The Need for Light depends not on power, prestige, possession, and position in

society but on God’s unconditional love.

Human person
During his time, not only did he heal the sick, feed the hungry,
The human being, as the masterpiece and beloved child of God, perform exorcisms, and fight for justice, he invited people to a life
grows heavenward, veering towards the Creator, his/her origin, of conversion.
and destiny. The talents and potentialities he/she has, his/her
intelligence, reason and free will are all designed so he/she can Conversion means to come home to one’s true self, the temple of
find the light of God’s love. Most especially, he/she is endowed the Holy Spirit.
with a spiritual soul that makes him/her capable not just of seeing 1 Cor 6:19-20- The body is the temple of the Spirit
God but uniting with Him in love.
Dignity is inherent in human beings as they are God’s most
The real fulfillment of God’s command, “Let there be light” is the favored masterpieces.
coming of Jesus Christ who is the light that human beings must
seek, and at the same time, the light that shall guide them so that Though human beings are made a little lower than the angels, as
darkness will not engulf their lives. said in the book of Psalms, it is for them and their salvation that
the Word became flesh and eventually suffered

The Nature and Mission of Human Person Becoming Christlike

Based from the Seeing Activity on “ Mother’s Love”... -The human person has the image of God in him/her means that
he/she has, as potentialities, all the natural qualities of God which
-What are indicators of authentic love? consist in spiritual endowments.
- What are your insights gained from the -These inherent spiritual qualities include memory, a
video? consciousness of oneself, reason, intelligence, freewill, and a soul
that is capable of uniting with God

Conscience
what gives rationality and human freedom their shape and
direction.

To help humans make use of their reason and freewill at the

service of the good, the beautiful and the just, God in his
immeasurable wisdom, engraved in the human heart the law of
love called conscience.

It is the most secret core of the human person where God dwells;
and it is a sanctuary of God where His voice can be heard.

John 15:11-15 The law of love in the human heart is, after all, what binds
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and humanity as one
that your joy may be complete. My commandment is
this love one another, just as I love you. The greatest St. Joseph Freinademetz claimed that “the language that all
love you can have for your friends is to give your life people understand is that of love 1 Ti 1:19
for them....”
Levels of Conscience
1.) Discernible stage/ instinctive level- conscience works on an
instinctive level which is dominated by fear or punishment
Ex. when students aim to get high scores in the examinations in
Christ is the model of what it is to be truly human
order to be rewarded by their parents or avoid being punished
To become like Christ means to be truly human; to be truly human
2.)Moral or Ethical stage- recognizing the inner good or evil of
means to become like Christ.
moral acts
Ex. when someone quits smoking because such an action is
harmful
3.) Christian or Religious stage – conscience is reached when
faith illumines the moral life of disciple of Christ
-Moved by the law of love deep within himself/herself, the person
-The Biblical verse “Let us...” points first and foremost to the nature at this stage reaches out to others in true generosity
of the Trinity as a tripersonal community of love -Higher values become the motivation for one’s behavior.
Ex. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma
-To be in touch with one’s “creatureship” is an acceptance of the Gandhi and many more
invitation to recognize the Creatorship of God in one’s life

-Being a creature of God means having an inalienable dignity as Freedom of conscience carries with it a corresponding duty to
His masterpiece respect the same freedom in others. Each person has the right,
original in human nature, to be recognized and respected as a
-The dignity of humans differs from that of the rest of God’s free and responsible being.
creations
The human being must seriously seek to nurture a right
-Having a personal relationship with God whose nature is conscience, that is, one which is based on the Gospel values or
characterized by equality, uniqueness, mutual giving-receiving, on universal ethical principles and values such as peace, love,
sacrifice, and the like, they should show the same with others and and justice
the rest of the creatures of God.
-Human’s Dignity-------------God’s love is unconditional Everyone who practices evil hates the light;
He does not come near it for fear his deeds will be exposed.
When Adam and Eve misused their freedom and caused the But he who acts in truth comes into light,
corruption of the image of God in them, Christ restored that image To make clear that his deeds are done in God
through His death and resurrection (Jn. 3:20-21)

Through His ministry, He showed that all people have dignity, Becoming Adopted Children of God
including the poor, the oppressed, and the exploited; their dignity Becoming a beloved child of God entails the use of one’s talents,
abilities, capacities and the like to the fullest.
As God’s children, human beings can now share in the intimacy of • His act of preaching was met with opposition by a group of
relationship that Jesus enjoys with the Father and the Holy Hellenistic Jews called the Synagogue of the Freedmen
Spirit—that is, a communion in love. • Stephen was seized and brought before the Council or the
The work of actualizing love is the significance of becoming like Sanhedrin, the highest legal court, for trial.
Christ, “the image of the unseen God. • The succeeding chapter (7: 1-58) recounts Stephen’s act of
“Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons”.... authentic witnessing before the Council which led to his
Rom 8:14ff martyrdom.
We do things in the light of faith because we claim to be followers
of Christ, committed to becoming like Him Jesus Christ, the greatest witness to the truth of God’s
unconditional love
Embracing my mission • As a witness to the Father’s love, Jesus assumed his mission of
“ Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: proclaiming God’s kingdom of peace, justice and love.
baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy • Jesus’ act of proving God’s love did not end in Pilate’s series of
Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you” questioning. It led to his suffering and death on the cross.
Mt 28: 19-20 • Jesus’ death became the most powerful witness to the great love
of God the Father for humanity.
Mission---- Latin “missio” a sending

5 Purposes of life by Rick Warren

1. Give praise to God
2. Be a member of God’s family- relating with others
3. Become Christ-like
4. Serving others using God given gifts
5. Fulfilling one’s mission

Witnessing to Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate

Research the lives of Mahatma Gandhi,

Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa
1. Identify the qualities of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King
and Mother Teresa
Word - dabar
2. How did they give witness to God’s love?
Word- “spoken word” (the expression of a person thoughts and
3. Look for Biblical passage about mission/ witnessing( write the
will)
reference)
4. Which of the qualities of the 3 which you possess? How?
O.T use of DABAR
* Dt 32:46-47- is life giving
Witness: Meaning
* Ps 107:20- It has power to heal
* Wis 9:1; Ps 33:5-it was by God’s word that the heavens
• Witness----noun or verb
were made
• As a noun, it refers to someone who has a firsthand or actual
experience of something
• The most profound theological understanding of the Word of God
in the OT is found in the book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Here, the
A Christian Witness....
Word of God is cherished as a form of God’s revelation and the
• Someone who encountered the presence of Jesus Christ through
Prophet Jeremiah is its specific agent (20:18)
the agency of God’s creation, the Sacred Scriptures, life’s turning
• It means that through His word, God guides and accompanies
points, people, and many more.
and brings His chosen people to His planned goal
• It is this encounter that empowers him/her to witness or to prove
through words and deeds the power and the unconditional love of
The Incarnation of His Word
Jesus.
• In the Old Testament, God has been very faithful to His covenant
with the people and His love was manifested in the activities
associated with His Word or Dabar.
Basic Qualities of Christian Witness
• Despite God’s unfailing love, human beings were never satisfied
• 1. Personal knowledge , awareness and experiences of Christ in
with what they have and wanted to be like God.
their lives
• God made a promise of reconciliation through a Savior who will
• 2. Strong and enthusiastic Christian convictions and active
save the human race from the bondage of sin
commitment to Christ and the Church;
• 3. A basic grounding in Scripture, Church teaching and
Jesus as the Word
fundamental human experience;
• The reason behind this offer of reconciliation that reached
• 4. The human leadership qualities of honesty and integrity that
fulfillment in the incarnation of Jesus as the Word in and through
inspire confidence
whom humans can find eternal life.
• 5. The communication skill needed to present Christ’s challenges
• Phil 2:6-7
to the Filipino of today
• This total self-giving act of God, the Incarnation of His Son is the
• 6. The courage to suffer and risk for the Kingdom of God
greatest gift that we have received from the Heavenly Father
Acts 6:1-15; 7:54-60
Our Task!!!
(The Story of Stephen)
• As Christians, it is our task to enter into a profound reflection on
1. Who is Stephen?
the Word made flesh so that we will become a witness to His
2. How did Stephen witness to the truth?
words and actions in proclaiming the Kingdom of God
3. How did Stephen’s witnessing to the truth affect the men who
• By virtue of our baptism, we Christians must become what the
were members of the synagogue of Freedmen?
Matthean gospel (5: 13) calls the “salts of the earth,” giving
4. What brought to Stephen’s death?
fullness and flavor in the world through our ways of being and
doing.
Acts 6:1-15; 7:54-60
• We must be filled with hope in our hearts amidst the sufferings
(The Story of Stephen)
and problems that may stand in the way and be ready to explain
• Stephen was a Greek-speaking Jew who was in-charge of taking
the source and meaning of this hope.
care of the Hellenistic widows who were often slighted during the
food or welfare distribution. He, too, was the one proclaiming the
1. Words of appreciation are powerful communicators of love
Good News in the synagogues of the Hellenistic people where he
True
performed “great wonders and miraculous signs.
 This passage highlights our mission that:
2. In the New Testament, the Word/Logos has become an event,
flesh, and a history in the person of Jesus Christ -we have to use our different gifts in accordance with the
True grace that God has given us.

-Love must be completely sincere

3. For the Jews, DABAR is merely a spoken word
False -Love one another warmly and be eager to show respect
for one another.
4. Human dignity is anchored in the possessions, prestige and
social status of human person in the community. It is the mission of the Church to be a place and a haven of
False peace, justice, love, and joy – the marks of God’s reign. This
she does through the ministry of teaching (Doctrines), prayers
and the celebration of the sacraments (Worship), and concrete
5. Conversion means to come home to one’s true self. social apostolate or engagements to address specific moral
True issues (Morals or Witness).

The Process of Christian Witnessing

6. The first martyr of the Church, the protomartyr. Christian witnessing, as a process, should be integrated or
Stephen balanced. The Letter of James (2: 26) says: “So, just as the body
is dead without its spirit, so faith without deeds is also dead.” In
this light, acts of Christian witnessing in contemporary times - for it
7. Someone who encountered the presence of Jesus Christ to remain alive and dynamic - should balance faith and action,
through the agency of God’s creation, the Sacred Scriptures, life’s work and prayer, silence and words, as well as reason and
turning points and people. emotion.
Christian witness
Any engagement to witness to the Word should not swing to
8. The level of conscience which is dominated by fear and any of the following extremes: dogmatism and indoctrination;
punishment is____________. fanaticism and ritualism; and mere activism or social work.
instinctive Please reflect on the diagram below:

9. It is the most secret core of the human person where God

dwells; and its sanctuary of God where His voice can be heard.
conscience

10. Level of conscience which human person recognizes the inner

good or evil of moral acts.
Moral or Ethical

Mission: The Meaning

-The word mission comes from the the Latin missio, meaning
"sending" Witnessing

-"Missions" is the term usually given to those particular What does the diagram show?
undertakings by which the heralds of the Gospel, sent out by the
Church and going forth into the whole world, carry out the task of The essence of Christian Witnessing must be balanced (as
preaching the Gospel and planting the Church among peoples or mentioned above) should reflect our
groups who do not yet believe in Christ. AD GENTES -deep knowledge of Jesus and His teachings
-living of one's life according to the teachings of Jesus and to
-Vatican II on Church's Missionary Activity highlights that every come to a life of intimacy with Him, the Word Incarnate through
baptized person has a fundamental responsibility to do his or her PRAYER.
part in sharing the good news of Jesus in the World. -vow to be devoted to God not just in prayer but also through acts
of love and justice.
-The Church, sent by Christ to reveal and to communicate the love -to become living testimony to the unconditional love of God.
of God to all men and nations, is aware that there still remains a
gigantic missionary task for her to accomplish.
As a summary,
Mission of Christian Witnessing Word- (What do we believe)
-As mentioned already in the previous lesson, our very mission as - composed of creedal truths which proclaim the good news of
baptized christian is to proclaim the good news of Jesus, God's self- revelation in Jesus and its mysteries.
witnessing to his very life and love for all.
Worship- (How do we celebrate what we believe)
-For all Christians, wherever they live, are bound to show forth, by -Our missionary activities should be nurtured on a profound
the example of their lives and by the witness of the word, that new spirituality which is expressed in prayer and the celebration of the
man put on at baptism and that power of the Holy Spirit by which Sacraments
they have been strengthened at Conformation. Thus other men,
observing their good works, can glorify the Father and can Witness - ( How do we live what we believe)
perceive more fully the real meaning of human life and the - directs our life to the ways of Jesus
universal bond of the community of mankind. AD GENTES # 11
Witness to the Word is one who has grown and will continue to
Please read Paul's letter to the Romans 12: 1-13 grow in the three dimensions
T
"My mission as a Carolinian is being a Witness to the Word" Let us pause for a while and say the quarterly hour prayer
reflectively....

Who is a Carolinian?
-Once, a Pharisee who was an expert in the law, asked Jesus,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? To this
our Lord Jesus Christ replied: “… love the Lord your God, with
all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt.
22:36).

From this Jesus’ commandment flows the three aspects of

Christian witnessing, namely:
1. scientia “science or knowledge” (“with all your mind”),
[Link] “virtue” (“with all your heart”), and
3. devotio “devotion or dedication” (“with all your soul).

Scientia
-The first component Scientia/Knowledge challenges Carolinians
to deepen their knowledge of the truth and enhances their
God-given talents and skills to perfection, eventually becoming quarter hour prayer
professionally competent. Growing in Scientia makes a Carolinian
a critical thinker and an able communicator who exhibits a Carolinians ought to pray devoutly this Quarter Hour Prayer. Thus,
consistent reliability and dependability in his/her. the virtus aspect of Saint Arnold that Carolinians should emulate is
his very pious acts of faith, hope and charity, accepting the noble
-In the light of Christian faith, the ability to know is a God-given gift truth of the scriptural text that for God nothing is impossible. In a
that empowers the believer to see things according to God’s will. nutshell, the Virtus element of the life of a Carolinian does not only
As a recognition of the Holy Spirit as the prime source of concern with nobility of character which denotes being an
knowledge, St. Arnold Janssen exemplified a special devotion to exemplary leader, a lifelong-learner, ethical and culturally
God, the Holy Spirit. He said: “through the Holy Spirit you sanctify grounded but also with prayer.
the world … Commend your studies and efforts to him. It is vital for
a Carolinian to imitate this exceptional devotion of St. Arnold Devotio
Janssen to the Holy Spirit for him/her to gain knowledge necessary The last portion of USC motto Devotio is, etymologically, a Latin
for constant enlightenment, guidance and strength. word in the nominative case. It is a noun associated with the Latin
past participle stem devovere which means to "dedicate by a vow"
Virtus This implies that one has to make a vow to be devoted to God not
just in prayer and worship but through acts of love and justice. If
Scientia and Virtus respectively cater to knowledge of the truth that
ultimately leads to God as well as to nobility in character, nurtured
by prayer life, devotio is the dedication to apply one’s knowledge
and virtues in actual life situations.

In the Christian life, this aspect refers to acts of justice and charity
towards others in society as well as towards the environment, or
better put, the rest of God’s creation. A model of this devotion
aspect is St. Joseph Freinademetz who showed an inexhaustible
goodness and kindness during his missionary works in China. He
persevered constantly in his patience and his unconditional love
that the Chinese trusted him and felt at home with him.

The Virtus/Virtue component calls a Christian to listen to his/her The most difficult challenge of the Carolinian, thus, is to translate
conscience, to build up his/her character and act in prudence. It is the two values of Scientia and Virtus into Devotio or Dedication.
an invitation to imbibe the Beatitudes of Jesus. Of the eight His/her crucial mission is the use of education both in its effective
Beatitudes, purity of heart (Mt. 5:8) is very significant in today’s practice and commitment of educated Carolinians to principally
modern milieu where materialism and secularism are flourishing. exhibit the sine qua non triple virtues of Scientia, Virtus et
At this time when the spiritual aspect is not given so much Devotio.
importance, purity of the heart makes one strive for holiness. This Core Competencies of a Carolinian Graduate
Christian holiness will then enable us to ‘see God’ or to enjoy the
New Paradise with our ultimate Lord and King Jesus Christ. Another way of understanding and promoting the motto, Scientia,
prayer Virtus et Devotio is through the six core values of the University
of San Carlos.
-Among all virtues, St. Paul exhorts us to live in genuine Love or
Charity: “Even if you give up your body to be burned but have no Integrity - end lifestyle that is promotive of corruption, and work
love, you are nothing” (1 Cor. 13). Our Savior Jesus Christ for honesty as well as transparency in all transactions
commands us to love God with all our mind, heart, soul and Excellence - aim for quality work and the best output for every
strength and to love others as we love ourselves (Lk. 10:27). ‘To task
love God and others’ is the summary of the commandments of Commitment - devote to a certain task to answer the needs of
God. By persevering in the love of God and other people including the community
our enemies, marginalized and strangers who need our help and Social Responsibility - care for the environment and for the
care, we become witnesses to the Word. transformation of society
Evangelization - become a proclaimer of God’s Word
-To be virtuous means to possess have faith that does not doubt. Leadership - initiate projects to fight poverty and all forms of
Faith makes everything possible. In prayer, a virtuous person puts dehumanization
his/her complete trust in a Father God who takes care of his
children. All students of the University of San Carlos need to nurture in them
the six core competencies as distinguishing marks of their being
-The prayer life of St. Arnold shows great trust in God and authentic Carolinians. These competencies comprise the essential
obedience to His will. He unswervingly remained united with the profile of a Carolinian graduate.
holy triune God in grateful love by means of prayer.
1. Learning the teachings of the apostles
Scientia/Word

2. Growing in honesty and integrity

Virtus/Worship

3. Celebration of the Eucharist

Virtus/Worship

4. Participation in peaceful rallies

Devotio/ Witness

5. Fighting for social justice

Devotio/ Witness

6. Spending moments of sacred silence and be in touch with one’s

true self
Virtus/Worship

7. Being academically and professionally competent

Correct!
Scientia/Word

8. Sharing justly with others what one has

Correct!
Devotio/ Witness

Question 9
9. Community outreach programs
Devotio/ Witness

Question 10
10. Basic Bible seminar
Scientia/Word