SPEICAL ISSUE IN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY totoo/walang daya (beauty in

MODULE 1 truth/guilelessness). In Greek, truth is

“aletheia” which means the state of
INTRODUCTION not being hidden or the state of
This lesson is a review of the being evident. Therefore, truth
inculturated foundational concept reveals the actual state of something;
[Kagandahang-loob ng Dios] introduced in it is real, genuine, and natural and
Theology 101. From its Biblical leaning in lacks deceit, pretense or disguise.
Theology 101 it will take a gradual transition
and be connected to the moral aspect in Hence, Kagandahang loób is a
this course, Theology 102. winsome goodness, ang kabutihang
nakabibighani o nakakaakit.
CONTENT
Ethical goodness and aesthetic charm
I. GANDA AS AN UNDERSTANDING OF
are combined.
MORAL GOODNESS
Ganda encompasses everything that is That is why Kagandahang-loob is pure
to be pursued. According to de Mesa and positivity that captives and wins people
Cacho (2012), “ang maganda,” for the over.
Filipino, is associated with mabuti (good),
maayos (order), and totoo/walang daya B. Characteristics of Kagandahang Loób
(truth/guilelessness). 1. Kagandahang loób is an eminently
relational concept. It activates in our
Although, ganda is commonly used as
relationships with others (kapwa).
an expression of our aesthetic judgment,
2. Kagandahang loób is authentic if it
we also apply it as our expression of positive
arises from the personal initiative of
ethical judgments. “Ang maganda”
one acting. It is streams from within
characterizes moral actions while the
(bukal sa loób) and not forced (pilit).
opposite which is “di maganda o ang
Hence, it is a voluntary act (kusa) and
pangit” denotes immoral actions.
not manipulated (minanipula).
3. Kagandahang loób is directed
A. Ethical Concept of Ganda
towards the well-being or welfare of
1. Mabuti: Purity of Intention - maganda
the other. It is others-centered and
ang mabuti (beauty in goodness).
works for common good (para sa
According to Jocano (2001) buti is
kapakanan o ikalalago ng kapwa).
the desire of what is good. Hence, we
4. Kagandahang loób is not self-
may say maganda ang mabuti. But
seeking and does not look for a
mabuti alone is not sufficient to be
“return of the favor.” It is selfless
considered maganda.
(mapagbigay) and free from greed
2. Maayos: Appropriateness of Action -
(kasakiman). It is focused on what
Maganda ang maayos (beauty in
welfare it can offer for others and not
orderliness). PCP II (1991) declares
from what it can gain from them.
that in the core of humanity is the
5. Kagandahang loób tends to be an
inclination for order. Gusto natin ang
“excessive” manifestation of
maayos at ayaw naman natin ang
goodness and generosity. It does not
magulo! But there are instances in our
stop working for the welfare of others.
lives where we find ourselves
Whether recognized or not it
contradictory like St Paul, we do not
continues to pursue common good
do what we want and do what we
because it is genuine (dalisay).
hate (Romans 7:15).
6. Kagandahang loób is discerned and
3. Totoo: Sincerity and Consitency of
proven through experiences over a
Intention and Action - Maganda ang
 period of time. It is a gradual process A. Structure of the Loób according to
of self-purification which is tested and Alejo
strengthened by time. 1. Abot-Malay (ambit of
conscoiusness) (Lawak) - it is the
II. Pagsasaloob sa Kagandahang-Loób: extent of person’s consciousness
Embracing Moral Goodness (kamalayan) which pertains to
According to Alejo perception, memory, imagination
(1990) “ang pagsasaloób ay katapatan sa and foresight. The structure of the
katotohanan na tumatalab at umaabot loób where meaning-making is
ang tindi sa iba.” He used movie/theater found and continously evolving
acting skills as an example to elaborate through active interaction vis a vis
further. He said that excellent actors are the self (malay-sarili), others
those who are able to feel the (malay-kapwa), cosmos (malay-
character (madama ang katauhan) they daigdig), and God (malay-
portray. Although, in movie/theater Maykapal). It empowers a person
industry pagsasaloób is a “mere” to be observant and responsive to
acting (palabas lang); in real the needs of his/her surroundings.
life pagsasaloób is a faithful acting which 2. Abot-Dama (ambit of feelings)
involves the totality of a person. Acting in (Lalim) - it refers to the realm of
reel and real life may not always share the feelings that intensify and impact
same intention but definitely share the abot-kamalayan (consciousness).
same skills of It is not a mere feeling; it is a
acting. Therefore, Pagsasaloób sa conscious feeling. It is realized in
kagandahang loób implies that there pagsasaloób (internalization),
is maganda (gracious goodness) in pakikiramay at malasakit
everyone (Gen. 1:27). We just need to look (solidarity), pagkasangkot sa
within; have a thorough bagay (cosmic care), at
knowledge (kaalaman) and pangingilabot sa Diyos o May
understanding (pang-unawa) of loób sa Diyos (religious
the loób (self). experience).
3. Abot-Kaya (ambit of strength)
Several Filipino scholars (Alejo, 1990;
(Laman) - this comprises
Mercado, 1994; de Castro, 1999; Reyes,
pagbubuo ng loob and
2015; & de Leon, 2018) mentioned
pangangatawan. Pagbubuo ng
that Loób is literally translated inside/interior
loób involves the process of
which is used to describe the physical
deliberate assessment concerning
objects like a pot, base or house. But in the
the unity of abot-malay
Filipino concept, it also refers to a person’s
(consciousness) and abot-dama
holistic and relational will.
(feelings). The balance and
harmony between the two is the
point of departure in performing
an act.

III. Pangangatawan ng Kagandahang

Loób: Commitment to be Moral
Pangangatawan is literally translated
as embodiment. Because it is the tangible
representation or expression of something
invisible. When attached to
the kagandahang loób ng Dios (God’s
gracious goodness), “pangangatawan is
discipleship” (de Mesa and Cacho, 2012).
In pangangatawan (discipleship),
we submit ourselves to the God (1
Corinthians 3:16) and allow
our katawan (body) become channel of
the kagandahang loób ng Dios (God’s
gracious goodness). Hence, we
become kinatawan (disciples) of God
through Christ. St. Therese of Liseux views
herself as the heart of Jesus. She was a
cloistered nun, like the heart hidden within
the body, but her prayers give life to the
Church similar to the heart that helps
circulates the blood within the body.
Pangangatawan sa Panahon
Pangangatawan sa Panahon
However, pangangatawan (disciple
ship), as mentioned by Alejo, encompasses
time. It is a gradual and dramatic process of
aligning our own will to the will of God
through self-purification. We could relate
here the Filipino concept of “pagbabalik
loob” (conversion). Also, the life of St.
Augustine testifies to this reality.
This shows that
pangangatawan (discipleship) is an
endless faithfulness to God’s kagandahang
loób (gracious goodness) which relentlessly
lead us to the beautiful unfolding of the self.
The more we know and love God, the more
we know ourselves. And the more we love
God, the more our faith mature. This is the
paradox of revelation (CFC). Consequently,
this is also the truth revealed by the
Theological Virtues: faith, hope, and love (1
Corinthians 13:13). Indeed, when love is
profound, hope is heightened and faith is
strengthened!
Abot-Kaya sa Pakikibaka at Pag-asa
It speaks about persistent
struggle (pakikibaka) to destroy the inner
forces (i.e. ignorance, fear, violence, vices)
and external forces (i.e. social issues and
concerns) that prevent us from
attaining kaginhawaan (freedom).
May utang na loób tayo sa Dios (We
are indebted to God). Ang kagandahang
loób na ipinadama sa natin ng Dios ang
nagtutulak sa atin na maipadama ito sa
ating kapwa. (The gracious goodness we
have encountered from God compel us to
demonstrate it to others). Hence, we are
determined to develop magandang
asal (good character) to free ourselves
from the inner forces attacks the
propagation of God’s kagandahang
loób. In addition, we take risks (sumusugal
tayo) as we participate in addresing social
issues and concerns to safeguard and
promote human dignity, quality of life, and
integrity of creation.
According to Pe-Pua and Marcelino
(2000), the Filipino understanding
of “bahala na” is not fatalism, but
determination and taking risks after doing
everything. Hence, it is an attitude that
accepts suffering and problem, leaving
everything to God. After giving our best
effort, we can only hope for the best
because there is a God who completes
everything.
SYNTHESIS
Ang kagandahang loób ay
isinasaloób at pinangangatawanan!
 SPEICAL ISSUE IN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
MODULE 2
INTRODUCTION
Mukha (face) serves as the basic
identity of a person which is why our ID
cards contain our mukha (face) and not
the other parts of our body. We can use the
cultural concept of mukha (face) in
presenting Jesus as the Kaaya-ayang
mukha (pleasant face)
God’s Kagandahang loób.
CONTENT
The Filipino concept of
“mukha” (face) and “hiya” are closely
linked with one another. According to the
study of Pe-Pua and Marcelino, Lynch
(1961) was the first American to explore the
Filipino understanding of hiya where he
described it as ‘‘the uncomfortable feeling
that accompanies awareness of being in a
socially unacceptable position or
performing a socially unacceptable
action.” Eventually, it was translated by
Sibley (1965) as “shame” which was refuted
by Salazar (1981, 1985b) and declared that
for Filipino, “hiya is not shame but sense of
propriety.” How do we look at in the light of
the person and life of Jesus?
In Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17,
Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22), Jesus faced God
[the Father] (humarap siya sa Dios Ama) as
He publicly professed His love for Him and
commitment to His will. God was delighted,
because of Jesus’ obedience to His will,
saying “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him
I am well pleased.” Moreover, Jesus did not
only face God but also gave God a face.
He faithfully witnessed God in His entire
life (“Hindi lang hinarap ni Hesus ang Dios
bagkus ay binigyan Niya ito ng mukha”). His
entire life is a testimony to
God’s kagandahang loób (gracious
goodness). Jesus did not boast about
Himself. He asserted the kingdom of
God. Hence, Jesus is the kaaya-ayang
mukha (pleasant face) ng kagandahang
loób ng Dios (God’s gracious goodness).
In John 15:15, Jesus calls us His friends,
instead of servants, as He reveals to us the
secret of proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Accordingly, the Church declares “Jesus as
Son and Savior” as the fundamental moral
norm for Christian action (CFC #528).
Hence, at His transfiguration, we are
summoned to “listen to Him.” But why do we
need to listen to Jesus? How is listening to
Jesus help improve our moral life?
1. Jesus’ Servant-Leadership as a Ministry
of Kagandahang Loób
Jesus declared that He came to the
world not to be served, but to serve and to
give my life (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). He has
demonstrated this through His deeds: “the
‘miracles,’ the ‘teachings,’ the ‘healings,’
and other acts” (Abesamis, 1991). The
Church gives emphasis to this, during the
commemoration of the institution of the
Eucahrist on Maundy Thursday and in the
washing of the feet (Jn 13:1-17). Jesus is,
indeed, an epitome of a servant-leader!
Because “He concretized His message first
through His actions of healing, of forgiving,
of acceptance, of inviting people to show
compassion before He proclaimed in
words” (Wostyn, 2004).
His face-to-face witness through
deeds, as cited by de Mesa and Caho
(2012), was characterized by his:
o Authentic goodness flowing out of
graciousness (pawang
kagandahang-loob). Jesus rejected
hypocricy (i.e. Mt 23:13-36: 7 Woes).
o Genuine desire (kusang loob ang
pagmamagandang loob ni Hesus)
for a better life to the people and not
to glorify himself. Jesus works for the
welfare of others, not for praise and
 fame (i.e. Mk 7:24-30: Syrophoenician
woman)
o Transformative power (nakakahawa
ang kagandahang-loob ni Hesus).
o Total dedication for the good of
others (walang kapantay ang
kagandahang-loob ni Hesus).
Jesus was steadfast in His commitment to
proclaim the kingdom of God. Even in the
midst of suffering and afflictions He
remained whole and beautiful while caring
for the welfare of others. He is truly likeable
and admirable because in the midst of pain
and betrayal He throw a gentle gaze to
Peter (Lk 22:61); forgive His mockery at the
cross (Luke 23:34); console a man beside
Him on the cross (Luke 23:43); entrust His
mother and disciple to each other care (Jn
19:26-27). But where does Jesus get His
strength?
2. Jesus’ Prayerfulness as a Mindfulness of
God’s Kagandahang Loób
Jesus is a man of prayer. He prayed
from the beginning to the end of His life. He
is shown to pray: alone (Mt 14:23; Mk 1:35; Lk
9:18; Lk 22:39-41), in public (Jn 11:41-42; Jn
12:27-30), before meals (Mt 26:26; Mk 8:6; Lk
24:30; Jn 6:11), before important
decisions (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19;
Luke 6:12-160, before healing (Mk 7:34-
35), after healing (Lk 5:16), to do the Father's
will (Mt 26:36-44), among other things. He
also taught on the importance of prayer (Mt
21:22; Mk 11:24-26; Mt 7:7-11; Lk 11:9-13; Jn
14:13-14; Jn 15:7, 16; Jn 16:23-24; Mt 5:44; Lk
6:27-28; Mt 6:15).
As mentioned by de Mesa and
Cacho (2012), for Jesus, “to be prayerful is
the condition of being constantly mindful of
God’s kagandahang-loób in all things and
at all times.” His profound attachment to
God endowed Him to be faithful to God,
Himself and to His fellow human beings. His
gracious goodness, beautiful deeds and
words honors God and prompted
transformation to whoever encounters Him.
This indicates that cultivating prayer
life is concomitant to the discovery of how
we can be more human and humane.
Consequently, Jesus taught us not only the
importance of prayer but more so how to
pray through the “Our Father” (Lk 11:2-4; Mt
6:9-13). For Him prayer is intimacy with God
whom He called “Abba” (Father, Daddy,
Tatay). Jesus commanded us not “to pray
these words” but “to pray in this way.” He
taught us that prayer is humble recognition
of one’s situation before the God. Hence,
we submit ourselves to God and His will as
His sons and daughters!
Furthermore, de Mesa and Cacho
(2012) cited that the “Our Father” revealed
three intertwined elements in Jesus’ way of
prayer such as:
o An intimate contact with God: Prayer
is a bonding with God which leads to
a better knowledge of the self, others,
the rest of creation and ultimately
God. Pagbubukas ng
kamalayan (consciousness).
o A feeling of being moved by God: It is
a pouring out of emotions to God
who listens with compassion where
we encounter a sense of surrender
and complete opening of oneself
before Him. Pakikipagpalagayang
loób sa Dios!
o A sense of hope in God’s re-assuring
presence: Prayer inspires
dependence and strengthens
confidence in God and opens our
hearts to the needs of
others. Pagpapatatag ng
pangangatawan (discipleship).
 As Pope Francis (2015) stated “we
need to build a society in the light of the
Beatitudes, walking towards the kingdom of
God.”

According to Marinelli (1991) the

word “Abba” grounds Jesus’ spirituality and
our relationship to each other. If we see life
from this perspective, “we begin to see why
Jesus was the way he was: open, forgiving,
caring, reaching out to the lost and
forgotten, angry with powers that
oppressed people.”

Over and above, Jesus revealed that

His constant connection to God is the secret
of the strength of His moral actions. So, He
devoted time to stay connected and keep
the bond with His Father through His prayer
life. What does this mean Christian life?
SYNTHESIS
Jesus encourages us to have a Jesus face God face to face. He also
change of heart (pagbabalik loób) as He gave God a face through His exemplar
invites us to a life sevant-leadership in his minstry and
of pangangatawan (discipleship) of mindfulness of God’s presence at all times
God’s kagandahang loób (gracious anywhere.
goodness). He summons us to an on-going Hence, Jesus pangangatawan [in his
examination of our will in accordance to ministry] and pagsasaloób [through His
God’s will, through an active prayer life, to prayer life] made Him the kaaya-ayang
develop and nourish a spirituality suitable to mukha (pleasant face) of
a disciple. God’s kagandahang loób (gracious
goodness).
Moreover, Jesus proclaimed the
“Beatitudes” as a celebration of God’s
power in the life of a disciples. The Latin term
“beati” is translated as “blessed.” Therefore,
beatitudes are blessed attitudes! As people
who have been awaken by
God’s kagandahang loób, we are blessed
not because of what we have done but of
what God has done to us. The pervasive
power of God’s kagandahang
loób radiate in our pangangatawan
(discipleship) and propagates the kingdom
of God.

SPEICAL ISSUE IN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
MODULE 3
INTRODUCTION
“Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay
ramdam ng buong katawan.”
CONTENT
The Gospels assert that the heart of
Jesus’ message is the kingdom of God. He
opened His public ministry by proclaiming:
“The Reign of God is at hand! Reform your
lives and believe in the Gospel!” (Mk 1:15).
This simple yet meaningful proclamation
communicates basic condition for the entry
into the kingdom of God. The first step is
reformation of life through repentance.
Second, is a membership in the kingdom
through discipleship (pangangatawan) by
following Christ. Third, is a life that
promotes love. Fourth, is living up to the spirit
of the New Law (Two Love Commands).
Lastly, embraces (pagsasaloob) and
propagates (pamamayani) the Beatitudes
as covenant (kasunduan hindi kautusan) of
kingdom (CFC #739).
to know our specific vocation in life so
that we can maximize
our pangangatawan as well as properly
align it to the work of the entire body. As
St. Paul declared in His first letter to the
Corinthians 12 (See Corinthians 12).
In our lesson 1, we’ve mentioned St
Therese of Lisieux saw herself as the heart of
Jesus. Unlike the nuns who can actively
engage in the social affairs of the society
outside their convents, she stayed inside the
walls of the monastery. But she believed
that her pangangatawan (discipleship)
represents the heart of Jesus through her
monastic prayer life. Her clear awareness of
her vocation led her to contentment and
joyful participation in putting up the
kingdom of God by doing little things in an
extraordinary way.
This suggests that knowing one’s
vocation in life provides a clear path
for pangangatawan (discipleship).

Furthermore, Wostyn (2004) stated

that “The kingdom of God is a message
about God relating
graciously (nagmamagandang-loób) with
His people.” God invites us to be
humane (makatao) especially to the
powerless (ang masa).

1. “Pangangatawan” as Discipleship
Pangangatawan (discipleship), as 2. “Pamamayani ng Kagandahang-
we have discussed in lesson 1 & 2, is loób”: Our Common Vocation
putting one’s body in the spirit of Vocare is a Latin word which means “to
Christ (pagbubuhos ng sarili). As call”. Therefore, vocation is a call to a
kinatawan (disciple), we need to certain state of life. Christians usually refer
embrace (pagsasaloob) the spirituality them as priesthood, religious life, married,
of Jesus and actualize it through my and single life.
body (katawan) - Ako ang aking
katawan; ako ang aking
pangangatawan.

Pangangatawan (discipleship) is an
invitation to live in a life of holiness
leading towards the well-being and
human flourishing. Therefore, it is a must

As mentioned above, we share
common vocation the common vocation
of putting up the kingdom of God.
However, our responses may vary in
accordance with our unique spirituality. This
reveals that there is a connection between
spiritual and moral life. It is a lifestyle or way
of life pointing to the ultimate mission.
The call to the kingdom of God, as
stated by de Mesa and Cacho (2012) is
characterizes by the ff:
1. It is an inclusive vocation. It is a
personal call for all but it is
connected to the welfare of
others.
2. It is an earthly vocation. It is an on-
going task throughout a lifetime
aiming for the fullness of life
through perfection of charity.
3. It is a vocation to serve. It is an
embodiment of Jesus’ servant-
leadership.
4. It is a vocation to enjoy life
responsibly. It is a joyful
expectation for zoe or the fullness
of life (kaginhawaan) while
responsibly doing everything that
can be done.
There is only one call --- “The Reign of
the Kingdom of God!” and the response
requires concrete practice. It needs to be
expressed in a particular lifestyle or a way of
life guided by the following principles:
1. The will of God as norm. It is a
perpetual pagsasaloób at
pangangatawan ng
kagandahang loób that bring
delight to God and fellow human
beings.
2. Choosing a life-giving lifestyle to
express discipleship. It is a
responsible use of freedom and
intelligence to make good
decision regarding life.
3. Discerning a Life-Giving Lifestyle.
It is a realistic appraisal of our
personality, talents, strengths, and
limitations which we discover
through experience and
interactions with others.
In the light of this course and in
consideration of our present situation, our
responses are not limited to the four
categories on the state of life. We may ask:
How can we respond in the call of the
kingdom in our respective family, in our HAU
community, in the society and global
issues?
In the university we have different
organizations like Campus Youth Ministry
(CYM) under the Campus Ministry Office
(CMO). It consists of six religious
organizations namely (1) Altar Servers
Ministry (ASM); (2) Lectors-Commentators
Ministry (LCM); (3) Music Ministry (MM); (4)
Catholic Devotion Ministry (CDM); (5)
Media & Documentation Ministry (MDM);
and (6) Student-Catechist Ministry (SCM). In
addition, we have BUKAL (Boluntir na
Umaagapay sa Kapwa at Kalikasan) under
the Office of Extension Services (OCES). The
spirit of volunteerism (bukal at kusa) is the
key principle of membership in these
organizations. The university encourages
the students to participate in
the pamamayani ng kagandahang loób
ng Dios (Reign of the Kingdom of God) by
responding to the call through these
organizations.
Overall, the pamamayani ng
kagandahang loób ng Dios (Reign of the
Kingdom of God) is also the point of
departure of the SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
ADVOCACY PROJECT (SRAP) to
accompany the Angelites in developing a
wider and more meaningful goal in life.
Although aiming to develop oneself and
family through education is good, it remains
insufficient if social participation is not being
considered in one's long-term goal in life.

SYNTHESIS
The kingdom of God does not refer to
a static, geographical location but to a
RELATIONAL REALITY. It is a community-
creating activity whereby each person
experiences a STRONG SENSE OF
SOLIDARITY with others. Thus, when we pray
“YOUR KINGDOM COME” we are praying
that all people will be CAUGHT UP IN THE
LOVE OF GOD that a state of affairs marked
by the Spirit’s activity will come about. This
calls for ON-GOING DISCERNMENT so that
we are sure to be led by GOD’S WILL and
thus the MATERIAL WORLD DO NOT
DESTROY AND OPPRESS but is marked
instead by a STRONG SENSE OF SOCIAL
BELONGINGNESS so that we are living in
solidarity with all ACCORDING TO OUR
GIFTS, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND PEACE
WILL PREVAIL. A community of peace can
only be created by FORGIVENESS, NOT BY
EVENING THE SCORE. We live TRUSTING IN
THE GOODNESS of one another and
creating HOSPITABLE SPACE where the gifts
of others may FLOURISH TO NOURISH the life
of all.