Religious Education 9

ACTIVITY 2: BEING HUMAN, BEING MORAL

CONCEPT NOTES:

The human person is the crowning glory of God’s creation. “God created man in His image, in the
divine image He created Him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). Among all creations, the divine
image is present only in human beings. Besides, God created us out of love and for love. Truly, we are God’s
beloved, gifted, and empowered. Even if we have sinned God did not give up on us. He sent us Jesus His only
beloved Son to become like us, to be our Savior and make us realize our worth, the meaning of our existence
and our destiny. Through Christ, we become children of God and have this “inviolable dignity . . . which is the
most precious possession an individual can have, whose value comes not from what a person ‘has’ as much as
from what a person ‘is’” (Christifideles Laici 37) (cf CFC 683).

Since we are all God’s beloved, God’s children destined to live a life worthy of the dignity which
comes from Him. To have dignity is to have worth and value, to be honored and to be respected, to be endowed
with a characteristic that is inherent (intrinsically ours, a part of us), inviolable (cannot be violated or
desecrated), and inalienable (cannot be taken away from us). So, we need to respect one another and our
uniqueness as well. Through our respect for one another, we show respect and reverence to God who created us
out of love and from whom our dignity originates. Being wonderfully made by God, we can offer each other the
richness and giftedness that comes from Him and serve Him in one another.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN PERSON

1. We are Open and Relational Beings
Persons are open and relational by nature. No man is an island; we grow into our full selves as persons
only in relating to others. We Filipinos are outstanding in this regard: it is said “Filipinos are never alone.” We
realize being a person means being by others (our conception, birth, upbringing), being with others (our family,
friends, neighbors), and being for others (love, service). This is how we have been created by God – as social
beings. This is how we have been redeemed by Christ – as a people. This is how the Holy Spirit works not only
within but among us as the people of God, journeying toward our common destiny on God. (CFC 687)
2. We are Conscious Beings
Persons are conscious beings, aware of themselves in their outgoing acts. We possess this self-awareness
through our knowing and free willing (cf. CCC 1704-7; GS 14-17). Thus we “image” in our small way the
Creator’s infinite knowing and loving. This is the basis for our moral life. (CFC 688)
3. We are Embodied Spirits
Persons are embodied spirits. This stresses the unity between our “body and soul.” Our bodies are our
essential part of being a human, not merely an “instrument” we “use” according to our whims. Contrary to those
who look down on the body, and make it the source of all evil, Christian Faith regards the body as “good and
honorable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day” (GS 14). Moreover, God the Son further
dignified the body through his Incarnation – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). And St.
Paul admonishes us: “You must know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within – the Spirit
you have received from God…. So, glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). All our relationships with
others and with God are expressed through our bodies, which are the “natural sacrament” of our spiritual depth.
(CFC 689)

4. We are Historical Beings

Persons are historical realities. We are pilgrims on-the-way, who gradually through time, become our
full selves. In exercising freedom, we decide for ourselves and form ourselves; in this sense we are our own
cause. We develop as persons in discernible stages, described in great detail by modern psychology. Salvation
history narrated in the Bible shows the dynamic interplay between good and evil, success and failure, within the
lives of the great biblical figures. It recounts how God progressively brought His Chosen People to a clearer
understanding, and higher moral vision, of their own being and of God Himself. (CFC 690)
5. We are unique, yet fundamentally equal
Persons are unique, yet fundamentally equal. Despite physical differences as well as differing
intellectual and moral powers, we instinctively realize that as persons, in some basic way, we are all equal. This
is what our Faith explains: “All men are endowed with a rational soul and are created in God’s image; they have
the same nature and origin and, being redeemed by Christ, they enjoy the same divine calling and destiny; there
is here a basic equality between all men” (GS 29). Yet, each of us is called to “image” God in a unique way –
no one can “take our place,” as it were. To each of us Christ says: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have
called you by name: you are mine” (Is 43:1). Thus, within the fundamental equality of all persons, we recognize
the unique identity of each person. (CFC 691)

STUDENT ACTIVITY 2:

Read the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) below:

29
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him,
and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he
saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,
passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was
moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he
put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two
denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you
whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the
hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do
likewise.”
Directions: Reflecting on the meaning of the story, choose six (6) people you consider to be modern-day Good
Samaritans: one from among the past or present leaders of our country, one from your own family,
one from your classmate, one from your town or city, one from your relatives, and one from your
past teachers. Write their names in column 1 and brief explanations why you consider them Good
Samaritans in column 2.
Modern-day Good Samaritan Reason:
From among the past or present leaders of the
country, I choose…

From my own family, I choose...

From my classmate, I choose...

From my town, city, I choose...

From my relatives, I choose...

From my teachers I choose…

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