PRAYER OF ST.

AUGUSTINE:
My God, hear me!
God, by whom all good flows toward us;
Above whom, outside whom,
Without whom is nothing;
You made man after Your own image and likeness
And knowing such man discovers himself.
My master, my king, my father,
My cause, my hope, my wealth,
My honor, my home, my country,
My salvation, my light, my life!
Hear me; drive us from all evil. Amen.
WE ENTER INTO A COVENANT WITH
GOD

God’s Covenant Means Love

Covenant
 Pact

 Promise

 A binding agreement

A covenant is an agreement entered into by two or

more individuals, parties or companies.
 Covenant
Covenant = from the Latin “convenire”

Convenire = to convene or gather [together]; it is a

combination of cum (together or with) + venire (to
come)
 Covenant
• A “covenant” is a coming together.

• God would like to gather a people together into his own.

• God would like to establish a lasting relationship where

man discovers Him and finds meaning, fulfilment and
happiness in him.
 The Covenant as Agreement and Testament of
Love
 God always wanted to gather (cove) his people as
his own. The people get to be invited [into that cove]
therefore they must allow themselves to be covered
by it.

 Since this is an agreement (contract), then both

parties are bound to fulfill it. However, there is
something more to a covenant than just a contract.
 The Covenant as Agreement and Testament of
Love
 God made use of the human understanding of agreement
to enter into a relationship with humanity.

 He blesses the relationship and made it holy.

 A covenant is basically of and for God. God will also provide

ways to have a bridge to maintain such a relationship.
 Covenant as “Testament”

When God initiated a relationship with humanity, starting from the

chosen people (Israel as old covenant) to the Church (new covenant
with Christ) until our present time, God made sure that this
relationship would become a sign or testament of his presence and
love.

This way, “covenant” is referred to as a “testamentum.” This covenant

is lived and realized into two which we call the Old and the New.
 The Bible as Covenant
All the stories, the patterns, the teachings in the Bible revolve within
the idea of a covenant – a relationship, friendship, an invitation to be
loved and love.

The Bible is composed of a collection of books.

There is a total of 73 books (46 books belong to the Old

Testament while 27 books belong to the New Testament).
 The Bible as Covenant
These books are categorized into four subdivisions – the most sacred
books, the historical narratives, the books that contain the

wisdom literature and poetry and the prophetic literature or

books that contain prophecies or writings of the prophets.

All these books point to a covenant – to a God who establishes a

relationship with humanity – an invitation to be more united with

Him.
“Covenant” in the New Testament
• The Old Testament refers to the solemn agreement between God and
Israel [fulfilled and universalized by Jesus Christ].

• It is a lesson on faithfulness; the books – the laws, stories,

prophecies, wisdom literature highlight the ever-faithful God who keeps

on gathering his people (Israelites) despite of them being

constantly scattered by sin. Sin divides but the grace of God unites.

• The grace and mercy of God restores the order destroyed by

sin. And this God is bigger and greater than anything.
“Covenant” in the New Testament
• The New Testament tells of Jesus Christ.

• The highlight of this revolves around how through his (Jesus) passion, death and

resurrection did he reconcile God’s people to himself and establish an

everlasting or definite covenant relationship between God and humanity.

• As St. Augustine of Hippo beautifully described the relationship between the two testaments as

“the new is in the old concealed and the old is in the new revealed,”
therefore, the New Testament (covenant) presents Jesus as the fulfilment of all the promises,
prefiguration and prophecies in the Old Testament. What you see in the OT are allusions that would
prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
It is not then a coincidence that the Bible, the Word of God, is divided into

what we call testaments. God is love and his Word is a testament

to that love. God is also the Spirit who gives life. To live then is to

love and to love is to live. God initiated a cove, a relationship, a

covenant as testament to his love and his plan to save and gather
his people into one.
REMEMBER:

The covenant reminds everyone that God

is the ever-present God.

Covenant means agreement or

testament.