious boundaries to share Jesus Christ with all those who do not know him.
Priests and Brothers from the congregation take the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and live-in close contact with the local community
rather than as a religious community. Seeing the potent role of schools for Christian evangelization, the CICM, an international community of
religious missionaries dedicated to the Incarnate Word under the aegis of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, has been massively influential in the
Philippines since 1907 through their educational apostolate.
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VALUE STATEMENT:
To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending love.
-David Bosch
REMINDERS:
Kindly be reminded that there is a specific online consultation schedule which starts from 7:30:00-12:00 in the morning and 1:15-5:15 in the
afternoon.

WEEK 3: The Bible and Its Background

WEEK 3:
THE BIBLE AND ITS BACKGROUND

GOOD DAY, LOUISIAN GEMS!

Last week, you just learned about the CICM RP-Province’s Vision and Mission of Education and the CICM Story. Therefore, I am expecting that you
have developed a deeper understanding about the essence of these topics especially the CICM story which you can apply later on in your life. I am also hoping
that you are still eager to learn new interesting lessons because for this week, you shall be given another lesson to study and another learning task to submit.
Students that are eager to learn and ask questions, in my opinion, are those who appreciate genuine education. This way, I'll be able to tell if you
comprehended the lesson or not. I appreciate time as well, therefore make sure you submit your activities/requirements on time. Please be aware that
submitting your activities/learning tasks late will result in a corresponding deduction. Furthermore, if your activities/requirements are only due a week
beyond the deadline, the highest possible score is given based on the total number of items. Before we finally start, may we pray first the Louisian Prayer.
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LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
To start, here are the learning competencies that you need to remember for this week.
At the end of the discussion, you should be able to:
Demonstrate understanding of the historical background of the bible;

Discover the different crucial events that led to the formation of the Bible;
Deepen understanding of the Scripture to seek and know God;
Explore the Biblical inspiration and inerrancy, and the basic sources of the Bible;
Apply the essential wisdom form the Bible for making our way through life; and
Prosper spiritually and bring blessing and true success in life through the activities provided.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How does the word of God help you in your daily life?
How would a spiritual experience and encounter with God aid a person's spiritual growth?
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What is in a name? A name is so important that whenever a child is born, or even upon his/her conception, the parents already start to think of a good
name for the child. It should be something that will also reflect their love for one another. Some parents come up with a name that combines their own
names. But most importantly, from the time a name is given to a person, it will give him/her a sense of identity and dignity.
The Bible also is known with different names/titles. One of the names/titles that we use for the Bible is “The Word of God”. Let us reflect on what that
Bible reveals about itself through this name/title.
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The Word of God Stands Forever

(Isaiah 40: 4-8)
Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low; the rugged shall be a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. A voice says, “Proclaim!” I answer, “What shall I proclaim?” “All
flesh is grass, and all their loyalty like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the Lord blow upon it.” “Yes, the people
is grass! The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God stands forever.”
The message of the prophet Isaiah in this text is a mixture of impermanence and permanence, power and tenderness. People are, “like grass,” part of the
created order, impermanent. The Word of God, however, is permanent, steadfast, and powerful. In contrast to the frailty and fleeting glory of the human
being (the grass withers, the flower fades), the Word of God endures. The Word of God has endured. It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of
persecution, of everchanging philosophies, of all kinds of critics, the Word of our God stands forever!
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1. Etymology
The word Bible was derived from the Greek word biblion. Biblion was the Greek word used in the New Testament which means “small book”. The Greek
word biblion is singular (“book”), and the plural is ta biblia or “books”. The whole collection of the biblical came to be known as ta biblia.
Although it is bound under one cover and bears a single title, the Bible is a collection of some 73 different works by different authors (Catholic version),
using different styles and perspectives, composed over a span of several centuries, and in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek).
Most of the Old Testament (46 books) was written in Hebrew, but some parts were written in Aramaic, a Middle Eastern language related to but
different from Hebrew (ex. Ezra 4:6- 6:18). All 27 books of the New Testament were composed and written in Greek.
2. Other Names Used for the Bible

Holy Scripture
It came from the Latin scriptus, in Greek graphe, and in Hebrew mikra which means “written”. It refers to religious writings that are considered
authoritative, foundational, and sacred.
Holy Writ
It is the sacred writings of the Christian religion. The Bible is also called Holy Writ because it contains salvation history.
The Word of God
It refers to revelation of God’s word.
Oracles of God
It contains God’s divine utterance for humanity.
The Law
It can refer to the first five books of Moses and can also use to refer to the entire Jewish Bible.
The number of books in the whole Bible is varied. The most important differences concern the Old Testament. The Jewish scriptures contain
only 24 books (Some books of the Old Testament are fused; New Testament is not included.) Protestant Churches include in their Bible all 39
books that belong to the Hebrew Bible. The Roman Catholic Church recognize 46 Old Testament books and the Orthodox Church following
the text of the Septuagint (LXX) 50 books. These differences are related to Deuterocanonical books, called by Protestant Churches Apocrypha. All
Christians agree with the same number of 27 books in the New Testament (Podhajski, 2017).
The number of books in the whole Bible is varied. The most important differences concern the Old Testament. The Jewish scriptures contain only
24 books (Some books of the Old Testament are fused; New Testament is not included.) Protestant Churches include in their Bible all 39 books that
belong to the Hebrew Bible. The Roman Catholic Church recognize 46 Old Testament books and the Orthodox Church following the text of the
Septuagint (LXX) 50 books. These differences are related to Deuterocanonical books, called by Protestant Churches Apocrypha. All Christians agree with the
same number of 27 books in the New Testament (Podhajski, 2017).
For us Christians the Bible is unmatched in importance I learning about God, His plan for us, and how He has worked through human history for our
salvation. As Dei Verbum points out, “God speaks in Sacred Scripture through men [sic] in human fashion”” (12). Saint Jerome, a father and Doctor of the
Catholic Church from the 5th century AD, also emphasized the need for all Christians to become intimately familiar with Scripture because for him
ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states that "through all the words of Sacred Scripture, God speaks only one single Word, His one Utterance whom
He expresses Himself completely. For this reason, the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord's Body. She never ceases to
present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God, Word and Christ's Body in Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her
nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, but as what it really is the word of God". In the sacred books, the Father who is in
heaven comes lovingly to meet His children and talks with them" (101-104).
St. John Paul II also wrote in one of his apostolic letters (Patres Ecclesiae January 2, 1980): Sacred Scripture truly divine, because it belongs to God truly and
genuinely: God himself inspired it, God confirmed it, God spoke it through the sacred writers Moses, the Prophets, the Evangelists, the Apostles and, above
all, through his Son, our only Lord, in both the Old and New Testaments. It is true that the intensity and depth of the revelation varies [within the Bible], but
there is not the least shadow of contradiction [between different parts of Scripture].
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Biblical inspiration together with inerrancy are concepts that are foundational about what we believe in the Bible. When the questions of
inspiration and inerrancy with regard to the Bible have been answered, the issue of authority will have been settled. The authority of Scripture cannot be
separated from the authority of God. Whatever the Bible affirms, God affirms. And what the Bible affirms/denies, it affirms/denies with the very authority
of God.
1. Biblical Inspiration
A good starting point for understanding the notion of the biblical inspiration is understood as God “breathing” His message to the biblical authors.
This is called theopneustia ("theopneustos" [theos]=God, [pneustos]=breath) in Greek, which means “God-breathed out”. The Bible was written
through the process of divine inspiration. Though written by humans, God is the primary author in breathing out His Word. Thus, when the biblical
authors wrote, they wrote what. God wanted them to communicate and because it was from God, they wrote it without error. This process is what we
call inspiration. It applies to the very words and to all of Scriptures.
Though there is much confusion as to how God specifically used the biblical authors, 2 Peter 1:20-21 (Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of
scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke under the influence of God.) also provide an additional insight to what was pointed by Saint Paul in 2 Tim. 3:16-17. These verses make it clear
that that God spoke through human authors so that when they wrote, the words were fully their own but also fully the words that God wanted them to
write words that God would claim to be His own. God moved the writers in such a way that was not mechanical or magical, but while preserving their
own personalities, experiences and wills they wrote in the very thoughts of God.
Further the Vatican II document Dei Verbum also states that: For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accept as sacred and
canonical the books of the Old and New Testaments, whole and entire with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit God chose certain men who, all the while he employed this task, made use of their powers and faculties so that though he acted in them
and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more (11). From this statement, the following
implications were drawn by Knox (2003):
1. The writers are human authors. They went through the same process of research and composition, and they wrote in their own particular
style and with the linguistic tools available to them as product of their own particular culture and circumstances in life.
Many people contributed to the writing of the Bible. Based on tradition it is a diverse collection of writings from about 40 main contributors-30 in
the Old Testament and 10 in the New Testament. Some books are actually collections of writings from several authors, not just one. For instance,
while many people think of David when they think of the book of Psalms, there are individual psalms attributed to Moses, Asaph, a man named
Ethan, and the sons of Korah (Kranz, 2018)
a. Old Testament Authors

Moses
He is considered as the primary human author of the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah.
He ensured the narratives, genealogies, and law codes were retold and were later known as the “five books of Moses”.
David
He is considered as the main human author of Psalms.
King Solomon
He is credited with writing and inspiring much of Bible’s wisdom literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc.).
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos
These are the prophets who wrote the oracles which were delivered in person—shouted from the street corners, spoken in from of the
Jewish temple in Jerusalem, or pronounced in the royal course of Israel and Judah.
b. New Testament Authors
Paul and Peter
They wrote the letters which are considered as one of the earliest writings in the New Testament.
Luke
He wrote the Luke and Acts which are a two-volume series on the life of Jesus and the early church.
Matthew or Levi
The Gospel of Matthew is popularly attributed to a text collector variously known as Levi or Matthew.
John Mark
He wrote the Mark’s Gospel which is thought to record the memoirs of Peter.
John
He’s one of the closest disciples of Jesus who wrote the gospel of John.

2. The Holy Spirit acted in and through the author’s own natural powers and abilities. God did not dictate what to write, in the sense
of putting words into their minds. The Holy Spirit made sure that in their choice of words and forms of expression they were conveying the
message of God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the principal author of Sacred Scriptures, but the message God wanted is embedded in human
language that corresponds to the intention of the author. It is what the author intended to write that contains God's message, not the simple face
value of the words.
Holy Spirit
It acted in and through the author’s own natural powers and abilities.
It is the principal author of Sacred Scripture.
It is the primary source of Divine Revelation (the unveiling of God’s mystery and of His saving activity).
2. Biblical Inerrancy
Saint Augustine once said that if he ever ran across an apparent error in the Bible, he would conclude that:

a. The translator of the sacred text made a mistake when he translated the original Hebrew or Greek into the vernacular or common language;
b. The person who copied the manuscript from the original made a mistake;
c. The reader is misinterpreting a text and is not using the author’s intended meaning.
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The whole Bible was written over a period of more than 1000 years, from about 1000 BC to about 100 AD. The Bible did not come as a written text. At
first, they were words that were proclaimed or even sung. Before any word was ever written, there was the oral tradition. These oral traditions were
transmitted from one generation to another. Nothing was actually written since the people were basically nomads, and did not yet have a distinct and
recognizable nation. There were events that happened in the past that made words to be spoken and written. The formation of the books of the Bible was like
a mountain range with four dominant peaks. These dominant peaks in biblical history were the Exodus and the Covenant at Sinai, the Establishment of the
Kingdom of Israel, the Exile, and the Jesus Event.
CRUCIAL EVENTS THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE BIBLE

1. The Exodus and the Covenant at Mt. Sinai

Exodus is a significant event in Israel's history. It serves as more than an account of wandering in the desert; it is rather a paradigm, a pattern of how God
deals with his people, signifying formation of a relationship. The Exodus story is taken in a broad sense to include the whole content of Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy. It is characterized as a complex cycle from bondage, through confrontation to liberation, followed by the entering into
relationship in the covenant, cycles of rebellion and punishment, and finally the imminent prospect of possession.
The development of the Pentateuch can also be traced from this event. From a people enslaved in Egypt, the Jews were transformed into a free and chosen
people of God. Their desire to know their origins resulted to the formation the materials that we now have in the book of Genesis. Laws were formulated to
govern the new type of society that they have - laws that we find in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. A census also took place to determine the
membership and leadership of the new people of God. The laws were later edited; this editing resulted to the formation of another book: Deuteronomy
(deutero-second, nomos-law) or "the Second Law."
When at last they reached the Promised Land, they understood that God indeed could be trusted and His word is. everlasting. Their defeat of the original
settlers of the land of Canaan (Edomites, Jebusites, Ammonites) is a proof of God's supreme power.
2. The Establishment of the Kingdom
From simply a free to a chosen but still divided people, the Israelites became united and a very powerful kingdom. As the Israelites settled in the land,
they were plagued by intermittent warfare. How the kingdom was experienced by the Israelites both in unity and later in their division into two
kingdoms produced the texts that we now have from 1 Samuel 9 to 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles Their experience of abundance made them
forget and become unfaithful to God. Israel's experience of the Kingdom was disastrous. The infidelity of their kings and the people to God caused the
formation of a new form of literature in the Old Testament - the Prophetic Books.
3. The Exile
The Exile produced some of the prophetic books like Ezekiel and most of the minor prophets. The period of Exile proved to be a mixture of blessing and
chastisements. It was both a punishment as well as a time of purification. It was also providential for the writing of other books of the Bible. With the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and most of the priests in exile, some priests turned. their efforts into gathering old traditions and organizing
them into what is now. known as the Priestly Tradition. In the loneliness of the Exile, Israel was also able to reflect on the past goodness of God and to
consolidate its history. It tried to make sense of the hardships of the Exile. This gave rise to the Deuteronomic history. Their experiences made them
repent and realize that without God they were nothing. That is why the tone of the message of the prophets changed.
4. The Jesus Event
At this point, gradually the forms of literature in the Bible developed a more encompassing
expression of God's relationship with humanity. From a Christian perspective, this universal expression led to the "Crucial Event" that transformed not only
the types of literature of the rest of the Bible but also the whole relationship of God with humanity. This event was the birth, public ministry, passion, death
and resurrection of Jesus.
Four versions of the Gospel were developed from the Jesus Event to be understood from different perspectives. How this event was continued in the
early Church resulted to the composition of the Acts of the Apostles. Letters were produced to remind the early Christians of their failure to live out the values
of this Event. Finally, the hope which was brought about by the Jesus Event, the final goal for which it happened was set out in God disclosing His divine plan
of Salvation.

5. Formation of the Canon
Several years later the Church discerned the Canon (CCC 120). Fixed canons of the Bible were not known much before the end of the Second and early
Third century. It took a few hundred years to complete this process of officially defining the Christian Canon of the whole Bible. During that time,
bishops discussed and debated the matter with one another to determine whether the texts contained the inspired Word of God. Although there was no
official canon during this early period in the Church, the vast majority of the books of the Catholic Bible were already recognized as authentic Scripture.
The Church through its bishops, verified and defined the Canon of the Bible. In fact, Catholics saw this as an outstanding illustration of the Catholic
teaching that the Holy Spirit actively led and guided the bishops of the Church in a special way: we can rely on the accuracy of the Bible only to the
extent that we can rely on the divine guidance of the Church, Saint Damasus I gathered a representation of bishops from the Christian world (called a
synod) in 382 A.D. to define the Canon of Scripture for the whole Church. This Canon was ratified by numerous other Popes, synods, and Church
Councils. That Canon is what we use today - all the books of the Catholic Bible.
The Christian Bible is divided into two major sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament like the rest of the Bible is a document of faith. Its purpose is to elicit faith in those who ponder upon its divine content. The
OT is not meant to be read as a document of science, archeology, astronomy, or history.
The New Testament for Christians is the inspired testimony about Christ the Son of God and the New Covenant He came to establish between
humanity and God. The NT is centered on Jesus of Nazareth, his life, death, ang Jesus' ministry and teachings, and the Church's post-resurrection
understanding resurrection, which are also known as the Paschal Mystery.
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The word "testament” signifies a formal agreement, or covenant between two parties, with specific obligations on each side. Covenants often promise
specific benefits, or blessings for people who keep the terms of the covenant but they also threaten sanctions, punishments, or curses for people who
break the terms of the covenant.
Different religious groupings vary in the number of books that make up the Canon of their Scriptures. Catholics (both of the Roman and Greek Rites),
the Greek Orthodox and the Anglicans recognize seventy-three (73) books in the Canon of their Bible.
Protestants, on the other hand, recognize only sixty-six (66) books in their Canon. However, they all recognize the twenty-seven (27) books of the New
Testament as canonical. It is in the Old Testament that different religions differ in the number of canonical books
Catholic Bibles have seven more books in the Old Testament which they call as deuterocanonicals (Judith, Ecclesiasticus or Sirach, Wisdom, Baruch,
Maccabees 1 and 2, and Tobit). Protestants on the other hand reject these books as part of the Bible. But some Protestant versions include them as
canonical, and place them in a section called Apocrypha.
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In this lesson, we have learned how the Bible came to be. It is the result of crucial events where people experienced the presence and saving action of God.
For this reason, we are also invited to experience the presence and saving action of God in our lives today by:
1. Reading the Bible regularly in order to strengthen our faith in God;
2. Praying with the Bible so as to become more aware of the presence and saving action of God in our personal lives, and
3. Expressing our gratitude to God through our active participation in the Mass, such as serving as lectors, commentators, knights of the altar, choir
members.
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VALUE STATEMENT:
“Prior to an individual's encounter with the love of God at a particular time in history, however, there has to be another, more fundamental and
archetypal encounter, which belongs to the conditions of possibility of the appearance of divine love to man.”
−Hans Urs Von Balthasar
REMINDERS:
Kindly be reminded that there is a specific online consultation schedule from Monday to Friday (7:30:00-12:00 in the morning and 1:15-5:15 in the
afternoon).

WEEK 4: Formation of the Bible

WEEK 4:
FORMATION OF THE BIBLE

A BLESSED DAY, EVERYONE!

You just discovered about the Bible's history and background, as well as the crucial events that contributed to its development, last week. As a result, I
anticipate that you have gained a better understanding of the core of these topics, particularly the ideals that you may use later in life. I also hope you are still
willing to learn new and interesting concepts since you will be given another lesson to study and another learning activity to complete this week. Before we
finally start, may we pray first the Louisian Prayer.
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At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
explore the sources and criteria for scriptural canonicity;

discover the two major sections of Christian Bible;
determine the factors needed to interpret the Bible;
differentiate the major genres within the Old and the New Testaments;
demonstrate understanding on the source of divine revelation; and
narrate one’s experience related to one of the crucial historical events that led to the formation of the Bible.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
What is the importance of the Word of God in your life?
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Life can be full of complexities. Sometimes there are things you cannot understand but you only have one piece of it. There some experiences in
life that for them to be fully understood, they have to be related to other life experiences just like a jigsaw puzzle. You need to clearly see you want
to solve. For instance, just like a jigsaw puzzle you need to have a clear picture of your goal or your dream. This can also be likened to how the
Bible was developed. The books of the Bible are like pieces of a big puzzle that took many centuries to be formed. The design of each shape of the
puzzle was set in motion by crucial events that took place in the life of the Israelites. Let us now reflect on these crucial events and how these led
to the formation of the Bible.
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God's Chosen People

(Deuteronomy 7:6-11)
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his
treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the
fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and
redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful
God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. But those who hate him he will repay to
their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I
give you today.
These verses reveal the Divine election of the Israelites. In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jewish people were singularly chosen to enter the
covenant with God. This is a central idea throughout the history of the Jewish people. But does "chosenness" really mean the Jews were divinely chosen?
After all, how did the notion of one God become known to the world? According to Jewish belief, chosenness is to make God known to the world. Because this
people are a human family with all the frailties and failings, the people of Israel never ceased to prove unworthy of its chosenness; many times they were
unfaithful to the mission laid upon them by God. God, in His infinite mercy nevertheless continued to love this people above all others. To it, He has given
His name so that He is known to all the families of the earth as the God of Israel as Rabbi Louis Jacobs has written: "We are not discussing a dogma
incapable of verification, but the recognition of sober historical fact. The world owes to Israel the idea of the one God of righteousness and holiness. This is
how God became known to mankind [sic]."Yahweh establishes his identity ("Yahweh your God") and, by implication, the Israelites' identity (Yahweh's
people). Yahweh also reminds them of their recent salvation history-He brought them out of Egyptian slavery. This is also important because Jewish history
is very crucial to the formation of the books of the Bible. Without God's intervention in Jewish history there could not have been the Bible (Pelaia, 2017).
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What is the importance of the Word of God in your life?

Unfortunately, we live in a world today where the bible is depicted as being outdated, fictional, having little value, and to some, completely irrelevant.
If these questions sound familiar (whether you find yourself asking them, or whether you've had someone else ask and you didn't know how to answer), then
it’s time to take a step back to re-affirm the foundation of your Christian faith. If you want to be victorious in your walk with God, everything starts from
acknowledging the importance of the bible. Let us reflect on what Pope Francis said,
“Another good way to grow in friendship with Christ is by listening to his word. The Lord speaks to us in the depths of our conscience, he speaks to
us through Sacred Scripture, he speaks to us in prayer. Learn to stay before him in silence, to read and meditate on the Bible, especially the Gospels, to
converse with him every day in order to feel his presence of friendship and love.” −Pope Francis
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The Greek word “kanon” originally meant “measuring rod; rule; criterion” (2 Cor 10:13-16; Gal 6: 16), but later came to mean a list of
writing that met a certain criterion. “Canonization” or to be “canonized” refers to the process by which a book was accepted into the official list of
core scriptures. A scriptural canon is usually considered as “fixed” or “closed,” meaning no other books should be added to it.
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The Church discerned the Canon (CCC 120). Fixed canons of the Bible were not known much before the end of the Second and early Third century. It
took a few hundred years to complete this process of officially defining the Christian Canon of the whole Bible. During that time, bishops discussed and
debated the matter with one another to determine whether the texts contained the inspired Word of God. Although there was no official canon during this
early period in the Church, the vast majority of the books of the Catholic Bible were already recognized as authentic Scripture. The Church through its
bishops, verified and defined the Canon of the Bible. In fact, Catholics saw this as an outstanding illustration of the Catholic teaching that the Holy Spirit
actively led and guided the bishops of the Church in a special way: we can rely on the accuracy of the Bible only to the extent that we can rely on the divine
guidance of the Church, Saint Damasus I gathered a representation of bishops from the Christian world (called a synod) in 382 A.D. to define the Canon of
Scripture for the whole Church. This Canon was ratified by numerous other Popes, synods, and Church Councils. That Canon is what we use today - all the
books of the Catholic Bible.
Because God did not explicitly reveal to anyone what books are inspired, the Bible itself offers guidance in discovering the canon. Jesus himself will tell us
that He has not revealed all truths to us.
I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He
will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things are coming (Jn 16-12-13).
But the He himself will assist us in knowing other truths.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot
accept, because it neither sees nor know it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you (Jn 14:16-17).
Canonical books are those books which have been acknowledge as belonging to the list of books the Church considers to be inspired and to contain a rule of
faith and some criteria used to determine biblical canonicity are:
Special relation to God, i.e., inspiration;

Prophetic/apostolic origin;
Used in Church services, i.e., used by the community of believers guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Christian Bible is divided into two major sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament and New Testament are distinct
but related to each other:
1. The Old Testament like the rest of the Bible is a document of faith is purpose is to elicit faith in those who ponder upon its divine content. The OT is
not meant to be read as a document of science, archeology, astronomy, or history. The term Old Testament does not also mean outdated, the word "old"
is a title of respect or reverence.
2. The New Testament for Christians is the inspired testimony about Jesus Christ the Son of God and the New Covenant. He came to establish
between humanity and God. The NT is centered on Jesus of Nazareth, his life, death, and resurrection, which are also known as the Paschal Mystery.
The word "testament" is not the same as testimony or witness; or, in legal parlance, a written will that indicates what to do with a person's property
after his/ her death. The word comes from the, Latin testamentum, Hebrew berith, Greek diatheke, a formal agreement, or covenant between two parties,
with specific obligations on each side.
Covenants need to be ratified formally, generally sealed with blood, and often. Involve animal sacrifices; concrete symbols are often exchanged to
remind the two parties about their agreement. The parties involved might be individuals, families, states, kings, or even God.
It was Tertulian (200 AD), who introduced the "Old Testament" for the Jewish Scriptures and "New Testament" for the Christian Scriptures.
Different religious groupings vary in the number of books that made up the Canon of their Scriptures Catholics (both of the Roman and Greek rites),
the Greek Orthodox and the Anglicans recognize seventy-three (73) books in the Canon of their Bible.
Protestants, on the other hand, recognize only sixty-six (66) books in their Canon. However, they all recognize the twenty-seven (27) books of the New
Testament as canonical.
Catholic Bibles have seven more books in the Old Testament which they call as deuterocanonicals (Judith, Ecclesiasticus or Sirach,Wisdom, Baruch,
Maccabees 1 and 2, and Tobit).

Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, the Semitic tongue spoken by the Israelites. Later parts of the Old Testament were written in Aramaic, a
dialect closely related to Hebrew and the language spoken by Jesus. During the 7th century A.D. the "Masoretes" fixed the meaning of the texts by adding
vowels the form of little points above and below the consonants. The New Testament was written in Greek.
1. The first written evidence of Hebrew is from the 11th Century B.C. in the so-called Gezer Calendar (earliest Hebrew epigraphs from the time of
Solomon, written on lime stones). This is the language of the Israelites at the start of the Monarchy around 1000 B.C.
2. Aramaic is related to Hebrew. Both belong to the same Semitic family of languages. It was used in Mesopotamia since 11th century B.C. Although it
appears to be more outdated than Hebrew it is however more advanced in some cases.
3. The Greek used in the Bible is Koine; a mixture of the old dialects of Greece (lonic, Attic, Doric and Aeolic). It reached a homogenous character by the
time of Alexander the Great; and was the Greek that he propagated. and spread throughout the Hellenistic world, Biblical Greek is not merely Koine,
but semiticized Koine.
The words and grammar are Koine but its mental structure is the Hebrew Aramaic languages. Because of Semitic influence, some Greek words acquired
new meaning, such as "tongue" to indicate a "nation" and a "way to indicate at doctrine. At the same time the Greek of the Bible developed its own Christian
connotations, as for example the words justice, grace, glory, spirit, day and flesh.
Since the Bible is written in different literary forms, it is important to recognize different literary genres when reading the Bible. When reading the
newspaper, for example, we have to know if we are reading an editorial, news story or an advertisement. Genre is defined as a category or type of literature
(or of art, music, etc.) characterized by a particular form, style, or content.
Some of the Major Genres within the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament):
a. Foundational Myths & Legends- Narratives about the beginning of the world, the first generations of humans, early years of a nation, intended to
provide a foundational world-view upon which people base their communal and individual lives (Ex. Gen, parts of Exod, Num, Deut)
b. Legal Codes- collections of laws by which the people are to live (Lev, parts of Exod, Num, Deut).
c. Genealogies- lists of inter-relationships between peoples, either of successive generations or of different nations (parts of Gen, much of Num)
d. Annals- semi-historical narrative accounts of decisive events in a nation's life that gives emphasis on the political and military exploits of its leaders
(Josh, Jdg, 1 & 2 Sam, 1 & 2 Kings, etc.).
e. Prophetic Books- collections of the oracles or words of God spoken to the people through human intermediaries and the symbolic actions they
perform at God's direction for the people's benefit (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) f. Psalms poetic lyrics of songs/hymns intended for communal worship and/
or individual prayer (Psalms)
f. Laments- words addressed by people to God, esp, reflecting situations of crisis or lament (Lamentations)
g. Proverbs- generalized sayings and aphorisms containing advice on how to live well: "do good and avoid evil"
h. Apocalypses- symbolic narratives that interpret historical crises through God's eyes to provide hope for a better future (Dan)
Some of the Major Genres within the New Testament:
a. Gospels- proclamations of the good news about Jesus intended to establish/ strengthen people's faith in Him; quasi-biographical, semi-historical
portraits of the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus (Mark, Matt, Luke, John)
b. Acts- a partial narrative account about the beginnings and the growth of early Christianity; not a complete history of the early Church, since it focuses
only on the actions of a few missionary leaders.
c. Letters/Epistles- real letters addressing practical and theological issues relevant to particular communities (esp. Paul's)
d. Homily/Sermon- an exegetical sermon that cites and interprets older biblical texts in reference to Jesus (Heb)
e. Epistles/Encyclicals- more stylized works in letter format; "circular letters" intended for broader audiences (1 and 2 Peter):
f. Apocalypse- a vividly symbolic narrative that "reveals" God's views about a historical crisis, in order to provide encouragement for a difficult present
and hope for a better future (Rev)
Smaller Genres and Sub-Genres within the New Testament:
The NT Gospels contain narrative materials, discourse materials, and some mixed genres:
1. Narrative genres include the following:
(a)genealogies,
(b) narrator's introductions,
(c) transitions and summary passages, miracle stories, and
(d) call and sending stories conflict or controversy stories.
1. Discourse genres include the following:
(a) parables and allegories,
(b) laws and legal interpretations,
(c) short exhortations: individual sayings or proverbs, and
(d) longer speeches: discourses or monologues
Factors Needed in Interpreting the Bible
A. Exegesis
It comes from the combination of the Greek words ex which means “out of”, ago which means “to lead”, and sis which denotes a process. In simple
terms, it is the process of leading out the meaning of a text.
It implies reading and understanding the Bible in a way that the text itself expresses effectively.
B. Eisegesis
It comes from the Greek preposition eis which means “into”. Therefore, it is the process of leading one’s own meaning into the text.
It implies reading and understanding the text in a way that the reader wants to understand it.
Take Note:
There is no single way of understanding the Bible. Our understanding is conditioned by the method of interpretation that we use.
The biblical writers did not separate their words from one another; neither have they divided their sentences into verses, paragraphs, or chapters. These
divisions occurred later. Before 586 B.C., the Jorah was divided into 154. sections to assist teaching lessons from these books. Around 586 B.C. it was
further divided into 669 sections-chapters. The prophetic books were divided into 54 sections chapters around 165 8.C.
The earliest hint of verses were mere spaces between the words; until throughout the book.
How a Reference Works:
Note:
1. The first figure indicates the title (sometimes abbreviated) of the book:
2. The second figure denotes the chapter, and the third, separated by a full stop (usually a colon), the
3. Thus, the figures above signify the Book of Genesis, Chapter 3, verse 16.
A comma separates different verses in the same chapter Gen. 3:16, 18, 22 denotes the book of Genesis chapter 3, verses 16, 18, and 22 then the
words ran together An I added to the verse indicate the following verse (indicates an indeterminate number of subsequent verses). Therefore, Gen
3:16f denotes the book of Genesis chapter 3, verse 16 and 17. assist in public reading and i This system may seem complicated, but it is no
interpretation. Additional more difficult than looking up a number in your added phonebook. You easily get used to it.
The New Testament, just like the Old Testament, was written without spaces between the words. However, an early division into paragraphs,
which differs from our modern chapter divisions, appeared before 325 A.D. Prior to the invention of movable type printers, Stephen Langton, a
professor at the University of Paris, divided the Bible into our modern chapter divisions.in 1227. The Wycliffe Bible of 1382, the first handwritten
English translation of the Latin.
Vulgate, followed Professor Langton's divisions. This division is the basis followed by the Rheims - Douay Version (1581-1609) which became the
official Bible for Catholics. The first Greek New Testament was printed in 1516 by Desiderius Erasmus, it also followed Professor Langton's
division. Verses were later added to help in cross-referencing and to make public. reading easier. It first occurred in the 4th edition of the Greek
New Testament by Robert Stephanus, a printer from Paris, in 1551. The first Bible to use both the modern chapter and verses was the Latin
Vulgate edition of Robert Stephanus (1551).
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As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It is a source of divine revelation, and can bring us God's message and to an
experience of His loving presence and salvation. But this will only happen if we know how to read. and interpret the Bible, so as to live according
to its message. This implies having i some basic background about the Bible.
The Bible is not just a book. It is a book that contains a number of books, 69 or 73 books, depending on the version of the Bible that one is using.
The Bible is inspired. It is written by human authors in their particular context, and guided by God through the Holy Spirit. This is also a
guarantee that the Bible is free from error.
The formation of the Bible took a period of time, following certain stages. First, there were crucial historical events that happened. Second,
accounts about these events were handed down orally from generation to generation. Third, some members of the community decided to put into
writing these accounts. Fourth, the Church, through her leaders decided on a Biblical canon or a list of books, which were considered to be
inspired and contained a rule of faith and morals.
The Christian Bible is composed of two main parts: the Old and New Testaments. The books in the Bible were originally written in Hebrew,
Aramaic and Greek.
In the Bible, we find different literary forms or genres. Awareness of these literary styles is very helpful in reading and interpreting the Bible.
With this basic background on the Bible, we are now ready to read and understand the Bible. Let us open our hearts and minds to encounter God
in His Word. Let us listen to His message and be nourished in our faith in Him. "For man does not live on bread alone, but from every word that
comes from the mouth of God" (Deuteronomy 8:3)
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We should meditate and drink deeply on the word of Christ for His words bring light to the spirit and life to the soul. We should take the pearls of His
speech and the jewels that encrust the glorious messages of salvation and shower them down in blessed teachings and wise counsel over the heads of those
that are His kingdom of priests, and royal nation – a people set apart for the Lord to serve Him and to worship Him in time and through eternity - to Him be
all glory and might and majesty and dominion and praise and power for ever and ever! Amen.
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VALUE STATEMENT:
“Another good way to grow in friendship with Christ is by listening to his word. The Lord speaks to us in the depths of our conscience, he speaks to
us through Sacred Scripture, he speaks to us in prayer. Learn to stay before him in silence, to read and meditate on the Bible, especially the Gospels, to
converse with him every day in order to feel his presence of friendship and love.”
−Pope Francis
EVALUATION FORM:
Please don't forget to fill out the evaluation form. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!
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WEEK 5: The Beginning of the Household of God

WEEK 5:

THE BEGINNING OF THE

HOUSEHOLD OF GOD

A BLESSED DAY, LOUISIAN GEMS!

We are now in our 5th week of learning and I hope you are still eager to learn another interesting topic for this week. Before we start, let’s first have a
review of our lesson last week. In our previous lesson, we had discussed about how the Bible was formed through the crucial events that led to its
establishment and its basic sources like the ancient manuscripts. You have also learned about the Old and New Testaments as well as the Bible interpretation
which led us into knowing the two different way of interpreting its meaning, which are the Eisegesis and Exegesis. With this basic background on the Bible,
we are now ready to read and understand its message and that’s what we are going to do for this week and the remaining weeks to come. Therefore, at this
juncture, we will know more about this sacred book by starting to discuss the Beginning of the Household of God. Before we finally start, may we pray first
the Louisian Prayer.
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identify the first five books of the Bible by familiarizing the different stories they consist;
recognize the foundation of the household of God by knowing more about the first story found in the book of Genesis;
understand the significance of the husband and wife relationship by reading the story of Adam and Eve as well as Abraham and Sarah;
appreciate the beauty of creation by accomplishing the learning task provided at the end of the lesson.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
What is the result of man’s disobedience to God?
How can we show our faith to God in times of struggles?
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Today, we are overwhelmed to see a lot of modern inventions. People have become so innovative in coming up with new things. Most of these, if
not all, are very beneficial to us. Yet, when these inventions are not properly used, or are misused, some negative effects can be observed.
Before the advent of the modern inventions, the Bible tells us that God created everything.
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I. Chapter Two: The Beginning of the Household of God: Pentateuch

In this chapter, we will consider the foundation of the household of God. We will also take into account the important relationships in the household of
God –husband and wife, parent and children, among siblings, and community. We will do this by reading and reflecting upon selected passages from the
books of the Pentateuch.
Pentateuch which literally means the “five scrolls” or “five-scroll collection”, is a term used referring to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In the Hebrew Scriptures, these books are known as the “Torah”, meaning the “Law”, “teaching” or
“instruction”. These books tell the story of God’s creation of the world, of human sin and rebellion against God, God’s covenant with Abraham, of God’s
deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt, of God’s covenant with Moses, of God’s laws for His people, and of their journey to the Promised Land. These
books are recognized by both Jews and Christians as the foundation on which the rest of the Bible is built.
A. God as the Foundation of the Household

The Creation Story

(Gen 1:1-31, 2:1-3)
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept
over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other”. And so it happened: God made the dome, and
it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky”. Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.

Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear”. And so it happened: the water under the sky
was gathered into its basin of the water he called “the sea”. God saw how good it was. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant
that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it”.

And so it happened: the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God
saw how good it was. Evening came, morning followed—the third day.
Then God said: "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as
luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth." And so it happened: God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and
the lesser one to govern the night; and He made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed--the fourth day.

Then God said, "Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky." And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was,
and God blessed them, saying, "Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth." Evening came, and morning
followed—the fifth days.
Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild
animals and ail the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created theme God blessed
them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing
plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the
living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened. God looked at everything He had made, and He found it
very good. Evening came, and morning followed--the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God completed the work He had been doing; He rested on the seventh
day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work He had done in creation.
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God is the source of everything that exists when He created the heavens and the earth. Various plants, animals, and other things were made
before God created the human beings. Then God created human beings according to His image and likeness; blessed and commanded them to be
fruitful and multiply, and to have dominion over all creation, to care and serve as stewards. Thus, a household is established. God Himself is the
foundation of this household. An interesting things that happens at the end of the story is the fact that God had to rest on the seventh day. For the
Jews, the seventh day is the Sabbath. If God had to rest, then human beings, work animals, and even the soil for planting, have to rest also. We are
aware of the benefits of good rest both for our physical and spiritual well-being and for our relationships. If rest is important for the individual, it
is likewise necessary for the building of the family, the community, and the nation.
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B. Husband-Wife Relationship
First among the important and necessary relationships within the household is between the husband and wife. The husband and the wife can be
considered as the building blocks upon which the household will stand. Let us consider some husband-wife relationships in the Bible through reading
certain stories.

Adam and Eve
(Genesis 2:18-25)

The Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him. So the Lord God formed out of the ground all the wild animals
and all the birds of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what He would call them; whatever the man called each living creature was then its name.

The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be a helper suited to the man.

So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, He took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built
the rib that He taken from the man into woman.

When He brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman’, for out of man
leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

In this story, the man and woman lived together in harmony with each other and with the creations. Until the serpent as the third party was successful in
influencing the woman to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. In turn, the woman gave some to her husband and the man ate the fruit just the same. When
God confronted the two, both did not acknowledge their faults. Instead, the man pointed his finger to the woman, and the woman to the serpent. Towards the
end, the three suffered the consequences of their action. Here is the story:

The Fall
(Genesis 3:1-24)
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from
any of the trees in the garden?" The woman answered the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in
the middle of the garden that God said, that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die,"'

But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like
gods who know what is good and what is bad."

The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also
gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord
God among the trees of the garden. The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" He answered, "l heard you in the garden; but I
was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself."

Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, them from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" The man replied, "The woman
whom you put here with me--she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it." The Lord God then asked the woman, "Why did you do such a thing?" The woman
answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and
you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

To the woman He said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your
husband, and he will rule over you.”

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the
ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the
plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust
you will return.”

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed
them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the
tree of life.
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Nowadays, people particularly husbands and wives, experience similar situation. In times of trouble in the family, it is very difficult for both husband and
wife to admit mistakes that they have committed. More often than not, they waste their time blaming each other instead of talking about the solutions and
alternatives to solve their problems. By not communicating with each other properly, they are not solving anything. Both or all the parties must be open to
help one another to remedy any difficulty. Effective resolution of problems demands an admission of faults of the parties involved and an identification of the
real problem.
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Abraham and Sarah

(Genesis 12:1-2)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his
nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived
there.

Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to
Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the
hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt,
he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will
let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh,
and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female
servants, and camels.

Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. But the Lord inflicted serious diseases
on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me
she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

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Did you know that prior to Isaac’s birth, Abraham was allowed by Sarah to lay with her servant Hagar? Hagar conceived and bore a baby boy who
was named Ishmael. Later on, Sarah asked Abraham to tell Hagar and Ishmael to leave so that they would nor inherit the properties of Abraham.
Polygamy in the olden times was rampant and was practiced for some reasons like for the purpose of multiplying workforce for the family or tribe.
But nowadays, the said practice is no longer common especially in Christian dominated countries, like the Philippines. In our country among
Christians, a person can only marry one spouse and this is for many good reasons. Extra-marital affairs are not accepted in Christian morality. It
is a fact that many families are broken because of extra-marital relationships and when a family is broken, society will be negatively affected.
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God is the source of everything. Various plants, animals, and other things were made before God created the human beings. God blessed and
commanded the human beings to be fruitful and multiply and to have dominion over all creation, to care and serve as stewards. Thus, a household
is established. God himself is the foundation of the household.
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As Christians, we believe that God created everything and everyone of us because of His great love. He is the origin and foundation of our family. We
are invited then to love and honor Him as our Creator and Almighty Father by:
1. Acknowledging His constant presence and guidance through personal and family prayer;
2. Participating actively in the celebration of the Eucharist to praise and thank Him for His generosity and love;
3. Begging for His forgiveness whenever we commit sin;
4. Asking His guidance when we make decisions as individuals and as a family and community; and
5. Caring for people, such as our family members and all God’s creatures.
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Dear Lord, we thank You for Your love and goodness in creating us in Your image and ikeness. Thank You for the richness and goodness of all
Your creation. You are truly the source and foundation of everything, especially our family. Forgive us for the times when we have taken You for
granted, and wasted what You have given us. Transform our hearts and minds, so that we will really learn to care for one another and for all Your
creation. Amen.
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VALUE STATEMENTS:
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made
righteous”.
–Romans 5:19
"Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
–2 Chronicles 20:20
EVALUATION FORM:
THEOLOGY 1 WEEK 5 FEEDBACK FORM

Week 6: The Beginning of the Household of God (Parent-Children Relationship)

WEEK 6:

THE BEGINNING OF THE

HOUSEHOLD OF GOD

GOOD DAY, PEOPLE OF GOD!

We are now in our 6th week of learning and I hope you are still eager to learn another interesting topic for this week. Before we start, let’s first have a
review of our lesson last week. In our previous lesson, we discussed about the Creation Story in which we learned that God is the source of everything and
God Himself is the foundation of the household that was established. We also discussed about the importance of a husband-wife relationship through the
story of Adam and Eve as well as Abraham and Sarah. These stories taught us that marriage and family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the
procreation and education of children. Moreover, the love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among members of the same family personal
relationships and primordial responsibilities. Furthermore, open communication is also important in a husband and wife relationship because effective
resolution of problems demands an admission of faults of the parties involved and an identification of the real problem. Therefore, with the morale that we
have acquired from these stories, we are now ready to read and understand another Bible stories as well as the life-changing message of each story. Let’s
renew ourselves by applying what we’ve learned and what we are about to learn for this week. Before we start, let us first ask the guidance of our Lord by
praying the Louisian Prayer.
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Grant all these supplications through the intercession of Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Recognize the significance of a parent and child relationship by reading the stories provided;
describe your relationship with your parents by reflecting upon each story; and
show understanding of the stories present in parent and children relationship by accomplishing the synchronous quiz at the end of the lesson.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How can we strengthen our relationship to our family within our household?
What is the result of children’s betrayal and disobedience to their parents?
How can we manifest gratitude to our parents as their children?
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Filipinos treasure the family. Through and in our family, we feel a sense of identity, belongingness and security. But at times, we experience
brokenness in our relationships with one another.
In the book of Genesis, we can find stories of important relationships in the family such as husband-wife, parent-children and sibling
relationships.
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In the context of the Israelites ancient culture, the family is said to be incomplete without a child or children. The loving relationship between a
husband and his wife becomes fruitful when a child or children is/are brought up.
In a family with many children, more often than not, there are those who are favoured by parents for some reasons. Maybe that son or daughter is
obedient or respectful. Maybe he or she is doing very well in school. Or maybe he or she does most of the household chores. The rest of the
siblings might feel insecure because when the parents are not around, the favoured one might experience persecution from the other siblings. This
is illustrated in the story of Isaac and Rebecca with their two sons in Gensis 27:1-10.
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1. Rebekah, Isaac and their Children

Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob
(Genesis 25:20-34)
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to
the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each
other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the
older will serve the younger.”
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so
they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah
gave birth to them.

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a
taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m
famished!”

Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

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The Church has always taught the importance of the family as the basic unit of society. The CCC states that “the conjugal community is
established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and
education of children. The love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among members of the same family personal relationships
and primordial responsibilities”. It further says that “a man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family. This
institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it. It should be considered the normal reference point
by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated.
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Jacob Deceives Isaac
(Genesis 27:1-10)

When Isaac was so old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he
answered. Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the
open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I
die.”

Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah went to her son
Jacob.
She said, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my
blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’
Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your
father, just the way he likes it.
Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rebekah and Isaac had two sons namely Esau and Jacob. Rebekah preferred the latter while her husband favoured Esau, the firstborn. In the
Jewish culture, the firstborn son enjoys a privilege that entitles him to a "position of honour in the family and to a double share in the possessions
inherited from the father". This is known as birth right. In the story, Esau is seemingly not interested to such right. Hence, he sold it to Jacob. He
appears to be undeserving of it. In another part of their story, which is not mentioned above, Esau married foreign wives that became a source of
grief to Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 26:34-35). So that when it was time for Isaac to give his blessing to Esau, Rebekah helped Jacob to receive the
blessing, by deceiving Isaac.
In the present situation, there are parents who, by their example or instruction, teach their children to tell a lie just to escape from some
responsibilities, for example avoiding a collector of debt or bill payments. It is unfortunate that a parent could do such a thing but, perhaps for
those who do a similar thing, for them it is for the good of the family. The point is, if children learn to deceive one another in the family, what will
prevent them from doing the same to non-family members?
On the other hand, there are parents who will see to it that their children will grow up as mature and responsible members, not only of their
family, but of the entire community. They will see to it that their children will carry on the honor and good reputation of the family.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Jacob and Joseph

Joseph’s Dream
(Genesis 37:1-11)

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was
tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his
brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding
sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had
said.
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were
bowing down to me.”

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers
actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Of all his children, Jacob loved Joseph best among the rest because he was the child of his old age. Also, Jacob believed in the capacities of
Joseph, including his ability to interpret dreams. Jacob would listen to Joseph and pondered upon Joseph's interpretations of dreams. As soon as
the brothers of Joseph sensed this special treatment by their father Jacob, they started to get angry with Joseph and wanted to get rid of him.
In our context, the youngest among the siblings is usually the favored one in many ways. He or she becomes the focus of attention and the most
cared for because of certain reasons. A lot of times the result is not good. Unequal treatment of children by parents creates animosity and quarrels
among the siblings. We read in newspapers or see on TV cases of siblings killing one another. It is a challenge therefore to parents to learn to treat
their children equally and recognize whatever talents they have. Otherwise, children will grow up thinking the world is unfair, or the world owes
them something.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In his encyclical entitled, Centissimus Annus, St. John Paul II wrote that “the first and fundamental structure for a ‘human ecology’ is the family…
founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self as husband and wife created an environment in which children can be born and develop
their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny”. Hence, parents must be acknowledged
as the first and foremost educators of their children. For it devolves on parents to create a family atmosphere so animated with love and reverence
for God and others that a well-rounded personal and social development will be fostered among the children. Hence, the family is the first school
of those social virtues which every society needs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In this lesson, we learned that within the family or household, there are important and life-giving relationships: husband and wife, parent and children
and between or among siblings. These relationships reflect the love of God when there is harmony, love and respect. As a member of the household, we
uphold a harmonious relationship by:
Respecting our parents through kind or loving words and actions;

Taking care of siblings by assisting them in their needs and concerns;
Obeying family rules and regulations;
Helping in the household chores; and
Asking and granting forgiveness for wrong doings.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Lord, we thank you for the gift of our family. We ask forgiveness for the conflicts and misunderstanding that we have. Help us to see Jesus in
every member of our family. Bless our family and strengthen our relationships with one another. Fill us with you love and care so that there will
be peace and unity among us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VALUE STATEMENTS:
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days maybe long, and that it may go well with you in the land that
the Lord your God is giving you”.
–Deuteronomy 5:16
EVALUATION FORM:
THEOLOGY 1 WEEK 6 FEEDBACK FORM

Theology Week 1 6

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Theology Week 1 6

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St.

Gregory The Great

Week 1: Introduction to Theology 1

HELLO! Welcome to the new school year 2021-2022!

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CORE VALUES

VISION, MISSION, GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Form students to be goal- oriented- empowered and mature (GEM attributes).

Linkage and Partnership

Principal Purposes of Evangelization

1. NATURE AND AIM OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Dimensions of Religious Education (Knox, 2003)

Goals of Religious Education (NCDP)

2. THE CICM RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PEDAGOGY

See-Discern-Act Method (Cardinal Joseph Cardijn)

WEEK 2: The CICM

HELLO! Welcome Back!

Grant all these supplications through the intercession of

Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prime Educational Institutions of the CICM Philippine Province

School: Saint Mary’s Uiversity Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya

School: Saint Louis University Baguio

Founder: Msgr. Salvador Lazo

School: Saint Louis College Cebu

Founder: Msgr. Wilfried Daels, CICM Established: 1971

Motto: Sapienta Aedificat, “Wisdom Builds”

School: Maryhill School of Theology

Motto: Sampuso, Sandiwa, “One Heart, One Soul”

2. FOUR COMPONENTS OF CHRISTIAN FORMATION

Theophile Verbist started.

2. THE CICM MISSION AND CHARISM

WEEK 3: The Bible and Its Background

GOOD DAY, LOUISIAN GEMS!

Grant all these supplications through the intercession of

Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

At the end of the discussion, you should be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the historical background of the bible;

The Word of God Stands Forever

2. Other Names Used for the Bible

The Word of God

It refers to revelation of God’s word.

It contains God’s divine utterance for humanity.

a. Old Testament Authors

He is considered as the main human author of Psalms.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos

b. New Testament Authors

Paul and Peter

CRUCIAL EVENTS THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE BIBLE

1. The Exodus and the Covenant at Mt. Sinai

2. The Establishment of the Kingdom

4. The Jesus Event

5. Formation of the Canon

1. Reading the Bible regularly in order to strengthen our faith in God;

−Hans Urs Von Balthasar

WEEK 4: Formation of the Bible

A BLESSED DAY, EVERYONE!

Grant all these supplications through the intercession of

Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

explore the sources and criteria for scriptural canonicity;

God's Chosen People

What is the importance of the Word of God in your life?

But the He himself will assist us in knowing other truths.

Special relation to God, i.e., inspiration;

Some of the Major Genres within the New Testament: