according to his will, to live a lively

faith
Worship:
To nourish our faith through
study of Scripture, the Sacraments
and prayer

Come and see...

The facilitator can start a sharing of experiences with
the audience with the following questions.
Catechetical Office of the Archdiocese of
Tuguegarao (COAT)
Module-Group 1 Series
3______________________________2014

REVELATION & FAITH.

Revelation is
God calling us to himself, inviting us to be his
friends so that in him and with him we may find
meaning and purpose in life and true happiness.
God, who loves us so much, reveals himself to us
in many ways. Faith is our response to God who
loved us first (1 Jn 4:19).
Objectives
Doctrine:
To know that God in his loving
goodness and wisdom makes himself
known to us
Moral: To respond to Gods goodness by
living a life

Do you know God?

Who taught you about God?
When was the first time you encountered God
(Kailan mo unang nakilala ang Diyos?) How?
How did God reveal Himself to you? (Sa anong
paraan mo unang nakilala ang Diyos?)
How did you respond to His revelation? (Ano
ang iyong reaksiyon ng unang nakilala ang
Diyos?)
How do you show that you believe in God?

It is the same everywhere. When a young man meets a

young woman for the first time and is interested in
her, he would ask her name. And if the young woman
is interested to know him, she would give him her
name. But if she is not interested, she would not leave
her name, much less her cell number.

God gave us his name. Not only that, he gave us his

Son!

mountains, the forests, the ocean, the sky, the

plants, the trees and... man. These we call natural
signs.
Man has a special place in Creation. God created
us in his Image and likeness (Gen 1:26); he
shared with us his capacity to create life: Be
fertile and multiply; he created the whole world
for us: ...fill the earth and subdue it (Gen 1:28).

Learn from me...

REVELATION.
God makes himself
known to us in many ways:
in Creation;
in Salvation History (as we read in
the Bible)

- to the Israelites (in the Old

Testament)
-

in Jesus Christ (in the New

Testament)

up to now, in the Church; and

also, in other religions.

A. In Creation. God has made himself known

to us by creating the sun, the moon, the stars, the

Looking at creation, how can one say that

there is no God?
But because sin entered into the world (Rom 9:
12), Gods natural signs have been disfigured;
because of selfish interests and greed, man has
recklessly exploited our natural resources
resulting
in
the
destruction
of
the
environment/ecosystem and, worse, in the loss of
livelihood and lives, injustice, oppression and
suffering.

B. In Salvation History. We read this in

Scripture, in the Old and New Testaments. God
reveals himself to man gradually, in deeds and in
words (which we call biblical signs). God prepares
man to welcome by stages his revelation of
himself which reaches a climax in the person and
mission of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament. The Old Testament

narrates to us Gods special relationship with the
Israelites: I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites
and will be their God (Ex 29:45). He led them out
of slavery under the Egyptians, taught them,
corrected them and forgave their sins. He
performed great works and proclaimed his saving
work through the prophets. God led them to the
Promised Land.
He sent chosen men and women (kings, judges,
priests, wise persons) to remind his chosen people
of his faithfulness (loyalty to them) and kindness
(Ex 34:6).

Moses and the Burning Bush (Ex 3: 2-6)

Moses saw a bush burning,

yet it was not consumed.
He come nearer it...God
called, Moses, Moses!.
And he said,
Here am
I....And God said, I have
heard the cry of my people
because of their masters; I
know their sufferings, and I
have come to deliver them
out of the hand of the
Egyptians...to bring them to
a good and broad land, a

This is how God revealed his name...Moses

asked God: If I go to the people of Israel and say
to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to
you and if they ask me, What is his name? What
shall I say to them? God said to Moses: I AM WHO
I AM. ...this is my name for ever and thus I am to be
remembered throughout all generations. (Ex 3:14)
The divine name YHWH (meaning I AM WHO I AM, I
AM HE WHO IS, or I AM WHO AM,) is mysterious
just as God is a mystery. His name tells us that He is
faithful to us forever. He is the God of the past (I
Crossing
of the
Red fathers),
Sea (Ex 14)
am the God
of your
He is the God of the
future (I will be with you.); He is the God of the
present, I AM reveals himself as the God who is
always there, always present to and with and for his
Crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 14)
people to save them.
Out of respect for the holiness of God, the people of
Israel do not pronounce his name. In the reading of

Moses receives the Ten Commandments (Ex 21,

34)
And the Lord said to
Moses:
Write
these
word; in accordance with
these words I have
made a covenant with
you and with Israel. And
he was there with the
Lord forty days and forty
nights; he neither ate
bread nor drank water.
And he wrote upon the
tablets the words of the
covenant,
the
ten
commandments.

When Pharaoh was told that the Israelites had fled, he ordered
his men to go after them. All Pharaohs horses and chariots and
horsemen and army went after the Israelites and cornered them
by the Red Sea...As commanded by the Lord, Moses stretched
out his hand over the sea; and the Lord made the sea dry land,
and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into
the midst of the sea, the waters being like a wall to them on their
right hand and on their left. The Egyptians continued to go after
them. Then the Lord ordered Moses to stretch his hand over the
sea again, ..The waters returned (to its normal level) and covered
the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh. Thus
the Lord saved the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians.
Because of this, the people believed the Lord and his servant

In the Old Testament, God revealed

his name (Ex 3:14) and proved himself
as a merciful and gracious God, slow
to anger and rich in kindness and
fidelity (Ex 34: 6).

In the New Testament. In the fullness of time,

God sent forth his Son (Gal 4:4); he has spoken
to us by a Son (Heb 1: 2). The Son is Jesus Christ
who completed and perfected Gods revelation
by words and works, signs and miracles, but

above all by his Death and glorious Resurrection

from the dead (Dei Verbum 4). Jesus Christ is the
one, perfect and unsurpassable Word of the
Father; in him, he has said everything; there will
be no other word than this one. (CCC 65)

In the New Testament, God revealed

Himself through Jesus Christ. Jesus is
the Word of the Father.
C. In the Church. Today, God continues to make
himself manifest through the Holy Spirit in the
Church.
Through the celebration of the Christ-given
Sacraments, we encounter the Risen Christ. This
we call liturgical signs.
Further, God makes himself known through
ecclesial signs, when the Church proclaims her
teachings on faith and morals and in her
commitment to and witness of loving service.
D. In other Religions. The Church discerns the
seeds of the Word in the history and culture of all
men of good will. For whatever is true and holy in
other traditions, cultures and religions is accepted
by the Catholic Church since it often reflect(s) a
ray of that truth which enlightens all men.

FAITH. Faith is our response to

Gods Revelation. It is a personal
acceptance of the person of Jesus
Christ who stands and knocks at
the door of our hearts.
It is to
welcome Jesus into our lives: Tuloy
po kayo! (Rev 3: 20; PCP II 64).

Faith is coming to Jesus, developing a personal

relationship with him...and, through him, coming
to the Father.
Faith is a decision to totally and absolutely commit
oneself to Jesus and to follow his ways, to know
and accept the truths he continues to teach
through his Church. This decision is possible only
with the influence of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3).

To those who accept Jesus and believe in his

name, Jesus welcomes them as children of God
(Jn 1:12) and shares with them his divine life (2 Pt
1:4).
Faith involves the whole person: it involves..

our mind, i.e., knowing and believing. Not

head knowledge of some abstract truths
but a deep knowledge of someone we love.
Faith is a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ
as my Lord and my God.
our will, i.e., doing. This dimension of faith
involves our witnessing through loving
service for our neighbour. Faith without
(good) works is dead (James 2:17).
our hearts, i.e., trusting, loving and hoping.
This means entrusting ourselves in the
hands of God who loves us dearly. Nothing
will separate us from the love of God that
comes to us in Christ Jesus (Rom 8; 38-39).
Jesus worked miracles only with those who
trusted in him: he promised the father of the
possessed boy: Everything is possible to a
man who trusts (Mt 9:23).

Remain in me...

Home and Family. The family is the seedbed of

faith. It welcomes Jesus into the home; it is open
to the word of God; it is the bearer of Gospel truth
and values through its Christian witnessing.
(Beware of perverted values capitalized by mass
media, especially television - casual sex,
exploitation of women, violence, materialism,
individualism, relativism.)
In the spirit of love, each member experiences the
human values of trust and faith, compassion and
concern for others.

The family nurtures faith and brings this to

maturity through serious study of the word of God
and the Churchs teachings, family prayer and
frequent reception of the Sacraments (Eucharist
and Reconciliation) and encouraging each other to
do good works.
Community Life. Today, we often hear the term
integral faith. What does this mean? This means
that our faith (what we believe in) and our life
(how we live) should be one and not separated
and that they do not clash with one other, we live
our faith.
In our concrete situation, this means upholding
the values of respect for life, honesty and
integrity, justice and peace, care for the
environment.
This also means love for all and not only for a
selected few with whom we are comfortable with
and can benefit from.
Love for God cannot be separated from love of
neighbour, especially the poor, the down-trodden,
those losing hope, the victims of injustice and
natural calamities.
Parish and Church Life. It is the Church that
transmits to us Christs revelation through Sacred
Scripture and its living Tradition and it is the

Church alone which makes possible for us an

adequate faith-response. Faith lives and grows
through prayer (personal heartfelt conversation
with God and group prayer) and worship (most
especially the Eucharist).
Furthermore, it is unthinkable for a person who
believes in Christs teachings and his Kingdom
without bearing witness and proclaiming it in turn.
This impels us to mission, to evangelize, to bring
the Good News to others; the FAPA (First
Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese of
Sources
of Faith.
the source
all saving
Tuguegarao)
listsThe
its Gospel
priority isgroups:
theofout-oftruths and moral discipline (CCC 75). This is what the
school youth, the drug dependents, the abused
apostles received from the lips of Jesus, his way of life and
and those in crisis.

his works and what they have learned at the prompting of

the Holy Spirit. They handed on this orally (by mouth) by
Reflection Points:
their preaching, their examples, the institutions they
established.
Later Jesus
on, inthe
and othera men
How do I welcome
my apostles
life...as a friend?...as
associated
under the inspiration of the same Holy
brother? with them,
...as God?
Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing.
What do I do to bring Jesus to my family? What can I do
SACRED TRADITION and SACRED SCRIPTURE make up a
to bring Jesus to my family?
single deposit of faith, two distinct modes of transmitting the
Word
but
onepeace
common
source,
Incarnate Word,
HowofdoGod
I help
bring
and order
in mythe
community?
Jesus Christ. (CCC 76)
How can I help protect the environment (creation)? How

do I show
I recognize
presence
our
Scripture
itselfthat
affirms
that it Gods
does not
offer in
a complete
environment?
Is
black
sand
mining
an
expression
of
our
account of what Jesus did (Jn 21:25). So, another source is
gratitude
to Gods
Revelation?
that
of Christian
Tradition
contained: in early Church history,
in the
decrees
of
early
Councils,
How will I show respect for others?in primitive liturgies, in the
Acts of the Martyrs, in the books of the early Fathers and
Doctors of the Church and Church writers, in inscriptions in
the Catacombs and on Christian archaeological monuments.

Finally, we have the MAGISTERIUMOF THE CHURCH, the

living teaching office of the Church, i.e., the Pope and the
bishops in communion with him. Its task is to listen devoutly

Prayer. Father, thank you for your presence in Creation,

in History, in the Church, in other religions and, most of
all, in your Son Jesus Christ. Give us the grace to
welcome Jesus in our lives, the courage to commit
ourselves fully to him, the loyalty to stand by him by
putting into action what he taught us and the
perseverance to bring our faith to maturity by bringing
your Good News to others, especially to those who need
to hear it most. Bless all families so that they may truly
be the seedbed of faith. Send your Spirit, our Helper, that
we may always remain in your love by following Jesus,

Follow-up Activity
1. Spend time with Jesus as you would spend time
with a friend. Talk to Jesus as you would talk to a
friend. (A suitable place to do this is in the
Adoration Chapel of your parish where Jesus waits
for you. Remember Jesus is truly present in that
consecrated host in the Adoration Chapel.)
Do this as often as possible.
2. Read the Bible to know more about Jesus. Start
with the Gospels, the story of Jesus and what he
taught and did. (Ask an adult to help you find the
Gospels in the Bible.)

Ang tunay na Mabuting Balita

ay...

...hindi niya ako

hinahatulan...tanggap niya ako!

Isinugo
ng
Diyos
ang
kanyang Anak, hindi upang
hatulang maparusahan ang
mga tao, kundi upang iligtas
ang mga tao sa pamamagitan
niya. (Jn 3:17)