Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [1]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
Student’s Copy
TH221 E CELEBRATING GOD’S PRESENCE
AS A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
Topic 1: Theology of Signs and Symbols
ANAMNESIS versus AMNESIA
(We Remember. We Believe. We Celebrate. We
Love.)
Objective: At the end of this session the student is able to
design a ritual-celebration that incorporates
remembrance, believing, celebrating and loving using
relevant signs and symbols coming from the student’s
ordinary everyday life and experience of love.
. are also invited to retell the story of God’s life and love
From “Responding to God” to
“Celebrating God’s presence”
Welcome to the third theology subject/course in
Adamson University’s Theology Curriculum on Faith
Journey towards Social Transformation.
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First Semester 2014-2015.
In Theology 1, Searching for God in the World Today,
we saw that “theology” is about reflecting on the ordinary,
the everyday life. Theology is a process or a practice of
consciously and methodically reflecting on our experience of
God in the ordinariness of life and social and historical events
of the world; using the methodology of “see-discern-act/pray.”
Ultimately the goal of theology is for us to have a deeper
and intimate relationship with God-in-Jesus.
In that course, we talked about our everyday;
“Revelation-Faith,” the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth, His death
and resurrection as a life given for the sake of the
Kingdom so that all may experience kaginhawaan or
salvation.
St. Vincent de Paul is an example of one who tried
to follow Jesus in his own ways in his time. Today, we
by following Jesus as students.
In Theology 2, Responding to God’s Call by Becoming
Fully Human, using the same methodology of “see-
discern-act/pray,” the course dealt with what it means to
be truly and fully human from the Christian perspective. This
is our way of responding to the invitation of God-in-Jesus
whose Spirit is ever-present and active in the world.
We started with the Christian vision of humanity
that challenges us to become truly and fully human and fully
alive as the image of God in our realities of body and soul,

male and female, in our everyday life, experiences, and
relationships of love and failure to love, suffering, and
goodness of God, and even in death.
To be truly and fully human and fully alive, we
focused on the need to practice virtues or good habits (or
“mabuting gawi”) in everyday life. The practice and
“perfection” of virtues as good habits or habits of being
human or habits of the heart are what will help us and shape
us to become good persons with the help of a community and
role models. Together with Sacred Scriptures and the
example of St. Vincent de Paul, and using the rich resource
of the Filipino culture and tradition, we reflected on the
virtues of hospitality and gratitude (“pagmamagandang
loob”), prudence and temperance (“paglilimi at
pamumuhay ng sapat”), self-care and integrity
(“pangangatawan ng loob”), fidelity and mutuality
(“katapatan sa kapwa”), temperance and risk-taking
(“pagtataya at hiya”), reconciling/forgiving and
compassion/mercy (“pagbabalik-loob at pagmamalasakit”),
and finally, justice, courage and hope ( “bahala na” with
“katarungan”). The opposite of virtue is vice or
“masamang gawi” or “di-magandang gawi”). Vices are
obstacles to becoming truly and fully human, and
therefore they move us further away from our true
selves.
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Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [2]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
Celebrating God’s Presence
In this Theology 3, Celebrating God’s Presence as
a Christian Community, we will realize that we are not
alone in our journey of becoming truly and fully human
and fully alive. God-in-Jesus continues to be present to us
as a pilgrim People of God - the church. The church-
community of today continues to proclaim in words and
deeds the liberating message of Jesus by being relevant in
its mission of evangelization in the context of new
challenges or “signs of the times”, especially those that
affect severely the poor and the suffering, in the spirit and
example of St. Vincent de Paul.
From this understanding of the church in solidarity
with the whole of humanity and the whole of creation, we are
able to better understand the sacraments as celebrations of
God’s active presence of love and life in the world and as a
challenge for us (as church-community) to give witness to
its story as the sacrament of Christ’s saving unity and
fellowship in the world.
Let us “SEE”
My most “prized” or “cherished” possession.
All of us have objects or things that we consider
important or valuable. It can be that these objects or

things have a connection with a significant and
memorable person, an experience or a moment in our
life. We carry these objects or things in our bodies, purse
or bag, or they are placed in a particular place in our
house or bedroom. Think of just one (1) important or
significant or memorable item or object that you
cherished. Then write your answers on the spaces
provided in the worksheet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Name: _____________________ Class Time:
____________________ Date: ____________
My most prized or cherished possession that reminds me
of a person, an experience or a life-moment is:
_______________________________________
1. Why do you consider it as your most
prized/cherished possession? What is its connection
to your life?
________________________________________________
___________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________
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Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [3]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
2. How do you show or express that these items or
objects are important to you? What do you usually do
or how do you usually treat these objects/items?
________________________________________________
___________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________
3. Do you think it is possible for other people to also see
your most prized/cherished possession as their
prized/cherished possession? Why or Why not?
________________________________________________
___________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________
Group Sharing:
(You have 20 minutes for the sharing.)
Class Plenum: (Reporters are called to give a summary of
their group sharing.)
(Sample Processing: Teacher may or may not use
these.)

Synthesis: (by the Teacher)
Let us “Discern”
1. We Remember
Many of the items or objects we shared to our
group are not really important or valuable in themselves.
Most of them are ordinary, everyday objects or items,
almost easily accessible and readily available to almost
anyone. Yet, we cannot deny and neither can we ignore
the fact that for people they are meaningful and
important, something that is considered prized or
cherished possessions. What makes these objects/items
important or meaningful is that they are somewhat link
either to a person, event or experience that we have in
the past that we find meaningful and significant;
though not exclusively pleasant. It can be that the
object/item is linked to a parent, a present or past lover,
a friend, a good and inspiring teacher, or maybe even an
enemy. It can also be that the object is linked to happy
memories from the past and which continue to give us
strength or courage. Even after that “One Moment in
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Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [4]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
Time” is over we continue to hold on to such experience,
and it continues to influence our life. They may be
moments of successes or failures, struggles, joys and
hopes, grief and anxieties, etc.
Such remembering of those “special moments in
time” is usually facilitated by signs and symbols
around us: ordinary objects that bring us to such
moment or experience by pointing to it and somehow
making it present once again to us. These signs or
symbols transform ordinary time, ordinary space, and
ordinary meaning into sacred time, sacred space, and
sacred meaning (Mircea Eliade). At this point an example
might be in order: (The teacher may also share a story
from his/her own experience, instead of the one given
below.)
You are in a restaurant or mall and suddenly
you hear a familiar song being played in the
background. The song is your favourite (what is
it for you?) Suddenly you tell yourself “it is our
theme song”. By “our” you are actually
referring to a “special someone”. At this point
the song or music is a sign (it points to a
particular event, person or experience) until you
start “to lose awareness or consciousness” of
your present time, space and meaning and the
people with you and somewhat begin to be
“transported back” to that moment in time

where you are with that special someone,
enjoying his/her company, laughter, jokes and
sharing of life’s tidbits, of experiences. Now the
music has become a symbol (it makes you
present to the experience or making the
experience present to you again). You
continue to linger with the song until you are
“re-awakened” by a strong tap on your shoulder
or your elbow being shaken by a friend, asking
what is happening to you because they seem to
have lost you in the group. And you simply
smile; you are inspired and renewed by that
short, flash experience of sacred time, sacred
space, and sacred meaning, and say “I’m fine.
I’m okay. What is that again?” The smile now
replaced by a big, wide grin.
Who knows how long such a grin will remain in your
face and lips. Who knows how long you will remain
inspired and renewed. But such is the power of
remembering or anamnesis – something or someone is
remembered by reliving it or him/her. Anamnesis not
only evokes the experience of the past but also continue
to affect, influence, and inspire the future. In life we do
a lot of remembering. That is part of being human. WE
REMEMBER.
The opposite of anamnesis is amnesia or
forgetfulness or the refusal to remember. There are many
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First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [5]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
reasons for amnesia – it can be medical or physiological
condition, or an unconscious or unaware tendency not to
remember the past, particularly the saddest or painful
ones. Amnesia is also a disposition in life of not seeking
the value or worth of things, people or events that
happen to us. We just live the day with no meaning or
significance, and nothing affects us or disturbs us. In
anamnesis however, we decide to give meanings to
things and people that affect us. They become part of
our memory not simply of the past but the memory say
something about our present life and it points to some
more meanings about the future.
2. We Believe
Such objects or items that you consider “cherished
or prized possessions” are treated as such by you because
they are linked to experiences that you consider sacred,
i.e. important, meaningful and mysterious in (your) life.
Joseph Martos calls such experiences “key-experiences of
life”. The following are key experiences we all share in
life: birth (newness or renewal of life); adulthood, love,
friendship, community; human frailty, weakness, sin,
and forgiveness and reconciliation; sickness, near-death
experience, care and compassion for others; commitment
and fidelity to family; courage, risk-taking and fidelity
and loyalty to one’s (role in) society; and death, justice

and hope. They are called “key-experiences” because
they open up to us deeper meanings in life and
influence the meaning we give to all our other
experiences. Tad Guzie calls such experiences “lived-
experiences” which for him are “the rhythm that makes
life human”. It is what human life is all about. It is by
focussing on such experiences that we discover
gradually the meaning and depth of our true and full
humanity.
We treasure our “lived experiences” or “key
experiences” because deep down within us we know
that this is what it means for us to be truly and fully
human: to live a life of love, friendship and community; a
life of forgiveness and reconciliation, care and
compassion, commitment and fidelity, courage and risk-
taking, fidelity and loyalty, justice and hope. To focus on
them and to treasure anything (signs and symbols) that
allow us to get in touch with these realities is for us to
believe that after all life is not in vain. Together we can
disagree with the writer of the book of Sirac/Qoheleth
when s/he writes “Vanity of vanities; and everything in
life is vanity.”(Ecc.1:2) and proclaim that life has a
deeper and richer meaning unfolding itself in our
experiences. That is what we believe. That is why WE
BELIEVE.
3. We Celebrate
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Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [6]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
Can you imagine what will happen the moment
we forget what it means to be truly and fully human?
What happens when those items that you consider
cherished or prized possessions no longer mean anything
to you because you can no longer recall or remember the
people, story, event, experience associated or link with
those items/objects? What will happen when we can no
longer recall or remember those experiences that make us
truly and fully human; and when sign and symbols no
longer point to or make present experiences that inspire
and renew us to live as one? What happens if all
humanity suffers from a kind of massive “Humanity-
Amnesia”, or massive “Humanity-Alzheimer’s Disease”?
The National Institute of Aging of the US reports
that symptoms of Alzheimer may include increase
memory loss and confusion; problem with one’s own
identity and role, and that of others; problem recognizing
even family and friends; inability to learn new things;
confusion with time or place, changes in mood and
personality, among others. Life would be in chaos.
Everyone is confused; no meaningful past, no
meaningful present and no meaningful future. We
simply do not know what to do. We simply will not
know how to live; and much more to live as truly and
fully human beings!
The good news is that we humans have a way of
ensuring that we do not forget especially those
 Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [7]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia

experiences that are valuable or important to us. We not overwhelming that we cannot “handle” it alone and somehow
only engage in remembering. We engage in re-telling. we want to share it to the whole world.
We share with others in the community. In other words,
Birth is one example of such experience. Do I
we celebrate. The simplest way of sharing is through
simply engage in simple story-telling during my
simple story-telling. Through the simple story-telling
birthday? Do I simply tell the story of what happen when
process we allow people to enter and be part of our
I was born? Do I simply do the story-telling every year;
experience and we in turn allow our experience, our
year in and year out? The same is true for example with
story, to enter their own experience, their own life. As a
anniversaries; or lifetime commitment of love for a
result the experience or story “grows”. It acquires greater
person; or even death and mourning. Do we simply tell
depth, more meaning and significance.
the story year in and year out? I think you will agree that
That’s what happen for example when you had something more is required?
your first date with your “crush” and everything turns
It is here that the value of ritual-celebration
out well. You cannot wait to be back home so that you
comes into the picture. Different signs and symbols can
can call and tell your best friend the most beautiful and
be combined together to form an elaborate and intricate
exhilarating “story or experience” of your life. The date
ritual for the purpose of celebration. Rituals are
lasted only for a few minutes or for two hours but the
“repetitious patterns of behavior involving the use of signs and
story telling goes on until the early morning hours of the
symbols which evoke the feeling of the particular event which
following day, around six to seven hours and without
initially called the community into being with such power that
sleep.
it effects our presence at such event and at the same time makes
But sometimes mere story-telling is not enough. us also present once again to those events.”
It is better if the sharing takes place with as many people
A good example of a ritual-celebration is a
as possible with whom you share some affinity or
birthday party. There you encounter different signs and
connection. And even much better if the whole
symbols: balloons, cake, drinks, food, people, gifts,
community is involve. This is true especially if the
greetings, singing, etc. They all form an elaborate and
experience falls under what we have mentioned before as
intricate ritual for the purpose of celebrating birth or the
“key-experiences” or “lived-experiences.” In some
beginning of a new life. Of course the more we
instances, the experience is so charged with meaning and so

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understand the signs and symbols and their meaning in
the celebration, the more we can understand and
appreciate the meaning of what is celebrated.
George Worgul defines celebration “as moments of
focusing our minds and our hearts, our total being to the
reality or experience of our humanity.” They are moments
of invitation to get hold of ourselves and experience in a
kind of “moment of truth” the depth and reality of
human life in the company and presence of others. The
communal celebrations enable us to have a communal
interpretation of the experience, adding depths and
richness to our understanding of the particular event or
experience. In the process humanity is transformed; the
individual and the community are provided with a
deeper understanding and appreciation of the meaning
involved in the particular event or experience. Most
often, even after the celebration is over, the celebration-
experience continues to affect us.
We want our (key-) experience to reveal more, to
unfold more meaning and depth in relation to our life,
our humanity. After all, meaning grows, deepens,
unfolds, develop. Humans do not want to forget. But
Humans do not simply want to remember. Humans need
and want to celebrate. That is why WE CELEBRATE.
When we celebrate, we remember by believing in
things that matter most to us as persons and as a
community.
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Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [8]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia
4. We love (We live)
Although everything we do can be considered
human activity, simply because they are done by
humans, there are some actions that can be considered
more fully and distinctively human. These are the
actions that raise the whole of our life or existence on the
level of the genuinely human; they are actions/habits
that make us truly and fully human if and when we live by
them. Examples of these are the key or lived experiences we
mentioned before.
In Theology 2 they were called virtues or virtuous
actions, good habits, habits of being human, habits of the
heart. In this lesson they were seen deeply embedded or
attached to certain events or experiences (key-
experiences or lived-experiences) as their deepest and
most profound meaning. They make us want to
remember, to believe, to celebrate. They are what are
truly and fully human in life inviting us and challenging us
to live the very same meaning and depth we so earnestly seek
and wish to understand.
The best way to show what we consider really
valuable and meaningful so much so that we want or
need to remember, believe, celebrate is by making them
our way of life, our communal lifestyle, living
 Theology 3: Celebrating Christ’s Presence as a Christian Community [9]
Topic 1: Anamnesis versus Amnesia

according to them. We live according to what we
remember, believe, celebrate. But what is the core of
every true human value or virtue? Donald De Marco
believes that it is LOVE. James Keenan calls it Charity,
the mother of all virtues. As such, virtues are concerned
more with the interior life than the external act; virtues
are more concerned with the heart than with the head.
Love brings together in a carefully balance way all the
moral/human values. In the Letter to the Corinthians,
Paul writes: (1Cor 13:1-8)
it does not rejoice over wrong doing but
rejoices with the truth. It bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endure all things.
Love never fails.”
We have to live according to what we remember,
believes, celebrate. That means WE MUST LOVE.

“If I speak in human and angelic Let us “ACT”/ PRAY

tongues but do not have love, I am a
resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and A. Group Ritual Presentation

comprehend all mysteries and all B. Group Presentation
knowledge; if I have all faith so as to C. Feedbacks.
move mountains but do not have love, I D. Prayer
am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I Prepared for IRED by:

handed my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing. Gabriel M. de los Santos

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not

jealous, is not pompous, it is not
inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek
its own interest, it is not quick- 3389.
tempered, it does not brood over injury,

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