Atmavinte Niravil

Niravil - 11

CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN FAITH

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Atmavinte Niravil - 11
CHRISTIAN FAITH
Published by
Pastoral Ministry
Commission for Faith Formation
Archdiocese of Trivandrum, Vellayambalam
Trivandrum 695 003

First Published
May 2019
Copy right
KRLCBC
Commission for Catechetics

Design & Layout

Pastoral Ministry, Archdiocese of Trivandrum

Printing
Jeeva Jyothi, Trivandrum

Distribution
Director
Pastoral Ministry
Archdiocese of Trivandrum
Imprimatur:

Most Rev. Dr. Soosa Pakiam, Archbishop of Trivandrum

Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Kalathiparambil, Archbishop of Verapoly
Rt. Rev. Dr. Vincent Samuel, Bishop of Neyyattinkara
Rt. Rev. Dr. Alex Vadakumthala , Bishop of Kannur
Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Athipozhiyil, Bishop of Alleppy
Rt. Rev. Dr. Stanley Roman, Bishop of Quilon
Rt. Rev. Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal, Bishop of Calicut
Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Kariyil, Bishop of Kochi
Rt. Rev. Dr. Sebastian Thekkathecheril, Bishop of Vijayapuram
Rt. Rev. Dr. Selvester Ponnumuthan, Bishop of Punalur
Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Karikassery, Bishop of Kottapuram
Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter Abir Antonisamy, Bishop of sultanpet
Rt. Rev. Dr. Christudas R., Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum
Rt. Rev. Dr. James Anaparambil, Coadjutor Bishop of Alleppy

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 Atmavinte Niravil - 11
Faith Formation Series of Kerala Latin Catholic Church

CHRISTIAN FAITH
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 MESSAGE

Preserving perpetually fresh the command of our Lord

Jesus Christ to his apostles “go into the world and proclaim
the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15), the Church
always holds in high esteem the Faith Formation, the essential
element in the process of evangelization, as a means to keep
alive the proclamation and transmission of the Word of God to
the future generation.
Emphasizing the significance of catechetical ministry, St. John Paul II in his
Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, exhorts: “Quite early on, the name
Catechesis was given to the totality of the Church’s efforts to make disciples, to
help people believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have
life in his name and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the
Body of Christ” (CT 1). Catechesis enables the faithful to inculcate God’s grace in
their day today lives, to experience the invisible power of God through the celebration
of the sacraments within the community and to bear witness to it with self-denial.
Noting the prime and vital role of the catechism texts in the Faith Formation
process, KRLCBC’s (Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops Council) Commission
for Catechetics took a bold step in forming these texts in vernacular language from
standard 1 to XII in the year 2007. The content presentation of these texts are
noteworthy and needs to be appreciated; its presentation is simple and elegant and
uses modern teaching techniques. Care has been taken to depict true beliefs along
with the inclusion of the history of the Latin Catholic Church and the special
characteristics of the sacraments. Sensing the need of the modern epoch, these texts
are now translated into English, which further widens the scope of these texts.I pen
down my sincere appreciation to the catechetical departments of Archdiocese of
Trivandrum and Diocese of Calicut for initiating this venture. I also take this opportunity
to congratulate Rev. Dr. Laurence Culas, Rev. Fr. Gracious Tony Nevez and Rev. Fr.
Muthappan Appoli and their colleagues who helped in translation, correction, DTP
and page layout.
I extend my good wishes to all the children who desire to deepen their faith
through faith formation. May you like Jesus grow and become strong, be filled with
wisdom and the favour of God be upon you’ (cf. Luke 2:40). Let God’s light shine
upon each one of you!

Trivandrum Archbishop Soosa Pakiam M.

1st May 2019 President, KRLCBC
Feast of St. Joseph the Worker Archbishop of Trivandrum

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 DEDICATION

All those who believe in Christ are constantly called

to deepen their faith through faith formation, the essential
phenomenon that moulds a mature faith and enables the
faithful to proclaim vigorously. Faith formation is indeed the
prime and vital mission of the Church and therefore it is an
essential moment in the process of evangelization (cf. General
Directory for Catechesis 63; Catechesi Tradendae 18).
None in this cosmos remain as individual entities but as part and parcel
of communities. As we are commissioned by Jesus “to go into the world and
proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15), we just cannot
ignore our mission of being the proclaimers and protagonists of the Kingdom
of God, which is based on truth and justice. As the members of Christ’s
community we are obliged to live an exemplary life according to the Gospel.
Faith formation text books play a vibrant role in the formation of faith in
the lives of faithful. Taking into consideration the significance of text books in
faith formation, KRLCBC (Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops Council),
Commission for Bible and Catechesis did a wonderful work of creating text
books in vernacular language from class 1 to XII. Deeming it as the need of
the time, the Commission translated these text books into English, which is
coordinated by the catechetical departments of Archdiocese of Trivandrum
and Diocese of Calicut.
At this juncture, I deem it fit to place on record my heartfelt gratitude to
Rev. Dr. Laurence Culas, Rev. Fr. Gracious Tony Nevez and Rev. Fr.
Muthappan Appoli for their untiring works and leading role in carrying on this
translation. I also thank all the translators for their strong will power and hard
work. Hoping these text books would shape the character of the students and
teachers on the basis of gospel, I present these books happily for the use of
everyone.

Kochi Bishop Joseph Kariyil

1st May 2019 Chairman
Feast of St. Joseph the Worker KRLCBC Commission for
Catechetics

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 MESSAGE
“To begin with, it is clear that the Church has always looked on catechesis
as a sacred duty and an inalienable right. On the one hand, it is certainly a duty
springing from a command given by the Lord and resting above all on those who
in the new covenant receive the call to the ministry of being pastors. On the other
hand, one can likewise speak of a right: from the theological point of view every
baptized person, precisely the reason of being baptized, has the right to receive
from the Church instruction and education enabling him or her to enter on a truly
Christian life’’ (Catechesi Tradendae 14).
KRLCBC Commission for Catechesis, in its whole hearted efforts
owning this mind of the Mother Church regarding catechesis, deemed it
necessary to present the Catechism texts in languages more comfortable to
the students. So, the translation of the current vernacular text into English and
Tamil was included in the decennial plan presented in the Vallarpadam Mission
Congress and BCC Convention as one of the primary objectives to be achieved.
Moreover, constant plea from the part of students and their parents as well as
the teachers necessitated this huge venture.
The great and praise worthy efforts invested by the Pastoral Ministry of
Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum under the direction of Rev. Dr. Laurence Culas
and Rev. Fr. Muthappan Appoli and by the diocese of Calicut under the guidance
of Rev. Fr. Gracious Tony Nevez towards the realization of this objective have
been of immense worth. Their service to the formation of the new generation
in the Latin Church of Kerala goes gratefully and proudly marked. This will go
a long way to realize the specific aim of catechesis as St. Pope John Paul II
says: “to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in
fullness and to nourish day by day the Christian life of the faithful young and
old…Catechesis aims therefore at developing understanding of the mystery of
Christ in the light of God’s word, so that the whole of a person’s humanity is
impregnated by that word” (Catechesi Tradendae 20).
On behalf of the Chairman of the Commission for Catechetics and its
members my heart overwhelms with great appreciation for and deep gratitude
to all those who toiled to make this dream come true. May God bless them and
reward them with the joy of seeing the new generations “to maturity to the
measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13).

Kochi Rev. Dr. Joy Puthenveetil

1st May 2019 Secretary
Feast of St. Joseph, the Worker KRLCBC Commission for
Catechetics

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 GRATITUDE

The word Catechesis, derived from the Greek word ‘katekhesis’ means
‘echo;’ implying that as catechists, we echo the teachings of Christ and of the
apostles. Catechism texts, playing a vital and inevitable role throughout the
faith formation process, must be biblically, theologically and doctrinally reliable
and infallible; thus enabling us to proclaim with Jesus, “My teaching is not
mine but his who sent me” (John 7:16).
KRLCBC (Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops Council),
Commission for Catechetics was authorized to consolidate the contents and
to formulate catechism texts for the usage of the faithful of Latin Catholic
Dioceses in Kerala. The principal task of this commission was to review and
evaluate the biblical and theological contents and doctrinal accuracy of the
texts for children and youth; as a result of which catechism texts for standard 1
to 12 was formulated in Malayalam and implemented for usage since 2007.
Taking into consideration, the dire need of the modern era, now these texts are
translated into English for further usage.
With appreciation we place on record our sincere gratitude to Archbishop
Soosa Pakiam M, the President of KRLCBC and Bishop Joseph Kariyil, the
Chairman, KRLCBC Commission for Bible and Catechetics and Rev. Dr. Joy
Puthenveetil, Secretary, KRLCBC Commission for Catechetics. We are
indebted to the translators for their competence and hard work, especially
Miss Vera Moses and Rev. Dr. Laurence Culas for the translation of this text.
We are also very thankful to all those who corrected the texts. A special thanks
to Mrs. Reena Shabu, Mrs. Sahayamary Delvan, Ms. Francisca T and Mrs. Sophi
Godfrey for DTP work, page layout and graphics and to Jeeva Jyothi printers.
Bringing the entire nations to Jesus and assisting everyone to have a
personal relationship with him will take place only when we, the faithful deepen
our faith through faith formation, have a very personal relationship with him,
which in turn strengthens us to proclaim genuinely the message of the Gospel
with joy and courage; and thus attracting the entire people to him. Let the light
of Jesus reflect through these texts and let everyone who use these texts be
enlightened by his divine light.

Trivandrum and Calicut Rev. Dr. Laurence Culas

1st May 2019 Rev. Fr. Gracious Tony Nevez
Feast of St Joseph, the Worker Rev. Fr. Muthappan Appoli

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 1

HOLY BIBLE: WORD OF LIFE

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 A family - father, mother and children - lived very happily in a
village. Father of the family goes aborad, seeking a job to sustain the
family. During the work he finds time to share his love with wife and
children through letters. Thus the mother and children experience his
love eventhough he is far from them. Father’s letters reveal his
aspirations about his children and the pain and difficulties he undertakes.
Children appreciate mother’s efforts to solve the absence of father in

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the family. Importantly, the family experiences father’s love through
his letters.
Just as a father communicates with his family and conveys to
them his love and plans for their future, God reveals His love and His
plan of salvation for Man through the Holy Bible. Thus the Holy
Bible is God’s love letter to the humanity. The Holy Bible partially
contains God’s revelation in the history of humankind and God-loving
response of the humanity to God’s revelation. It is written by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible was formed in the light
of life-long God experience and faith-life of a believing community.
& In order to reveal Himself to the humanity, in the condescension
of His goodness, God speaks in human words.
& God speaks only one single Word, the Eternal Word. Through
His Word God expresses Himself completely.
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& In the Holy Bible, the Heavenly Father comes lovingly to meet His
children and to speak to them.
“ God reveals himself to human beings by gradually communicating
His own mystery in deeds and words.

Word of God : Unwritten and Written

Those beyond the wirtten words and faith community’s God

experience is known as the unwritten word or tradition. The tradition
that contains God experience and the written Word of God, known as
the Holy Bible reveal God’s salvific intervention in the history of
humanity. Thus God’s revelation can be divided into two: Unwritten
(Tradition) and Written (Holy Bible).
GOD

God’s revelation

Unwritten Written
(Tradition) (Bible)

“ Sacred Tradition and Holy Bible then are bound closely together
and communicate with each other. For both of them, flowing out
from the same divine well-spring come together in the same fashion
to form one message and move towards the same goal.

“ The Apostles entrusted the “deposit of faith” (depositum fidei)

contained in the Holy Bible and Tradition to the whole Church.

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 We have seen that two sources of God’s revelation are the
Tradition and Holy Bible. In this lesson we will familiarize ourselves
the Holy Bible, the written Word of God.
Activity - 1
The Holy Bible is the guiding principle of our daily life. Write
down the verses from the Holy Bible, expressing God’s love, which
has touched you. Share your experience in the class, expressing why
such verses touched your life. (You may use Holy Bible).

Source of the Word “BIBLE”

The word Bible comes from the Greek word ‘biblos.’ It means
‘written account’ or ‘book.’ Its singular form is ‘biblion’ and plural

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is ‘biblia.’ In the Greek version of
Book of Daniel 9:2 this word (hai
bibloi’) is used. Furthermore, St.
Clement, Father of the Church, in his
works used this word to refer to the
Holy Bible (2 Clement 4:2). Today the
following words are also used to
qualify the Holy Bible: ‘Covenant’, ‘Holy Book’, ‘Sacred Book’,
‘what is written’ (Matthew 21:42).

Holy Bible: History of Salvation

The Holy Bible contains completley the history of Salvation.

Human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, as male and
female (Genesis 1:27) are called to be with God. But they sinned
through disobedience to God and lack of trust in His goodness

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(Genesis 3:1-11). Thus they lost their Parousia experience of being
with God (Genesis 3:14-19). But God wished to make holy the human
beings and keep them together with Him always. Thus God’s
intervention throughout the history for the salvation of humankind is
known as ‘salvation history.’

After the fall of first parents, Adam and Eve, the wickedness of
their offsprings was great on earth. Then the Lord was sorry that He
had created human beings (Genesis 6:6). God, therefore, purified the
human race by flood and established a new covenant through Noah
(Genesis 9:1-17).

Again the human race continued to sin and thus turned away
from God (Genesis 11:1-9). But God did not desire the human race
to be lost forever. He called Abraham and renewed his plan of
salvation (Genesis 12:1-9). The plan of salvation was further renewed
through Isaac and Jacob.

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 Through the exodus event, under the leadership of Moses, God
chose Israel to represent the whole human race. On Mount Sinai, God
established his covenant with the people of Israel (Exodus 19:1-15)
and gave them “The Ten Commandments” (Exodus 20:1-17) and took
them as his own people and protected them throughout the history
with the help of Judges, Kings and Prophets and thus retained his plan
of salvation.

The plan of salvation envisaged by God was made possible

through the Incarnated Christ (John 1:14), the fulfilment of the Law
and Prophets ( Matthew 5:17). Through Pascal Mysteries of Christ’s
Incarnation, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension, the human
race was saved from the slavery of sin and death and made eligible to
become heirs to the Kingdom of God. Thus human beings became
eligible again to share in the divine nature lost by the Original Sin and
Christ became the Saviour of humanity.

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 The salvation established by Christ is continued today by the
Church. The Church, the Bride of Christ, exists as the sign and symbol
of the Kingdom of God (Lumen Gentium 7-9). The Church remains in
this world as Christ’s proclaimer until His second coming.

Word of God: Creative and Fruitful

Words have power. Mother’s words to her son: “You are my

beloved” will have a positive effect on him. But her words, “you are a
curse” will have a negative effect. If human words have such an effect,
consider what would be the effect of the Word of God.

Word of God is creative. It has the power to give life (Matthew

5:41) and to create (Genesis 1:3-27). Creation took place with the words
“Let there be ...”. Creation is guided and controlled by the Word of
God. The Word releases the captives, gives sight to the blind, gives
freedom to the oppressed, raises the dead, gives life and bestows eternal
life. The Word of God, as it was in the beginning, communicates with
humans even today. According to God’s plan, the Word of God is
fruitful:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not
return there until they have watered the earth making it bring forth and
sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my
Word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for
which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

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 The Word of God is not meant for a particular people or generation.
The Word once revealed (Verbum Dictum) is meant for all time and for
all people. The Word of God as it was before, even today communicates
with people. This communication of the Word of God is known as
“Verbum Dicens”. The Word of God speaks to one who reads the
Holy Bible with proper disposition. Word of God revealed in the past
becomes relevant to the believers in their day to day existence.

WORD

In Hebrew language dabar is used to refer to the Word of God.

This can mean word, speech, action and event. When Israelites

referred to Word of God they meant all the above meanings of

dabar. In Greek language logos refers to Word of God. Although

logos means spoken word, it was principally used for Christ.

Hence, the Word of God in the Holy Bible represents God and

the same Word gives life.

Activity 2

Find out some instances from the Holy Bible that reveal the Word of
God creates out of nothing and recreates the fallen.

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Bible: Covenant between God and People

The Holy Bible is primarily divided into two: Old Testament and
New Testament. Old Testament is the old covenant between God and
His people and New Testament is the new covenant established by
God through Jesus Christ with His People. These two covenants are
combined to form the Holy Bible.

Through the media we come to know about agreements signed

between nations. These agreements spell out ideas, obligations and
responsibilities of two nations. The agreement binds two parties. Each
party has rights and obligations under the agreement. Those who sign
the agreement are responsible to see that it is enforced.

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 The covenant or agreement in the Holy Bible is a bond of love
and trust between God and His people. In order to enforce the covenant
God gave His people the Ten Commandments. Even when people
showed infidelity towards the covenant, God’s fidelity is revealed in
His love. This is what makes the covenant between God and His people
different from other agreements.

COVENANT

In Hebrew language berith refers to covenant. In Greek language

diateke is used for covenant. In Latin the term used for
covenant is testamentum. The English term, testament, is
derived from Latin testamentum.

HEBREW BIBLE (TaNaK)

The Holy Scripture of Hebrews is divided into three:

Torah (Ta), which means Law, Nabiim (Na), meaning
Prophets and Ketubim (K), which denotes Writings.
The short form of these three terms is TaNaK.

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 The following table shows the books that come under each division.

TaNaK
Torah (Law) Nabiim (Prophets) Ketubim (Writings)
1. Former Prophets:
Genesis Joshua Psalms
Exodus Judges Proverbs
Leviticus Samuel Job
Numbers Kings (Megiloth or Five
Deuteronomy 2. Later Prophets: Scrolls):
Isaiah Song of Songs
Jeremiah Ruth
Ezekiel Lamentations
12 Minor Prophets Ecclesiastes
Esther
Daniel
Ezra - Nehemiah
Chronicles

Thus according to the Hebrews there are 24 books in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Greek Translation of Hebrew Bible: Septuagint (LXX)

The Greek translation of Hebrew Bible is known as Septuagint in Latin

language. Septuangint in English means seventy (LXX). There is a legend
behind this name, seventy. It is said that about the 3rd century BC Ptolemy
Philadelphus, the king of Egypt, ordered the translation of the Hebrew Bible
into Greek. 70 scholars who knew both Hebrew and Greek languages gathered

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for the translation. These 70 persons were placed in 70 individual rooms.
They all took 70 days for the translation. The king saw that all of them
rendered the translation similarly. Thus the Greek translation of the Hebrew
Bible was called the “Septuagint.”
We have seen that the Hebrew Bible consists of 24 books. But
when it was translated into Greek, these 24 books were divided into 39
books: Book of Samuel was divided into 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. Book
of Kings was divided into 1 Kings and 2 Kings. 12 Minor Prophets,
which was a single book, was separated into 12 books. Ezra-Nehemiah
was divided into two. The Book of Chronicles was divided into 1
Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. Thus the Greek translation of Hebrew
Bible contained 39 books. These 39 books of the Old Testament are
known as proto-canonial books.
Besides these 39 books, 7 books in Greek language, which were
not available in Hebrew Bible, but were in use among the faith-community,
were included in the Septuagint. They are: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees,
2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom and Baruch. These seven books of the
Old Testament are called the Deutero-canonical books.
Jews, in general, do not acknowledge these seven books as
canonical books. While the Catholics accept 46 books in the Septuagint
(39+7) as canonical, the Protestants accept 39 books of the Jewish
Bible as canonical.
Septuagint is divided into four: Law, History, Wisdom and
Prophets.

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 Septuagint
Law History Wisdom Prophets
Genesis Joshua Job Isaiah
Exodus Judges Psalms Jeremiah
Leviticus Ruth Proverbs Lamentations
Numbers 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes Baruch
Deuteronomy 2 Samuel Song of Songs Ezekiel
1 Kings Wisdom Daniel
2 Kings Sirach Hosea
1 Chronicles Joel
2 Chronicles Amos
Ezra Obodiah
Nehemiah Jonah
Tobit Micah
Judith Nahum
Esther Habakkuk
1 Maccabees Zephaniah
2 Maccabees Zecharia
Haggai
Malachi

Latin Translation of Old Testament (Vulgata)

After the formation of Septuagint, St. Jerome (340-420) translated the

Holy Bible into Latin. It is called Vulgata
(in English Vulagate). Ever since the Latin
translation of the Holy Bible all other
translations, including Malayalam, follow
Vulgate. The Council of Trent (1545-63) in
1546 made the formal decision to accept
the authenticity of Latin translation of the
Holy Bible, Vulgata, and the canonicity of
all books contained therein.
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 Other Ancient Translations of the Holy Bible
The Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Scripture is known as Targum.
The Syriac translation of the Holy Bible is called Peshita. Apart from
Vulgata, there exists another ancient translation in Latin, known as
Vetus Latina, which means Old Latin.

Complete Catholic Bible

On the basis of the Greek Septuagint, the Catholic Bible has 46

books in Old Testament. Since 13th century, the Catholic Bible is divided
into historical, didatical, prophetical books. All the books in the Holy
Bible may even now be classified into three groups. New Testament
too may be divided into historical, didatical and prophetical.

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 OLD TESTAMENT

Historical Didatical Prophetical

Genesis Job Isaiah
Exodus Psalms Jeremiah
Leviticus Proverbs Lamentations
Numbers Ecclesiastes Baruch
Deuteronomy Song of Songs Ezekiel
Joshua Wisdom Daniel
Judges Sirach Hosea
Ruth Joel
1 Samuel Amos
2 Samuel Obadiah
1 Chronicles Jonah
2 Chronicles Micah
1 Kings Nahum
2 Kings Habakkuk
Ezra Zepheniah
Nehemiah Haggai
Tobit Zechariah
Judith Malachi
Esther
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

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 NEW TESTAMENT
Historical Didatical Prophetical
Matthew Romans Revelation
Mark 1 Corinthians
Luke 2 Corinthians
John Galatians
Acts of the Apostles Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude

Activity-3

Write down the abbreviations and the complete names of 72 books

in the Holy Bible in English and in Malayalam and learn them by heart.

Inspiration of the Holy Bible

“All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Inspiration is

God’s guidance through the inward working of the Holy Spirit in the
love of the people whom He chose to infallibly and faithfully write
books of the Bible.
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 Bible is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Bible is written by the complete cooperation of and

endeavour of God and humans. We see in the Holy Bible the message
of transcendent God and the literary skill of human authors.

Basically God is the author (divine author) of the Holy Bible.

However, in the presentation of the events in the Holy Bible the
involvement of human beings (human author) also can be clearly seen.
The Bible is considered holy because it is written under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit as a result which we receive God’s salvific message
from it. Therefore, the message of the Holy Bible does not contain
error, but there can be error only in its presentation by the human authors.

The Second Vatican Council states about the inspiration of the

Holy Bible in the follwoing words: “In composing the sacred books,
God chose (authors) and while employed by Him they made use of

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The term Inspiration
The English term Inspiration is derived from the Latin word inspirare.
It means “to breath into,” “to blow into,” “to inspire,” “to inflame” and
“to instill.” It indicates how the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of the
human authors of the Holy Bible.

their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through

them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only

those things which He wanted” (Dei Verbum 11).

Inerrancy of the Holy Bible

When an illiterate mother wants to write to her son, she takes the

help of an educated person. She tells all that she wants to convey to her

son. The scribe writes the letter in a very good literary format. While

writing the message coveyed by the mother scribe may make some

mistakes. Still the letter conveys the mother’s love and her desire for

the son.

We have seen that God together with humans authored the Holy

Bible. Naturally human errors and short comings may have crept into

the Holy Bible. For example, grammar mistakes in the manuscripts,

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repetitions, omissions, historical and scientific errors can be some of

the human errors and short comings.

In the Holy Bible mistakes of the above nature are not absent.

However, the general aim of the Holy Bible is to reveal God’s love

leading to salvation. Inerrancy means there is no error in the revelation

of God’s love contained in the Holy Bible.

Canonicity

Canonical books are the authoritive collection of Sacred Scriptures

in the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible. The authors of

the books of the Holy Bible wrote under the inspiration of the Holy

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Spirit. It is not necessary that they were aware of it. But the Church

decides which books were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Church gets

this authority through Christ (Matthew 16:19; John 20:21-23; 21:15-19).

The non-canonical books are called Aprocriphal.

The official declaration concerning the canonicity of the Holy Bible

was made by the Council of Trent (1545-1563) in 1546. Such a declaration

was made by the Council after a thorough study and examination of

various sacred books. The standards used to consider a book canonical

are:

& Author of book was a God experienced person.

& The book was in usage among the early Christian Community.

& Content of the book in general had the truths of salvation.

& The aim of the book was to lead people to God, to assist their

spiritual life.

& The book remained faithful to previously accepted canonical writings.

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 The term Canon
The term canon is used to distinguish between inspired and non-
inspired books. It is derived from the Greek word kanon. The literal
meaning of the word is ‘measuring rod.’ The term canon in English
was first used by father of the Church, Origen and refere to the official
list of the books of Holy Bible. The term canon also means “rule of
life” (Galatians 6:16) and “limit” (2 Corinthians 10:13-15).

Significance of the Word of God

1. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalms

119:105).

2. “ When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer

my soul” (Psalms 94:19).

3. “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).

4. “Lay to heart all the words which I enjoin upon you this day that

you may command them to your children, that they may be careful

to do all the words of this law. For it is no trifle for you, but it is

for your life and thereby you shall live long in the land which you

are going over the Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47).

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 5. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God

will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

6. “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass

away” (Mark 13:31).

7. “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two

edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, the

joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the

heart” (Hebrew 4:12).

8. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God

and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”

(John 1:1-2).

9. “Fear not, I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).

10. “And these words which I command you this day shall be upon

your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

Activity 4

Invite a person, whose life was changed by the Word of

God, to share his/her experience in the class.

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Let us now take some decisions to give the Word of God primary
place in our lives:

1. Keep the Holy Bible in a respectful place.

2. Begin the community gatherings, enthroning the Holy Bible and

reading a passage from it.

3. Observe Holy Bible reading month (December) and Holy Bible

Sunday (last Sunday of December) meaningfully.

4. Participate in Vacation Bible School programmes conducted at

parish level and encourage others to participate in it.

5. Make it a habit to read the Holy Bible daily and memorize its
verses.

Exercise in preparation for next lesson

The next lesson is titled, “Jesus: Man of History and
Son of God.” In preparation for this topic ask a non-Christian
on the influence of Jesus Christ in his life. Report the fruit of
your conversation in the class.

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 2

JESUS : MAN OF HISTORY

SON OF GOD

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 Jesus is the Word that was in the beginning with God, God
Himself and the Word that became flesh. He is at the same time
fully divine and fully human. Jesus revealed this truth through his
words and deeds.

In this lesson we learn how these two natures - divine and

human - exist in Jesus Christ, how these two natures are different in
him and what is his uniqueness.

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Activity 1

Read three reports from the homework given in the end of

last lesson.

Various people of different times in the

history have given their witnesses

concerning Jesus Christ. Some of those

witnesses are given below:

Flavius Josephus lived between 37 and

95 AD. He writes:

“ Now there was about this time Jesus,

a wise Man, if it be lawful to call him a

Man, for he was a doer of wonderful

works, a teacher of such men as had a veneration for truth. He drew

over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles: He was

Christ. Pilate at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had

condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at first did not

forsake Him, for He appeared unto them alive again on the third day,

as the divine prophets had spoken of these and ten thousand other

wonderful things concerning Him, whence the tribe of Christians so

named from Him, are not extinct at this day.”

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 The historian of modern times, H.G. Wells says:

“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian

that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very

center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in

all history.”

The Malayalam literary critic, Prof. K.P.

Appan, in his Malayalam book, Bible

Velichathintte Kavacham, says:

On Christmas day, the Father of

Compassion entered the history. The Gospels proclaim that it was

Good News for the suffering. The coming of the Saviour into the

world was a wonderful drama. The birth of Christ was not the result

of human desire. It was not the desire of flesh and blood. As prophet

Micah says his ‘origin is from of old, from ancient days’ (Micah

5:2). The one who was born of the Virgin Mary proclaimed himself

as the Son of Man. As believers sing, he took the image of human

being. A human body was being prepared for him. Thus from eternity

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Christ entered into the history. Christ’s birth separates BC and AD.

Thus he became the center of history. History bear witness to Christ.

Activity 2

The above witnesses concerning Christ are given by non-

beleivers. What are your knowledge and understanding of Christ?

Discuss this point in groups and report your views in the class.

Incarnation

Hindus and Egyptians from ancient times believed that gods

took human form (avatar) to save humanity from particular adverse

situations. But Jesus’ incarnation stands apart from these beliefs.

In the previous lesson we have seen that two sources of

God’s revealation are Tradition and the Holy Bible. It is through
these two ways that Jesus is authoritatively revealed. In the light of
these two ways - Tradition and Holy Bible - the chief truth revealed
about Jesus is his mystery of Incarnation.

“In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God
and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Incarnation means that the
Word that was God, took human form and was born of the Virgin
Mary. Through the Incarnation the one who was in fully divine nature

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took on human nature. Thus, in the person of Jesus’ divine nature
and human nature was united. From birth to death Jesus lived in
history truly human. In other words Christ’s name “Jesus” speaks
of His human uniqueness as well as His incarnation.

The name “JESUS”

“Jesus” is the name that reveals Christ’s human uniqueness. This

word comes from the Hebrew word yehosua. This name means

‘Yahweh saves’ or ‘Yahweh is salvation.’

The purpose of Jesus’ Incarnation was to lead the humanity

to the Kingdom of God. Therefore, along with St. Peter we too can
say: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given among mortals, by which we must be saved”
(Acts 4:12). St. John writes: “In Him was life and the life was the
light of people” (John 1:4). St. John again writes: “Behold the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
By these words, John the Baptist bears witness to Christ.

Occurrence of the name “JESUS” in the New Testament:

Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Paul Other books Total

150 81 89 237 68 1213 67 1905

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Incarnation in the New Testament

Although Incarnation of Christ is not prominent in the

Old Testament, it is the center of the New Testament. The Incarnation
in the New Testament is quite different from the incarnations of other
religions. Incarnation in the New Testament is not a mere idea but a
distinctive sign of the Christian faith. “Word became flesh” (John
1:14) and was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born in Bethlehem.
He grew up as the foster son of St. Joseph. For three years he taught
in public, worked miracles and preached the Kingdom of God. During
the reign of Pontius Pilate he suffered, died and on the third day rose
again. Jesus, a Jew, was not a man alone but God incarnate. This is
the essence of Incarnation.

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Jesus himself testifies that he is God made Man or the incarnate of
God.

Ä “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Ä “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe

me. But if I do them even though you do not believe me,
believe the works, that you may know and understand that
the Father is in Me and I am in the Father” (John 10:37-38).

Ä “Do you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in

me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own
authority but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or
else for the sake of the works themselves” (John 14:10-11).

To the question of John the Baptist, asked through his two

disciples, “ Are you he who is to come or shall we look for another?”,
Jesus answers:
“Go tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind
receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached
to them. And blessed is he who takes no offence at me” (Luke 7:22-
23; see also Matthew 11:1-6).

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 Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s presence among His people.
It is not God’s wisdom or strength that is present among the people
but God Himself in the person Jesus through Incarnation. Thus
God reveals Himself in Jesus through Incarnation. In that way
Jesus becomes the Mediator between God and people. Hence, the
Incarnation of Jesus stands apart from other incarnations reported
in other religions.
Activity 3

Divide the class into groups. Each group can take two
passages given below and find out who witnesses Jesus is the Son
of God in each case.
Gospel according to Mark
1:11; 9:7; 3:11; 5:7; 12:1-11; 13:32; 14:36; 14:16-65; 15:39
Gospel according to Matthew
1:18-20; 1:23; 2:1-16; 5:9, 16; 6:9; 10:32-33; 11:25-27; 5:13;
16:16-17; 18:10-14; 18:20; 18:35; 21:28-31; 23:9; 24:14; 25:34;
28:18-20
Gospel according to Luke
1:26-35; 1:32-33; 2:11; 1:46-55; 1:68-79; 4:16-30; 6:35-36; 10:21-
22; 12:30-32; 16:24; 23:34, 46; 24:49
Gospel according to John
1:1-18; 2:11; 3:13-17; 3:35; 4:34; 5:17-23; 5:26; 5:37;6 : 3 3 - 3 9 ;
6:62-63; 8:14; 8:57-58; 9:33; 10:17; 10:29-30; 10:37-38; 12:32; 12:44-
46; 13:3; 14:8-11; 14:31; 15:9-10; 17:2-3; 17:23-26; 20:31

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Acts of the Apostles
2:33-36; 2:39; 3:13-15; 7:52; 16:31; 20:24
The words used in the Old Testament to refer to God, such as
Just, Holy, Giver of Life and Lord are used for Jesus in the following
passages:
Letter to the Hebrews
1:2-9; 5:7-9; 7:26-28; 9:26
Paul’s Letters
Col 1:15-20; Gal 4:4-5; 5:1; Rom 3:23; 6:4-6; 8:3-4; Phil 2:6-8; Rom

5:15-19; 1 Cor 15:47; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tim 1:15; 2 Tim 1:10; Titus 2:11, 14

Jesus: The Only Son of God

Activity - 4

Divide the class into groups. After reading Transfiguration event described
in Mark 9:2-10 the groups can discuss the questions given below and
then report the answer to the class.
1. What are the two natures of Jesus’ sonship?
2. What did happen to Jesus during Transfiguration?
3. What events in Jesus’ life does Transfiguration point to?

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Two natures in One person

When we understand in Incarnation, we recognize the divine

and human natures of Jesus in his Transfiguration as well.
We can understand how the divine nature of Jesus is revealed
in the New Testament through the below activity.

Activity 5

God the Father, Jesus, Apostle Peter, Apostle Paul, Centurion and
even the demons declare Jesus as Son of God. Those passages are
given below. Examine these passages and enter them in the respective
column.

Mattew 3:17; 11:27; 16:16-17; 17:5; 21:34-38; 24:36; 26:63-64; Mark

14:61-62; 15:39; Luke 22:70; John 10:36; 20:31; Acts 9:20; Romans
1:3; Galatians 1:15-16; 1 Thess 1:10
Jesus, Son of God
God The Father
Jesus
Peter
Paul
Centurion
Demons

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 The second person of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, through His
Incarnation, possesses two natures: Divine nature and human nature.
Jesus is at the same time, fully God and fully Man.

Now let us try to understand how the divine nature and the
human nature in their fullness exist in Jesus.

In the 8th century, in Italy, in a village called Lanjano, during

the Eucharistic celebration, the host and
wine changed into human flesh and blood.
The transformed human flesh is a portion
of the heart. Even today the flesh and blood
remain without decaying not having the use
of preservatives. The sceintists from
World Helath Organization have examined
and confirmed the truth of this phenomenon.
They are unable to explain how the
tranformation took place.
During the Eucharistic celebration, after the words of
consecration the outward characteristics of bread and wine, namely
colour, smell, shape and taste remain unaltered. But bread and wine
assume super-natural form. These two natures - the ordinary and
extraordinary - of bread and wine are beyond explantion. Similarly,
the two natures of earthly Jesus - divine and human - remain beyond
explanation. However, these two natures fully exist in Jesus.

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 Jesus’ visible human body assumed changes during the
Transfiguration. At the time of Transfiguration the disciples witness
Jesus’ divine nature. As the disciples were terrified looking at the
transfigured Jesus, immediately he assumes the human nature. After
the transfiguration the disciples come down from the mountain
together with their master.

Eternal divine nature and mortal human nature are joined in

Jesus. It remains difficult to explain how these two natures are
joined in Jesus. However, the Eucharist and the above described
Eucharistic miracle reveal that Jesus with divine and human natures
is a reality.
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 Revision

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man. He Himself had

revealed it. We believe in it.

Ì It does not mean Jesus is half God and half Man.

Ì It does not mean that divine and human natures are mixed up
in Jesus to form a new creation.

Ì It is not right to accept the Nestorian teaching that divine

and human natures of Christ suggest they are two persons
loosely united.

Ì Jesus Christ is fully Divine and fully Human. The divine

and human natures are united in the person of Jesus Christ.

Only Son

Jesus, the Son of God taught us to call God our Father.

“He was praying in a certain place. When he ceased, one of
his disciples said to him ‘Lord teach us to pray, as John taught his
disciples.’ And He said to them “When you pray, say: ‘Father,
hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come...” (Luke 11:14).

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 By teaching in this way Jesus revealed that God is Father of
all and all are His children. But our sonship and Jesus’ sonship are
not the same. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Himself
has revealed this truth.

Other than teaching “Our Father in heaven”, Jesus has never

joined the people to call God “Our Father”. Jesus confirms that
His sonship differs from the sonship of the rest of us by “My Father,
Your Father”.

“You therefore must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is

perfect” (Mathew 5:48).
“Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord, shall enter the
Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven” (Mathew 7:21).

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 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”
(Jn 3:16).
These passages reveal the unique sonship of Jesus with God
the Father. Thus we understand and believe that Jesus is God’s
Only Begotten Son.

Uniqueness of Jesus Christ

St. John writes in his letter: “We declare to you what was
from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with
our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
concerning the word of life (1 John 1:1). In the Gospel St. John
declares Jesus’ uniqueness: “No one has ever seen God, the only
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known
(John 1:18).

In the Gospel according to John, Jesus Himself declares His

uniqueness: “But the testimony which I have is greater than that of
John, for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish,
these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father
has sent me” (John 5:36).

Jesus said to Philip: “Have I been with you so long, and yet
you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me, has seen the
Father” (John 14:9).

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 “I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work
which Thou gavest Me to do; and now Father, glorify Thou Me in
Thy own presence with the glory which I had with Thee before the
world was made” (John 17:4-5).

There is a legend about the icon preserved in the Moscow

Cathedral. It is said that Abagar, King of Aedesai had heard about
Jesus, the preacher and wonder worker. He desired to see him. He
invited Jesus to his palace. But Jesus politely refused. Then the
King asked his artist to draw a portrait of Jesus. The artist, however,
could not produce the radiant face of Jesus. He was frustrated.

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Then Jesus Himself left His image on the canvas. The imprint of
His face was exceedingly beautiful.

In the same way, when we journey through the Holy Bible, we

will come in contact with Jesus who will leave his imprint in our
thoughts and our words.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father but by me” (John 14:16). Jesus said these words with such
an authority that no one has or ever will be able to say so and
confirm their words by signs as Jesus. No one else has revealed
God to such an extent as Jesus (see John 1:18; Matthew 11:27;
Colossians 2:9-10). No one can reveal God in this way. Therefore,
St. John Paul II insists in the necessity of the Church to proclaim this
truth: “She cannot do other than proclaim the Gospel, that is, the
fullness of the truth which God has enabled us to know about himself”
(Redemptoris Missio 5).

“According to Catholic faith, the full and complete revelation of

salvific mystery of God is given in Jesus Christ. Thus faith requires
us to profess the Word made flesh, in his entire mystery, from
incarnation to glorification” (Dominus Iesus 6).

By analysing Incarnation and Transfiguration in the light

of the Holy Scripture, Church teaching and our own reasoning we
come to the conclusion that Jesus is the historical person with divine

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and human natures. But it is not easy to comprehend the truth
concerning Jesus’ unique nature. This truth should not remain merely
on the intellectual level. Let us experience and proclaim the uniqueness
of Jesus through the divine reading of the Word of God and by our
life.

Activity 6

Early Christians bore witness to Christ, who is fully divine

and full human, by their martyrdom. For example, read the martyrdom
of St. Stephen in Acts of the Apostles chapter 7. Discuss in groups
how in the present day you can bear witness to Christ. Record your
conclusions and present them in the class.
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 3

JESUS: LIBERATOR
AND LORD

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Activity 1
Alexander the Great, Napoleon and Asoka established
great empires through wars and by the shedding of blood. There
are many other emperors, kings and leaders in the history, who had
established earthly kingdom. But in course of time, their empires
or kingdoms had faded away and they are no longer remembered.
But there is one who divides history itself into two and reigns in
the hearts of people even now, as in the past. He is Jesus Christ.
What was the aim and vision of Jesus in establishing His Kingdom?
What is the difference between Jesus Christ and other leaders?
Discuss in groups the difference between empires established by
earthly kings and the Kingdom established by Jesus Christ and
report in the class.
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 In the beginning was the Word. He entered history and
lived among us as one of us. Jesus, the Word emptied himself to
assume human form in order to become Gospel of life eternal.
“Though He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself taking the
form of a servant, being born in the likeness of people. And being
found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient
unto death, even death on the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted
Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name”
(Philippians 2:6-9). This complete liberation brought by Jesus is
studied in this lesson by analyzing two important qualifications
attributed to Jesus: Jesus Christ, the liberator and Jesus Christ, the
Lord.

1. Jesus Christ: The Liberator

When we say that Jesus Christ is the liberator it does not
merely mean that he is a social reformer, who put an end to the social
evils existed in his time. But it very importantly also mean that Jesus is
the sole liberator who has saved the individuals, communities and
the whole world from sin and the forces of evil. To understand the
total liberation brought by Jesus it is necessary to look at the situation
of the land of Jesus where Jesus lived.

Context of Liberation
Jesus lived in a land where discrimination existed among
people on the ground of class, religion and wealth. The Jews of

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Jesus’ time believed that they were the chosen people of God (Exodus
19:5; Deuteronomy 7:7-11; 26:19).

As Jews considered themselves to be the chosen people

of God, they went to the extent of preserving the purity of their race.
They were led by the principle: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord
your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). But prophets had articulated
that being holy meant complete loyalty to God and having brotherly
love towards the neighbor, which kindles justice (Isaiah 1:16-18;
58:6-12; Micah 6:8; Amos 6:24). But the Jews were unable to
grasp the instructions in the right spirit and live accordingly.

During the time of Jesus, the idea of holiness among the

Jews was confined to keeping their race pure. Consequently, the
society of Jesus’ time was divided into three categories.

(i) Nobles

The nobles of Jesus’ time were those who considered

themselves to be the custodians of God’s Law given through Moses.
In other words, nobles were those who safe-guarded commandments
given by God through Moses. Jewish priests, Pharisees, Sadducees,
Rabbis and Jewish leaders came under this category.

(ii) Marginalized
In order to maintain the purity of the People of God Jews were
not permitted to enter into matrimonial relationship with non-Jews.

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Those who broke this regulation and their descendents were
considered impure. Also, the public sinner and their children were
regarded as impure. Besides that, those who were engaged in ordinary
jobs, people with certain skin diseases, the disabled and the widows
were also treated as marginalized. Those who collected tax for the
Roman Emperor also came under this category. This group of people
is called ‘tax collectors and sinners’ in the Gospels.

(iii) Ordinary Jews

Those who did not belong to the above two categories were
ordinary Jews. The majority of the Jews came under this category.

Jesus did not view this separation of people merely as a social

evil but as a consequence of the deadly effects of sin. Jesus’ mission,
therefore, was to build God’s Kingdom where all are the children of
God.

Christ’s Mission of Liberation

For the existence of the universe, human beings and creation,

God has established an equilibrium which we should protect. Truth,
justice, peace, happiness, fraternity, sharing, mercy, etc., are its fruits.
When human beings knowingly disturb this equilibrium there is sin.
Consequently, poverty, sickness, wars, etc., begin to manifest. When
we say Christ delivers us from sin, we mean He liberates people
from all the evils that behest them.

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 Christ revealed his magna carta at Nazareth in a synagogue.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to
preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release
to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
(Luke 4:16-19). Christ realized his magna carta in words and deeds
and proclaimed that he is Messiah through signs. (See, Matthew
11:2-11; Luke 7:18-23; Isaiah 35:5-6; 42:18; 61:1).

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 Jesus the Complete Liberator
Activity 2

Death
s
act
ral
mo
Im

Persecuting
social structures

Inhuman laws
Sickness
Evil forces
Poverty

From the following passages find out in groups from which

bondage mentioned in the picture did Jesus release the people?

Mark 2:10-12; 7:20-23; Luke 7:48; 15:1-7; 8-10; 11-32

Mark 6:35-44; 8:1-9; Luke 4:13-14; 19:8; Matthew 10:42; 25:34-40
Mark 1:29-34; 40-42; 3:10; 5:24-34; 6:53-56; 7:31-37; 8:22-26
Mark 2:16; 10:41-45; John 4:7-9; 13:12-15; Luke 4:13-14
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 Mark 1:21-28, 34; 3:1; 5:1 following; 7:24-30; 9:19-27
Mark 2:13-17, 27; 3:1-6; 7:1-13
Mark 8:11-15; Luke 11:37-54; 19:1-10; 7:36-50
Luke 19:1-10; 7:36-50; Mark 1:40-42
Mark 1:40-42; 5:35-43; John 11:25-27, 38-44

Liberation through Christ: Different Dimensions

› Christ’s liberating love calls us to love our enemies and to love

the sinners. In doing so, we draw them to repentance and
holiness. However dark be a person’s future, in Christ’s love
he/she is liberated and can find liberation.

› Siding with those who are marginalized and bringing them into
the mainstream is another face of Christ’s liberating love. Just
as we show special love and affection to the children and the
disabled in our families, Christ teaches us to show love and
mercy to children, disabled, poor, marginalized and down
trodden of this world too.

› Basic rights and obligations arising out of the unique position of

human beings get strengthened in Christ’s love.

› Christ’s liberating love teaches us that the rich and the poor and
the just and the unjust are not deprived of his love. All of them
are to be saved through fellowship and sharing in Christ’s love.

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› Jesus teaches that all authority is given to us to become the saving
love of Christ by serving the enemy.

Therefore, Jesus teaches by his love and death on the cross:

“For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve and to
give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45); “If I then, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash
one another’s feet” (John 13:14).

We understand from the above teaching that Christ’s liberating

love alone can restore, maintain and protect the equilibrium founded
by God but lost through sin.

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Activity- 3
In our country there are many organizations to liberate people
from hardships. As said above, some assume the style of kings who
liberated people through wars and bloodshed. But there are others
who liberate people through their sacrifice as Christ envisaged.
Discuss what can be done at our parish level through family units
and spiritual groups to liberate people and draft a plan to implement
them.

Activity 4
When Jesus was arrested, the apostles fled for their lives. A
few days later they were ready even to die for Jesus. In the same
way Saul, a Jew who was persecuting the Christians became a
follower of Christ, preached Christianity and became a martyr.

What was the Christ event that prompted the apostles to witness
Christ even at the cost of their lives?

Read the conversion of Saul given in Acts 9:10-20 and prepare

a picture story or a chart.

When we address Jesus as Lord God, we give to Jesus the

same honour, praise and glory we give to God the Father Almighty.
The apostles adored Jesus and addressed Him “Lord” and were
ready to die for Him after the resurrection. This belief continued
among the early Christians as well. Jesus’ Passion, Death,
Resurrection, Ascension and Descend of the Holy Spirit on the

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apostles are part of the Pascal mysteries. These are the crowning
truths of our belief in Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament the word ‘Lord’ refers to the Hebrew

name Yahweh (God). The name Lord is used more than 6,000 times
in the Old Testament. The Greek name of Lord is Kyrios. It denotes
the authority and power over all creation.

In the New Testament this word ‘Lord’ is used for Jesus too.
The Early Christians by addressing Jesus as Lord acknowledged
that Jesus is God.

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The Mystery of Resurrection: Jesus’ Predictions
“And He began to teach
them that the Son of Man must
suffer many things, be rejected by
the elders and the chief priests,
the scribes, be killed and after
three days rise again” (Mark
8:31).

“For He was teaching His

disciples saying to them, the Son
of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him.
When He is killed, after three days He will rise” (Mark 9:31).

Significance of Jesus’ Risen Body

› Resurrection is not coming back to earthly life

› Jesus’ crucified body with wounds was raised to life

› The Risen Christ is able to appear before the disciples

in any form and anywhere

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 “Behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man
will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will
condemn Him to death, deliver Him to the Gentiles. They will
mock Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him, kill Him and after three
days He will rise” (Mark 10:33-34).

Also refer Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; Matthew 20:18-

19; Luke 9:22; Luke 9:44; Luke 18:31-33; Mark 9:7-10.

The Mystery of Resurrection: Witnesses of Enemies

A day after the crucifixion, the chief priests and Pharisees

gathered before Pilate and said: “Sir, we remember how that imposter
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said, while he was still alive - ‘After
three days I will rise again’.
Therefore, order the tomb to be made
secure until the third day, lest his
disciples go steal Him away and tell
the people ‘He has risen from the
dead.’ The last fraud will be worse
than the first” (Matthew 27:62-64).
A man who is always at war can
say that he will die fighting. But
whenever Jesus said about his
suffering and death he said without doubt that he would rise on the
third day. It was not an imagination but an affirmation of the truth
concerning him. No one has ever said or ever can say that he will
rise on the third day after death. Let us see the Scripture:

“I came that they may have life and have it

abundantly… I am the good shepherd. I lay down
my life for the sheep. For this reason the Father
loves me... No one takes it from me but I lay it
down on my own accord. I have power to lay it
down and I have power to take it again...” (John
10:10-18).

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Basic Facts Revealed in Resurrection
› Christ on His own will accepted passion and death so that
humanity may have eternal life.

› To make the world understand that He has dominion over sin

and death.
Jesus Truly Died And Was Buried
Jesus Christ died on the cross and the body was buried in a
tomb is historical as well as faith proclamation of the truth. Some
Scripture passages in this connection are the following:

“Since it was the day of preparation in order to prevent the

bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath, the Jews asked
Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken
away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the
other who had been crucified with Him, but when they came to
Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break the
legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at
once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne
witness - his testimony is true and he knows that he tells the truth –
that you may believe” (John 19:31-35).

“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea,

named Joseph, who was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and
asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to
him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He

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rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed. Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the tomb”
(Matthew 27:57-61).

There are a lot of evil propaganda concerning Christ. One

such leaflet is Jesus died in Kashmir. It was written by a believer
in Islam faith. In 1974 during the war between Burma and China he
was wounded and had to leave the army. He then joined the
Mujahedeen Organization and became its General Secretary. The
work of this Organization was to get rid of those who preached the
Word of God in Burma. The Organization desired to destroy
Christianity and it encouraged Muslim youth to entice Christian girls
to convert to Islam. Jesus died in Kashmir was a leaflet published
by this Organization as a part of their propaganda. Miraculously,
this believer in Islam later repented and became a Christian. He
changed his name to Jonathan Ansar. He also accepted that the
leaflet was not true and was published as part of the Organization’s
propaganda. For further details you may see the interview published
in Sunday Shalom, January 2004. Today, like St. Paul, he is a
minister travelling all over the world preaching the Word of God.
He is ready to die for Christ.

Jesus Truly Rose from the Dead

Just as the Law and Prophets and Jesus Himself declared, He
died and rose on the third day.

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 “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not
been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is
in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits
of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in
Adam all die, so also in Christ shall be made alive” (1
Corinthians 15:20-22).

PROOFS OF LORD’S RESSURECTION

1. Empty Tomb
Jesus had said, “after three days
I will rise again” (Mark 8:21).
Therefore, his enemies who heard this
saying of Jesus obtained permission
from Pilate to secure the tomb
(Matthew 27:66). So they went and
made the tomb of Jesus secure by
sealing the entrance and setting a
guard. But Jesus rose from the dead and the tomb remained empty.
Thus the empty tomb is a proof of Jesus’ resurrection (read Luke
24:1-12).
After hearing the news of Jesus’ resurrection, Simon Peter
and John went into the tomb. They saw the linen clothe lying and
the napkin which had been on his head, not lying with the linen
clothe but rolled up in a place by itself (John 20:6-7).

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2. People Saw the Risen Lord Face to Face

St. Paul gives a list of people who saw the Risen Lord: “For I
delivered to you as one of first importance, what I also received that
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures and that He
was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with
the Scriptures and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of
whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he

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appeared to James and then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one
untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
The Risen Christ was seen by Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-
18). The Risen Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the way to
Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32) and to the apostles (John 20:19-23, 24-
29; 21:1-19). After investigating everything carefully from the very
first, Luke writes: “To them He presented Himself alive after His
passion by many proofs, appearing to them forty days and speaking
of the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

3. Change in Apostles
Apostles, who fled when Jesus was arrested, later were ready
to die for Him. This complete change in apostles occurred after
Jesus’ resurrection. This is a clear proof that they witnessed the
Risen Lord.
They courageously witnessed the Risen Jesus before the
Jewish authorities:
“Peter and the apostles answered: We must obey God rather
than people. The God of our Fathers raised Jesus whom you killed
by hanging him on a tree. God exalted Him to His own right hand as
leader and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom
God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:29-32). “But they had
called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in
the name of Jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the
Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour
for the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not
cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:40-42).
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Activity - 5
Perform John 21:1-19 as a Street Play.

Activity - 6
Given below are some New Testament passages. Form groups
and discuss what speciality did the Early Christians find in proclaiming
Jesus as Lord? Write the answer in a one word or a sentence against
each passage.

“Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great
suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the
scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).

“Jesus was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man
is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three
days after being killed, he will rise again’” (Mark 9:31).

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and

the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the
scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him
over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog
him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again’” (Mark
10:33-34).

See also Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Luke 9:22; 9:44;

18:31-33; Mark 9:7-10

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 The title “Lord” indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or
invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in this divinity. “No one can say
‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Seeing the Risen Christ face to face, St. Thomas exclaimed:
“My Lord and my God” (John 20:38). These words proclaim Jesus’
Lordship and the adoration due to him.

Resurrection is the work of the Holy Trinity

In the Resurrection event three persons of the Holy Trinity
work together according to their special attributes.
› Through Jesus’ Resurrection God the Father reveals His
might.
› In Resurrection God the Son takes back His life, laid down
on His own accord (John 10:7).
› In Resurrection the Holy Spirit gives life and glory to Jesus.

Importance of Resurrection and its Salvific Meaning

› Resurrection is the climax of Incarnation.

› Resurrection is the confirmation of Jesus’ teaching and work.
› Resurrection confirms Jesus is truly Christ.
› Resurrection is the best proof that Jesus is Lord.
› Resurrection reveals that Christ’s victory over sin and death
is the proof of our own justification and resurrection.
› Resurrection bestows on us the grace of God’s adopted
children.
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 › Adopted sonship and daughtership is the sharing in the life
of God’s only begotten Son.
› At the end of time, the Risen Lord will raise us up too.
Mission of the Church
› Jesus is the only answer to the questions raised by injustice,
oppression, disease and death.

› Jesus preached the Good News to the poor, proclaimed

release to the captives, restored sight to the blind, set the
captives free.

› Jesus raised the dead, He Himself rose from the dead.

› As in the past, even today, Jesus is the answer to the questions

that arise because of injustice, oppression, disease and death.

Church’ mission is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, which is

founded on the love of enemies. Christ established the Church as
the seed and beginning of his salvific Kingdom on earth. By the
power of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God should spread
throughout the whole world. Today the Church intends to carry on
this mission with the help of the youth.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Surely I
am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

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 The Church is missionary by its nature. She has to continue
the mission entrusted by Christ, because “God our Saviour desires
all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(1Timothy 2:4). This mission has to be continued “until we all
attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to mature human-hood to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

The meaning of the name Jesus is ‘God saves”

The meaning of the name Christ is ‘Anointed One’ or ‘Messiah.’
The name Son of God signifies the unique and eternal relationship
of Jesus Christ to God, His Father.
The name Lord indicates divine sovereignty.
To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in His divinity.
“No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1
Corinthians 12:3).

Activity 7
Prepare in groups a yearly plan to witness Risen Christ in
the parish community and outside after the example of apostles and
martyrs.

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 4

GLORY OF LIFE

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 On 5th August, 2010 news flashed all over the world about
33 workers trapped in Sanjos Mine, in Atacama Desert in Chile.
The mine was 2,041 feet deep. The heartfelt prayers of the people
around the world, the unbelievable courage of those trapped and the
positive outlook of the rescue team enabled the workers to see day’s
light at the end of a long operation of 69 days. Through a newly
opened tunnel, the rescue team sent down a rescue machine, named
Femix and saved 33 workers one by one.
When death is certain why should one go to such an extent to
save life? Why did the rescue team render 69 days of hard work?
Why did the authorities spend crores of rupees? Some may ask such
questions. Is there an answer?

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 To sustain life in all climatic
conditions God has prepared the womb
as the abode for the first days of human
life. Pregnancy, which is the result of
conjugal love of husband and wife, is
nurtured and protected by God, the
giver of life. The complex adaptations
in the womb are amazing. Is not God’s
concern to nurture and protect the growth of the child in the womb
wonderful?

Activity 1

Discuss the following questions in the light of the Atacama

incident narrated above and the care taken by God for the birth of a
child:
1. Why do we think human life is precious?
2. Why are we obliged to nurture life?
God: The Giver and Owner of Life
Fish in the waters, trees in the woods, birds in the air and
everything in the universe manifest the beauty of life. Human being
is the crowning glory of creation.

God is the giver and owner of life. In the same way, it is the
responsibility of humankind to nurture life from beginning to end.

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In the Holy Bible, all the 73 books, from Genesis to Revelation, we
see that life is sacred and has to be nurtured and protected.
Activity 2
God created man and woman in His image and likeness
(Genesis 1:26). In the light of the following passages, discuss and
find out that God is the giver and source of life:

1. Genesis 1:26-27 4. Jeremiah 1:5

2. Isaiah 43:1-2 5. Psalms 139:13-18
3. Isaiah 49:15-16 6. Psalms 8:5

God did not create human being as He created rest of

creation. Everything was created with the words, “Let it be.” But
God created human beings in His own image and likeness (Genesis
1:26). He breathed into their nostrils the breath of life. Thus human
being became a living being (Genesis 2:7). From this we see that
human life is a precious gift of God. Human life is sacred. God
alone is the author of human life.
God Detests Killing Human Life
God questions Cain for killing Abel. We also see here God
taking care to protect Cain’s life (Genesis 4:18).

God asked Abraham, the father of faith, to sacrifice his

only son, Isaac. But God did not permit Abraham to kill the child.
Abraham sacrificed a ram instead (Genesis 22:13). God detests

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not only putting an end to life but also any kind of evil against life.
When God’s chosen people were slaves under the Egyptians they
cried to God and God heard their lamentation (Exodus 2:23-25).
Through Moses He saved them from slavery. He rescued them
through the Red Sea in a wonderful way from the Egyptians. For
forty years God guided them through the desert to the Promised Land,
Canaan. During those forty years He gave them Manna from heaven
to satisfy their hunger and water from the rock to quench their thirst.
He protected them by fire at night and by cloud during the day.
God protects not only the Israelites. From the history of
salvation it may be seen that God nurtures and protects every
individual.

Jesus is Life and Giver of Eternal Life

The purpose of incarnation was to liberate human beings

from the slavery of sin and to make everyone eligible for eternal
life. All the works performed by Christ was to nurture and preserve
life. He said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”
(John 10:10).
Through the healing of the sick, raising of the dead and
giving dignity of life to the oppressed Christ revealed that human
life is sacred. Through His suffering, death and resurrection Jesus
made it possible for the human beings to attain eternal life.

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Human Being: Protector of Life

While an infant takes shape in the womb, the mother learns

to behave carefully when she works, travels, eats and sleeps. When
the child is born she gives proper nourishment for its growth and
protects the child from fire, water and other mishaps. Even when
the child grows up her love and concern is not diminished. This
love and concern should not be confined to human beings alone but
has to extent to all living creatures.

Human Life is Valuable

› Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God.

They are part-takers in God’s life (Genesis 1:26:27; Gaudium

et Spes19; Evangelium Vitae 41; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19).

› Human life is basically good and has the highest value.

› Human being is the crown of creation. Human being has a

unique dignity.

› Human life is sacrosanct. Therefore, human life is in no way

to be destroyed (Gaudium et Spes 51) and is to be protected.

It is the responsibility of every human person to love, respect,

nurture and protect life.

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 Life is nurtured and preserved with consideration from
conception onwards by the mother. In the same way, everyone is
responsible to protect one’s life and by nature one has the
responsibility to protect and preserve lives of others too. This
responsibility is given to us by God, the author and giver of life.
When Cain killed Abel, God asked Cain, “Where is Abel, your
brother” (Genesis 4:9)? Cain who is supposed to protect his
brother’s life asked God: “Am I my brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4:9)?

By protecting Cain’s life God taught him that he is his brother’s

keeper. “If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him

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sevenfold. The Lord put a mark on Cain lest anyone who came upon
him would kill him (Genesis 4:15).

By protecting the life of Cain, who killed his own brother, God
is teaching us this truth: Our own life and that of others, even if they
are our enemies, their lives have to be protected. God is the giver
and owner of life but we are its keepers.

Activity 3
The tendency to destroy life is very huge today. Collect news
and pictures from news papers and magazines that pose threats to
human life and prepare a collage. Also prepare some slogans about
the evils against human life marking clearly your stand-point of
protection of human life.
Understand the evils against human life in the light of Church’s
teachings, given below (CCC 2321-2330).

Evils against Human Life

› Giving protection to the other’s life and common good is the

responsibility of every responsible person.
› The commandment, ‘You shall not kill,’ has to be honoured
by everyone. If someone destroys human life unjustly we
have the right to stop and eliminate that person.
› A person has the right to live from conception. Direct abortion
– abortion willed as an end or a means – is a great crime
against moral law (Gaudium et Spes 27 # 3). According to
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 Canon Law, a person, who commits direct abortion, deserves
the punishment of ex-communication from the Church (CIC
1398).
› From conception onwards until the fetus becomes a full grown
individual, the fetus is to be regarded as having human life.
Therefore, human life has to be given complete protection and
has to be prevented from disease.
› Euthanasia or mercy killing, whatever may be its method and
aim, is murder. This is gravely contrary to the dignity of the
person and the holiness of the Creator.
› Suicide is a grave offense against justice, hope and love. It is
forbidden by the fifth commandment.
› Any sort of scandal, leading others deliberately to commit
serious sins of omission and commission, is a grave offense.
› Wars cause an immense amount of destruction. Therefore, we
must do everything reasonably possible to avoid wars. The
Church continually prays: “Save us Lord, from poverty, disease
and war.”
› Any action contrary to the international laws and universal
principles are crime against humanity.
› Competition to accumulate weapons is one of the worst curse
on humanity. It brings about a heavy burden on the poor
(Gaudium et Spes 81 # 3).

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Indirect Threats against Life

1. Polluting air, water and earth.

2. Destruction of forests and sand mining.
3. Leveling of hills, fields and mountains and causing the
disappearance of water sources.
4. Neglecting the cultivation and protection of saplings and
plants.
5. Destruction of sea resources.
6. Manufacture and use of things mixed with poison.
7. Adulteration of food items.
8. Use of banned pesticides and medicines.
9. Unlimited use of plastics.
10. Pollution of air by vehicles and factories.
11. Liberal growth of multi-storied buildings.

“In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of
every human being” (Job 12:10). From conception to death every
human life is sacred. From its beginning human life involves the
creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship
with the Creator, who is its sole author. It is not lawful for anyone
to destroy an innocent human being. This is gravely contrary to the
dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator (CCC 2318-
2320). Therefore, it is the duty of each member of a God-fearing
community to wage war against the theory, inclination, behavior
and practice of destroying the human life.

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Origin of Life: The Holy Bible and Science
In 1859 Charles Darwin authored a book titled, “On the Origin
of Species by Means of Natural Selection.” In the book he explains
that life originated from lifeless species and through evolution,
various forms of life took shape.

It means that life, including human life was accidental. From

the explanation given below, we can see that this is not true.
It is necessary to explain the jump from lifeless to living,
motionless to moving, irrational to rational. But science is unable to
explain this. Besides, while examining the direction of evolution, it
becomes observable that behind the intentional growth of human being,
the highest form of creation, from the insignificant lifeless thing there
is an unseen moving force. This unseen moving force does not come
under the knowledge of science. Instead, this comes under the
knowledge of theology and philosophy.

We can agree with science regarding the following two matters:

1. Evolution is a result of complex process like unicellular

(single-celled) organism, multi-cellular organism and brain
formation. Evolution reaches its climax in human being.
2. But the truth is that God is the supreme guide and protector
behind this complex process. Therefore, science and religion
are not opposite to each other but complementary.

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 The famous scientist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-
1955) had upheld that there won’t be any difficulty in relating the
theory of evolution with Christian belief. In his book, ‘Phenomenon
of Man,’ Teilhard de Chardin states that the whole universe is
evolving towards Christ. Pope Paul VI says: “The theory of
evolution has become an accepted theory today. Human being also
can be included in the evolution theory. But do not deny the fact
that God directly created the spirit.” Therefore, Church teaches
that in the complex process of evolution, God has an undeniable
role and God led all the stages of evolution. Such a teaching is
reasonable.
The Catholic Church teaches that life, from its beginning
to end, in whatever form, has to be respected, because human
being is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore,
human being is not merely object or material but has individual
greatness.
Life is a gift of God (Evangelium Vitae 39). Parents assist
God the Creator by giving birth to children. Therefore, St. John
Paul II teaches us to understand life as a gift and show thanks to
God, the giver of life, by loving and respecting others (Evangelium
Vitae 41).
Human life has intrinsic value. This is not given to human
being by any individual, community, administration or financial
order. But the intrinsic value of human life is given by God because
God is the cause of life. Each life is precious before God. God
creates the human being as an individual not as group of people.
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 Death is not the end of life. With death there merely comes a
change in life. Each individual is created to live together from
beginning till the end. Therefore, we should aim always to make
this worldly life comfortable but have to aim at attaining the
completion of life, which is life eternal.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends” (John 15:13). The words of Jesus show us the
excellence of life. God is the giver and owner of life and human
being is only its protector. But Jesus sacrificed His life for the
salvation of all humankind. Similarly, the life that we have received
from God as a gift can be given as a gift to others. Thus we obtain

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eternal life. Jesus said: “For those who want to save their life will
lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and for the sake of
the gospel, will save it” (Mark 8:35).

Activity 4
1. In the light of what we have learnt in this lesson and in the
light of Church’s teaching and taking the example of Pro-Life
Movement, write an essay rejecting the evils such as murder,
abortion, suicide and mercy killing.
2. Specify the dangers of indirect threats against life, prepare a
collage.

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 5

HUMAN BONDS AND SOCIETAL

WELL-BEING

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 Sir Isaac Newton, President of the Royal Society of England,
in 1703, asked a group of people present at a gathering: “Why does
not the earth, which rotates on its axis at a great speed, fall apart
into pieces due to the pull of gravity?” The people, who heard this,
became very curious. No one among them could answer the question.
So Newton explained: “The North Pole of the earth attracts so
greatly the South Pole, which is 12,712 kilometers away. Likewise,
the South Pole attracts the North Pole. Each element in the earth
attracts strongly to its central place. Therefore, the earth sustains
its unique existence.”

The principle that Newton states about the earth can be the
common principle behind everything. Look at nature: For the plant

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to grow, the sun light is necessary. Similarly, the moon depends on
the sun to shine. All things on the universe depend on one another to
exist.

Activity 1

Find out and write down the chain of activities taking place before
each of the items given below reach their final form:

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Grain of rice Seed is necessary. To sow the seed land is needed.
To plough the land tools are necessary.
To do this labourers are needed. Sunlight and
favourable climate are necessary for the growth of the
seed. More than that trust in God is needed.
Book
Pen
Dress
Shoe

Just like all the things in the universe, human beings too cannot
live in isolation. For the existence, human beings constantly
depend on God, others and nature. Depending on others is a
basic behaviour of community life. This behaviour leads to
relationships. Look at the picture given below to understand
this behavior:

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 GOD

SUN
LIFE PARTNER PRIEST

MAN

DOCTOR SCHOOL

Human Being and Various Relationships

Human persons are social beings. They cannot, therefore, do

away with relationships. We have already seen this. Let us examine
different relationships normally reflected in human beings.

a. God-Human Relationship

Relationship with God is the most lofty and excellent bond

for human beings. What separates human beings from other living
things is that they are created in the image and likeness of God
(Genesis 1:26). Besides that God breathed into their nostrils the
breath of life and they became living beings (Genesis 2:7). So

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externally and internally human being
is related to God and the human soul
constantly thirsts for God: “For you
have made us for yourself and our
hearts are restless until they rest in you”
(St. Augustine). The words of St.
Augustine, “our hearts are restless until
they rest in you,” reveal this truth
evidently. Moreover, God is the origin
of human lives and their final
destination. Therefore, God-human relationship is the basis of all
relationships.

b. Family Ties

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 God created man and woman and united them to form a family.
“God blessed them and God said to them, ‘be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:28). The family is
established by God. Family consists of parents and children. Family
is a community of faith, trust and love.

God created human being out of His love. Therefore, husband

and wife, through their love become one and participate in the
creating act of God. God is love. And God created everything out
of love. God saw everything that He made and beheld it was very
good (Genesis1:31). So creating act of human beings has to be good.
For this purpose, their creative act has to be centred on love of God
and love of neighbour. In the encyclical letter, ‘God is love’ (Deus
Caritas Est), Pope Benedict XVI speaks of this love.

In the family, husband and wife complement each other in

love and children born out of their self-surrender grow in love.
They learn to have faith in God and learn to love one another from
the family. Such bonds in the family prepare the individual to work
in the community in obedience to God’s will.

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c. Community Bonds

Good families form good communities. Just like family bonds,

community bonds are important. It is through community bonds that
one’s spiritual and moral welfare and security are strengthened.

There are different systems that help one to grow in different

relationships:

1. Spiritual system for the wholesome growth of human

person from birth to death.
2. Social and political systems that help the human person to
determine one’s rights and obligations as a citizen.
3. Educational systems that help the formation of behaviour
and character.
4. Employment-financial system to sustain daily life.

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 4. To sustain daily life - job opportunities and financial
assistance.

Activity 2

Read once again the above mentioned systems that help us to

develop different relationships and discuss the following questions
in groups: 1. What influence did these systems have in your growth
till today? 2. What can you do, with the help of these systems, to
form the future generation in a better manner?
d. Relationship with Oneself

Just as one has relationship with God, family, community, it is

important to have relationship with oneself. God, who created
everything good, created man and woman as the crowning glory of
creation. Therefore, we must find the good in ourselves and have to
accept, nurture and protect it. This self-knowledge and self-esteem
is essential in order to see the good in others and to accept, nurture
and protect the good in others.

God’s commandment, “Love your neighbour as yourself,”

reveals this truth. That means, unless we love ourselves we cannot
love others.

‘Love oneself’ does not mean to love oneself to such an extent,

so as to become selfish. Instead, it means to realize and accept the
good in us, to use it for uplifting ourselves and others.
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 One may act contrary to what has been said above. In doing
so, a person hates oneself. It results in rejecting the good invested in
that person by God, which is ultimately rejecting God Himself.
Therefore, it is a sin. Rejecting oneself, thus, becomes a threat to
life itself. Moreover, it is a transgression against the society because
it affects adversely its very foundation. Therefore, we should realize
the good in us and grow in self-knowledge and self-esteem. This is
the meaning of loving oneself.

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Activity 3

God has endowed us with various talents and virtues. Prepare

a list of talents and virtues you have. Find out the talents and virtues
of the one sitting at your left and right. Make a list and read it aloud.
Exchange the lists among yourselves and preserve it to help one
another to nurture and protect their talents and virtues.

e. Friendship

Heavy fighting was going on. It was midnight. Gun firing

could still be heard. Sudhir asked his captain “Sir, Sam has not
returned. Can I go and find out?.” “No, don’t go into the death trap
this night” shouted the captain. But Sudhir went in search of Sam
without the knowledge of the captain. Among the dead bodies he
heard mourning. He found Sam mortally wounded. He placed Sam
in his lap. Sam with his last breath said “I know you would come.”
Those were his last words. Sudhir returned with Sam’s dead body.
The captain was angry. “Idiot, you defied my advice. You could
have been shot going in search of a corpse.” Sudhir replied, “Sam
knew that I would go in search of him. He said so while lying on my
lap. That is enough for me. I will treasure those words always.”

Love is a basic quality of human beings. We have this quality

because God, who is love, created us in his image and likeness. The

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bond of friendship is an excellent relationship. Love one another.
Without love friendship cannot exist.

Activity 4

Paying attention to the examples given below clarify your

understanding of friendship.

” “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends” (John 15:13)
” “Hold a true friend with both your hands” (Proverbs).
” “For there are friends who are such when it suits them, but
they will not stand by you in time of trouble” (Sirach 6:8).

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 ” “Do not exchange a friend for money, or a real brother for
the gold of Ophir” (Sirach 7:18).
” “Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one
has found a treasure” (Sirach 6:14).

Ways to Make Friendships Good and True

Some ways to make our friendships good and true are given
below. You may add to them.
” Have respect, love, good conduct and delightful conversation
among friends.
” Preserve the trust established between friends.
” See and accept the good in your friend.
” Have patience to listen to your friends.
” Respect your friend’s emotions.
” Accept your friend as he/she is.
” Give your friend good advice to improve in life.
” Behave selflessly.
” When you realize your wrong-doings, do not forget to ask
forgiveness.
” Be sincere and truthful in your behaviour.
” Do not bluntly blame anyone.
” Preserve love and humility.
” ...........................................................................................
” ...........................................................................................

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Value of Friendship

Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their

worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear
the Lord find them (Sirach 6:15-16).
1. “Two are better than one because if they fall, one will lift
up the other” (Ecclesiastes 4:10).
2. Friendship helps to cultivate good individual qualities such
as love, forgiveness, humour, endurance and impartiality.
3. Friendship helps one to enjoy acceptance, approval of one
another and independence.
4. True friendship does not keep differences.
5. Friendship grows out of trust in one another.
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 6. Friendship leads to a healthier outlook in life.
7. Friendship is not broken due to difference in ideas.
8. Selfish motives are not desirable.
9. A friend will not desert you in times of trouble and
difficulties.
10. Friend’s response to your behaviour comes from the heart.
11. Friendship helps to point out mistakes and helps to correct
them.

12. Friendship enables one to cultivate good habits.

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Friendship that Takes Wrong Turns

Johnny and friends in the science class established friendship

with their teacher. Once, while conversing with Johnny and friends,
the teacher understood they were in the habit of consuming liquor.
The teacher called Johnny and advised him. Then Johnny confided
to his teacher that he had no desire to consume it, but he did this not

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to disappoint his
friends. The teacher
spoke to each of his
friends separately. All of
them gave the same
answer. The teacher
understood that none of
them had the desire to
consume liquor. So the teacher called Johnny and friends together
and advised them: “All of you desire to discontinue this habit. Since
all of you consume liquor not to disappoint your friends, you will
be able to stop this bad habit.”

As a result of the teacher’s counseling, Johnny and friends

came out of this habit. Johnny and friends decided to find out those
who knowingly or unknowingly had bad habits and helped them to
come out of them with the help of the teacher.

Facebook, the electronic communication media, helps to create

friends. But it is a very dangerous social communication site. Misuse
of this, have landed many in dangerous situations. Given below is
an example:

Adnan was the son of Aslam, a rich newspaper businessman

in Andheri, Mumbai. He was a 12th standard student of C.W. School.

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His Orkut friends were Sujith, Ayush and Hamosh. They invited Adnan
to meet their Orkut friend Angel. Adnan met his friends. Instead of
taking him to Angel, they bound him and called his father to pay a
ransom of rupees 2 crores. As they did not receive the cash on time,
they strangled and killed Adnan.

Today many young boys and girls spend hours together chatting,
posing as friends or establishing friendships by sending SMS or
using headphones from secret places. They live in an imaginary
world. Mobile companies compete with one another by offering
various packages. And the packages are being accepted without
verification. Such people give up the realities of life, responsibilities
and right of thinking and end up in disaster. This is a daily occurrence.

Activity 5

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 Discuss and find out the problems posed by internet, webcam,
Facebook, WhatsApp and SMS. You or your friends may be addicted
to one or more of the above listed electronic media. Write an action
plan to rescue yourself and your friends from the obsession.

f. Teacher-Student Relationship

Knowledge of God is essential for wholesome growth of a

person. From childhood a person receives this primary education
from the parents. Once a person comes to the age of reason, this
responsibility is taken over by teachers.

¾ Teachers lead the individual from darkness to light. They

help an individual to become a just person. In the book of
Sirach, we read: “Be ready to listen to every godly discourse,
and let no wise proverbs escape you. If you see an intelligent
person, rise early to visit him; let your foot wear out his
doorstep” (Sirach 6:35-36).

¾ Teacher-pupil relationship enables one to grow in wisdom

according to one’s age and to live a life based on moral
principles.

¾ “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine

and human favor” (Luke 2:52). In the same way teacher-
pupil relationship should help one to become a mature person.

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 ¾ Teachers help the students to discover their talents, abilities
and virtues. Teachers further assist the students to nurture,
protect and use these qualities.

¾ Teachers also help the students to realize their short comings.

Teachers help them to overcome disappointments at times of
failures and turn these failures into stepping stones for success.

The most beautiful years of persons are 10 to 20 years of

their lives. During these years, almost every day, a person spends
before the teachers. Therefore, remaining faithful to their teaching
and love for real wisdom can form a person to become a good
individual.

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 There is a traditional saying: “Mother-Father-Teacher-God”
(Matha-Pitha-Guru-Daivam). Just like our parents, teachers too
help us grow in wisdom and learn the true values of life. We should
love and respect them. We must foster a lasting bond with our
teachers.
Activity 6

Invite a person, who has served as teacher for many years, to

the class. Ascertain from the teacher the services done to the
community through teaching and about the teacher-pupil bond and
what he expects from pupils.

Reflect on the statutes of the Lord, and meditate at all times on

his commandments. It is he who will give insight to your mind,
and your desire for wisdom will be granted (Sirach 6:37).

g. Relationship with the Nature

Only after creating the whole universe did God create man
and woman. It reveals that universe is necessary for human beings.
Human being is created as the crowning glory of creation.

1. “God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and

multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion
over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over

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 every living thing that moves upon the earth. God said, See,
I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the
face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit;
you shall have them for food” (Genesis 1:28-29).

2. “So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of
the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the
man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man
called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis
2:19).

In the above passage, “have dominion over … every living

thing” signifies the protection and care of every human person, living
being and the nature. Instead, it does not mean the destruction of
every living thing in the earth for the industrial benefit and
development. But many forget the real meaning of ‘dominion over
every living thing on the earth.’ Instead of protecting nature, many
destroy it for selfish gains. By doing so, human beings are defying
God’s will and bringing about destruction of nature.

Activity 7

We witness a lot of demonstrations against the destruction of

trees, rivers, hills, mountains, sea resources and water sources. Form
groups and prepare slogans that can be used in such protests.

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 Given below are some of the areas where destruction takes
place. Evaluate the repercussions of such destructions and offer
solutions safeguard nature.

” Deforestation
” Sand Mining
” Levelling of ponds and water resources
” Abundant use of pesticides
” Destruction of fish wealth

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 ” Unlimited use of plastic
” Air pollution
” Noise pollution
” Water pollution
Human beings cannot live in the society without forming
relationships. Relationship with God, family, society, teachers and
oneself make life meaningful. Today internet and other electronic
media have globalized these relationships. New technologies can
improve relationships. At the same time, they can extremely harm
when they are misused. We should be wise, responsible and loving
users of these media. All relationships should ultimately lead to
the improvement of our relationship with God. The use of all
facilities available in the modern world should also lead to this
end. Above all, recourse to prayer, Word of God and to the
Sacraments will provide nourishment to overcome the challenges
that arise against human relationships and happiness of the
community. Let us try to establish and maintain value oriented
relationships justly so that our lives may be acceptable to God and
humans.

Activity 8

Prepare in groups a pledge, proclaiming that you will work

for the social well-being along with the Church, accepting and
respecting different relationships.

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 6

YOUTH AND SOCIAL

COMMITMENT

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 In the last lesson we have seen that Christians are called to
form beautiful communities in the society through human
relationships. Jesus envisaged his vision of God’s Kingdom through
the proclamation of Good News to the poor, release to the captives,
recovery of sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed (Luke
4:18). Today this work has been taken over and continued by the
Christians, especially by the youth. The youth ought to give guidance
and leadership in the Church and society for a better world. This
lesson is part of the plan for the youth to grow in social commitment.
In this lesson we understand God’s intervention in wholesome growth
of human beings through prophets in the old times, then through Jesus

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and the Church. We shall also see the development works of the
Latin Catholic Church in Kerala. And lastly this lesson outlines the
perception that the youth have to envision for the growth of society
and the means to realize them.

Activity 1
The following are some of the important qualities we find in youth:

Courage
Sense of justice
Ability to respond
Search for truth
Desire for change

The Youth have other good qualities too. The youth are able
to build or destroy the society they live. How can the youth do
that? Discuss in groups the above question and prepare a report.

From the above activity we understand that the youth can

build or destroy society that they live. It is the truth.

St. John Paul II, known as the ‘Pope of Youth,’ realizing the
innumerable talents in the youth, said the following: “Your youth is
not just your own property, your personal property or the property
of a generation; it belongs to the whole of that space that every man
traverses in his life’s journey and at the same time, it is a special

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possession belonging to everyone. It is a possession of humanity
itself” (Dilecti Amici, 1).

Youth is God’s gift. Youth is full of potentialities. Many in

their youth have become models in the history; for example, Mahatma
Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and
Joan of Arc. In this lesson we shall discuss how the youth can be
streamlined to become like these people in the history.
Social Commitment: A Prophetic Mission
God created human persons as
social beings. Therefore, we are
appointed by God to nurture and protect
ourselves, others individuals and the
entire living things in the universe.

God envisioned a world order

that aims at the good of every
individual and the society. God
intervenes through individuals when the
society acts against the individual persons and vice-versa. God’s
intervention in the society and among the individuals very
significantly came through the prophets of Old Testament. When the
prevailing practices and customs went against the observance of
God’s commandments and societal growth, God sent prophets to
fight against those evils (Isaiah 1:1-31). When King Ahab misled
the Israelites to worship idols and foreign gods, God sent Elijah to

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speak against such evils (1 Kings 18:1-40). When feasts and
celebrations turned out to just rituals, Amos cried out “I hate, I
despise your feasts and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies”
(Amos 5:21). Thus, prophets were God’s instruments, who
intervened on God’s behalf for the development of the society and
individuals.

Christ’s Social Commitment

In the Old Testament the prophets demonstrated social words

and deeds of social commitments on behalf of God. God’
intervention through prophets is completed and fulfilled through
Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus’ interventions to establish a just
society touched every nook and corner of the society he lived. Jesus’
vision of God’s Kingdom of God included everyone, irrespective
of gender, caste, creed and colour. His message encompassed all
divisions existed among the people. Courageous prophetic
involvement of Christ remains the perfect model for youth in their
social commitments.
Activity 2
Luke 19:1-10
John 4:1-10
Matthew 12:9-14
Luke 6:6-11
John 9:1-11
Mark 1:40-45
Matthew 8:1-4
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 Form groups and examine the biblical passages given above
and relate them with Jesus’ teaching given below:

1. Hate sin, not the sinner.

2. Everybody on this earth is eligible for God’s salvation.
3. The Sabbath is made for humankind and not humankind for Sabbath.
4. Disease is not the result of sin or curse.
5. Every person is a dignified being; no one is untouchable.

Through his intervention, Christ gave new meaning to

traditional understanding of various issues. Read the passages given
below and find out the new meaning given by Jesus to each theme,
given along with the passage:

1. Authority (Mark 10:45; John 14:15) 6. Sin (Luke 15:11-32)

2. Prayer (Matthew 6:5-7) 7. Sickness (John 9:1-11)
3. Fast (Matthew 6:16-18) 8. Master (Mk 10:43-45)
4. Love (Luke 6:27-36) 9. Fraternal love (Lk 6:31-32)
5. Law (Mark 5:17) 10. Justice (Mt 20:1-16)

Social Commitment of the Church

The Church is the continuation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the

mission of the Church is the same mission of Jesus Christ himself.
The Church continues Christ’s social commitment and his mission
of liberation. The Church is established by Christ mainly to continue
his mission everywhere and every time. The Church manifests herself
as world’s conscience to create a world that is socially, economically

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and morally just and equal. The Church’s mission is not only to take
leadership in liturgical services but also to liberate the oppressed
and the down trodden and to become voice of the voiceless. Church’s
intervention in the problems of the world is not merely a sign of its
generosity or service but it is an important aspect of carrying out her
mission of spreading the Good News. The Church in this world is
the sacrament of salvation; it is a sign and instrument of communion
between God and humankind.
History shows that the Church always promoted human dignity
and freedom. When slavery was prevalent in the Roman Empire, the
Early Church recognized the
slaves as human beings and
extended to them fraternal love
and care. As a result of this,
in the later period, the Church
had to face persecution from
the Roman Emperors. This
historical truth cannot be
neglected.
The Church is not
merely a believing community
but also a community
committed to social
development. Therefore, its members individually and collectively
work to fulfill Church’s social commitments.

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 In 1529 King Henry VIII of England divorced his wife,
Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. He proclaimed himself the Head
of the Church in England. His Chancellor, Thomas Moore was against
it. So he pointed out the King’s mistake and resigned the Chancellor’s
post. Thomas Moore remains as the
supreme example of one who fought
against evil.

In modern times, the Church

presents her social commitment
through her social teachings. The
encyclical letter of Leo XII, Rerum
Novarum was the first social teaching
of the Church. The encyclical letter
of Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate
is Church’s recent social teaching.
The social teachings of the Church become the medium of strength
for the renewal and reformation of the society. The communist
countries like Russia and Poland were engaged in materialism
whereas America and European countries were gaining through
Capitalism. During this time, the social teachings of the Church
played an important role to safeguard the rights of the people.

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Social Teachings of the Church

Year Pope Name

1891 Leo XIII Rerum Novarum
(Concerning New Things)
1931 Pius XI Quadragesimo Anno
(In the 40th Year)
1961 John XXIII Mater et Magistra
(Mother and Teachers)
1963 John XXIII Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth)
1967 Paul VI Populorum Progressio
(The Development of the Peoples)
1971 Paul VI Octogesima Adveniens
(Advent of 80th Year)
1981 John Paul II Laborem Exercens
(On Human Labour)
1987 John Paul II Sollicitudo Rei Socialis
(Social Awakening)
1991 John Paul II Centesimus Annus(100th Year)
2009 Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate
(Charity in Truth)

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Social Commitment of Kerala Latin Catholic Church
Kerala had the presence of a Christian community, established
by the apostolic tradition of first century.

Caste system was prevalent in Kerala. Even the Christians,

who were subject to this evil system, continued its practices and
beliefs.

The Christian Community in Kerala, for the first time, came in

contact with the Roman Catholic Church through the efforts of
missionaries, who came to Kerala in the beginning of 16th century
from Western countries. These missionaries, who arrived in Kerala
to preach the Gospel, mingled with the Christians. They observed
that many of their customs, beliefs and practices were not Christian
in nature.

The missionaries endeavoured to liberate them from these non-

Christian practices and bring them in communion with the Roman
Catholic Church. To realize this purpose the Latin missionaries from
West convened the Synod of Diamper (Udayamperur Soonahathose),
which remains a milestone in the history of Kerala Church.

Synod of Diamper: A Milestone in the Renaissance of Kerala

The Synod of Diamper is a historical event that brought about

sweeping changes in the life and thinking of Kerala Christian
Community. The Synod took place from 20th to 26th June, 1599. It

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was held in Udayamperur in the Kingdom of Kochi. The Synod
was convened by Most Reverend Alexis Menezes, the Metropolitan
of Goa. It was attended by 832 delegates among whom were 153
local priests, 650 lay people and some theologians.
It is appropriate to recall here the context of Council of Trent
held between the years 1545-1563. Martin Luther was
excommunicated from the Catholic Church because of his rebellion.
He then started another church. The Council of Trent came out with
strong conclusions to defend the tradition and belief of the Church.
Synod of Diamper was seen also as an attempt to teach the
conclusions of Council of Trent to all Christians in Kerala. Moreover,
the Synod intended to streamline the Christians in the Christian way
of life since they followed superstition and other non-Christian
practices. Eventually, the Synod tried to bring about a renewal
based on belief, morality and social commitment.

While reading the decisions of the Synod – decisions of the

Synod are known as canons – we realize that the above mentioned
purposes were significant. Sree Narayana Guru is a social reformer.
He undertook the task of eradicating the caste system prevalent in
Kerala. However, 257 years before his birth, the Synod of Diamper
voiced against caste system, superstition, untouchability and other
evil practices that were widespread in Kerala. This remains a
historical truth, written in golden letters.

Another important factor to be recalled here is that fight against

caste system and untouchability in Kerala took momentum only in

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the 19th century, heeding to the call of many reformers. In this
context, Synod of Diamper that took place in the 16th century remains
an important event.

The Council accepted about 260 Canons. Some of the

important ones are given below:

1. Black Magic, witchcraft and fortune telling are forbidden

(section ix, decree 6, 7).

2. Extracting exorbitant interest, interest on interest, fine and

mortgage for money given are forbidden (section ix, decree 9).

3. Manifestation of untouchability and unapproachability are signs

of rejection of God. Christians are to abstain from such
practices (section ix, decree 10).

4. Women must cover their nakedness completely. Men too must

cover their upper parts of the body (section ix, decree 6, 7).
5. It is forbidden to mix arrack with strong substance for intoxi
cation and excessive drinking of arrack (section ix, decree 18).
6. It is forbidden to have concubines according to one’s wealth
and status (section ix, decree 11).
7. It is forbidden to kill the children born on inauspicious days
(section iv, decree 11).
8. It is forbidden to have child marriage. Minimum age for
marriage has to be 14 years for boys and 12 years for girls
(section iv, decree 10).

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9. Priests should not engage in Black Magic. The priests who
practice this evil will be excommunicated.
10. Daily prayers and documents given for faithful have to be in
Malayalam.
11. Allow the faithful to bury the dead next to the Church (custom
of burying in the cemetery started after the Synod).
12. It is forbidden to use the lower caste people for cleaning of
wells and ponds.
13. Girls are to be given equal share as that of boys in the paternal
property.
14. It is forbidden for the traders to use wrong measures, weights
in buying and selling.
15. It is obligatory to bless the marriage in the church.
16. It is absolutely necessary to have the consent of bride and
bridegroom for marriage.
17. Priests should not remain in a same parish for life-long. Transfer
of priests was introduced.

› Even today girls in the Malayalee families find it difficult to

obtain their share of the parental property. It is, therefore, to
be appreciated that 400 years ago the Synod of Diamper
declared the sharing of paternal property among children
irrespective of their gender.

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› Even today caste system is prevalent in the Kerala Community.
It is considered praiseworthy that the Synod of Diamper
declared the practice of untouchability and unapproachability
as grave sins.

› The decision of the Synod to have prayers in the mother tongue

gave importance to Malayalam language.

The Canons of Synod touched all the areas of people’s

life. The decisions of the Synod brought about several changes.
Thus the Synod of Diamper remains the first step in the
renaissance of Kerala. Historians have recognized the Synod
as the first strike against ‘caste system’ and ‘feudal social order’
in Kerala.

Activity 3

1. Discuss in groups the following: From the decisions of the

Synod of Diamper find out the evil practices that existed in
Kerala 400 years ago.
2. Do the evils forbidden by the Synod still exist? If so, what are
they? Specify remedies.

Contributions of Latin Missionaries at a Glance

There are 12,333 schools and 469 higher educational

institutions in Kerala. There are more than 5,000 publications in
English and Malayalam which include magazines, bi-weekly,
weekly and daily newspapers. Similarly there are many printing

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presses and book stalls too. Kerala holds the first place in education
in India. The first educational institution, printing press and
publication of newspapers in Malayalam were established in Kerala
with the help of Latin Christian Missionaries in 16th and 17th century.

The Latin Catholic Missionaries introduced Western model

of education system, printing, publication of magazines and dailies,
popular use of Malayalam and abolition of evil practices in Kerala.
These progressive deeds of Latin Catholic Missionaries from West
remain the basis of development that Kerala experiences in all its
areas.

Latin Catholic Missionaries and Education

Numerous initiatives, where Kerala received the fame of being

the first, are the contributions of Latin Catholic Missionaries.

› The first educational institution in Kerala was the Mother of

God School of Art started in 1511 in Kochi by the Franciscan
Missionaries. This was started under the instruction of the
Portuguese Viceroy Albuquerque. This educational institution
admitted all students without distinction between caste and
gender. The institution had Latin Catholic teachers.

› St. James College is the first higher education institution in

Kerala after the Western education system. It was started in
1541 by the Franciscan Priest Vincent Logos.

› In 1549 Father Nicholas Lancelot started God the Redeemer

College in Kollam. Later in 1552 a Fransican Seminary was
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 established in 1552. These two institutions were well known
in Asia. St Pauls College started in 1552, Dominican College
began in 1553, Seminary established at Vypikotta in 1577,
Syrian Language School erected in 1605 by Latin Misssionary
Donatus at Kadathuruthy and Catholic University (Collegium
Maximum) established in 1663 at Samballoor are some of
the prominent educational contributions of Kerala Latin
Catholic Church in early times. These institutions became
foundation stones of common education and priestly
formation.

› Most Reverend Bernadine Baccenelli, the Metropolitan on

Verapoly Vicariate appealed to begin schools attached to the
parishes (pallikudam) between the year 1853-1868. Dr.
Baccenelli facilitated the move to allow everyone, without
distinction of caste, to have education in such schools.

› In 1886 Archbishop Leonard Mellano established Santa Cruz

English School in Kochi.

› In 1887 Grace de Lima, an Anglo-Indian lady, with the help

of Carmelite Missionary, Father Kanthidius, established for
the first time a school for girls in Ernakulam. This school
grew to become today’s St. Teresa’s College.

It is worth mentioning that the pioneers of change in the

modern era in Kerala are those who were educated in educational
institutions started by the Latin Catholic Community. These
institutions which were highly modern in nature brought in a much
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needed freshness to the cultural scenario of Kerala which was
shrouded in darkness. The exemplary work of Latin Catholic
Missionaries made it possible for the people of low castes to access
the doors of knowledge and wisdom which had till then been the
stronghold of the upper castes. Moreover, the democratization of
education was made possible in Kerala as a result of missionary
works of Latin Catholic Missionaries.

Latin Missionaries and Malayalam Language

During the time of arrival of the Latin Catholic Misisonaries

in Kerala, there existed a kind of prose which was heavily influenced
by old Tamil and Sanskrit. The Latin Historian Dr. John Ochanthuruth
comments: “At that time the spoken Malayalam had not yet developed
into a written language. The written language was the sole
prerogative of the Sanskrit loving Namboothiris and the Tamil
Brahmins. The Malayalam alphabets came into being with the arrival
of the Portuguese Missionaries, who tried to convert the spoken
language into a written language. Until then writing was in circles
and strokes. For the influential, Tamil was the written language”
(Adiverukal, page 91).

During the early years of Latin Catholic Church in Kerala

there existed a high class literary branch. The Missionaries presented
the Christian thought and history in the poetic form. ‘Puthenpaana,’
written by Arnos Pathiri, a Jesuit Missionary, is a shining example
in this regard.

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 As above mentioned, the prose style in Kerala was influenced
by Sanskrit and Tamil. This was not suitable for the ordinary people
to exchange their ideas. Therefore, the Missionaries understood
that a new prose style was essential to spread the Good News.
Thus by choosing vocabulary from Portuguese, Latin, Sanskrit,
Greek, Arabic and Syrian languages and by transliterating Christian
technical terms the Missionaries gave rise to a new prose language.
This was the beginning for a new prose style in Malayalam.
‘Eeshoyude Jeevacharithram,’ ‘Sanmarga Shastra Samgraham,’
‘Ettu Dhivasathe Dhyanam,’ ‘Keralathile Sasya Shastram’ (Hortus
Malabaricus) and ‘Dhivyajanalapthikkulla Sarani’ were some of
the beautiful writings in that time. ‘Sumkshapa vedatham’ (1772)
by Clement Penyanius was a milestone in the growth of Malayalam
literature. Many other literary works were also written at that time.
Thus foreign Latin Catholic Missionaries laid the foundation and
growth of Malayalam language and literature. This is very
surprising! And this remains the truth.

Latin Catholic Missionaries and Printing

The discovery of the press, paper, mariner’s compass and

gun powder helped the reformation of Europe. The advent of the
printing press enabled the rapid growth of Kerala.

› In 1556 the Jesuit priests established the first printing press

in Goa.

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 › In 1550 St. Francis Xavier made it possible to prepare a
catechism book in Tamil. This book was revised by Father
Henricos in 1578. The book is titled as Doctrina Christam.
This book was the first one to be printed in Kerala at Kollam
in the press established by the Jesuits.

› In 1575 at Chandamangalam, in 1577 at Kochi and in 1669 at

Saballur and Kollam printing presses were established for
missionary activities. These are the early printing presses in
Kerala. Chevalier Dr. Premus Perinchery, in this thesis
Missionaryvyakaranam (lit. “Missionary Pronunciation”),
states that the contributions of the Western Missionaries helped
in the beauty and conception of the modern Malayalam prose.
Pronunciation of a language is its law and science. While
Malayalam language was being formed, Archbishop Angelo
Francis of Verapoly prepared the first pronunciation book in
1700. He also prepared a dictionary for the growth of
Malayalam language.

The treasures of learning and knowledge of language were

the monopoly of higher caste people. However, the Latin Catholic
Missionaries threw open these treasures to everyone without
distinction of caste and creed. In short, Latin Catholic Missionaries
facilitated a great leap in to the universal literacy and to the
democratization of learning and knowledge. This factor remains an
historical truth.

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Latin Missionaries and Care of the Sick

From the early days, special infirmaries were attached to the

church premises for the Care of the Sick. A large percentage of
institutions for the care of the sick in the world are functioning today
under the supervision of the Catholic Church. The Church takes
care of the sick ‘for the greater glory of God and the dignity of
humankind.’ The Missionaries ventured into this ministry with the
same vigour and purpose.

› In 1513 Portuguese Missionaries established at Kochi and Goa

‘Holy Houses of the Blessed Sacrament.’ They also began the
first Catholic Hospital in India known as ‘Cruz de Kochi.’ These
were the first establishments for the care of the sick.

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 The Church in Kerala gave more importance to the care of
the sick after the independence of India. Cholera, small pox,
tuberculosis and malaria took the lives of many in Kerala. There
were no provisions to provide protection and counseling to the
people affected by these diseases. In this precarious situation the
Church came forward to care for the sick. In 1868, the Carmelite
member, Brother Nicholas Verovan, started St. Joseph’s Hospital
in Manjumel. It is the first hospital in Kerala and second one in
India.
Let Us Be Alert
The world is developing very fast. Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), Biotechnology (BT) and
Influence of Media (mediacracy) have created and opened up
numerous opportunities for humankind. These developments are,
in fact, result of globalization. Many people reap the profit of these
developments. At the same time, a lot of ordinary people have
become the victims of these developments, who have lost their
livelihood and existence. In the present socio-economic system
only the strong are able to survive. The weak are abandoned on the
way. They are being unnoticed. Moreover, the spiritual values
have weakened and as a result, consumerism – materialism – is
gaining strength. This tendency is basically against what the Church
proclaims: dignity of humankind, fraternity, freedom, love, justice
and equality.

We feel proud of the fact that Kerala developed in line with

the foreign countries. But the fruit of this development is not
reaching the ordinary and traditional labourers such as dalits,
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adivasies, farmers, fishermen, and construction workers. The
Government withdraws itself from providing schemes for the common
good such as public distribution, education and health. Therefore,
the life of the above mentioned people moves from bad to worse.
The hardships borne by the common people to obtain basic
necessities of their lives remain very awful. The common people
are deprived of justice and protection of law due to the money power.
The Youth need to realize that they are the greatest moving
force in the society. The Youth dream of a society of justice and
social order. But how many of the Youth are aware of the prevailing
situations? Are the Youth ready to take up the challenges posed by
the society? What is the state of some of the Youth? Unfortunately,
some Youth have not known the God of love; they have not known
themselves; they have not loved themselves; they have not received
love; they are burdened by rejection and inferiority complex; they
are unable to pursue higher education; they are dejected for not
having a job; they have become addicted to drugs; they exhibit violent
behavior. Have the Youth merely to remain in a dark future with
tottering feet and confused minds? In order to show that the Youth
are called not to remain in the above mentioned state, they should
have healthy minds, lofty thoughts, bonds with the society, spiritual
awakening and plain dealing. Only then will the Youth obtain the
strength to work for the development of different areas of their
community such as education, socio-economic, political and health.
The Latin Catholics have 4% employment reservation in
Kerala. But according to the report of Narendra Commission (2001)
the Latin Catholic Community has lost 4370 jobs. Why did it happen?
We lost these jobs because we did not qualify ourselves through the
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Public Service Commission (PSC) Examination. Unless the Youth
achieve higher educational qualification through their hard work
they will not be able to secure good jobs and fulfill their duty to
family and society. There are Youth who contribute much towards
the uplift of the society even after securing good jobs in the
governmental level. They participate in the building of the society.
For the development of the area, where we reside, crores of rupees
flow through the Local Self Government (Panchayath). This huge
amount has to be used fruitfully for the development of different
areas of the society. To realize this, committed Youth should come
forward. The Youth should not think that only as a Member of the
Panchayath can they contribute in the society’s development
programmes. Every youth, whether male or female, who is eligible
to vote, can participate in the Ward Meetings and suggest the
development programmes required for a particular area. The Youth
should participate in the Ward Meetings with proper preparation to
exercise this right. The Government has appointed the Panchayath
to attend to drinking water, cleanliness, protection of environment,
health care, air pollution control, liberation from debt and drugs,
self-employment, programmes for Youth, art and music and promotion
of traditional jobs. Besides these, there are hundreds of other
development programmes that come under the authority of
Panchayath. When the Youth participate in the development
programmes of the Panchayath their commitment to the society will
bear much fruit.
In a society, the youth are the most important and powerful
driving force. The youth take leadership to create a just social
system. The unique model of love, presented in Jesus’, “No one has

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greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”
(John 15:13), always prompt the youth on the path of social
transformation.
Some Directions to Live in Social Commitment
1. Join and function in Catholic Youth Movement.
2. Imbibe Gospel values through Bible reading.
3. Read, discuss and study the social teachings of the Church.
4. Constantly study the problems of the society and respond to
them through media.
5. Attend Basic Christian Community gatherings and take
leadership in discussing social issues.
6. To find a remedy for the long standing problems of your
society join hands with office bearers of neighbourhood
communities (Ayalkoottangal) and envisage activities.
7. Find opportunities to intervene and work to solve the
problems faced by the society.
8. Co-operate with value based and socially committed groups
and organizations.
9. Work in groups to find remedy for people’s problems.
10. Hold classes on social issues with the help of experts.
Activity 4
1. Obtain the current year development plan from the Panchayat.
Find out the plans pertaining to your area. Conduct study
and discussion on those plans.
2. Obtain the rights of citizens from your Panchayat. Find out
from that, what has been decided for your area. Attend
neighbourhood communities (Ayalkoottangal) and appraise
the people about that.
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 7

GOD EXPERIENCE
THROUGH PRAYER

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› Small streams and rivulets join the flowing river, but the river
continues its course to empty itself in the Ocean.

› Small iron fillings in the path of a big magnet are attached to

it, but the big magnet gets attached to the greatest magnet.

› A beetle goes in search of nectar. Although there are spurious

flowers in its path, the beetle continues its search until it
finds pure nectar and is satisfied.

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Activity 1

Let us consider human relationships. All human relationships

in this world are temporary. In the light of the above examples what
is the ultimate aim of human relationships?

Thirst for Living Waters

God created human beings in his image and likeness.

Therefore, the soul of humans long to return to God. St. Augustine’s
words echo this longing of human beings: “For you have made us for
yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

This restlessness to return to God, which St. Augustine speaks

of, is not confined to our relationship with God alone. It is felt in all
human relationships.

For example, when a child cannot see its mother it is anxious

and restless. So too is the mother when she cannot see her child.
This is due to the deep bond of love between the mother and child.

In human relationships, we see restlessness in search of

satisfaction. This points to the basic restlessness of the human soul
for its Maker.

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 In the words of Jesus let us try to understand how this inner
thirst of human person is satisfied.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman who came to fetch water

from the ordinary well: “Everyone who drinks of this water will
thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him
will never thirst, the water I shall give him will become in him a
spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:12-14).

On another occasion Jesus said: “If anyone thirst, let him come
to me and drink. He who believes in me as the Scripture has said,
‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).

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 Temporary relationships that we establish cannot satisfy our
soul’s thirst. It can be satisfied only by the spring head of love and
mercy, the perfect God. Prayer and fasting help to achieve this.
Therefore, the ultimate aim of every human relationship is to reach
God and to see Him face to face.

Prayer : The Way to God

It is summer holidays. Children join together to fly kites on the

seashore. Kites of different colours fly in the blue sky. Many kites fly
higher than the coconut trees, others still higher. Some so high that
they are just a dot in the sky. A child’s uncle approached him and
said “Your kite is not to be seen. It is lost.” The child replied: “It is
not lost. It is very far above.” The child was not able to point out the

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kite to his uncle. So the uncle did not believe him. The child then

rolled the thread on his uncle’s hand and asked: “Can you feel the

pull?” He added, “by this pull, I know that my kite is up there even

if I do not see it.”

In the same way there is an inner pull in humans towards

God. The heart throbs for God. No one can stop this thirst of

human beings for God. Every human being can feel this thirst or

throb through prayer. Prayer is the thread that unites us with

God. When we hold on to it firmly without letting it go our relation

with God is intact. In prayer the soul converses with God.

Prayer is the intimate relationship between God and human

beings. Moreover, prayer is also the means to deepen and sustain

this relationship. Therefore, prayer means to be with God, to walk

with Him, to listen to Him, to dialogue with Him and stand before

him.

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 Traditionally prayer has three definitions:

1. Prayer is a dialogue with God.

2. Praying is raising our hearts and minds to God.

3. Prayer is an application to God.

Various definitions on prayer by great people are available. A

few of them are the following:

› “For me, prayer is a burst from my heart, it is a simple

glance thrown toward Heaven, a cry of thanksgiving and
love in times of trial as well as in times of joy” (St. Therese
of Lisieux).
› “Praying is raising our mind to God” (St. John Damascene).
› “Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to
God, and a scourge for Satan” (John Bunyan).
› “ Prayer is not a way to use God. It is a means to surrender
ourselves to Him, when He uses us” (William Barclay).
› “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than
words without a heart” (John Bunyan).
› “The greatest shortfall in our prayer is that we speak a lot
and listen very little. The height of prayer is the moment we
listen to God’s word and in silence” (William Barclay).

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 › “Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God”
(Oswald Chambers).

› “Making the heart spacious to receive God’s gift is prayer”

(St. Teresa of Calcutta)

Activity 2

We can trace many people in the Holy Bible, who remained

united with God in prayer. Going through the following passages
from the Holy Bible, find out the God experiences of people in
prayer. In the light of those passages find appropriate answer to
the questions: What should be our attitude to prayer? What are the
various stages of prayer?

Exodus 33:7-11 : Meeting of God and Moses in the Tent

of Meeting.
1 Samuel 3:1-18 : Samuel hears God.
2 Samuel 11-12 : David prays for healing and life of his
child born of Bathseeba, wife of Uriah.
Tobit 8:4-8 : Prayer of Tobias
Matthew 26:36-46 : Jesus’ prayer at Gathsemene
John 17:1-26 : Priestly prayer of Jesus
Acts 4:23-31 : Prayer of the Early Church
Acts 7:54-60 : Prayer of Stephen

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Basic forms of Prayer
There are five different forms of prayer revealed through the
Holy Bible: 1. Adoration; 2. Petition; 3. Intercession; 4. Thanksgiving;
5. Praise

1. Adoration
The respect shown to “the King of Glory” (Psalms 24:9-10)
by the human soul is adoration. In adoring God, human beings express
their primary attitude of being creatures before God, their Creator
(Isaiah 6:1-7).
2. Petition
Being God’s creatures human beings must always ask graces
from their Creator. Being sinners human beings must ask God’s
pardon for their sins. In prayer of petition humans must have the

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attitude of the tax collector: “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner”
(Luke 18:13). Petition is also a return to God (see, Parable of the
Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32).

3. Intercession

Jesus is the only mediator between God and human beings

(Rom 8:34; 1 John 2:1; John 17). Through intercessory prayers, we
join our prayers to Jesus’ intercessory prayers (Mark 2:1-12; 7:33-
37; 8:22-26; John 2:3-5). Therefore, Christian intercession is
participation in the intercession of Christ (Mark 2:1-12; 7:33-37;
8:22-26; John 2:3-5). While making intercessory prayers together
with our needs we place the needs of others too (Phil 2:4; Acts 7:60;

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Luke 23:28). There is no limit to the intercessory prayers of
Christians. It extends even to pray for our enemies too (Luke 23:24;
Matthew 5:44).

4. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is another characteristic of prayer (Luke 17:11-
19). In thanksgiving we join in the thanksgiving of Christ, our Head.
St. Paul begins and ends most of his epistles by thanksgiving. We
can thank God at any time and in any circumstance.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:12).

5. Praise

We should praise God for what He is rather than what He

does. God alone is worthy of praise and glory. The Eucharistic
celebration, which demonstrates various forms of prayer, is the most
fitting form of praise to God.

Activity-3
In the light of the above forms of prayer in the Holy Bible,
prepare different forms of prayers.

The Lord’s Prayer

› Disciples asked Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray as John taught

his disciples” (Luke 11:1). At the disciples request, Jesus
taught them the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ It is the basic Christian prayer.
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› It is called the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ because this prayer comes
from Jesus. Jesus is our teacher and model for prayer.
› The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is the most excellent prayer of the Church.
It is the central element of the Prayer of the Church and the
initial Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy
Eucharist.
› “The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is the summary of the entire Gospel”
(Tertullian). “Lord’s prayer is the most perfect prayer (St.
Thomas Aquinas).

Our Father in Heaven

› The basic attitude of the one who prays the Lord’s prayer should
be faithful trust, humility and joyful expectation.
› Heaven (Matthew 6:9) points to God’s glory and His presence
in the heart of the just. It remains us of the truth that the purpose
of our journey here on earth is to reach heaven, the Father’s
house.
› We call God ‘Father’ (Matthew. 6:9) because Jesus the Son of
God revealed God to us as ‘Our Father.’ Through baptism we
become the adopted children of God and one body in Christ.
› The Lord’s Prayer unites us with God the Father and His Son
Jesus Christ; it also reveals ourselves to us (Gaudium et Spes
22, 1).

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 › The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ has to help us to grow in becoming God’s
children. It has to make us humble and dependent on God.
› When we pray addressing God ‘Our Father’ (Matthew 6:9)
we remeber God’s new covenant through Jesus and our unity
in the Holy Trinity. Moreover, we proclaim in the Church God’s
love that embraces the whole world.

Seven Petitions

There are seven petitions in the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ The

first three petitions concern God’s glory:

1. ‘Hallowed be Thy name’ (Matthew 6:9): While praying thus

we participate in God’s plan of sanctifying God’s name

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 first revealed to us through Moses and then through Jesus.
God’ name must be glorified by us and by entire humanity for
eternity.
2. ‘Thy Kingdom come’ (Matthew 6:9): Through this second
petition the Church mainly prays for the second coming of
Christ and the ultimate establishment of the Kingdom of God.
Besides, we also pray for God’s kingdom to come in our
everyday lives.

3. ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’ (Matthew

6:10): In this third petition we pray that our minds may be
united with God’s Only Son, Jesus Christ. This is to fulfil
God’s salvific here on earth.

The next four petitions are for our needs:

4. ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11): In the

fourth petition we acknowledge our dependence on God,
through our sonship and daughtership, along with our brother
and sisters.
Moreover, the expression ‘bread’ denotes the earthly food that
is necessary for sustenance of our living and the eternal food
of the Word of God and Body of Christ.

5. ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass

against us’ (Matthew 6:12): In praying this fifth petition we

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 experience God’s forgiveness when we forgive the sins of
our brothers and sisters, imitating Christ’s model of forgiving
sins. At the end of the ‘Lord’s prayer,’ Jesus explains that
only when we forgive the wrong doings of others will our
wrong doings be forgiven. This remains the best example of
Christian attitude of prayer.

6. ‘Lead us not into temptation’ (Matthew 6:13): In this sixth

petition we pray not to allow us to take the path that leads us
to temptation.

7. ‘Deliver us from evil’ (Matthew 6:13): In the seventh petition

we pray with the Church for Christ’s victory over Satan who
is against God and His plan.

There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and to

converse with him, for prayer unites us with God as his companions.
As our bodily eyes are illuminated by seeing the light, so in
contemplating God our soul is illuminated by him. Of course the prayer
I have in mind is no matter of routine, it is deliberate and earnest. It is
not tied down to a fixed timetable; rather it is a state which endures by
night and day (St. John Chrysostom).

In concluding the prayer saying, ‘AMEN’ (so be it) we profess with

the Church our agreement to the seven petitions.

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Various ways of praying

1. Personal prayer
When a person prays to God individually it is called
‘Personal Prayer.’ Jesus speaks about such individual
prayers (Matthew 6:6). The individual is free to choose a
form of prayer he wants to speak to God in secret. For a
fruitful Christian life, personal prayer is necessary. It has a
notable position in Christian life. Personal prayer gets
purified, expands and is strengthened when it regularly
flows into the prayer of the whole Church.

2. Vocal Prayer
A person expressing the needs to God in words is called ‘Vocal
Prayer.’ Examples of vocal prayer can be: ‘Lord have mercy
on me, a sinner’; ‘Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my
heart like yours’; ‘Jesus, on account of the blood you shed, I
forgive those who have offended me.’ Jesus Himself taught
His disciples to make vocal prayer. The ‘Lord’s prayer’ is the
perfect vocal prayer. The Church tradition teaches us that short
vocal prayers are fruitful forms of prayer.

3. Spontaneous Prayer

At unexpected or urgent moments prayers made impetuously

by a person is called Spontaneous Prayers. Spontaneous

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 prayers are short and effective vehicles for grace in daily
life. They allow grace to come into our lives precisely at
the moment we really need it with prayers that we can easily
remember.

4. Mental Prayer
Ordinarily mental prayer has no words or gestures. In mental
prayer the mind and heart of the person remain centred in the
will of God. The most essential of private prayer is mental
prayer. In mental prayer a person attains deeper God
experience united with Jesus Christ.

Some questions and answers

1. God knows everything before hand. Then why do we

pray?
It is true that God knows our need even before we ask.
Through prayer we are not informing God of our needs,
instead we acknowledge our dependence on Him (Matthew
6:8; 7:9-11). We come to know the will of God through
prayer (Acts 4:24-28).

2. Can we change God’s mind through prayer?

Prayer is not to change God’s mind but to change human beings’

mind. God does not desire any one’s destruction. Through
prayer, we are purified and strengthened.
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3. How do those who do not pray succeed in life?
We have seen that prayer expresses our dependence on God.
The strength of one who prays is God. One who asks receives
and “you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2).
The one who does not pray does not succeed in life. Success
in life is living along with God and being with Him only.

4. If you pray for wrong things will you receive them?

God examines our hearts. It is not necessary that wrong

things asked in prayer will take place. If at all such things
are granted they will end in disaster. For example, King
Hezekiah at the point of death prayed for a long life. God
granted his prayer. But the son born to him during that period,
Manasseh, was the cause of great disaster (2 Kings 20:1-11;
21:1-9).

5. Why is prayer not answered immediately?

After prayer we should be ready to wait for response.

Always pray according to God’s will. You may wait for
the Lord, believing and trusting (Psalms 25:3; 27:14;
33:20; 37:7; 69:13; 104:27-28). If you firmly take refuge
in the Lord, He will do great things for you.

6. What is the appropriate time to pray?

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 There is no fixed time for prayer. We can pray at anytime
(Exodus 14:15; Deut 3:26; Joshua 7:10; Jer 7:16). You can
pray enthusiastically from your heart when you walk along
the public path, when you are alone, when you are working,
while you are travelling (St. John Chrysostom). “Pray
constantly” (1 Thess 5:17). “Always and for everything give
thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God the Father”
(Eph 5:20).

7. Is community prayer necessary? Is not individual prayer

sufficient?
Jesus taught the importance of praying together: “If two of
you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for
them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew
18:19-20). Prayer of the Early Church (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24;
12:12) also is a model for us. In the Early Church, community
prayer was also a profession of their faith.
Activity 4
1. Prepare an action plan to ensure the participation of youth in
the daily family prayer and in prayer meetings conducted in the
Basic Christian Community gatherings.
2. Invite an elder of your parish and a member of ‘Jesus Youth’ to
the class. Ask and find out their method of prayer and prayer
experience.
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 St. Augustine
Yesterday the mother, today the
son. The story of the son’s youth
up to the time of his conversion at
the age of 33 has been told on 27
August, St. Monica’s day. Having
at last realized that only through
Jesus Christ could he find the way
to truth and eternal salvation,
Aurelius Augustine, at peace with
God, himself and with the world,
went on to live a saintly life. His
mother and his natural son having died soon after his baptism, Augus-
tine returned to Tagaste, where he established a monastery for himself
and his followers, and led a life of apostolic poverty in prayer, study
and active charity among the poor. After 3 years he was, through popu-
lar insistence, ordained priest, and Bishop Valerius even asked him to
preach to the people, although in Africa that was a privilege reserved
solely for Bishops.
Born on 13 November 354, Augustine was 42 when he was made
Bishop of Hippo. Labouring for another 34 years, he revitalized the
entire African Church, becoming the Patriarch of monasticism. He lived
an austere community life with his Priests. By impressive teaching and
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enormous correspondence he refuted a host of powerful heresies, set-
ting forth the Faith forcefully and accurately, always animated by a
glowing love of God-- “God usually deserts the negligent!” “Kill the
errors, yes; but love the erring!” He knew well that hatred and spite
only harden the human heart instead of winning it. The memory of his
own youthful failing kept him always humble: “Take my heart, O Lord,
for I cannot give it to you! Keep me subject to your Cross, and save
me in spite of myself!”
St. Augustine was doubtless one of the world’s greatest think-
ers; as a theologian and philosopher he is outstanding among the Church
Fathers for the influence he wielded and continues to wield. Particu-
larly famous is his system of grace, which reconciles the absolute
mastery of God with the free will of man. His “Confessions”, the
world’s most noted autobiography, is a memorial of his deep repen-
tance; the “City of God’’ explains the Creator’s working in history;
remarkable also is his conception of the creation of the world, by which
God gave to matter once for all the power and life germs which would
insure the general unfolding and development of the cosmos.
St. Augustine died of a fever on 28 August 430 while the Vandal
invaders were besieging Hippo. He is honoured as the patron of theo-
logians, printers and brewers, and is invoked against sore eyes. Since
the 8th century his relics repose in Pavia, having been bought from the
Saracens for a huge sum by the Lombard King Luiprand.

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