St. Agnes Academy, Inc.

Legazpi City

CLE 10 REVIEWER
TOPIC: THE BEAUTIFUL INCARNATION OF GOD

JESUS AS THE WORD

The Greek word for “word” is logos. It not only stands for “word” but for “thought” and also for the divine order that rules
the universe. Calling Jesus Word implies that he is the one who plans the seasons and keeps the planets in their orbits. In
other words, he is God, who is also sometimes named Wisdom. Jesus is the Word made flesh, the incarnate Word.
Jesus is Word because he communicates God's mind to us. He is a message from God. What does Jesus say? He speaks of
what God is like. He reveals the tremendous love God has for us.

ETYMOLOGY
• The word “Incarnation” does not occur in the Bible, but the term does rightly express the biblical truth as to how
Jesus became man.
• It is a combination of the Latin words “in” (same as our English definition) and “carnis” (meaning “flesh”).
Incarnation then would mean “made into flesh”.

Literally we can say that the Incarnation describes the process by which the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on flesh.
While remaining fully God, He became fully man uniting two natures in one Person.

HOW THE ICARNATION HAPPENED

• At the Incarnation, Jesus entered His own creation in a unique and powerful way. He is “‘Immanuel,’ which
translated means, ‘God with us’” (Mt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14).
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). While the
“Word” throughout eternity existed with the Father, it was not until the Incarnation that He was called “Jesus”
(God Saves). Jesus is His new name as given by Joseph in obedience to the command by the angel. “She will bear
a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21).
•
FOUR REASONS WHY THE INCARNATION TOOK PLACE

1. TO SAVE US - the Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent
His Son to be the expiation of our sins”: the Father has sent His son as the savior of the world”, and “he was
revealed to take away sins”. We are like a broken machine that cannot fix its own. It needs its inventor/creator to
fix it in order for it to function properly. We also need a higher power apart from ourselves that would save us from
our brokenness which was caused by sin itself. That is the reason why God chose to send his Son to save us from sin
and be reconciled once again with our creator.

2. TO SHOW US GOD’S LOVE - The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love: “In this the
love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might
live through Him.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus became man in order for Him to show us how much God
loves us. He also revealed God to us for us to have to have at least a little knowledge about the
greatness of our God. This is the reason why we say that Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation. It is
also because of Jesus why we are considered as adopted sons and daughters of God.
 3. TO BECOME A MODEL FOR US - The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: “Take my yoke upon you, and
learn from me.” “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” On the mountain of
the Transfiguration, God the Father commands: “Listen to Him!”.
Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This
love implies an effective offering of oneself, after His example.

4. TO MAKE US PARTAKERS IN THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD - The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of
the divine nature”: “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that
man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of
God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” It means that by following Jesus we
become sharers in the divinity of God.

WHAT DOES THE INCARNATION PROVE?

• MAN IS SINFUL
Because our sin is so vile, we needed God Almighty to fully perform our salvation by becoming one of us in
complete humanity. Philippians 2:8, “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
• GOD CARES
God was moved by compassion for the people He created. Knowing the sacrifice He would have to undergo, He
became one of us, entered our existence and died on our behalf in the greatest demonstration of love the world
has ever experienced. 1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.”
• GOD IS WITH US
Since Jesus became man and dwelt among us, He is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15). Our
Savior knows first-hand the physical limitations of the body (Mt. 4:2; Jn. 4:7), the pain of personal conflict (Lk.
22:48; 22:61) and the agony of temptation (Mt. 4:1-11; Heb. 4:15). “He is able to come to [our] aid” (Heb. 2:18).
Same as God’s WORD is put into action by His incarnation, so must we act upon our words. Actions alone
shouldn’t only be louder than words. Words and Actions should be equally as loud and affective.
An “I Love You” shouldn’t only be heard, it should also be felt.
• SALVATION IS FOUND IN CHRIST
If Jesus is God incarnate and by His death alone people are saved, then the only road to eternal life is through
Him. Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been
given among men by which we must be saved.”

TOPIC: THE HYPOSTATIC UNION OF JESUS

COUNCIL OF NICEA
To address this the Church established in the Council of Nicea (325 AD) that Jesus is in fact 100% God and 100% man all at
the same time. He is in the time of his incarnation to eternity both fully man and fully God. We can find this is documented
in the prayer, Symboli Nicæno-Constantinopolotani (Nicene Creed), which was formulated by the Council of Nicea.

COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON
In 451 AD the Council of Chalcedon promulgated the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union. The doctrine teaches that there
is a union between Christ’s Human and Divine natures in one person. One nature cannot be separated from the other. In
this council the Church officially named the case of Jesus’ united two natures, the Hypostatic Union. Chalcedon’s careful
definition is meant to preserve the biblical teaching that (1) the divine nature was united, in the person of the Son, with
a human nature (John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:11-14) and (2) the two natures are united in only one divine
Person (Rom. 1:3-4; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:6-11). As Chalcedon puts it, the characteristics of each nature are preserved—
in no way annulled by the union—even as they come together in one person (prospon) and one subsistence (hypostasis).
HOW IT WORKS

Before we begin please take note that the Hypostatic Union is one of the greatest mysteries of the Catholic Faith. This
means we can only come to understand so much about the union of Christs natures and how it works.
Jesus is BOTH fully God the same way that the Father is, and fully man the same way we are. Jesus’ death was proof that
He was very much human and His resurrection proved that He was very much God. It is important to understand that
we cannot divide Jesus’ natures into “modes”. When Jesus is walking on water it’s not like He’s switching on “god mode”
or something like that. At ALL TIMES Jesus is fully God and fully man. So whenever he does His miracles He is as human
as we are and whenever He does the most human things like farting, at that moment He is the creator of the universe.
You may have imagined Jesus as a son of a human and a God that he is some hybrid of sorts, a demigod. Christ’s Human
nature, genetically speaking, is purely genes that all came from the Blessed Virgin, Mary. When Christ, The Word, came
into the world through Mary He assumed humanity which added the Human Nature into Himself. This does not mean
that the Word is trapped within the human body that is Jesus. This thought is one of the heresies, in fact.
Jesus’ humanity does not mean He is like us in sinfulness. Originally, man’s nature was never a nature of sin but because
of the first parents’ fall humanity has understood itself to be sinful. Jesus as the new Adam renews the sinfulness of Adam
and makes humanity dignified again and it is by Jesus’ humanity that humanity is cleansed of its sinfulness.

HERESIES

DEFINITIONS: adherence to a religious opinion contrary to a church dogma. It is also the denial of a revealed truth by a
baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma. There have
been a number of heresies against Christ’s Hypostatic Union. Debates were frequently held among the bishops of the early
Church. Some of these heresies were:

ADOPTIONISTS
The adoptionists taught that Jesus was born fully human, and was adopted as God’s Son because of the life he lived.
EBIONITES
Another group. Known as the Ebionites, taught that Jesus was not God, but the human Moshiach prophet promised in the
Old Testament.
DOCETISM
Docetism (from the Greek verb “to seem”) taught that Jesus was fully divine, and only “seemed” or appeared to be human.
MONOPHYSITISM
Various forms of Monophysitism taught that Christ only had one nature, the divine nature. Notably Monophysite
theologians included Eutyches and Apollinaris of Laodicea.
ARIANISM
Arianism affirmed that Jesus was divine, but taught that he was only created and less divine than God the Father.

TOPIC: JESUS AS A POWERFUL HEALER

A STORY FROM THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘You r sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so
that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you,
stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of
them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!””

JESUS’ ACT IN THE GOSPEL STORY

• What might have been a simple healing turns into a tense theological confrontation. It is Jesus who instigates
this by forgiving the paralytic’s sins (which he wasn’t asked to do).
• Only God can forgive sins.
• Jesus then uses His power to heal the body as a sign that He has authority to heal the soul establishing His divine
identity.
ILLNESS
 • Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life.
• In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse
death.
• Illness can sometimes lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God, in other
words “sin”. But in on the other hand illness can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life
what is not can also essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for
God and a return to Him.

CHRIST THE PHYSICIAN/ SPIRITUAL HEALER

• Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins; he has come to heal the whole man, soul and body;
he is the physician the sick have need of. His compassion toward all who suffer goes so far that he identifies
himself with them: "I was sick and you visited me.”

• Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that
"God has visited his people” and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand… His preferential love for the sick has
not ceased through the centuries to draw the very special attention of Christians toward all those who suffer in
body and soul. It is the source of tireless efforts to comfort them.
FAITH
• In the bible often Jesus asks the sick to believe.
• Faith is our path to WHOLENESS

THE GREAT HEALING

Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own:
"He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.". But he did not heal all the sick.
His healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing: the victory over
sin and death through his Passover.

On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the "sin of the world," of which illness is
only a consequence.

“Heal the sick…”

• “The risen Lord renews this mission ("In my name . . . they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.")
and confirms it through the signs that the Church performs by invoking his name. These signs demonstrate in a
special way that Jesus is truly "God who saves.””

• “"Heal the sick!" The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of
the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession. She believes in the life-giving presence
of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in
an altogether special way through the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that St. Paul suggests is
connected with bodily health.”

• We have two Sacraments that caters to the healing of one person. These sacraments are called the “Sacraments
of healing”. One is Confession which is the sacrament that heals the soul and the other is Anointing of the Sick the
sacrament given to those who are in grave physical illness. Do take note that Anointing of the Sick isn’t strictly for
people who are about to die but for those who are really sick.

TOPIC: JESUS A COMPASSIONATE FRIEND TO ALL

WHAT IS FRIENDSHIP?
There have been many definitions of friendship throughout history and how it has been defined may differ from culture
to culture but surly there is a definition that is very much accurate to what a friend really is. This takes back to ancient
Greece during the time of Aristotle.
KINDS OF FRIENDSHIP

ACCIDENTAL FRIENDSHIP – Aristotle outlined two common kinds of friendships that are more accidental than intentional.
We often fall into these kinds of friendships without realizing it.
The first is a friendship of use (Friendship of Utility). In this relationship, two parties are not in it for affection. Rather,
they’re in it for the benefit each receives from the other. These relationships are temporary: whenever the benefit ends,
so does the relationship. Aristotle observed that these relationships of utility were most common among older people.
Aristotle’s second kind of accidental friendship is based in pleasure (Friendship of Pleasure). This kind of relationship, he
found, was more common among younger people. Think of your college friends or people who play in the same sports
league. Their relationship is grounded in the emotion they feel at a given time or during a certain activity.

SUBSTANTIAL FRIENDSHIP – Aristotle’s final form of friendship seems to be the most preferable. Rather than utility or
pleasure, this kind of relationship is based on a mutual appreciation of the virtues the other person holds dear. In this kind
of friendship, the people themselves and the qualities they represent provide the incentive for the two parties to be in each
other’s lives.

FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST – Aristotle stressed the importance of friendship, categorizing the types of friendships by
their purpose: friends that gather for good times, friends where there is mutual utility (e.g. business, shared goals) and
friends that seek of the good for each other. Aquinas makes it clear that the highest good is eternal good and that
Christian friendships are thus a superior form of human friendships. The Church teaches that friendship with Jesus is
the highest form of friendship (CCC 142) and that those who die in friendship with God can be assured of salvation (CCC
1030).

CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS CHRIST AS OUR DIVINE FRIEND

Jesus Christ’ friendship comforts men and teaches them how to build Christ-centered friendships:
Jesus longs for friendship with others – Jesus comes to man so that the Truth can be known, to free men from sin and
so that men might have access to God (Summa Theologica, III, Q40). Jesus seeks friends, spending three days in the
Temple, calling the Twelve and tirelessly travels to meet and build friendships. He seeks the comfort of His close
friends in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus offers, but doesn’t force, friendship – Jesus specifically calls the Twelve and they respond. Others follow
Jesus including many women. Some do not wish to build friendship with Jesus including the disciples who do not
accept Eucharist as the real presence (John 6:66), the Samaritan village that refuses to accept Jesus (Luke 9:53)
and the rich young man (Mark 10:31).
Builds friendships with different personalities – Jesus builds friendships with all sorts of personalities:
Passionate and impulsive (Peter), aggressive and ambitious (James and John), a zealot (Simon the Zealot), a
calculating tax collector (Matthew), courageous and questioning (Thomas), cunning/sly
(Nathaniel/Bartholomew), corrupt (Judas), loyal but confused (Philip), unassuming (James the younger), active
(Martha) and spiritual (Mary, Martha’s sister).
Builds friendships with people from all walks of life – Jesus built strong friendships with men (e.g. Twelve, Lazarus) and
numerous women including Mary, Martha, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and Susana. Jesus
builds friendships with people of different stations in life (fishermen, tax collectors), religious affiliations
(Nicodemus/Pharisee), levels of wealth (Peter and Joseph of Arimethea) prostitutes and former demoniacs (Mary
Magdalene).
He serves His friends – Jesus responds to the needs of His close friends including healing Peter’s mother in law (Luke
4:38-29) and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:44). Jesus saves the disciples in the storm (Matt 14:22-33),
defends them from the Pharisees (Matt 12: 1-8), washes their feet (John 13:5) and protects them when He is arrested
at Gethsemane (John 18:8).
He teaches about building friendships – At the center of all true friendships is the Charity of Christ. Jesus teaches
 specific examples of charity by making friends with accusers (Matt 5:25), not judging a brother (Matt 7:1-5), how to
gently correct a brother (Matt 18:15-18), forgiving (Matt 18:23) how to rely on friends (Luke 11:5-8), rewarding the
initiative of friends (Luke 7:6) being humble in friendship (Luke 14:10), building friendships with the poor (Luke 14:12),
the importance of celebrating with friends in thanksgiving (John 2:1-11; Luke 15:6,9) and friendly/brotherly love (Matt
20:13, 22:12).
Emphasizes table fellowship – Jesus emphasizes the sharing of meals with others as part of friendship (Mark 2:15;
Matt 9:10), performs miracles by feeding large groups (Matt 14:13-21) and offers the lasting Sacrament of the
Eucharistic meal (Luke 22:7-39).
He corrects and teaches his friends – Several occasions stand out from Jesus’ continuing friendship during His earthly
ministry: forcefully correcting/cautioning Peter about Satan (Matt 16:23), explaining the parables to the disciples (Mark
4:10-20), allowing Peter to sink in the storm (Matt 14:31), calling Judas “friend” even as Judas betrays Him (Matt 26:50)
and forgiving/reconciling with Peter after his denial (John 21:15-19).
He emphasizes prayer with friends – Jesus demonstrates the importance of prayer through His own practice (e.g.
Gethsemane), teaches about prayer (e.g. Sermon on the Mount), promises to be present when friends gather in
prayer (Matt 18:20) and gives them the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13).
Makes it clear what is necessary for Divine Friendship – “You are my friends if you do what I command you”
(John 15:14) and “do the will of My Father” (Matt 12:50).
Offers His life for His friends – “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John
15:13).
Jesus leaves a lasting Christian legacy of fellowship – After Pentecost, the disciples gather together, holding
steadfastly to the Apostle’s teaching about Jesus, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers (Acts 2:42).

PEACE STUDIES REVIEWER

TOPIC: CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HISTORY OF PEACE EDUCATION

WHAT IS CONFLICT
Conflict resolution or management is the process of planning to avoid conflict where possible and organizing to resolve
conflict where it does happen, as rapidly and smoothly as possible.
Conflict resolution is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts
can decrease the odds of non-productive escalations.
Effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes.
RESOLVING CONFLICT

It is important to emphasize that dealing with conflict early is usually easier, because positions are not so entrenched, others
are less likely to have started to take sides, and the negative emotions are not so extreme. The best way to address a conflict
in its early stages is through negotiation between the participants. Later on, those in conflict are likely to need the support
of mediation, or even arbitration or a court judgement, so it is much better to resolve things early.
FIVE WAYS IN DEALING WITH CONFLICT

1. COMPETE OR FIGHT - This is the classic win/lose situation, where the strength and power of one person wins the
conflict. It has its place, but anyone using it needs to be aware that it will create a loser and, if that loser has no outlet for
expressing their concerns, then it will lead to bad feeling. This strategy is probably best only used where little or no further
contact is necessary between the individuals or groups concerned.

2. COLLABORATION - This is the ideal outcome: a win/win situation. However, it requires input of time from those involved
to work through the difficulties, and find a way to solve the problem that is agreeable to all. This may be hard work,
especially if the positions have already become entrenched, but it is also likely to be the best possible starting point early in
a conflict situation.

3. COMPROMISE OR NEGOTIATION - This is likely to result in a better result than win/lose, but it’s not quite win/win. You
could call it a no- score draw. Both parties give up something in favor of an agreed mid-point solution. This effectively
results in a solution that pleases nobody very much, but hopefully will not offend or upset anyone too much. It takes less time
than collaboration, but is likely to result in less commitment to the outcome because it is nobody’s preferred option.

4. DENIAL OR AVOIDANCE - This is where everyone pretends there is no problem. This strategy is used surprisingly often
and can be quite effective. It is particularly helpful if those in conflict need time to ‘cool down’ before any discussion, or if
the conflict is unimportant and will simply resolve itself given time. However, it cannot be used if the conflict won’t just die
down. Under these circumstances, using this strategy will create a lose/lose situation: there will still be bad feeling, but no
clearing the air through discussion. It results, in Transactional Analysis terms, in ‘I’m not OK, you’re not OK’. This can result
in serious stress for those involved.

5. SMOOTHING OVER THE PROBLEM - On the surface, harmony is maintained but, underneath, there is still conflict. This is
similar to the situation above, except that one person is probably OK with this smoothing, while the other remains in
conflict, creating a win/lose situation again. It can work where preserving a relationship is more important than dealing
with the conflict right now. It is, however, not very useful if one person, or others outside the conflict, feel that the
situation must be resolved.

HISTORY OF PEACE EDUCATION

THE HAGUE CONFERENCE OF 1899

Hague Peace Conferences (1899, 1907) were the largest diplomatic conferences between the Congress of Vienna and
the outbreak of World War I. Czar Nicholas II of Russia, calling for limitation of armaments, proposed the first conference
(1899) at the Dutch seat of government

Collating and rationalizing the laws and customs of war, defining them more precisely and mitigating their severity as
far as possible.

CZAR NICHOLAS II
In 1899, Czar Nicolas II took the initiative to convene a peace conference (Hague Conference) with two core objectives in
mind. One was to obtain a reduction of military budgets through some agreed system of disarmament, as the growing
rivalry between the great industrialized European empires began to pose a major threat to the international system then
existing.
At the same time, he sought to reduce the suffering of war, especially by members of the armed and naval forces.

Andrew Carnegie
Wealthy and dedicated Peace Worker organized the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the National Peace
Congress in New York, the Church Peace Union, and the new York Peace Society (all organized from 1900-1914)

FORMAL SCHOOL-BASED PEACE EDUCAITON PROGRAMS

The first academic peace studies program at the college level was established in 1948 at Manchester College, in North
Manchester, Indiana, in the United States. Soon thereafter the field of peace research developed as a “science of peace”
 in the 1950s to counteract the science of war that had produced so much mass killing. A Manifesto issued in 1955 by
Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein and signed by other distinguished academics called upon scientists of all political
persuasions to assemble to discuss the threat posed to civilization by the advent of thermonuclear weapons.
In the 1980s the threat of nuclear war stimulated educators all around the world to warn of impending devastation.
Three books were produced that represent the highlights of an era acutely concerned with the threat of nuclear
annihilation: Education for Peace Birgit Brocke-Utne (1985) of Norway, Comprehensive Peace Education by Betty
Reardon (1988) of the United States, and Peace Education by Ian Harris (1988), also of the United States. Brocke-Utne
(1985) pointed out the devastation that masculine aggression, manifested in militarism, war, and domestic violence,
wreaks upon males, females and children. She argued that feminism is the starting point for effective disarmament.
Additionally, she pointed out that societies not at war were not necessarily peaceful because they still harbored
considerable domestic violence. Reardon (1988) argued that the core values of schooling should be care, concern, and
commitment, and the key concepts of peace education should be planetary stewardship, global citizenship, and humane
relationships. Harris (1988) stressed a holistic approach to peace education that could apply to community education,
elementary and secondary schools, as well as college classrooms. He also emphasized that a peaceful pedagogy must be
integral to any attempt to teach about peace. The key ingredients of such pedagogy are cooperative learning, democratic
community, moral sensitivity, and critical thinking.

INSTRUCTIONS: Try to answer the following questions. Write TRUE if the statement is true and write FALSE if the
statement is false. Write your answer on the space provided.
NOTE: This quiz will only serve as your guide to assess whether you understood all the topics that was discussed in the
reviewer.
_____________1. Jesus became Man like us through the His resurrection.

_____________2. We become partakers of God’s divinity when Jesus became man.

_____________3. We have the capacity to save ourselves from sin.

_____________4. Jesus lost His divinity when He became man.

_____________5. We became adopted sons and daughters of God through Jesus

_____________6. Jesus is a Demigod just like Hercules.

_____________7. The Hypostatic union explains Jesus having two natures.

_____________8. The council of Nicea promulgated the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union.

_____________9. At all times Jesus is fully God and fully man.

_____________10. The council of Chaldeon promulgated the Nicene Creed.

_____________11. Illness is to be in relationship to yourself, is to be in relationship to your body, to the culture and
significant others.

_____________12. The Gospels show only few stories of Jesus’ healing miracles.

_____________13. Church continues Christ’s mission of healing by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them
with her prayer of intercession.

_____________14. Christ’s preferential love for the sick has decreased through the centuries due to him not being around.

_____________15. Illness may become a way to conversion.