THEOLOGY 2: AT THE HEART OF JESUS BY REBECCA G.

o give way
CACHO o allow the passing through
- idaan
CHAPTER 1: REDISCOVERING THE WAY o drop something by
- pinagdaanan
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to o experiences one went through
the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Halakha
The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in - Judaism
the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:6) - ‘Jewish Law’
- the path that one walks
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) - Hei-Lamed-Kaf
- Christian Faith has been reexamined and re- o To go, to walk, to travel
interpreted
- different cultural contexts of Christians all over the Sharia
world - Islam
- clear, well-trodden path to water
Neo-Scholastic - acts as a code for living that all Muslims should
- lost touch with the modern era adhere to
o prayers
Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (1991) o fasting
- Local churches and theologians realized that o donations to the poor
inculturation is necessary in re-appropriating the - help Muslims understand how they should lead
faith. every aspect of their lives according to God’s wishes
- “we have to develop a catechesis and theology that
| are authentically Filipino, and a liturgy that is truly Buddhism
inculturated,” (PCP II, art. 210) - Eight-fold path to happiness (nirvana)
- way of Buddha is through the middle way
Gaudium et Spes (art. 58) - “According to a more widely used conception, the
- “For God, revealing Himself to His people to the path to enlightenment consists of a threefold
extent of a full manifestation of Himself in His training in ethics, in concentration, and in wisdom.”
Incarnate Son, has spoken according to the culture - 4 Noble Truths
proper to each epoch.”
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Jesus - sent to make sure we experience the fullness of life
- to re-trace his steps within our experience as a offered by God (Jn. 14:6; Jn. 10:10).
people belonging to a specific time and culture. - the face of the invisible and gracious God was seen
- “ang pastol na may magandang kalooban” (Col. 1:15) and the bond of love between God and
humans was secured
The Way (Ang daan) - means by which God’s love was experienced by
- recognizable reference to many of our human those who were at the margins of society
experiences across cultures and faith traditions - lessons he taught were culled from what he has
- street gone through in life (hango sa pinagdaanan niya ang
- manner or style mga pangaral niya)
o paraan - he is our model par excellence
▪ word of respect when passing by - the way to finding the kingdom in our own situation
- direction in life
Christianity
daanan - Jesus is the Way
- Filipino - Drawn from Jesus’ experiences
- speaks of a road or street to walk on to reach one’s - 8 Beatitudes
destination o Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
- manner, style, or direction in life the Kingdom of heaven
o Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall
dumaan (to pass by) be comforted
- effort by which one can accomplish a goal o Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
- paraan the earth
o a means, method, word of respect uttered o Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
before passing by righteousness, for they shall be filled
- sangandaan o Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
o a branch of a road; crossroad obtain mercy
- padaanin/paraanin o Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God
 o Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall
be called children of God
o Blessed are they that have been
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
- 6 Antitheses
o You shall not murder in verses 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26.
o You shall not commit adultery in verses 27,
28, 29, 30.
o Divorce in verses 31 and 32.
o Oaths in verses 33, 34, 35, 36, 37.
o Eye for an eye in verses 38, 39, 40, 41, 42.
o Love thy neighbor as thyself in verses 43,
44, 45, 46, 47, 48
- We are being called to follow Jesus — our true path
to happiness but to follow the “way” of someone is
tantamount to being committed to the cause of
that individual.
- LOVE
WORLD CHRIST
Bitter jealousy and selfish Humility and detachment
ambition
Matthew (16:13-17)
- Jesus asked his disciples about how people
perceived him to be
- Simon/Peter
o “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
o reflection of the significance of Jesus
within their own socio-political and
cultural context experienced historically
by the first disciples
- summary of a long process of following Jesus
- result of a post resurrection understanding of who
Jesus was to them
- based on their experiences of his very person as he
lived with them
- never the same after their encounter with Jesus
- passed on this message of hope to the ends of the
earth so that those who believed in him like the
blind man Bartimaeus may gain their sight and
follow Jesus (ck. Mk. 10:52).
New Testament
- post resurrection faith documents
- made canon by the early Christians
o standardized
o “inspired by the Holy Spirit”
- primary sources of understanding the Christian
faith
- articulate faithfully the kerygma
o proclamation of the good news of the
Christian Faith.
- Jesus was not acknowledged in one definite instant
but was slowly confessed as such
o through the many events that unfolded in
his life
o understood in his passion, death and
resurrection
Gospels
- not biographical accounts of his life
- illustrations of how they found salvation in and
through Jesus
- a process these disciples underwent from their
initial encounters with Jesus
- to their growing understanding of who He might be
- recognition of who He was after His death and
resurrection
- “way of the disciples” = “way” of Jesus
The way of praying is the way of believing
- lex orandi lex credendi
- St Prosper of Aquitaine
- Act of following the way is expressed in prayer
o Filipino context
▪ Rites
▪ Symbols
▪ Gestures
▪ Dance and music
- “the law of praying is the law of believing.”
- in response to the semi-Pelagians who rejected the
teachings of Augustine on the necessity of grace in
all moments of a person’s life
- “How we worship not only reveals and guards
what we believe but guides us on how we live our
Christian faith and fulfill our Christian mission in
the world.”
- Our way of praying informs us of what we believe in
while transforming the person that we are
- intimately linked to each other like two halves of
one whole
- give premium to the liturgical life of the Church
- through the celebrations and rituals, the faith they
proclaimed was highlighted
- rites, symbols and gestures expressive of the
community’s experiences
- religious festivals and popular beliefs
- two images of Jesus
o Sto. Nino (child Jesus) in Cebu
o Hesus Nazareno (Black Nazarene) in
Quiapo
praying
- most celebrated “way” of relating with the divine or
expressing one’s belief
- invites us to a profound listening and acceptance of
our most interior truth (loob) where we could gain
direction and new vitality
- does not end in simple recitation of words but in
actualizing the ethical implications of the bible
passage.
The use of the body (Eilipino, katawan)
- necessary to communicate in a nonverbal way
- a faith that is truly felt
- what is felt as a way of understanding what is
true/real
- Only that which is felt would leave an impression
- one’s way of relating with the divine is by way of the
body
 - beliefs about God could be understood in their way
of praying where touch is a spontaneous gesture of
affection and symbol of commitment to God
“translacion”
- (solemn transport) of the image of black Nazarene
(i.e. walking barefoot, pulling the rope, wiping of
cloth on the image, kissing the feet of the icon,
touching the right shoulder of the Nazarene or the
cross on his shoulder)
- Bodily expression of faith
Sinulog
- ritual dance
- inspired by the water flow or current (sulog) of the
Pahina river
- performed before the Santo Nino by local
communities
- highlights the joyful disposition of the devotees
towards the Christian faith
- Magellan brought Sto. Niño as a gift to Datu
Humabon
- reflect the interior disposition of reverence the
believers display towards the child Jésus
- every 34 Sunday of January
praying and worshipping as a community of disciples
- strengthens the bond of friendship
- moves them to live in harmony with one another
- breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup (cf.
Acts 4:32; 2:42--6)
- made possible around the table of sacrifice,
thanksgiving and fellowship of the faith community
prayers of the worshipping communities
- standard for the ancient Christian creeds
- canon of scripture and other doctrinal matters
no dichotomy between theology and liturgy
- used to be integrated aspects of the Christian faith
Classical way (Neo-Scholastic and Western)
- 4th century onwards
- two elements of expressing our faith became
separated
“the relevance and challenge of Jesus will be readily seen as
connected with contemporary experiences.”
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
- Church acknowledged such dichotomy which
affected the way of life of believers
- aggiornamento (renewal) and ad fontes (return to
source)
- tradition of holistic understanding and praxis of the
Christian faith was retrieved and highlighted
Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium)
- “where necessary, the rites be revised carefully in
the light of sound tradition, and that they be given
new vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of
modem times,” (SC, art. 4
- liturgical services of the believing community
should be expressive of these Christian beliefs.
faith
- gathers the community for worship
worship
- renews the faith of the community
way of praying
- has the potential to instruct, communicate, and to
substantiate what we profess and celebrate as
disciples of Jesus
- reveals what we believe in
- deep awareness of the God we believe in is
experienced profoundly in moments of prayer.
*Without prayer, we prevent ourselves from discovering the
truth of our person, the concerns of our neighbor and the
nearness of God whose loving presence is obstructed from
our vision by a world that denies God's benevolence to all.
Jesus’ way of praying
- mindfulness of God
o bringing our interior truth to explicit
awareness and allowing this to re-orient
our lives again
o interior manifestation of one’s personal
relationship with the divine who initiates
and invites everyone to friendship
- active awareness of God as loving Father (Abba)
who only wills what is good for all
- evident in by the way he lived, talked, prayed and
worked
- never lost sight of the the realization of the
kingdom of God (reason and vision of everything he
engaged in)
- set aside a time for prayer which nurtured his
passion to do the will of God
- Disengagement in our activities in order to focus on
something we may have neglected but is essential
for our well-being
- periods of standing back and consolidating the
lessons we learned in life but which were pushed
aside because of the demands of our present
engagements
- specific time allotted for moments of prayer
o opens one’s self to the Holy Spirit
▪ vivifies, comforts, and empowers,
person.
- to help us re-connect with the most interior truth of
our person
Faith in God
- finds expression in our confidence to humanity,
- two-fold law of love emphasized by Jesus (Lk. 10:2 ;
Mt. 22:37)
o reminds us of interweaving character of
human and divine love
Jesus’ way of praying
1. an expression of intimacy with God
 2. prayed passionately from the heart
3. humble opening of self to the will of God
Jesus’ way of praying is an expression of intimacy with God.
- evident closeness with God whom he considers his
Abba (Father)
- made him desirous of spending time with God in
private
- we get excited to be with those who are close to us
- we make it a point to get in touch with them as we
exchange stories and be updated about each
other's status or situation
- going to isolated places to pray
Jesus prayed passionately from the heart
- popular religious devotions they engage in
- translacion of Sto. Nifio and the Nazareno
o intense bodily gestures expressive of the
passionate way by which devotees relate
to God
- weeping for people (Lk. 19:41), sweating profusely
like drops of blood falling on the ground (Lk. 22:44)
or grieving ovel a decision (Mt. 26:38)
- a total outpouring of one’s concerns on God who is
believed to be bent on attending to our needs.
- dependence in God’s initiative
o Jesus’ trust was built on a reliable God
whose will is dependable (Lk. 22:47).
Jesus’ manner of praying was a humble opening of self to
the will of God
- Will of God is being absorbed by the divine will.
- constant mindfulness of a God whose will is
directed to our well-being
- life was turned towards the divine will (Jn 6:38; 4:34)
- we should first seek God’s will in order to have what
our heart desires (Mt. 6:33)
God’s will should be translated as “kalooban ng Diyos”
instead of “kagustuhan ng Diyos”
- may miss out the real implication since it is often
attributed to a God who brings both good and evil
in our lives
- “kalooban ng Diyos”
o better capture our Christian belief in a
loving God or Abba-King of Jesus who is
pure positivity (pawang kagandahang-loob)
The Benedictine Ora (prayer)
- Benedict of Nursia
o cave of Subiaco gave him space to pray,
reflect and discern about what will best
make his life meaningful
- Rule of Benedict
o specifies the central role of prayer in the
life and works of the communities under
the tutelage of Benedict
- balance of prayer and work (ora et labora)
- day is divided into hours of work or manual labor
ang specific moments of community prayers (Divine
Office or Liturgy of the Hours)
- seven moments of worshipping God inserted in
between working hours but Benedict
- added another one
o offer for the special intentions of the
church
- immersed themselves in Lectio Divina
o scriptures
Four separate steps
1. the reading of the Word of God
2. meditating on it and singling out a word or phrase
that strikes one most
3. praying for the grace of God to accomplish the
message of God
4. contemplating on the peace that one’s communion
with God brings about
o to have the strength to act on the message
perceived from one’s reflection
Benedict
- prayer has a life-giving power
o without it human efforts would have no
sense of direction or meaning
- prayer that sustains a person despite difficult
situations
“First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must
pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection”
(Rule, chapter 19 #7).
Christian life finds its strength in prayer
- we have to be sustained by prayer and meditation
on God’s Word
- his prayer reveals deep fellowship with God
“lay your petitions before the Lord God of all things
with utmost humility and sincere devotion” (Rule,
chapter 20 #2)
- it is in prayer that our inner self could be more
genuinely expressed
- it is in prayer that we could find the necessary
clarity of mind, strength of spirit and commitment
to respond to the challenges of life
“let us stand and sing the psalms in such a way that our
minds are in harmony with our voices” (Rule, chapter 19 #7).
The Prayer that Jesus taught us
- The Our Father (also called the Lord’s Prayer)
- archetype of Christian prayer
- point to the contents of what we believe in
- highlights the “praxis of the whole gospel.”
- if one wishes to understand the fundamental
elements of Christian faith, the aforementioned
prayer is one very important reference material.
- vocation of every disciple which is the realization of
the kingdom of God
- was articulated according to the native tongue of
lowland Filipinos
- first translation in 1593, one will easily notice some
significant differences in the articulation of the text
and the contexts considered
Contextualization
 - The church after Vatican II has recognized the need
to rearticulate the faith using the present human
experience of
- requires considering the context of the people in re-
appropriating the Christian faith
- “circumstances that form the setting for an event,
statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be
fully understood.
Listen to the “signs of times”
- Pope St. John XXIII (1962-1965)
- “To make salvation concrete and Jesus real in Asia,
there should be a recognizable reference to the
lived experience of people.”
- ensure the comprehensibility, relevance and
meaningfulness of theological reflections and
articulations about the Christian faith.
Inculturation
- best option for missionaries to present the Christian
faith
- manner that was intelligible and meaningful to
Filipinos
Effective evangelization
- using the cultural context, language and symbols of
the local people
Friars and the Fathers (Jesuits)
- missionaries who possessed sincere knowledge and
good-willed appreciation of the culture of the
people they wanted to evangelize.
- many missionaries successfully mastered the
dialects and begun to teach the natives in their own
languages
- Fray Juan de Plasencia
▪ Tagalog translation (circa 1581)
Doctrina Christiana
“tocsohan”
- Group game
- Used by missionaries to communicate the teachings
of the Church
- playful teasing or teasing game was the strategy
used
- administered by the Franciscans as part of the
Sunday Masses
The Text
- two versions of the Lord’s Prayer
o Luke 11:2-4
o Matthew 6:9-13
- originally Greek texts
- Luke’s version is shorter
- wording of the prayer may have been influenced by
“the eighteen benedictions and the Kaddish of the
Jewish synagogue worship.”
- two illustrations of one reality just as there is one
Jesus but four gospels
Matthew’s version
- basis of the current “Our Father” (Filipino, Ama
Namin)
- widely used in liturgy and catechism classes
- more Western than Filipino in context
Ama Namin contained in 1593 Doctrina Christiana will be
considered in our study of the Christian faith.
- inculturation
- illustrate what is beautiful in our culture
- testament of the potential of our language to
explain the Christian faith without relying on
foreign language
- translation is more able to evoke culturally related
themes and elements by the way it is worded
compared to the present official version in Filipino
Using the language of the natives
- inculturation
- assurance of intelligibility involved
co-relation of the Filipino culture and our Faith legacy (the
Judeo-Christian Tradition)
- 1593 version of the Lord’s Prayer and the current
one being used in the Christian churches has no
significant differences
o older exhibits some sense of cultural
sensitivity than the present version
Differences:
1. “You petitions” (original)
o we are the subjects of the actions
indicated:
▪ sambahin (we worship)
▪ mapa sa amin (the kingdom
becomes our possession)
▪ and sundin ang loob Mo (we
follow God’s will)
o All these actions highlight people’s efforts
in order to fulfill the prayer
2. God’s initiative and gracious actions (1593 version)
o ypa sonod and ypasamba (God will make
us obey His will and worship together)
o more apt interpretation because divine
initiative comes first before the human
response
Pattern of the Lord’s Prayer
- the first part is about what God does for us
- second part is what we do based on the impact of
God’s action toward us
John’s letter
- reminded the disciples that they are capable of
loving because God loved them first (cf. John 4:19).
- passive form of verb is often used when addressing
God
o to express reverence
o recognition that without the grace of God,
we are unable to accomplish anything
- “caharian” (kingdom)
o state or reign
- “pagcahari” (kingship)
o latter indicates a king who rules
 o dynamic and personal
o reminds us that God is actively involved in
our life

1593 version of Doctrina Christiana

- ‘kakainin’ was used instead of ‘bread’ is that part
o (root word, kanin or rice) was used
- staple food means rice not bread
- “Our daily bread” to “our daily rice” illustrates
more closely what truly nurtures an ordinary
Filipino
- God is accurately presented as the source of life and
daily sustenance who provides for all our needs.

petition on forgiveness of sins

- official version
o it reminds people to forgive their
neighbors just as God has been forgiving
- 1593 version
o Being released from one’s sins is a sign of
being forgiven by God
o forgiving one’s neighbors is expressed as
being indifferent to their sins
▪ to take for granted whatever they
have done against us

The use of “loob”

- most authentic relational self of Filipinos
- we try to take for granted the sins of others

1593 version appeals to God not to leave us alone

otherwise we will be overcome by temptation
- God stays with us always.
- instead of “lead us not into temptation”
o since it seems to suggest that it is God who
initiated our falling into temptation

traditional rural practice among our elders of ending our

prayers with “amen” and “in the name of Jesus,” reiterates
what Jesus himself has promised the disciples, “And I will do
whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be
glorified in | the Son. You may ask me for anything in my
name, and I will do it,” (John 1 4:13-14).