K12 YS-10

BOOK 1

CHRISTIAN LIVING
EDUCATION
Church and the 7 Sacraments

First Quarter
Module 122-125
 Philippine Copyright 2016

by

ANGELICUM COLLEGE

Christian Living Education YS 10 Church and the 7 Sacraments

First Edition 2016

ISBN 978-971-23-8339-7

Item Number: 93-RE-00003-1

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 Module 122

Jesus, the Founder and His Apostles

as the Pillars of My Church

Hello and welcome, my dear YS 10 students! This is another phase of your

spiritual and moral growth. When you were in CLE 9 you strengthened your
relationship with God through knowing and accepting His Son Jesus as our Saviour,
in your Christology. Now that you are in CLE 10, let us intensify that relationship by
recognizing Jesus’ presence in His Church and His Sacraments. You can have your
best shots in this module and the others as well, if you will bring out the best in yourself. You
will also gain new knowledge and new insights about life, the world, and most importantly your
faith.
We all know that faith is a gift from God. We have all the reason to strengthen this faith, for
without it we cannot have a good relationship with all the people around us as well as recognize
God in our midst and His Son, Jesus Christ. Faith is the most important ingredient to believe
and trust. As the saying goes: “Faith can move mountains”. Do you believe so? I hope you do.
You are not a Christian believer if you don’t have faith. Do you believe in Jesus? What would life
be without Jesus in one’s life? What kind of faith do we have without Jesus, the Apostles and
the Church? Is Jesus really the founder of the One True Church? Justify? What considerations/
proofs can you give that Jesus is really the founder of the Church? How did the 12 Apostles
continue the Church that Jesus had founded?
Let us try to find out all these things as we go through with this module.

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 To better understand the importance of this module you have to consider the

following goals:

• recognize that Jesus Christ is the founder and the foundation of the universal Church;
• tell us the development of the Church from the initial 12 Apostles and St. Paul, now
to the whole world;
• conclude that the Catholic Church is the true Church that Jesus has founded;
• present the life of St. Paul, his works and his martyrdom for the sake of the Church;
• acknowledge with great devotion the life and works of the apostles for proclaiming
and spreading the Church; and
• compose a “discourse” regarding social issues with moral concern.

Now, have your mind geared up for the first activity. Kindly bring out your activity
notebook and answer the following activities. Image yourself if you do not have any
friends. What will happen to you? Are friends necessary in our lives? Why? Now, on a
page of your activity notebook trace one hand on it. Write the names of your friends that will fit
the following description.

• Little finger- your childhood friend

• Ring finger – your most trusted friend
• Middle finger – your fair weather- friend
• Pointing finger – friend who betrayed you
• Thumb – your true friend

Then, write down and answer the following questions:

• In what instances are you able to prove that you have a true friend?
• How well you cope with a friend who betrays you?
• In another situation, do you think you will be able to strengthen your friendship with
a fair-weather friend? How?
• What kind of a friend are you?

As the saying goes, “No man is an island”. We need others to complement us. And we
will know who our friends are, not only during happy times but also during difficult times,
Jesus also had friends. They were not rich; they were simple Jewish folks around the area of
Galilee, mostly fishermen. And they were not perfect. They were His friends and followers. Do
you know them? Before we proceed with our lesson, please take the pretest below.

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 PRETEST

Bring out your CLE activity notebook and answer the following.

Directions: Multiple Choices: Choose the correct answer and write the letter of your answer in
your activity notebook.

1. There are ___ apostles of Jesus.

a. 6 c. 12
b. 10 d. 14

2. Who is not an apostle of Jesus?

a. Andrew c. James the Great
b. Peter d. Luke

3. The apostle who denied Jesus for three times.

a. Peter c. Judas
b. John d. Andrew

4. The apostle who was first a disciple of John the Baptist

a. James the Less c. Andrew
b. James the Great d. Philip

5. The act of Jesus when He chose His apostles.

a. He prayed and discerned His Father’s will.
b. He choose only those who were famous.
c. Just pick them along the way.
d. Choose only the fishermen.

6. He is the founder of the Christian Church.

a. Paul c. Joseph
b. Peter d. Jesus

7. The first Vicar of the Catholic Church.

a. Matthew c. John
b. Peter d. Andrew

8. The occupation of Jesus before He started His ministry.

a. farmer c. carpenter
b. fishermen d. tax collector

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 9. The event that considered as the birthday of the Church.
a. Resurrection c. Christmas
b. Ascension d. Pentecost

10. The twelve apostles were known as the ______ of the Church.
a. followers of the Church c. builders of the Church
b. pillars of the Church d. founders of the Church

Let’s see how much you remember. Compare your answers with mine.

Go to the checking area.
For those who got everything right, say THANK GOD for having a very good memory.
Sorry if you had difficulty in answering all the activities; there’s a lot of activity awaiting
you. You can move on.
As we proceed to deepen our knowledge on the topic, try to recall all the past lessons in YS
9 what we have right now is a continuation of the past lessons.

CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

A. Sacred Scripture
Try to ponder on this passage in Ephesians 2:12-22

“You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the households of
God. You form a building which was on the foundation of the Apostles and
prophets and Christ. Jesus himself as the capstone…In Him you are being built
into this temple to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit”.

The first great living work of the Holy Spirit, the “Giver of Life”, is the Church. The word
“Church” means “that which pertains to the Lord”, Christ is the light of all nations, and it is by
proclaiming His Gospel to every creature that the light of Christ, which shines out visibly from
the Church, may be brought to all men.

I. Jesus the Founder of the Christian Church

One has to know that Jesus did not establish an
organization or a religion. He founded a CHURCH. Church
that would bring salvation to all people. A Church that would
lead the faithful believers to worship and recognize a loving
God in Jesus. He founded a Church to teach, govern, and
sanctify all men. How did Jesus found the Church? He founded the
Church by making disciples believe in Him, by choosing the
twelve Apostles from among His disciples and by appointing
Simon Peter as their leader (Vicar). It is in His Church that He

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gave all means of salvation to humanity. It is in the Church that He gave His power to teach, to
sanctify, to rule, and to save all people. In order for this to be realized, He called disciples as His
followers and out from them He chose His 12 Apostles. During His public life, He gave them
special training for their future mission. And it was during His Ascension to heaven that He
commanded them to preach the Gospel all over the world, “making disciples to all nations”,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching
them to observe all He commanded. We called this as the Great Commission, which happened
at Samaria. He also assured them that He would always be with them until the end of time. (cf.
Mt.28:19-20).

Let us first know the 12 Apostles...

II. The 12 Apostles as the Pillars of the Church

When Jesus called the 12 to be His disciples, He first prayed for a night.(Lk.6:12-13) This
was to show that Jesus always considered His Father in choosing His friends. Are you also doing
that? Praying for friends to be? Since He worked as a tekton,(a Greek word for builder , artisan, or
carpenter), He used to build boats around the area of the sea of Galilee specifically in Bethsaida,
were He met and called His first disciple named Andrew, a fisherman, who eventually, also
called his brother Peter and his friends John and James, both were brothers and fishermen. (cf.
Jn.1:35-51);(cf. Mk 1:16-20) ;(cf. Mt. 4:18-22); (cf.5:1-11). Until He came up with 12 whom He called
as disciples to helped Him in His mission, the mission of preaching the Kingdom of God. One
has to consider that this 12 are not of very impressive credentials. They were ordinary people
who had ambitions and agendas of their own. They quarrelled even on unimportant matters,
they were jealous with one another, hard headed and weak. One betrayed Him, another denied
Him, they sometimes doubted His divinity and when He was on the cross, they disappeared
(except John) and went into hiding. Yet, Jesus remained faithful to them. Nobody was expelled,
not even Judas. He chose to leave. It was this great love for them and the power of the Holy
Spirit that they realized that He was the most awaited Messiah who would liberate them from
all forms of slavery, especially the slavery of sins. They became more than just a “barkada” of
Jesus; they formed a fraternity of love called Christians. And it was their love for Him that they
left their homes and followed His Great Commission even unto death. And because of this love
for Him, that realization of the reign of God on earth was established in the Church. And this is
reason the why these 12 Apostles are called the Pillars of the Church.

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 The following are the names and description of the twelve Apostles:

Description Missionary Caused of Feast

Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
1. St. Peter * His original name was * He took * Crucified June 29
Simon Bar Jona from care of the downward
Bethsaida of Galilee. Churches at Vatican
around the Hill in 64
* He was called by Jesus Mideterra- A.D.
together with his brother nean Area
Andrew to be fishers of and after the
men. (Mt. 1:17) Council of
Jerusalem
* He had an impulsive he went to
personality and a Rome to
sincere love for the Lord preached the
(Mt.10:28,30;Mt.14:28,31 Good News.
and Mk 8:33)

*he denied Jesus three

times (Jn. 13:37-38)

*His mother-in-law was

miraculously healed by
Jesus. (Mt.8:15)

* The Prince of the

Apostles as Jesus gave
him the authority to
teach, govern, and guide
the People of God – the
Church. (cf.Jn.21:13-17)

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
2. St. Andrew * His name meant * Like his * Crucified Novem-

“strong man” in Greek. brother he on an ber 30
preached X-cross
* A follower of John the Gospel position
the Baptist but became in Scythia, in Patras,
a follower of Jesus Greece and Greece
after John the Baptist Asia Minor.
introduced Jesus as the
Messiah

* He was the first

together with John to be
called as Jesus’ apostles
(cf. Jn.1:35-40)

* A brother of Simon
Peter. (cf.Jn.1:41)

* He was present
during the Miracle of
the Multiplication of
Bread (Jn.6:8); and Jesus’
agony in the Garden
of Gethsemane (Mt.
26:37); Jesus’ resurrection
(Jn.21:1-2) and Jesus’
ascension. (Mt.28:1)

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
3. St. John * Together with * He taught * He was De-

Andrew they were the and preached exiled in cember
first to be called by the Gospel at Patmos and 27
Jesus (Jn.1:35-40) Ephesus. died in peace
at Ephesus in
* His mission-
* Known as the 101 A.D. at the
ary journeys
“beloved of the Lord”. age of 94.
were limited
(Jn.13:23;21:20)
probably be-
* He and his brother cause he took
James were given the care of Mary.
nickname “Boanerges” * He was more
(sons of thunder) by into writing
Jesus; some believe this the Gospel,
was a reference to their letters to BECs
tempers. (Mk.3:17) around the
Mediterra-
* He was present at the nean.
transfiguration (Mt.9:2)
and Last Supper. * During
(Jn.13:25) his exile in
Patmos, he
* At the foot of the cross also wrote
he received the sublime the Book of
mission of caring the Revelation.
Mother of the Lord,
Mary. (Jn.19:26-27)

* He wrote a Gospel
and three Letters
containing the sublime
definition of divinity:
GOD IS LOVE. (1
Jn.4:8)

* He lived in
Ephesus with Mary.
He witnessed her
assumption to heaven.

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
4. St. James the * This James does not * He preached * The first July 25

Great appear to be called the Gospel in apostle to die
“the Great” because he Spain. as martyr in
learned well this lesson 44 A.D. in
from Jesus. Instead, Jerusalem. He
he’s called “the Great” was killed by
to distinguish him from the sword”.
the other James (the (Acts 12:2)
Lesser, the Just) and
because he was one of
the first disciples called
by Jesus to follow Him.

* His Hebrew name

was “Jacob” which
meant “strong with
God”.

* He was present at
the resurrection of
Jarius’ daughter, at
Jesus’ transfiguration,
at the Garden of
Gethsemane before
Jesus was arrested,
His resurrection and
ascension.

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
5. St. Matthew * Matthew is recorded * The Gospel * He died a Sep-

as one of Jesus’ original according to martyr. tember
disciples in all four Matthew is 21
gospels and in Acts. attributed to
him.
* He came from *After
Galilee and work as evangelizing
a tax collector for the Judea for
Romans. 15 years, he
went to the
* When Jesus called eastern part
him to be His apostle, of Palestine
he left everything and where he
followed Him. (Lk.5:28) suffered
martyrdom.

6. St. Bartholome * His first name was * He preached *Bartholomew August

“Nathaniel” which the Gospel in was martyred 24
meant “God has Armenia and in Armenia by
given” (Jn.1:45). Persia. being flayed
He was nicknamed alive and
Bartholomew (Mt.10:3) then crucified
meaning “Son of upside down.
Talmy” and he was
from Cana.

* He was recruited by
his friend Philip to be
a disciple of Jesus, but
declined because he
cannot comprehend of
why the Messiah would
come from Nazareth – a
place for the “Anawim”
or the “Poor of Yahweh.
(Jn.21:2)

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
7. St. Jude * * Son of Alpheus and * He preached * He was killed Octo-

Thaddeus brothers of James the in Assyria, with arrows ber 28
Less. Libya, Persia, at Ararat in
and in Edessa Mesopotamia/
* Author of the “Letter near the Persia in 44.
of Jude” of the New Euphrates
Testament River.

* He was a farmer from

Ceasaria Philipi.

8. St. James the Less * Saint James the Less * He wrote * He was May 3

is called “the Less” in the Letter thrown down
order to distinguish of James” from the
him from the other in the New pinnacle of
James, Saint James the Testament. the temple by
Great, who was the the high priest
brother of Saint John. Hanna II and
survived but
* He is the brother of St. he was stoned
Jude Thaddeus. to death. He
was buried at
* He is the first bishop Mt. Olives.
of Jerusalem.

* He was called the

“Just” on account of his
holiness.

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
9. St. Philip * The name Philip *He preached * He was May 3

means “lover of in many crucified at
horses.” Writings places, an old age at
attributed to Philip prominently in Hierapolis.
the Apostle played an Asia Minor.
important role in the
development of early
Christian Gnosticism.
Gnostic Christians cited
Philip’s authority as
justification for their
own beliefs via the
apocryphal Gospel of
Philip and the Acts of
Philip.

* He was from
Bethsaida and a
disciple or follower of
John the Baptist.
* He was with Jesus
in the feeding of the
multitude and Jesus’
entry to Jerusalem.

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 Description Missionary Caused of Feast
Apostle
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Death Day
10. St. Thomas * He was known * He preached * He was July 3

as Judas Thomas the Gospel killed on top
Didymus or Jude from India. of a hill by
Thomas Didymus, was King Mazday.
one of Jesus’ 12 apostles
and is included in each
of the four apostolic
lists. Thomas is also
called Didymus (the
twin.

* He doubted Jesus’
resurrection.

* He ardently loved
the Lord and was even
willing to die for Him.
(Jn.11:16)

* He is known as the
apostle of India.

11. St. Simon the * A close relative of * He went * He was sawn Octo-

Zealot Jesus. He came from to preached in half by his ber 28
Cana. the Gospel executioners
in Samaria, while still
* He was a member Egypt, Persia, alive in
of the Jewish patriotic Glastonbury Lincolnshire.
group called the Zealot and
Party. A group who Lincolnshire.
resisted the Romans.

* Although a fearless
revolutionist, after his
conversion, he became
an “Apostle of Peace”.

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 Description Missionary Feast
Apostle Caused of Death
(Biblical/Tradition) Activity Day
9. Judas Iscariot * He is the apostle who * He fell into the

betrays Jesus with a sin of despair
kiss and thirty pieces and hanged
of silver and helps the himself.
Jerusalem authorities * He was
arrest Him replaced by Saint
Matthias, the
* John describes him
Second Twelfth
as the band’s treasurer
Apostle [Acts
and he is often present
1:23-26]
at important times.
John also describes him St. Matthias
as a thief, but it seems
implausible that a thief
would have joined such
a group or that Jesus
would have made a
thief their treasurer.

* Some read Iscariot

to mean “man of Ke-
rioth,” a city in Judea.
This would make Judas
the only Judean in the
group and an outsider.
Others argue that a
copyist error trans-
posed two letters and
that Judas was named
“Sicariot,” a member of
the party of the Sicarii.
This comes from the
Greek word for “assas-
sins” and was a group
of fanatical nationalists
who thought that the
only good Roman was
a dead Roman. Judas
Iscariot could have
been, then, Judas the
Terrorist.

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 Let us try to know who St. Paul is…

III. St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles

There had been many stories of Jesus’ disciples that helped

in the growth of the Church, but it’s the story of Paul (Saul) of
Tarsus, that made Christianity a world religion up to now. If not
for him, Christianity would remain an offshoot sect to the Jewish
religion. He was responsible for the conversion of the Gentiles into
Christianity.
The Apostle Paul was not one of the 12 that Jesus had
personally chosen during His earthly ministry nor saw Him
personally. In his younger years he was already aware of Jesus
existence, of whom many considered Him as the longed Messiah
that helped them from political oppressions. As a Pharisee, he
could not accept a Messiah who was crucified. To be crucified is a cursed for the Jews and a
scandal! (cf. Deut.21:23). Though Jewish by religion (he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin),
he was by citizenship a Roman. This gave him an edge to persecute the followers of Jesus. He
allowed the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
His conversion happened on his way to Damascus. (Acts 9:4,7) On that moment he was
given the privilege to encounter the Risen Lord. He was blinded by Jesus Himself. It was
Ananias who took care of him (Acts 9:17). Through Ananias, he gradually matured in faith by
realizing that salvation did not depend on what (Mosaic Law) but on whom (commitment to Jesus
the Messiah). His conversion was more of seeing the Messiah through his heart, and perhaps
the reason why Jesus recovered his sight. And through this Damascus experience and being
forgiven and accepted as “brother” to the Christian community, he set himself into missionary
journeys, (there were three of them) establishing and organizing Christian Churches along the
Mediterranean area, the place of the Gentiles (pagans who are educated and not barbarians).
Through His ardent teachings and organizing Christian communities the seed to what is today
a world religion was established. From a persecutor of Christians to a missionary of Christ -this
summarizes the effect of his Damascus experience. This is the reason why he was called the
Apostle of the Gentiles.
Paul suffered so much as he did his mission. For reasons that one, he was not at first
accepted by the Jewish Christians since he was once their persecutor. Two, his conversion to
Christianity displeased the Pharisaic community. Lastly, as a citizen to Rome he was considered
now as an enemy. He was once jailed and on his way to Rome, on one of his journeys his ship
was wrecked almost drowning him to death. In spite of these, he did not weaver his faith in Jesus
Christ. This faith made him reach his state of perfection that he was able to say to the Church of
Galatia; “not I, but Christ lives in me”.(Gal.2:20)
He was beheaded in Rome. A fountain sprouted to where his head falls. This was considered
as a miracle. His feast day is June 29 same that of St. Peter.
Before we proceed to the next part of our discussion, let us try to assess our knowledge. In
your activity notebook answer the following:

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 Activity 1

Directions: Bring out your activity notebook and answer the following. Match the name of the
Apostles in column A to the description in column B. Write the letter of your answer in your
activity notebook.

Column A Column B
1. St. Peter A. the one who replaced Judas
2. St. Paul B. a tax collector before Jesus called him to be
His disciple
3. St. James the Less
C. first to be called as Jesus’ apostle
4. St. John
D. the beloved apostle of Jesus
5. St. Andrew
E. the apostle who was a member of the Zealot
6. St. Simon
Part
7. St. Matthew
F. the one who doubted Jesus’ resurrection
8. St. Matthias
G. he denied Jesus three times, yet became the
9. St. Thomas first Vicar of the Church
10. Judas Iscariot H. the first Bishop of Jerusalem
I. he betrayed Jesus with a kiss and 30 pieces of
silver
J. the apostle to the Gentiles

Are you done with the activity? Kindly check if you have the right answers. Go to the
checking area.
How did you fare? Did you get a good score? If you did, CONGRATULATIONS! If you
didn’t, don’t feel bad, just reread the parts that you missed out. Then move on.

B. Church Teaching
Let us find out what the Church taught us regarding the foundation of the Church and

how the 12 Apostles did it.
Jesus set up the structure of the Church by

selecting the 12 Apostles as the first bishops and Simon
Peter as the first pope. The early Christian Church was
created at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended
on the Apostles and Disciples.
Jesus chose the 12 apostles out of His many
disciples to become the Pillars of the Church or the
foundation of His Church. Pillars in the sense that they
continued what Jesus started. The word disciple is

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from Latin word “discere” which means “to learn” while apostle is taken from the Greek word
“apostello” which means “one who is sent”
They were sent out by Jesus to deliver the Good News regarding Jesus as the most awaited
Messiah and to preach the Kingdom of God. They were considered as apostles in the sense that:
they are recipient of Jesus teachings, witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and recipient
of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost. They were authorities of what Jesus
taught, intended, and desired. They were the friends of Jesus entrusted to preach (power of the
Magisterium), to sanctify (power of order) and to govern (power of jurisdiction). What then
are the duties of the apostles? To name a few:

1. To cast out demons. (Mt.10:1)

2. To heal sickness.
3. To proclaim the Gospel and the Truth.

Why did Jesus appoint only 12? The 12 Apostles prefigured the 12 tribes of Israel who

during the time of Jesus only a few of them remains. They believed that in the coming of the
Messiah these tribes would be restored. Thus Jesus’ choosing of the twelve was a sign that a new
age was dawning and the reign of God was at hand. This was the reason why the apostles had
to replace Judas Iscariot by Matthias to maintain the foundational 12.
The birth of the Church did not happen during the course of Jesus ministry. He just preached
what the Church should be. He slowly made the apostles and the disciples understand that
salvation was not only individual but total in the Church. All of what He preached was obscure
for them at first but He promised that everything would come into completion as He would send
them a Helper, a Paraclete. On the 50th day after His resurrection, the feast day of the Pentecost
(this is also a Jewish festival of Shavuot commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments to
Moses at Mt. Sinai) the Church was born. It was the day on which the Holy Spirit, the promised
Paraclete (cf. Jn.14:26), came upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit
came to enlighten the Apostles and preach the Gospel, and to strengthen them to follow Christ
Great Commission of establishing the Church to all nations. The Holy Spirit will dwell in the
Church till the end of times to sanctify and guide Her, in accomplishing Her divine purpose of
leading all people to eternal salvation. The Apostles as the pillars of the Church through the
vital force of the Holy Spirit started accomplishing their duties. In fact during Pentecost there
were, more than five thousand who were converted as followers of The Way. This is how the
early Christians called themselves. It was in Antioch that they were called Christians. Some of
those who were converted belong to the Jewish people who lived outside Palestine during the
invasion of Israel in 600 B.C. They were called the Diasporic Jews. As Jews they usually came

19
back to the temple of Jerusalem during religious activities such as the Pentecost to observe their
Jewish faith. And it was during the Discourse of Peter that their eyes were open and through
the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, they accepted Jesus as the Promised Redeemer. They brought
this new found faith to their communities and started building the Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BEC). It was St. Paul and St. Peter who took care of these communities as presented in their
letters in the New Testament.

Why Rome became the center of our Christianity?

Though the Head of the Church, is Jesus Christ, belonged to the Jewish people, His
birthplace was not considered as the center of Christianity because of the following reasons:
first, He was not accepted by His own people as the Messiah even up to the present; secondly,
when Jesus gave the Great Commission they could not make it without converting Rome into
Christianity since Rome was the only world at that time, whatever Rome said the rest of the
world followed. And lastly, because of their willingness to convert Rome, the bloods of the
martyrs were offered for the sake of the faith which became the seed of our Christianity. We can
also see that when Jesus made Peter as the first vicar of His Church it also happened outside
Palestine, in Caesarea Philippi it meant then, that the center of His Church would not be in His
birthplace. (cf. Mt.16:13-20). It was in the year 312 AD through the Edict of Milan that Emperor
Constantine made Christianity a free religion. Through this edict several changes happened in
the empire, one of these was, that all government posts should be held by Christians and that big
cities must have bishops. And also, Constantine made the seat of his political power no longer in
Rome, to give way to Christianity. Because of this, gradually Rome had become the centre of our
Catholic Christian religion, calling us Roman Catholics.

Activity 2

Directions: Kindly bring out your activity notebook. Let me see of how much you remember
about what the Church teaches us. Kindly enumerate the following: Write your answer in your
activity notebook.

1-3. Duties of the Apostles

4-6. What considerations are made to be an Apostles of Jesus?

7-9. Jesus gave the apostles the authorities to_____, to_____and to _______.

10. The place where the followers of Jesus were called Christians.

How do you fare? Did you get all the answers correctly? Compare your answers with
mine. Go to the checking area.

Say “THANK GOD” if you got all correctly. If not, go over your module and try to correct
your mistakes. You may now continue reading.

20
 CHALLENGE TO LIFE

The 12 Apostles responded to Jesus Christ’s Great Commission by leaving their

families and started to preach the Gospel. And through the wisdom and guidance of the
Holy Spirit who came on them on the day of the Pentecost, the Church was born. Their life
was endangered. They were persecuted, yet their love for Jesus, was great that they also
committed themselves to offer their life in order that the Church, the earthly Kingdom of
God will be realized.
Today, we need leaders in our society that would shepherds us towards “tuwid na
daan”. Leaders that will help us uplift our morale as Filipino people. Leaders that will
promote laws that are for the common good in all sectors of our society. And live up the
Principle of Subsidiarity and Solidarity. That, every citizen’s capabilities and abilities will
be utilized for the common good of the society. And will consider each one as assets rather
than liabilities.
Another emphasis in this module is the gospel value of friendship. You see, Jesus
gathered the 12 Apostles as His friends and lay down His life for them, although the
realization of this was only after His resurrection. Like their Master they also offered their
life for us to lead us to our salvation. This friendship is called is called friendship of Virtue.
Another kind of friendship is the friendship of utility or pleasure. This kind of friendship is
for self gratification. It is more of taking rather than giving. Usually today’s fraternities are
of this kind of friendship. You see they make one a coward and cannot make decisions for
oneself. They are very revengeful when one member is being bullied. Thus they engaged
into frat wars. Initiation is very violence that sometimes a neophyte is killed. You know all
violence was already taken by Jesus on the cross. The Master has accepted all the blows,
the pains of being hammered, mocked and a bloody death. As if He said, enough with all
this violence I will owned it for your sake. Yet, fraternities today go the other way. Most
of the torturing is done by what they also called master. We thank the government for
making the Anti Hazing law, the Republic Act No.8049 – an act regulating hazing and
other forms initiation rites in fraternities, sororities, and other organizations and providing
penalties therefore. This Act prevents universities and colleges to have violent initiation
that would at stake one’s life. Hazing as used in this Act, is an initiation rite or practice as
a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, or sorority or organization by
placing the recruit, neophyte, or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situation
such as forcing him to do menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or activities or
otherwise subjecting him to physical or psychological suffering or injury. Do you want to
be tested this way for you to be accepted in a group? You see, if you really want to join a
good fraternity and sorority enter a seminary or a convent.

21
 DOCTRINE

Bring out your Bible and read the following verses:

1. John 15:11-17
2. John 20:17-18
3. Matthew 26:47-52
4. John 13:4-5
5. John 20:19-21

How did Jesus consider His friends? ______________________________________________

__________________________. Try to go back to your motivational activity. Do you think your
friendship with others is same as what Jesus taught? _____________________________________
__________________________.

MORALS
What is the difference between Jesus’ fraternity (brotherhood) to the fraternities of today?
Examples: Tau Gamma, APO. Upsilon, Lambdas and gangs such as TBS, Temple Street, etc.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

If you are going to be recruited to join any of these, what will be your decision? What
made you to decide for such?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

WORSHIP

You are going to get a copy of the “PEACE PRAYER” of St. Francis of Assisi. Then, look for
a close friend/s that you will consider as a prayer partner/s. Let this prayer be prayed personally
dedicated for each one on a particular time of the day.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

22
 What did you learn from this lesson? You learned that:

• There are two kinds of friendship: one, friendship of utility or pleasure; two, friendship of
virtue. The first is a friendship based on desire not for the goodness of a friend but for own
self-gratification. The other is a friendship based on desire for the goodness of the other
person/s.
• The Church was founded through a divine guided friendship. The Founder was considered
as the Christ, the Master, the Rabboni and a Friend. A Friend who offered the Kingdom
of His Father to be their dwelling place. A Friend who considered them as His brother,
thus making them also sons of His Heavenly Father. A Friend who welcomes and forgives
them in spite of their weaknesses and limitations. But most, a Friend who offered His life
for them in order that everything He promised is realized. This is the kind of friendship
based on the goodness of the other person/s. His friendship with them gave them the
authority to do what He has been doing. To teach, to preach, to heal, to govern, to build
BEC, to serve, and to love. He called them His Apostles, His messengers to spread the
Gospel to all creations.

Today, Jesus Christ chooses us too. A sacred calling that is, of spreading the truth of our
Christian faith. We can show it in words and deeds. One way is by being a friend to everyone. In
our school we are given a chance to show this true friendship in our BEC Program. I hope you
don’t miss to attend and share in the faith sharing activity regularly.

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

Consider yourself as an apostle. You will make a written Discourse to the following
groups/institutions: The Philippine Government (the Senate and the Congress), the Filipino
Youth, All Fraternities, the Bus and Jeepney Drivers, the Filipino Families and to all the Priests
and Religious. Ask your CAE teacher to help you on how to go about this. And have it delivered
during your Speech class. Your audience will be your classmates. The amount and quality of the
moral values in response to the issue must be substantial and relevant. Awareness about an issue
can be seen in the newspapers and television news. God bless!

RUBRICS

CATEGORY EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD SATISFACTORY

(4) (3) (2) (1)
Amount of Topics must Topics must be Topics are Topics are not
Information be substantial substantial and substantial but substantial and
and relevant to relevant. not relevant. not relevant.
the audience
according to the
gospel values
applied to the
present times.

23
 Organization Information is Information Information is The information
very organized is organized organized, but appears to be
with well- with well- paragraphs disorganized.
constructed constructed are not well-
paragraphs and paragraphs. constructed.
subheadings.
Quality of Information Information Information Information has
Information clearly relates clearly relates to clearly relates to little or nothing to
to the main the main topic. the main topic. do with the main
topic. It It provides 1-2 No details and/ topic.
includes several supporting or examples are
supporting details and/or given.
details and/or examples.
examples.
Quality of Information Information Information Information has
Information clearly relates clearly relates to clearly relates to little or nothing to
to the main the main topic. the main topic. do with the main
topic. It It provides 1-2 No details and/ topic.
includes several supporting or examples are
supporting details and/or given.
details and/or examples.
examples.

POSTTEST

I. Directions: Let me see of how much you remember in this module. Define the following
and write your answers in your CLE activity notebook.

1. Apostles
2. Disciples
3. The Great Commission
4. Pentecost
5. The Damascus Experience
6. The Way
7. Paraclete
8. Shavuot
9. The Pillars of the Church
10. Friendship of Virtue

24
II. Direction: Essay. In your activity notebook, answer the following questions.
1. Why Rome is the center of Christianity?
2. Why did Jesus appoint only 12 Apostles?
3. What is the role of the Church founded by Christ?

How did you find your activity? Compare your answer with mine. Go to the checking area.
Are all your answers correct? If yes, that’s great. You are now ready to take the Mastery Test. If
not, you go over the discussion and try to find out what made your answers wrong. You may
also seek help from your facilitator.
Good luck!

REFERENCES
Books
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC ChHURCH. (1994). English Translation Philippines.:
Word and Life Publications.)
CATECHISM FOR FILIPIPINO CATHOLICS. (1997). Philippines: Word and Life
Publications
The New American Bible.1992. Manila: Philippine Bible Society
Fr.Luc Colla, CICM. The Ongoing Story of Christ and His Church.

Images
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee131/knottyboy559/last_supper_davinci.jpg

Answer. Yahoo.com/question/index?qid
Gesupietrochiave,jpg.wikipedia
http://atheism.about.com/od/christianhistory/ig/Jesus-Apostles- Christianity/Saint-

John-Apostle-Christian.htm
Jupiter Images

25
 Module 123

The Nature and Identities of

the Church

Good day! Before you start with this module, kindly pray this short prayer…
”Lord for everything that has been… THANK YOU, and for everything that is to come
…YOUR WILL BE DONE. Amen.
Today, we will continue to understand the Church that Jesus Christ has founded and to
know more of its attributes and essentialities in our life.
A certain radio announcer from the U.S. named Harold Camping predicted that the world
would end May 20, 2011. A day before, my sister called me if it is true, I said “no”, for nobody
knows when it is going to happen only God. But as I talk to her 11 year old daughter said to
me, that I should be inside the church before it will happen because in the church I will be safe.
Considering on what she said, is there really salvation in the church? How? What will happen to
us if there is no church? What is its meaning and importance to our faith in Jesus? These are the
questions that we are going to tackle in this module.
After studying this modules, you are expected to;
– explain the purposes of why Jesus founded the Church;
– memorize and retell the powers and attributes of the Church given by Jesus Christ
– affirm the authenticity of the Catholic Church as the true Church that Christ
founded through the unbroken lineage of St. Peter as the first pope to his successors;
– enumerate and describe the different images associated to the Church
– give proofs that the Catholic Church is the true Church that Jesus founded, and
– produce a diorama pertaining to the different images of the Church.

26
 I hope that you will continue, in your quest to find answers to those obscurities that pertains
to the Church. I am sure that this will lead you to intensify your personal relationship with the
Church and of course with God. Now, kindly bring out your activity notebook and answer the
pretest.

PRETEST

Direction: Identification: Kindly copy which of the following phrases, pertains to the Church
and do not copy those that are not. Write your answers in your activity notebook.

1. A building
2. A community of people
3. Everybody can be a member
4. A JS Prom
5. A new people of God
6. Non Christians
7. It is holy
8. It has dogmas and doctrines
9. She is called the Holy Mother Church.
10. It is a kingdom

Kindly get the answer key and check your work. For those who fare well. Congratulations!
You have already a glimpse of what a Church is. For those who did not, this module can help
you understand better about the Church. Keep moving on!

CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

A. The Etymology of the Word Church

You might wonder what a Church is and where thus the word came from. Ecclesia

is the Latin word for the word Church which is also taken from the Greek word ek-kalein
which means convocation or an assembly. The gathering is usually for religious purposes.
The Greek word ekklesia is often used in the Old Testament for the religious gathering
of the Chosen Race. By calling it “Church”, the first community of Christian believers
recognized itself as an heir to that assembly in the Old Testament.The word Church is
equivalent to the Greek term Kyriake and the German Kirche which means “what belongs
to the Lord”’ thus, Church is the community of people that belongs to the Lord. Therefore,
from the word itself, God owns us…we are for God.

27
B. Reasons why Jesus founded the Church

Jesus Christ founded the Church for two purposes

1. The primary purpose is to worship and to glorify God

In His Godliness, God doesn’t need our worship or glorification. He is already
complete in Himself. The reason why Jesus made this as the primary purpose of founding
the Church is for us, for our salvation. He wants us to recognize the ONE TRUE GOD, who
will save us from everything. To help us know who the real God is. Because if we worship
other gods such as money, pleasure, and power, these will not give us salvation but rather
damnation. But through the foundation of the Church, salvation is possible. For it is in the
Church that God is rightfully worshipped, glorified, and loved. In the Church, we learn to
glorify God in the Holy Masses we celebrated, intensify our loving relationship with Him
in the Sacraments, and worship Him in our prayers may it be personal or communal
such as the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office.

2. The secondary purpose is to sanctify us

In the humanity of Jesus, we become compassionate, we become whole again…
complete! No longer broken or disoriented. This is seen in the Church. Jesus as He founded
the Church, He gave us the true meaning of who we are in His own life and the truth of
who we should be in His words. He calls us to holiness like His heavenly Father (Mt.5:48)
exemplified in His words and deeds. Thus, in Jesus sanctification is achieved.
Considering these two purposes we can say that the very reason of why Jesus founded
a Church is “to bring all of us towards eternal salvation”

28
C. The Powers that Jesus gave to the Church

Source: http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&biw=1024&bih=419&tbm=isch
&sa=1&q=images+of+the+church&oq=images+of+the+church&aq=f&aqi=g1&aq
l=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=32998l36252l0l37234l10l10l0l6l6l1l385l719l3-2l2l0

1. The power to teach/preach – Jesus instituted in the Church a living Authentic

Teaching Authority – it is known as the Magisterium to keep, defend, and interpret
the truths of faith He entrusted to her, and to reject errors opposed to Christian faith.

2. The power to sanctify – is exercised by the Church in the celebration of Holy Mass, in
the blessings conferred upon persons and things, and in Her official public prayer
known as the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office.

3. The power to govern – the Church exercised this power through Her hierarchy (Pope
and the Bishops) who have the power to promulgate laws binding in conscience,
regarding spiritual matters that refer to the salvation of souls, the exercised of ministry
and divine worship or even temporal matters intimately related to spiritual matters.
However, the Pope alone, as the Vicar of Christ can establish universal laws in the
Church. There is no higher court one can appeal to go against the final judgment or
decision of the Pope.

D. The Essential Attributes Jesus Christ Granted to His Church to Enable Her to Fulfil
the Mission Entrusted to Her.

1. Divine Authority - meant that the Hierarchy of the

Church, as the lawful successors of the Apostles, have
power from Christ Himself to teach, sanctify and govern
the faithful in spiritual matters. That this body of rulers
exercised this divine authority in order to lead the
faithful along the way to salvation. For the universal
laws regarding our faith and morals the pronouncement
is always from the Pope, as reflected and studied in
the Magisterium. This is usually written in a form of
encyclicals. And for the national or local Church we

29
 have the pastoral letters coming from the Bishops as
reflected in the CBCP –Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines.

2. Infallibility – it means that the Church, by the special

assistance of the Holy Spirit, cannot err when she
believes or teaches a doctrine of faith and morals.
That the Church cannot commit mistakes in any
pronouncement pertaining to the faith and morals. The
Church teaches infallibly when she defines, through the
Pope alone, as the Supreme teacher of all Christians,
or through the Pope and Bishops either assembled in
General Council or dispersed over the world, a doctrine
of faith or morals to be believed by all the faithful.

Source: http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&biw=1024&bih=419&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=images+of+an+encyclicals&b
tnG=Hanapin&oq=images+of+an+encyclicals&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=482971l502156l0l505613l29l27l2l13l
13l1l545l2815l0.4.4.2.0.1l11l0

3. Indefectibility – it means that the Church, as Christ

founded her, will last until the end of time. Jesus
built the Church on a rock in order to give her a safe
foundation against all odds. As promised in Mt.16: 18
“that even the gates of hell shall not prevail against
Her.” A promised that expresses the immutability and
indestructibility of the Church against evils. “Where
Christ is, there’s the Church”.
Source: http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=images+of+the+encyclicals&hl=t
l&sa=G&tbm=isch&tbnid=0YIaQYHv0ouZpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.osjknights.
com/encyclicals-OrderofReading.htm&docid=pUkUEGTwGM_MZM&w=333&h=5
37&ei=HQdyTuOZF6eOiAfw2rShBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=416&vpy=29&dur=1
85&hovh=285&hovw=177&tx=98&ty=238&page=2&tbnh=79&tbnw=49&start=14
&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:14&biw=1024&bih=419

E. Proofs that the Catholic Church is the True Church that Jesus Founded

How do we know that the Catholic Church is the true

Church that Jesus founded? The authenticity of our Church
can be traced in her marks. By these marks we mean certain
outstanding qualities or clear signs which Christ willed
Her to have. And only the Catholic Church possesses these
marks. There are four distinguishing marks identified to the
Catholic Church.

Source:http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=images+of+the+catholic+church&hl=tl&sa=G&tbm=isch&tbnid=xfX4RyuY
kA-HJM:&imgrefurl=http://www.zazzle.com/roman%2Bcatholic%2Bposters&docid=r1vl3aZW9y0a_M&w=152&h=152&ei
=1AhyTq2aKOKuiQfkkJGhBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=262&vpy=161&dur=1411&hovh=121&hovw=121&tx=93&ty=101&
page=10&tbnh=93&tbnw=93&start=138&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:138&biw=1024&bih=419

30
 1. The Church is One-because all Her members according to the will of Christ profess
the same faith in One God, One baptism and One Sacrifice - that is Jesus. (cf. Eph.4:4-
6) This One Faith in One God is clearly defined in the Nicene Creed and in the
Apostles Creed.
2. The Church is Holy-because it was founded by Jesus Christ Himself who is all-holy.
The Church is holy in Her Founder and Her inner life-principle: the Holy Spirit. She
is holy in Her purpose which is the glory of God and the sanctification of all.
3. The Church is Catholic or Universal–because she never fails to fulfil the divine
commandment to teach all nations all the truth revealed by God in Jesus Christ. (cf.
Jn. 11:52)
4. The Church is Apostolic–because she was founded by Jesus Christ on the apostles
and, according to His divine will, has always been governed by Her lawful successors.
(cf.Mt.16:18,Lk. 22:32,Jn.21:15-17) The best proof that the Catholic Church is the true
Church founded by Jesus is the unbroken chain of succession of the apostolic line
from St. Peter to the present pope, Pope Francis, the 266th pope. In the non-Catholics,
if you try to trace their beginning you will end up with the founder. ( e.g. Iglesia ni
Cristo… you will end up with Felix Manalo)

Where does the Church find the truths taught by Jesus Christ? The Church finds the truths
taught by Jesus Christ in: 1. SACRED SCRIPTURE and 2. SACRED TRADITION. Through
these we are certain of the teachings of Jesus as reflected in the Magisterium and the infallible
authority of the Church. The Church does not invent doctrines.

F. Images of the Church

a) She is called the flock of God with Christ as the Good Shepherd. (cf. Jn.10:1-15)
b) She is compared to a vineyard with Christ as the true vine and God as the
Vinedresser. (cf. Jn.15:1-9)
c) The Church is called the building of God, of which Christ is the cornerstone. (cf.
1 Cor.3: 9-11 and Acts 4:11). This building is given many different names: The house
of God, the dwelling place of God on earth, the Holy Temple etc. And in this regard
the Catholic Church honoured this image of the Church every November 9 as the
feast day of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the seat of the Pope as the Bishop
of Rome.
d) The Church is also called the Holy Mother Church and the spotless Bride of Christ.
The reason why we used the pronoun She and Her on Her behalf.
e) The Church is the People of God. This description is found in 1 Pt.2:9-10. “You,
however, are the Chosen Race, a Royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people He claims
for His own to proclaim the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into His
marvellous light. Once you were no people, but now you are GOD’S PEOPLE.”
f) The Church is the New People of God in Christ. It refers to the people in whom
God will bring together in Christ. All those who are baptized in Christ make up that
people. They are the people who answer God’s call in, through and with Christ, the
Lord. Was there an old people? Yes, the people who still belong to the Adamic race
… earthly, sinful, and do not want to answer God’s call.
31
 g) The Church is the Body of Christ. This image of the Church is found only in the
letters of St. Paul. He uses the expression not only to stress the need for oneness in
the Church but also to explain the relation of Christ to the Church and to the world.
(cf.1 Cor.12:12-31)

G. The Relationship between the Church and State

When Pope John Paul II made his speech to a group of politicians and some Church
leaders in the Big Dome he said that both the Church and the State served the same
humanity. Thus, the supernatural love for the Church and the natural love of our own
country proceed from this principle, since God Himself is their author and original cause.
The Church and the State differ in origin. The Church was founded by a free act of
Christ while the State has its origin from man’s needs. They differ in purpose. The Church
aims to eternal salvation while the State exists to procure prosperity of its citizens. In
case of conflict the Church’s authority is above the State’s as Faith is above reason, and
man’s need is above those of space and time. However, the relationship between the two
should normally be one with harmony. Each must recognize the rights of the other for
the personal and social welfare of mankind. According to the New Testament, citizens are
to accept the established JUST forms of governments and submit to those in authority
since all LEGITIMATE government comes from God (cf. Mt. 22: 19-21; Jn. 19:10-11).
Love of God first, next to one’s country. The Church and the State are both supreme and
independent from each other in their respective fields. Yet, there must exist between these
two powers, a certain orderly connection, which may be compared to the union of the
soul and the body in man. (Pope Leo XIII, Immortale Dei) In order that we can have a Just
and Legitimate society, good governance is necessary. Good governance is among other
things participatory, transparent, and accountable. It is also effective and equitable and it
promotes the rules of law. Good governance ensures that political, social, and economic
priorities are based on good consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and
the most vulnerable are heard in decision making over the allocation of development
resources.

H. The Meaning of the Church

What is a Church then? I, guess after all what you have learned in this module, we
can now give a definition of the Church.
“The Church is the New People of God in Christ, united in the same faith, same
baptism and same sacrifice, under the Vicar of Christ the Pope.”
I hope that as you read and understand the content of this module some
misunderstanding and obscurities regarding the Catholic Church has been clarified. And
would help you in strengthen your relationship with God. Now, let me see how much
you learned from this module. Kindly, bring out your activity notebook and answer this
activity.

32
 Activity 1

Identification: Identify the following according to the powers of the Church given by Jesus.
(Preach/Teach, Sanctify, and Govern). Write your answer in your activity notebook.

1. The homily of a priest during holy mass

2. Kissing the hand of a priest
3. Fr. Jay was sent to Sri Lanka for a mission.
4. Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Baustista as the rector of Angelicum College
5. Archbishop Cardinal Antonio Tagle, as the bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila
6. House blessing
7. NCDP of the YS 11 learners of Angelicum College
8. Blessing for the dead
9. The REAP program of Angelicum College
10. Fr. Dennis blessed the incoming new members of the BEC.

Directions: Identification: Identify the following phrases according to the attributes granted by
Jesus to the Church. (Divine Authority, Infallibility, Indefectibility)

1. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against Her”

2. Rerum Novarum
3. Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
4. “Where Christ is, there’s the Church”
5. Spe Salvi
6. Transubstantiation
7. The hypostatic union of Jesus’ nature
8. Humane Vitae
9. The Luminous Mystery of the Rosary
10. “As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever and ever. Amen”

Kindly ask your facilitator for the answer key. For those who gave their best, congratulations!
Let us continue knowing the Church more with the following activity.

33
 CHALLENGE TO LIFE

DOCTRINE

The Catholic Church continues to live, grow, and rise against persecutions, heresies, and
the human weaknesses of Her members. In various times and circumstances, She always renew
Herself. The Encyclicals of the popes determine the universal laws of how the Church live up in
renewing and increasing Her fidelity to Her mission. In this regard you are going to research:

1. Two encyclicals
2. The pope who wrote it and the date it was written
3. The English title
4. Write a paragraph or two for the content. (Morals and Doctrines)

MORALS

We can show our loyalty and love for the Church by lovingly studying Her teachings. We
should follow the guidance of Her lawful leaders. We should honor Her by our exemplary life.
And should always pray for all Her leaders; the Pope, bishops and priests. In this regard kindly
give the moral content of the following encyclicals and give also your plan of actions or ways (at
least two) that you can do, in order for you to follow the moral content of these encyclicals.

1. Rerum Novarum
2. Deus Caritas Est
3. Mater et Magistra
4. Pacem in Terris
5. Spe Salvi

WORSHIP

The Church is a community of people who professed the faith of Christ, living out as
children of God in their baptism, receive the same Sacraments and governed by their lawful
pastors under the Vicar of Christ, the Pope. This makes us one, united! So, in order for you to
have more understanding of this oneness in the Church, you are going to know by heart the
song: “Isang Pananampalataya.” You are going to sing it during your class masses as your
entrance song.

34
 SUMMARY

Let us try to recapitulate of what you have learned from this module.

You have learned that:

• The saving action of Christ in the Church is always in consideration to the purposes
of why Jesus founded a Church and that is to; worship and glorify God and for the
sanctification of man.
• In order that these purposes can be realized, Jesus granted Powers and Attributes
that are essentials to accomplish Her mission of saving humanity. What are the proofs
that the Catholic Church is the authentic Church that Jesus founded? Through the
four distinguished marks, we can know that the Catholic Church is the true Church
that Jesus founded. These are ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC. But the
best proof which is historical in nature is Her APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. We can
see in history both secular and religious, the unbroken lineage of the popes from St.
Peter to the present pope, Pope Francis the 266th pope. These are the marks, where
we can we find the truth regarding Jesus Christ as the one who saves us as taught by
the Church.
• These marks of the Church as taught by Jesus Christ are based from the Sacred
Scripture and the Sacred Tradition. In order for us to understand more of the Church,
biblical and traditional images where given such as: the sheep and the Shepherd,
the Vine and the Branches, People of God, Temple of God, New People of God,
etc.

POSTTEST

I. Direction: Complete the text from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 12:12-26.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though
many, are ________, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we are all baptized into one body,
whether ________ or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we are all given to ________ of one
Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but ________. It a foot should say, “Because I am
not a hand I do not belong to the body”, it does not for this reason belong any less to the
body” Or if an ear should say,” Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the ______” it
does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where
would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, _______ placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as intended. If they are
all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one ________.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you”, or again the head to the feet, “I do not
need you”,
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more ________,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater

35
 honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater ________, whereas our more
presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater
honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no ________ in the body, but that the
parts may have the same concern for one _________.
If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts
share its ________.

II. Directions: Enumeration: Enumerate the following. Write your answer in your activity
notebook. Let your facilitator check your work.

1-2 The purposes of why Jesus founded the Church

3-6 Give at least four biblical images of the Church
7-10 The four marks of the Catholic Church that proves Her authenticity.

III. Directions: Essay: Explain the following:

1. Explain briefly one of the encyclicals that you have research, its contents, doctrines,
and morals, the pope who wrote it and the date it was written.

2. Explain the relationship between the Church and the State.

3. Explain why the Church is by nature a missionary?

36
 REFERENCES

Books
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1994). English Translation. Philippines: Word and Life
Publications.

Catechism for Filipino Catholics. (1997). Philippines: Word and Life Publications. Fr. L. C.
(1995)The on going story of Christ and His Church.

Franco A. M. (1982)Three things. Franciscan Province of the Philippines.

The Code of Canon Law (in English Translation). (2001). Philippines: Pauline Publishing
House.

The Word in other words. Bible diary (2011). Logos Publications, Inc.

Images
Vlad Tepes. St Paul Cathedral. (November 4, 2011) http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=7793

http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&biw=1024&bih=419&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=
images+of+the+church&oq=images+of+the+church&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_
sm=e&gs_upl=32998l36252l0l37234l10l10l0l6l6l1l385l719l3-2l2l0

http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=images+of+the+catholic+church&hl=tl&sa=G&t
bm=isch&tbnid=xfX4RyuYkA-

http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&biw=1024&bih=419&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ima
ges+of+the+pope&oq=images+of+the+pope&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl

http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=images+of+the+encyclicals&hl=tl&sa=G&tb
m=isch&tbnid=0YIaQYHv0ouZpM:&imgrefurl=http://www.osjknights.com/
encyclicals-

http://www.google.com.ph/search?hl=tl&biw=1024&bih=419&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ima
ges+of+an+encyclicals&btnG=Hanapin&oq=images+of+an+encyclicals&aq=f&aqi
=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=482971l502156l0l505613l29l27l2l13l13l1l545l2815l0.4.4.2.
0.1l11l0

37
 Module 124

My Church as a Community of Life,

Love, and Truth
(We Worship and Celebrate God’s Love and Blessing in
the Liturgical Year)

“The world is like a circle without a beginning or end. Nobody knows where the
circle begins and where it ends.” − Lost Horizon.

Like a circle, our life is a cycle full of memories which we often recall or we can look back
to in order for us to grow. And as we go through the cycle of our lives towards our fulfilment,
there is this GREAT SOMEONE WHO MANEUVERS every single moment in our life cycle. That
is GOD. And how does this happen?

God is the author of our life. He forms, shapes and polishes our life. God holds the front
cycle and the behind which is ours. Our life cycle cannot meet its purpose unless we follow the
hands of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, as they lead us to the right way towards our journey to
reach the fulfilment of our life. Never mind the hazards along the way, because the DRIVER will
take care of it. And let us not forget to PRAY for us to have a safe and a happy trip as we go on
our journey.

38
 At the end of this module, you are expected to:

• recognise the liturgy (another word for prayer) as our way of worshipping God;
• describe how the liturgy is celebrated;
• explain how we follow Jesus Christ’s life cycle in the liturgical calendar;
• participate actively in the celebration of the liturgy and
• diagram a liturgical calendar as the point of reference in celebrating the liturgy.

So, as we now journey, kindly answer the pretest.

PRETEST

Directions: Answer the following questions. Write your answers in your CLE activity notebook.
1. What is a prayer?
2. How is it done?
3. What sort of prayer/s do you always pray?
4. When do you pray?
5. In school, what prayers do you usually pray? At home?
6. Can you pray anywhere? Why?
7. Do you know the highest form of prayer that the Church have as taught by Jesus?

Congratulations! You are very much updated with your prayer life. Okay, let’s now start

the discussion for you to have a deeper understanding of your prayer life.

CHRISTIAN MESSAGE
In your second module, you discovered that the primary purpose of why Jesus founded a
Church was to lead us to recognise GOD through our worship, glorification and praises to Him.
This is done through our prayers and our good deeds. “We ought always to pray.” (Lk. 18:1))
Why is it necessary for us to pray? We must pray because Christ commanded it. (Lk.18:1) Prayer
is necessary for our salvation. St. Alphonsus Ligouri said: “All the saints in heaven reached
heaven because they prayed; others were lost because they did not pray.” And our prayers must
end in:

1. Adoration – Adoring God, expressing Him our love, total submission, and dependence
on Him.
2. Contrition – Asking God’s pardon or forgiveness for the all the sins done.

39
 3. Thanksgiving – Thanking Him for all His favors and blessings obtain. Even if the
blessing is in a form of trials.
4. Supplications – Asking favours, graces and blessing for ourselves (petition) and for
others (intercession).

Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians “Pray at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and
supplication.” You see, we pray for the greater glory of GOD and for our salvation. GOD answers
all our prayers in a way that is best for us. A YES answer is granted to us immediately for anything
we ask of Him provided it will be good for us and our neighbors. A NO answer means God does
not grant or answer prayers that harm us. He will not permit something that will endanger our
lives and our neighbors. Therefore, we should pray with full attention.
The best of all prayers is the prayer which Jesus Himself taught us, the “Our Father.” which
is also known as the “Lord’s Prayer” contains seven petitions (Lk.17:1-4):
1. We pray that GOD be known.
2. Adore His Holy name.
3. Obey Him both here (Earth) and in heaven.
4. We ask for food for our body and soul.
5. Pardon for our sins
6. Strength in temptation
7. Protection against evil

In the amazing teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. he said, “All prayers are prayer of
petitions.” There are two ways of praying:
1. Mental prayer – is the prayer by which we unite our minds and hearts with God. It
begins with meditation; we think of GOD so as to move our hearts to love Him. It is
our hearts that speak to Him as we listen to Him in the silence of our hearts. Also,
its aim is towards affection and resolution. It is a time where you spend for thinking
God’s goodness, how Christ suffered to save us, how the Blessed Virgin Mary cares
for you or your favorite saint’s life.
2. Vocal prayer – It is done in words, accompanied by the attention of the mind
and devotions from the heart. We may use our own words and for Catholics, the
traditional prayers such as: the Lord ’s Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Apostles Creed,
Acts of Contrition, etc.
We should pray often. In particular, we should pray as we wake up, retire at night, before and
after meals, before and after each class and work, and in all dangers, sufferings and temptations.
The Church provides a way where everybody can be one in prayers, to worship and
glorify GOD through praises and hymns. We call it LITURGY. Liturgy is the public and
official prayer of the Church − The Mystical Body of Christ. It is the most outstanding means
of praising GOD, whereby the priests together with the faithful, express in their lives and
manifests to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the Church. It is considered
as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the Liturgy, the sanctification of man
is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is affected in a way which corresponds
to each of these signs. In the liturgy, the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical
Body of Christ, Jesus Christ as the Head and its members, the all baptized Christians.

40
 In performing and celebrating the Liturgy, it should be done
well. We should perform all the actions and recite the prayers with THE LITURGICAL YEAR
care since liturgy is always done in a church or chapel. Proper
decorum is necessary such us our posture, gestures and manner of
dressing, to show our conviction that we are in the house of GOD
and before His real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. We use the
Holy water in front of the church to make the sign of the cross,
show reverence by genuflection as we greet the Lord or the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the Saints inside. In celebrating the Holy Mass, we
keep this proper decorum, we kneel, sit, and stand at the proper
time. Our minds and hearts must focus in the Lord who is present
at the altar. The church is truly God’s temple, the best place for us to pray and to participate in
liturgical acts. The church is a sacred place for there the Lord is really present in the tabernacle.
NEVER use it as a dating place or for gossiping.
Today, the Church stresses full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy. The
liturgy is essentially directed to the Father, through His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The
liturgy is celebrated through symbolic rituals, words, and gestures by which the faithful both
express faith in Christ and share in the salvation symbolized. The liturgy also directly related to
moral life by empowering full responsible Christian discipleship.
In the liturgy, we have to follow the life of Jesus. Remember the cycle? In order for us to
conform our prayer life to that of Jesus’, the Church uses a calendar called liturgical calendar. It
is a calendar in which we follow the life cycle of Jesus in our prayer and in the celebration of
the liturgy. It is divided into seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lenten, Easter, and Ordinary Time.

1. Advent – is the season which celebrates the coming of God’s Kingdom in Jesus Christ. It is
composed of four Sundays before Christmas and has two distinct parts: from first Sunday
to December 16. The liturgical texts are more of looking forward towards the return of
Christ’s second coming in the glory and to the establishing of the kingdom at the final
resurrection. The Church awaits in joy to the return of her Lord Savior. From December
17-24, the liturgical texts are more directly concerned with the immediate preparation for
the Christmas feast.
It is a season of hope and of longing, of joyful expectation and of peaceful preparation.
Many symbols and traditions are associated with Advent.
The four weeks of Advent is represented by a symbol called
Advent wreath with four candles representing the weeks. The color
of the season is purple as seen in the candles, except for the third
week known as Gaudette Sunday represented by a pink candle-
which represents both the joyful second coming of Christ and
the celebration of Christmas. Also, here in our country we have
the tradition of “Simbang Gabi” or the “Misa de Gallo” a nine
days novena in preparation for the birth of Jesus. It started at 4:00
am of December 16 to 24.
2. Christmas Season-commemorates the mysteries of Christ’s birth, infancy, and hidden
life. The spirit of Christmas season is joy and love. Christ was born of the Virgin Mary
at Bethlehem. By becoming man, He reconcile a sinful world and of love in response to
GOD’s great love for us. The official liturgical color of the Christmas season for

41
 most Churches is white or gold as seen in the vestment of
the priest in the liturgical celebration.
In this season we also have solemnities and feast days,
such as the feast of the Holy Family which is celebrated
Sunday after the birth of Jesus which is December 25. We also
celebrate January 1, as the Solemnity of the Motherhood of
Mary. Why did the Church have it in January 1? Because
the Church considered Mary as a mother who would guide
us, protect us and keep us safe the whole year round. In the
Gregorian calendar it is New Year. And celebrate it as our
way of welcoming another year. Let us welcome New Year
with peace, joy, and hope that the coming year will be a year full of faith in God and a year
round of His blessings and graces. Not with bangs! Such as firecrackers… this is not the
way Christians should celebrate….it is not a blessing.
The season ends with the feast of Epiphany which means the Manifestation of God’s
saving act in Jesus Christ the Savior. This manifestation to the whole world is represented
by the three Magi. Tradition says there are four magi. Yes there are! Because each one of us
is the Fourth Magi. We are going to manifest Jesus to the world, by giving gifts of goodness
to each one. This is always the spirit of the season. Traditionally, Epiphany had been fixed
to January 6th, and the Baptism celebrated on the octave of Epiphany, which was January
13th. In most countries, the Epiphany is now celebrated on the
Sunday closest to January 6th, and the Baptism celebrated the
following Sunday. The Christmas season is a time of rejoicing
in the Incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God.
3. Lenten Season-is a liturgical season that commemorates
the forty days that Jesus Christ spent fasting and praying in
the dessert prior to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It
reminds us of Christ’s days before and during His passion and
death and it anticipates the Holy season of Easter. Which is
the Easter Triduum; Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black
Saturday.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of lent, wherein
ashes are placed on the foreheads of the faithful. Lent is a
penitential season. It is a season of fasting and abstinence,
prayer and penance, and almsgiving. Here in our country, we
practice almsgiving through the program “ALAY-KAPWA.”
We fast buying meaty foods such as hamburgers and hotdog,
sandwiches, and give the money to “ALAY-KAPWA” boxes. We
make a more ordinary life of mortification during lent.
Holy week is the week where in we commemorate the
passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It begins on
Palm Sunday, the liturgy recounts on the entrance of Jesus to
the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Then on Maundy Thursday, the word Maundy is
taken from the Latin word mandato, which means mandate or command. For it was during
the Last Supper that Jesus commanded the 12 to love one another the way He loves them.
Thus, making the washing of the feet by Jesus to the 12 Apostles is parallel to the Eucharist.
42
 You cannot show Jesus presence as you take Him in the Eucharist unless you love and
serve others as seen in the washing of the feet. The liturgy recounts the Last Supper of
Jesus with His Apostles and the washing of their feet by Jesus Himself. But prior to this
the Chrism Mass is held at dawn. Where all the priests of a certain diocese gather together
for the Chrism Mass. This is the day where Jesus instituted two Sacraments: The Holy
Eucharist and Holy Orders. This is the reason why it is also called Holy Thursday. The
liturgy for these two Sacraments is done at 5pm of Holy Thursday. The Blessed Sacrament
is being exposed at the altar of repose for vigil after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and for
the “Visita Iglesia”. On Good Friday the liturgy reflects on His suffering and death on the
cross at Calvary. Black Saturday prepares us to Easter vigil, as the Church believes in His
resurrection. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday are called as Paschal
Triduum. It is three day of commemorating Christ passion, death and resurrection. It is
also called Easter Triduum in preparation for the salvific act of Jesus Christ, as He liberates
us from all forms of slavery in His resurrection. Filipinos usually celebrate Holy Week with
“Pabasa”, wherein the passion of Christ as written in the Gospel is being sung. Another is
the “Sinakulo” it the dramatization of the passion of Jesus Christ as written in the gospels
and according to tradition. Some went too far, the flagellants in Pampanga. Flagellants are
those who sacrifice themselves like that of Jesus. They crucify themselves on the cross also
to rebate the sins committed for a year. This has been condemned by the Church.
4. Easter Season – is a period of 50 days from Easter to
Pentecost. We celebrate and rejoice at Christ’s victory over
sin and death and His promise of our final resurrection and
everlasting life in Heaven. Pentecost honors the coming of
the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. It is the birthday of the
Church.
As St. Peter preached a sermon on this day and after
which, many were converted and received baptism. Easter
is the central feast for all Christians, as it is the proof to our
belief that Jesus is GOD and Savior of the world.
We, Filipinos have a wonderful way of celebrating
Easter Sunday, the “Salubong”, wherein the liturgical celebration starts with the
dramatization of the meeting of the resurrected Jesus and His sorrowful Mother Mary
who according to tradition the only one who believed that her Son will resurrect after three
days. Thus, for three days she continued looking and waiting for the resurrection of her
Son. Christian tradition believes that it was the Blessed Mother who experienced first the
resurrection of Jesus at the dawn of Sunday, rather than Mary Magdalene as the Gospel of
John narrated.
Forty days after this, we can now have Jesus’ Ascension at Samaria as witness by the
Apostles. And it was during this event that they were given the Great Commission. Fifty
days after His resurrection and ten days after His Ascension, the Pentecost took place.
As Jesus promised the Holy Spirit is now moving the 12 through His gifts. A coward St.
Peter courageously preached a sermon on this day and after which, many were converted
and received baptism. Thus, the Church was born! Easter then, is the central feast for all
Christians, as it is the proof to our belief that Jesus is GOD and Savior of the world.

43
5. Ordinary Time – After the celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Ordinary
Time begins. Ordinary does not mean plain. The name comes from “ordinalis” meaning
“showing order”, denoting an order of succession.” It is used in this sense to refer to the
order of the counted weeks. That is to say, it is a season of counted weeks. Ordinary Time
after the Baptism focuses on the early life and childhood of Christ, and then on His public
ministry.
The liturgical color of Ordinary Time is green; however, as in all seasons, other
appropriate colors are worn on particular feast days. (For example, blue is typically worn for
Marian feast days.)
Ordinary Time is the period from Epiphany to lent beginning after the Lord’s

Baptism, up to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and resumes on Monday after Pentecost
until the first Sunday of advent which started another cycle of the liturgical calendar. The
stresses of this season are:
1. From Epiphany to lent-The texts are more of declaration, that this Jesus is God’s
Only Begotten Son during His Baptism and of in His temptation in the wilderness
and His miracles. A manifestation that Jesus is both GOD and Man.
2. From Pentecost to the first Sunday of advent−It focuses on Jesus healing and
preaching ministries. The healing is to show that the kingdom of GOD is at hand
and His preaching is to proclaim the kingdom of GOD, centered on the Beatitudes.
The season climaxes on Jesus as the King who would come as a Judge−as celebrated
on the Feast of Christ the king.

The liturgical calendar given to us by the Church is our way of communing with Him in
our prayers and in the celebration of the Liturgy. It has three cycle; Year A/I for the Gospel of St
Luke, Year B/II, for the Gospel of St. Matthew; Year C/III for the Gospel of St. Mark.
Our prayer is necessary, as it is our way of communicating
and communing with GOD. In prayers, He is always there for
us, as we also recognise His presence. Remember: Prayer is the
strength of man and the weakness of GOD. Our life is so fragile
that it must be handled with prayers. It is a virtue. He will never
forsake us in every prayer we say.

CHALLENGE TO LIFE

Prayer is very important in our everyday life. Prayer helps built relationships – to God and
our neighbors. It is also a way to communicate with God to have a strong relationship with Him.
The values that we are going to live up in this module are:
1. Obedience to God’s will as we follow the life of Christ.
2. Faithfulness to God and the Church through following the liturgical calendar.
3. Piety in celebrating the liturgies in the liturgical calendar.

Bring out your CLE activity notebook and perform the following:

44
 DOCTRINE

Directions: Answer the following questions on your CLE activity notebook..

1. What does the Bible say regarding prayer?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is prayer necessary in our Christian life?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

MORALS

Directions: Answer these questions in a paragraph form and not less than a hundred words.
How should we pray? Is prayer needed for our moral life? Why? Why not? Justify your answer.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

WORSHIP

Directions: Make a prayer on a season of the liturgical calendar. Write it your activity notebook.

45
 Before you proceed to the last activity of this module, read and bear in mind the
following concepts:
You have learned that:

• Prayer is necessary since this is our way of recognizing the presence of GOD in us.

• Prayer is our way of adoring Him, thanking Him, and asking forgiveness, of blessings
and graces. Our prayers lead us to our salvation.

• Prayers can be personal and communal. For personal prayer, we have the mental
and vocal prayers. For communal, we have the liturgy as the public and official
prayers of the church.

• During the celebration of the liturgy, active participation is necessary especially in

the responses and actions.

• Minds and hearts must be centered on the celebration since prayer is our way of
communing with GOD.

POSTTEST

Directions: In your CLE activity notebook, answer the following:

Discuss the end of all prayers.

Explain each the seasons of the liturgical calendar.

Explain the two ways of prayer.

46
 REFERENCES

Books
Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education. (1997). Catechism for Filipino
Catholics. Philippines: Word and Life Publications.

Liberia Editice Vaticana. (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Philippines: World and Life
Publications.

New Webster’s Dictionary. (2003). USA: Grolier International.

Soraino, C. et al. (1995). We Celebrate God’s Love: the seven sacraments. Quezon City: Vibal
Publishing House Inc.

The New American Bible (The New Catholic Translation) (1987). Washington D.C.: Catholic
Biblical Association.

The New Heritage Dictionary. (2001). USA: Dell Publishing.

Zanzig, A. (1997). Understanding catholic christianity. USA: St. Mary’s Press.

Images
Ash Wednesday. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www.google.com. ph/imgres?
q=Ash+wednesday+imageshttp://draltang01.blogspot.com/ 2011/03/ash-
wednesday-2011.html

Advent wreath. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www. google.com .ph/imgres?
q=advent+ wreath+images&hl =fil&safe=active&sa= X&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns &tbnid
=PiyyBUpS8rM1yM:&imgrefurl=http://happyheartsathome.blogspot.com

Christmas. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www.google.com.ph/ search?hl= tl&safe =act
ive&biw=1357&bih=411&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=christmas+images&oq=cHRISTMAS+imag
es

Easter. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www.google.com.ph/search?q= easter + season+i

mages&hl=tl&safe=active&prmd=imvns&source

Lenten season. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www.churchinbethesda.Org/ blog/ let-
the-lenten-season-launch

Liturgical Year. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q= Or

dinary+time+season+images&start=96&hl=tl&safe=active&tbm=isch&tbnid=_
ThG2o9qM7AGOM:&imgrefurl=http://maryellenb.typepad.com/

47
 Module 125

Jeuse:
The Primordial Sacrament of God;
Church:
The Primordial Sacrament of Jesus

When we were children, our parents introduced God to us as an effigy in the

Church. Thus, every time we visit churches, we consider all statues and pictures that
we see inside the church as God(s). Because of this, we only see God’s presence in the
church, and that every time we experience inconvenience in our life, we always ask if
there is a God. We always consider Him as a God who is in silence and doesn’t care about our
affairs and a God who is watching us from a distance. Today, as you open and learn from this
module, you will know and understand that this God is very dynamic. His presence is always
felt, inspires us, and gives us what we need. So, gear up yourself and see His Presence in your
life.
In this module, we ask and ponder on the following questions: How will I understand
Jesus Christ as the primordial sacrament of God? Why are the Church and Jesus Christ called
sacraments?

After reading and studying this module, you will be able to:

• discuss how Jesus became the Primordial Sacrament of GOD the Father and how the
Church became the foundational sacrament of Jesus;

48
 • describe how this dynamic presence of Jesus becomes our sanctifying grace;
• explain how Jesus preached God as our Father and of His Kingdom;
• develop your own story showing how you encountered Jesus ;
• grasp the meaning of our true image as presented by Jesus in His preaching of the
Eight Beatitudes;
• recognize the dynamic presence of Jesus in the Church as the fullness of God’s
revelation and
• pray for the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in performing one’s mission
as member of the Church founded by Christ.

I want you to read this story carefully and be able to answer the questions prepared for
you.

SHARING CHOCOLATES

A young boy was walking through the park after attending a Sunday school class. Somehow,
he couldn’t stop thinking about the lesson for that day about Jesus’ parable of the last judgement.
What impressed him most was when the teacher said: ‘When you give something to another
person, you’re really giving to Jesus.”
On his way home, he noticed an old woman sitting on a bench. She looked lonely and
hungry. So he sat down next to her, took from his pocket a chocolate bar he had been saving and
offered it to her. She accepted it with a smile. He liked her smile so much that after she had eaten
her piece of chocolate, he gave her more. This time, they exchanged smiles and for a while, they
sat together in silence, just smiling at each other.
Finally, the boy got up to leave and as he began to walk away, he turned, ran back to the
bench and gave the woman a big hug. And she gave her very best smile. When he arrived home,
his mother saw a big smile on his face and asked, “What made you so happy?” He said: “I shared
my chocolate bar with Jesus. And she had a great smile!”
Meanwhile, the old woman returned to her home where she lived with her sister. ”You
are all smiles,” said the sister.” What made you so happy today?” To which she replied, “I was
sitting on the bench, eating chocolate bar with Jesus. And you know, he looks a lot younger than
I expected.
How did you find the story? Can you relate the story in Jesus? Then, answer the activity
below.

PRETEST

Directions: Answer the following questions in your CLE activity notebook.

1. Why does the boy in the story consider the old lady as Jesus and vice versa?
2. Who is Jesus to you?

49
 3. Will you still consider Him a God whom you can talk to even when you encounter
inconveniences, hardships, and trials in your life?
4. Do you also consider Jesus as your friend? Why? Why not?
5. What are the qualities of Jesus as a friend?
6. How can you strengthen your friendship with Jesus?

Jesus is more than a human friend. He will make us realize that He is a friend of all people.
Remember, Jesus is present in all relationships. The Church established by Jesus was founded on
a relationship based on friendship.

CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

A. SCRIPTURES
Read and reflect on John 14:5-14
Thomas said to Him, “Master we do not know where You are going, how can we
know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me. If you know Me then you will also know My Father.
From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Master show
us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you
for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the
Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” Do you not believe that I Am in the Father
and the Father is in Me?” The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The
Father who dwells in Me is doing is His works.”

B. CHURCH TEACHINGS
The Church refers to Jesus as the “Primordial

Sacrament of God the Father” and the Church considers
herself the “Primordial Sacrament of Jesus” Primordial
means the First or the Original. Jesus therefore is the
first sacrament of God and in His being a Sacrament He
mediates or connects us to God and leads us to glorify,
worship and praise God through Him, making us His
people, united in Him. With this theology, the Sacraments
form one of the ways this connection is made in the
Church, by the Church, for the Church. We, the people of
God, is the Church. Thus, His presence is not just in the
building we call church.
Jesus Christ is called the sacrament (sign and source) of encounter with God; He is
termed the primordial or original sacrament of the encounter with God. This is to say that
in God’s communication with human beings, what comes first is Christ himself. He is the
incarnate Son of God, the human face of God, the humanity of God, God’s own body-
language, God’s liberating and healing love made visible.

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 As the Primordial Sacrament of God, Jesus shows us who God is in the following:

A. God as a Father
Before Jesus became man, God was considered distant to man. He is a figure from
a distance. His name could not be spoken. The Hebrew refrains from saying the name of
God. (They referred to God as YAHWEH, which means I Am Who Am which is not a
name but a description of God being present in the present world). In the Old Testament
God used emissaries to communicate with His Chosen Race, such as the Patriarchs during
the formation of Israel, Moses for His laws and commands, the judges to start His Kingdom
Israel and the Kings as the leader of this kingdom. He had prophets to remind them that
they are His people thus faithfulness to Him is necessary in their relationship with Him.
Failure to recognize Him is also a failure as a people. This is how the relationship between
God and man in the Old Testament. To them, He is a God who is obscure, who uses thunder
and lightning to remind them of His presence.
Now, in order that you may know that God is a loving God and that He is faithful
to the covenant He made with them, He promised to them a Messiah that would reveal
to us His identity as God. He is the Word of God made flesh… He will be the Emmanuel
meaning “God is with us.”

B. Jesus as the Fullness of God the Father’s Revelation

We understand that Jesus is the most awaited Messiah
promised by God, who came in flesh and blood. He closes the
gap between heaven and earth, rich and poor, past and future.
To build a true friendship between Man and God, Jesus’ physical
presence confirmed God’s physical connection to the people.
His experience as human− except sin−tells us of God being
really with us. He is God’s Word who became man by being
born of a woman. Jesus then is the reminder, the Sacrament that
God the Father with the Holy Spirit is connected to the people.
Jesus’ actions and teachings changed the social boundaries.
He lived with those who were discriminated in the society the poor, the uneducated, the
sinners, and the sick. He taught His followers that the presence of God is within each
person.
The following are the works and preaching of Jesus in order for us to know who God
is and His presence among us.

1. Jesus Introduced the Father as Abba.

During the formation of Israel in the Old Testament, God introduced Himself
to Moses as YAHWEH (I Am Who Am), which is a holy name. Thus, it is considered
a blasphemy when uttered. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments to be followed
by His Chosen People. Yahweh then became a God who is to be related by rules.
Now, in Jesus, He introduced to us a God who is a Father, and that we can
call Him Abba meaning Daddy, Papa, or Tatay. That though He is in heaven, we
can recognize His Presence and Kingdom here on earth. That, if we do His will, “to

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 love one another” (a law that summarizes the Ten Commandments) we are to be
called His children. He provides our daily needs thus the source of all things. Since,
everything comes from Him.

2. Jesus Tells Us that the Father is a Compassionate God.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites consider
God as a God who punishes when not followed.
This is the reason why they had to follow God’s
commandments conscientiously, making it a burden
rather than of freedom and happiness for them. But
for Jesus, He tells us that this God is a compassionate
and merciful God who forgives our sins, heals the
sick, comforts the lonely such as the widows and the
orphans and loves not just His friends but even His
enemies. This was exemplified by Jesus Himself. In
Jesus, we become more intimate in our relationship
with God. How? When His apostle Philip asked Him
to show to them the Father, He said, “Whoever has
seen Me has seen the Father…I Am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” (cf. Jn.
14:9-10). Our Mediator to the Father is His only Son, Jesus and that His Presence is
in Jesus. Take note of that, please.

3. Jesus Preaches the Reality of God’s Kingdom.

During the Old Testament time, the Kingdom of
God was realized during the reign of King David. They
considered it as the “Golden Age of Israel” To them, the
Kingdom of God is very physical and that the awaited
Messiah will rule over it as a political leader who will
conquer the enemies. But for Jesus, the Kingdom of God
is a movement, from a state of being towards spiritual
one. This “state of being” means: If at this point of your
life, you already consider God as your God, that is, He
comes first before anything else, then the Kingdom of
God is within you. This will be the reason why the door
to His heavenly Kingdom will be opened for you too. This is what Jesus preached
about the Kingdom of His Father.

4. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life Towards God
the Father.
When sin enters into the heart of our first parents,
the effects were: 1. Paradise was lost. They were banned
from Eden; the gate to paradise was closed; 2. They were
disoriented and distorted; they didn’t know how to deal
with each other and with the rest of God’s creation; and
example of this is the murder of Abel by Cain; 3. Lastly,
death. Man is limited, weak, and dies. From dust he was
made, to dust he shall return.

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 But God never abandoned man. He promised a Savior, Jesus. Jesus said “I Am the Way,
the Truth and the Eternal Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (cf. Jn. 14: 6) Let
us try to understand how Jesus becomes our Way, our Truth, and our Life.
As a Shepherd to His flock, He leads us to green pasture, and if ever one is lost, He looks
for it and gathers it in His arm. Yes, He is our Way, the Shepherd that leads us back to Paradise. “I
am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light
of life.” (Jn. 8:12) You see, Jesus is inviting you to follow Him in going to His Father’s Kingdom…
a paradise! Will you say yes? Nobody wants to grope in the dark.
Because of our sins, the image and the likeness of God
in us were distorted. We became disoriented. But Jesus brings
us back to our origin, that is, we are from God, and we are His
image and likeness. He tells us the Truth of who we are as seen
in His teachings, especially the Eight Beatitudes. There is only
one Truth that Jesus wants us to know and that is we have to go
back to who we are… God’s image and likeness! He exemplified
what is meant to be in God’s image and likeness in His humanity.
You see, when He preached about the Beatitudes, He wanted us
to understand that there are eight virtues/ beautiful attitudes
that we should live out in order that we can go back to our true
image. These are:

1. Humility−“Be poor in spirit.” This means to empty ourselves with earthly desires
and let God’s will be our desires. Remember Mary? She emptied herself, and she
became the dwelling place of God. So, let us also humble ourselves so that “The Lord
will be with us and with our spirit.”
2. Empathy−To those who mourn for our sinfulness and its effect to self and others”.
This is addressed to those who are sad because classes are suspended due to heavy
rain and knowing that others will suffer from floods and landslides that will cost life
and shelters and to those who immerse themselves in the poor and the marginalized
communities and be with one them. Remember St. Dominic de Guzman O.P. and St.
Francis of Assisi O.F.M.? These two great saints left their wealth behind and live with
the poor. I guess we are also doing it through the REAP (Re-Entry Agenda for the
Poor) Program and CDP (Community Development Program). Your 25 cents count a
lot and your time with them during the feeding program at Sto. Domingo Parish also
counts a lot.
3. Obedience−“The Meek.” The sheep always follow the Good Shepherd. These are
the people who always pray this way, “For everything that has been…Thank you,
Lord…and for everything that is to come…Your will be done, Lord. Amen.”
4. Righteousness−“The Righteous.” This means to always have the wisdom of God;
that is to know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and truth and
lies.
5. Forgiving− “The Merciful.” Will you be happy if you have enemies? I’m sure you
won’t…forgive! God forgives, we must too. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those
who sinned against us.”

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 6. Purity−“The clean of heart.” This means no lustful desire but the desire to always be
with God, and to be always in communion with Him especially in our prayers.
7. Peace−“The Peacemaker.” This is for those who promote peace and those who
reconcile oneself with his/her enemies. St. Mateo Ricci, a Jesuit, said, “If you want to
conquer your enemies, make them your friends.”
8. Faith− “The Saints and the Martyrs.” This is for those who stand for their faith in
God and dies for it. We Filipinos have already two examples of saints: Sts. Lorenzo
Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod. Do you want to be the next?

The Eight Beatitude is the Veritas or Truth that we have to live up with. This is the truth of
who we are! These virtues/attitudes that we possess has its common denominator… love. This
is the image that Jesus wants as to possess…the likeness of God!
Jesus leads us to know the Father through Him. He taught us to glorify and worship His
Father, that He too, is our Father. In Him, He brings to us the Father. He is the Greatest Sacrament,
the Father’s visible sign and symbol of His presence among us. He helps us see the reality that
there is a God that exists, that there a Father God who cares, loves, and wants us to be happy. In
Him, through the salvation that His Son offered to us two thousand years ago, we can be in His
heavenly Kingdom forever.

Activity 1

Directions: Now, let us assess what you have learned from this part of the module, Jesus as the
Primordial Sacrament of God the Father. Bring out your CLE activity notebook and answer the
following questions:

1. Why do we consider Jesus as the Primordial Sacrament of God the Father? Explain it
according to what you have learned from this module.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

2. How did Jesus become our:

a. way towards God’s Kingdom?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

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 b. truth about our true self as God’s image and likeness?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

c. life to our death?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

C. The Church as the Primordial Sacrament of Jesus

Prior to His Ascension, Jesus promised that He will be with us till the end of time. (cf. Mt.
28:20) But how will it be? How can we see, touch, and feel Jesus in our present time?

A. His Presence in the Church through the Holy Spirit

When Jesus appeared to His followers after His death, He appeared in a resurrected
and glorified body. They could see Him, hear Him, and even touch Him! He even eat
with them! Then, He imparted His Holy Spirit to the hearts and minds of the community
He had gathered, the Church. This Church (which started with His early followers, the
apostles and disciples) became the body that would contain His Spirit and remind them
of His teachings. They called themselves the New Body of Christ. With this, the Holy Spirit,
the Advocate, moved them to continue to fulfil what Jesus started. This is one of the ways

55
 by which we have our connection with Jesus in the Church, by the Church, for the Church.
And we, the people of God, make up the Church. Thus, His presence is not just in the
building we call church. Can we experience Jesus Christ’s presence in the Church? So,
before He went back to His Father, He gave us His Holy Spirit….”Receive the Holy Spirit”,
a proof that He is always with us… we now become another Jesus for others. We, the
Church, become His hands to reach those in need, His feet to walk miles to preach, His
heart to love one another, and His mind to do His Father’s will.

B. Jesus’ Presence in the Sacraments of the Church

We know the reality that there was a Jesus that lived two thousand years ago through

the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Traditions. But, He is not just a historical figure in history;
rather He is a God who works in us to save us. This movement is seen and felt in the
Church through the seven sacraments. In these sacraments, Jesus uses signs and symbols
to continue His saving presence in us. Read these:
1. He is with us in our Baptism as we continue sharing in His kingly, priestly, and
prophetic ministries. But most of all we shared His Sonship as God’s adopted
children.
2. He strengthens us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our Confirmation.
3. We are in communion/ one with Him and all the members of the Church in the
Eucharist.
4. He shows His mercy and love by forgiving us in our sins in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
5. He heals us physical as well as spiritually in the Anointing of the Sick.
6. He continues His mission through the love between husband and wife to the children
that God will gave them in the Sacrament of Matrimony.
7. Lastly, He continues His sanctifying grace through His priests in the Sacrament of
Holy Orders.

In these Sacraments, Jesus continues to be one with us in His Church. This is the
reason why the Church becomes His Primordial Sacrament. Read on.

C. Jesus Bodily Presence in the Holy Mass

For the Apostles and those who were with Jesus before His death, the experience of
the Last Supper was memorable to them, more so the resurrection experience that made
them believe in Christ. The Last Supper (now commemorated in the Holy Eucharist) is the
event the apostles and the disciples did together at meals after the resurrection following
Jesus’ request: “Do this in memory of me.”
This ritual is a sign of the ever presence of God. The Catholic Church becomes a
sacrament as it continues to do this ritual from Christ. We gather for a meal as a community.
Thus, the Church wants to establish union and friendship between God and Man. After
all, that is what true friendship is all about−communing (in spite of physical absence),
remembering, and giving.

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 CHALLENGE TO LIFE

Jesus is the Primordial Sacrament of the Father. By being the “Primordial Sacrament”, Jesus
Christ is much more than simply the originator of the Sacraments. He is at once the SOURCE, the
PRIMARY AGENT and the GOAL of all sacramental activity. As the SOURCE, Christ is the one
in whom all the sacraments are rooted and from whom they derive their efficacy. As the PRIMARY
AGENT, He is the one who, through the actions and words of the minister celebrating the various
sacraments, baptizes, confirms, forgives, and reconciles, heals, offers himself in sacrifice, binds
in faithful love and consecrates for service. How are Christians bonded together in the Church?
As baptised and believing Christians, we share in the same blessings which God bestows. Thus,
‘in the sacrament of the eucharistic bread, the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ
(see 1 Cor 10:17) is both expressed and brought about’. By sharing the same gifts of redemption,
we become a communion or fellowship. We are bonded together as one people because each of
us, is in communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The gifts of faith, hope, and love, the
gifts of the Word of God and the sacraments, as well as the many charisms for building up the
Church as the Spirit-filled community of Christ, all unite us in a fellowship where no person is
alone. What results from the activity of God in the life of the Church today? The Church is that
community where men and women, girls and boys, become, through the grace of God, brothers
and sisters in Christ. In this way, the Church is the mystery of fellowship with the Father, the
Son, and the Spirit. In this way, the Church is the active presence of God’s love among us. In this
way, the Church is seen to be “a people made one by the unity of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. ”

DOCTRINE
Directions: Kindly bring out your CLE activity notebook and your bible. Read the
following biblical verses and explain how the presence of God is seen in Jesus.
1. Jn. 8:25-30
2. Jn. 10:14-18
3. Jn.14:10-14

MORALS
Directions: Create your own story similar to the “Sharing Chocolate” in which you experienced
the presence of Jesus through others and how others see Jesus in you.

WORSHIP
Always celebrate the Holy Mass and always receive the Holy Communion.
Now, before you perform the last activity, try to remember these concepts. You may need
them in your mastery activity.

57
 You have learned that:

• The Church refers to Jesus as the “Primordial Sacrament of God the Father” and the
Church considers herself the “Primordial Sacrament of Jesus” Primordial means the
First or the Original. Jesus therefore is the first sacrament of God. In His being a
Sacrament, He mediates or connects us to God and leads us to glorify, worship, and
praise God through Him, making us His people, united in Him.
• Jesus Christ is called the sacrament (sign and source) of encounter with God; He is
termed the primordial or original sacrament of the encounter with God.
• As the Primordial Sacrament of God, Jesus shows us who God is in the following:
God as a Father, Jesus the Fullness of God the Father’s Revelation, the Church as the
Primordial Sacrament of Jesus.
• The Church is the Sacrament of Jesus. She is to present to all of us the means of
salvation. She is the earthly manifestation of God’s Kingdom here on earth.

POSTTEST

Directions: Summarise what you have learned from this module as you answer the following
activities on your CLE activity notebook.
A. Modified TRUE or FALSE. Write T if the underlined word is correct. If it is false, give the
word that makes the sentence correct.
1. Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection and goodwill.
2. A farmer is literally a man whose occupation is tending sheep and watching over
their safety.
3. The Church is the body that mediates or connects us to Jesus.
4. The Church refers to Jesus as the “Sacrament of God the Father” and the Church also
considers Herself the “Sacrament of Jesus”
5. Yahweh which means “I Am who I Am” is not a name but a description of God being
present in the present world.

B. Answer the following questions briefly in your CLE activity notebook.

1. How do the sacraments connect us to God?
2. In what way does Jesus make Himself present in your life?
3. In what way does the Church bridge the connection between Jesus and the people of
God?
4. How does the celebration of the Eucharist help us establish union and friendship
with Jesus?
5. As a follower of God, how will you personally show that you value the friendship
you have with Jesus?

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 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

My Roadmap to Heaven

Goal: To encourage the YS 10 Learners to draw their own roadmap showing their effort on
how they will reach heaven.

Role: You are an architect.

Audience: All learners who take up CLE 10.

Situation: As an architect you are going to make a blue print of your road map owards the
heaven. This may also include roadblocks, humps and potholes……… as possible
barriers/difficulties you might encounter on the way.

Product: A learner who has already a plan of making oneself a saint.

Rubrics:
1. Materials: ½ size illustration board. Colouring materials, pencil, etc.(any materials
that will add to beautify your roadmap)
2. It must show an effort of your willingness to reach heaven.
3. It must be neat.

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 REFERENCES

Books
Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (1997). Catechism for Filipino
Catholics. Philippines: Word and life publications.
Liberia Editice Vaticana (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Philippines: World and Life
Publications.
New Webster’s Dictionary (2003). USA: Grolier International.
The New American Bible (1987). Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association.
Zanzig, A. (1997). Understanding Catholic Christianity. USA: St. Mary’s Press.

Images
Sacred heart of Jesus. Retrieved August 6, 2012 from http://communio.stblogs. org/ sacred-
heart-of-jesus/
Sacred heart of Jesus. Retrieved August 6, 2012 from http://www.google.com. ph/
imgres?q= Pictures+of+ jesus+as+the+primordial+ sacrament+of+God&hl=fil&safe=
active&sa=X&biw=1155&bih=412&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=T-FxWfnW4hokd
M:&imgrefurl=http://communio.stblogs.org
Sacrament. Retrieved August 6, 2012 from http://www.sikhnet.com/news/what-most-
important-prayer-your-faith-group
In activating His plan of salvation,  God, in His sapient providence Retrieved August 6, 2012
from http://prayerbookforreligious.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
Reason # 22 – You were made to Praise God. Retrieved August 6, 2012 from http:// www .google.
com.ph /imgres? q= Pictures+of+jesus+as+ the+primordial + sacrament +of+God&start=
157&hl=fil&safe=active&sa=X&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=0lU3DqSBX6UffM:&img
refurl=http://blog.adw.org/tag/praise
Jesus. Retrieved August 6, 2012 from http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=Pictures +of
+jesus+as+the+primordial +sacrament+of+God&start= 202&hl=fil&safe= active
&sa= X&biw=1155&bih= 412&tbm=isch&prmd= imvns&tbnid= DI7hug RQvUdVIM
:&imgrefurl=http://www.canonglenn.com/category/pope-benedict-xvi/

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