Fundamentals of Faith 1 - First Quarter Review - PDF

ON DOMINIC'S FIRST JOURNEY FUNDAMENTALS OF ○ His first missionary journey was in the south FAITH 1 of France, facing the threat posed to the FIRST...

ON DOMINIC'S FIRST JOURNEY FUNDAMENTALS OF ○ His first missionary journey was in the south FAITH 1 of France, facing the threat posed to the FIRST QUARTER REVIEWER Church by the Albigensian heretics, or Team President, Academics Committee Cathari, who were reviving and developing the Manichaean teaching that the two supreme beings, Good and Evil, dominate spirit and matter, respectively, so that whatever LESSON 1: ST. DOMINIC AND ST. concerns the body—such as eating, drinking, THOMAS procreation, and the possession of worldly goods—is essentially evil, and the ideal is the St. Dominic and the Dominican Spirituality renunciation of these things and even of life itself. St. Dominic ○ To free oneself from sin, one must renounce ○ “Domini canis” (hounds or dogs of the Lord) everything that is physical. “Before his mother conceived him, she saw Pope Innocent III had launched a mission in a vision that she would bear in her womb to preach against heresy. a dog who, with a burning torch in his mouth and leaping from her womb, ON DOMINIC'S SECOND JOURNEY seemed to set the whole earth on fire.” ○ Dominic and the bishop (Diego De Acebo) - BI. Jordan of Saxony (d. 1237) visited the pope, who refused their request to - St. Dominic's first biographer and preach to the pagans, so they returned to successor France. ○ In 1206, the papal legates and preachers, St. Dominic’s father (Felix De Guzman) was depressed at the failure of their mission, Lord of the manor in the village, and his mother consulted the bishop and Dominic that the (Jane of Aza) was also from the local nobility. heretics would be regained only by austerity ○ In 1196, he joined the Canons Regular (a equal to their own. The preachers must tramp religious community attached to the cathedral the roads barefoot in poverty, thus the birth of of a diocese) of Osma and became the Dominic's “evangelical preaching.” subprior (assistant to the superior) a few In the same year, Dominic founded a years after. convent of nuns at Prouille from a group of In 1203, the bishop of Osma (Diego De women converted from heresy. Acebo) was sent on a royal mission abroad and took Dominic with him. Foundations of the Dominicans (Third Journey) St. Dominic was born on 1170 in Caleruega, ○ In 1215, Dominic went to Rome with the Castile (Spain), and died on August 6, 1221, in bishop, Foulques De Marseille, for the Bologna, Romagna (Italy) Fourth Lateran Council to lay his plans ○ Canonization: July 3, 1234 before the pope, who recommended the ○ Feast Day: August 8 adoption of the rules of one of the existing Founder of the Order of the Preachers orders. (Dominicans) ○ In 1216, Dominic was back at Toulouse conferring with his companions, now 16 in number. This meeting has been called the capitulum fundationis (chapter, or meeting, of  foundation). The rule of St. Augustine was them to be solicitous for the salvation of souls adopted. and sending them to preach. ○ Pope Innocent III died in July, and it was from ○ Perfection for the Dominican consists in his successor, Pope Honorius III, that Dominic imitating the poor Christ of the Gospel, the finally received formal sanction of this order Preacher, who, having formed his Apostles on December 22, 1216. The novelty of the spiritually, sent them out two by two to preach. institute was the commission to preach Dominicans must be apostles who Christian doctrine. converse with God or, in the classic phrase of St.Thomas, "contemplate and give to Dominican Spirituality others the fruit of their contemplation.” Dominican Spirituality is theocentric, Doctrinal Element Christological, contemplative, monastic, priestly, ○ The Dominican cannot neglect the study of apostolic, and doctrinal. sacred truth without exposing his vocation. St. Dominic “often admonished and exhorted the Monastic Element friars by words and letters to study ○ The Dominican breaks with the world, constantly the Old and New Testament.” commits himself to God, and promises to live Only through such contemplative study can a contemplative, penitential life, seeking the friar gain the mastery he needs to preach Christian perfection. Dominic taught the friars the supernatural truths of faith with charity and to contemplate even on the highway, saying to zeal. them: “Let us think of our savior.” Constantly, Blending of Elements he urged his friars “to speak only with ○ There is no dichotomy in Dominican God or of God.” spirituality. Its monastic, contemplative, and priestly constituents, focusing on the love of Priestly Element God, fructify in the apostolate, centering on ○ This priestly spirituality accents loyalty to the the love of neighbor. The evangelical Church, the Pope, and the truths of faith. It vocation vitalizes the priestly and focuses attention on God, the beginning and contemplative vocations, directing them to end of all things; on Christ, the way of return their logical and highest development, to God; on the Mass and Sacraments. exemplified by Christ and the Apostles. Dominic's devotion to the Mother of God, In a Dominican Life, contemplation must be him being a Marian, flowed from devotion primary and redemptive, centering on to Christ. An epitome of spirituality, the Christ and engendering the apostolate. rosary summarizes the liturgical cycle, combines affective devotion with strict theology, leads to contemplation, and is a kind of preaching that expresses itself in praise. Apostolic Element ○ He himself constantly and frequently preached and, in every way he could, urged the friars to preach, begging and advising  emperor expelled the monks because they Four Pillars of Dominican Spirituality were too obedient to the pope. 1. Prayer In faithful response to the invitation of St. ○ He was then sent to the University of Naples, Dominic, the solemn, common recently founded by the emperor, where he celebration of Mass and the liturgy of the hours remain the center of a Dominican’s first encountered the scientific and daily life. philosophical works that were being translated from Greek and Arabic. In this setting, 2. Study The primary object of Dominican study is Thomas decided to join the Friars Preachers, the Word of God revealed through Scripture, Tradition, and the natural or Dominicans, a new religious order founded world, whose fullest manifestation is the 30 years earlier, which departed from the very person of Christ himself. traditional paternalistic form of government for monks to the more democratic form of the 3. Community The communal dimension of Dominican mendicant friars (i.e., religious orders whose life is a challenge to be of "one mind and corporate as well as personal poverty made it one heart in God." The profession in the necessary for them to beg alms) and from the Order of Preachers includes the promise to hold all things in common. monastic life of prayer and manual labor to a more active life of preaching and teaching. 4. Preaching Dominicans share in the ministry of Works of St. Thomas Aquinas bishops, the successors to the apostles. At their beginnings, the Dominicans were given authority to preach everywhere by Summa Contra Gentiles Pope Honorius III. ○ In citing Scripture in the SCG, Thomas thus aims to demonstrate that faith and reasons are not in conflict and that those conclusions reached by way of philosophy coincide with St. Thomas the teachings of Scripture. St. Thomas Aquinas ○ Thomas was born in 1225 in the Castle of Summa Theologica Roccasecca, located in Sicily. His family ○ Is organized into three Parts. The First Part belonged to the noble class. addresses God, gradually working its way ○ Wrote the Summa Theologica, which through God’s creation and the angels to man. describes how Christ reconciles the The Second Part deals with man in greater relationship of humans with God. depth, and the Third Part discusses Jesus ○ He is famous for his five (5) arguments to Christ, who serves as a mediator between prove the existence of God. God and man in Christian thought. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Quotes Early Life of Thomas Aquinas ○ Thomas was placed in the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino near his home “The things that we love tell us what we are.” as an oblate (offered as a prospective monk) when he was still a young boy; his family “We must love them both, those whose opinions doubtlessly hoped that he would someday we share and those whose opinions we reject, for become an abbot to their advantage. both have labored in the search for truth, and ○ In 1239, after nine years in this sanctuary of both have helped us in finding it.” spiritual and cultural life, young Thomas was forced to return to his family when the  “To those who have faith, no explanation is and dedicated much of his spare time to necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is serving the sick and the needy, caring for possible.” orphans, and assisting the demobilized servicemen returning from World War I. * 10 FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR PATRON SAINT! ○ He decided to become a mining engineer, → He was born and raised in a castle. studying at the Royal Polytechnic University of → He had a lifelong fear of storms. Turin, so he could “serve Christ better among → When he was a boy, he was sent to study at the famous monastery at Monte Cassino. the miners," as he told a friend. → He ran away from home to follow his In 1919, he joined the Catholic Student Dominican vocation. Foundation and the organization known as → He was tricked by his family and was locked Catholic Action. He became a very active into a tower, where they tried to tempt him with a woman. member of the People’s Party, which → He was called the “dumb ox.” promoted the Catholic Church’s social → He had terrible writing. teaching based on the principles of Pope → He could dictate to two or three secretaries at once. Leo XIII’s encyclical letter, Rerum → He never criticized people; he only critiqued Novarum. ideas. → He was extraordinarily humble and ○ Pier Giorgio gave to help the poor, even using submitted all his work to the judgment of the Church. his bus fare for charity and then running home to be on time for meals. The poor and the suffering were his masters, and he was literally their servant, which he considered a LESSON 2: BLESSED PIER privilege. His charity did not simply involve GIORGIO FRASSATI giving something to others but giving Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati completely of himself. This was fed by daily communion with Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati Christ in the Holy Eucharist and by ○ He was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901. frequent nocturnal adoration, by meditation His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter. on St. Paul’s “Hymn of Charity” (I His father, Alfredo, was the founder and Corinthians 13), and by the writings of St. director of the newspaper, “La Stampa,” and Catherine of Siena. He often sacrificed was influential in Italian politics, holding vacations at the Frassati summer home in positions as an Italian senator and Pollone (outside of Turin) because, as he ambassador to Germany. said, “If everybody leaves Turin, who At an early age, Pier Giorgio joined the will take care of the poor?” Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer and obtained permission to receive ○ In 1921, he was a central figure in Ravenna, daily Communion (which was rare at that enthusiastically helping to organize the first time). convention of Pax Romana, an association He developed a deep spiritual life, which that had as its purpose the unification of all he never hesitated to share with his Catholic students throughout the world for the friends. The Holy Eucharist and the purpose of working together for universal Blessed Virgin were the two poles of his peace. world of prayer. At the age of 17, he Mountain climbing was one of his favorite joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society sports. Outings in the mountains, which he  organized with his friends, also served as ○ His last preoccupation was for the poor. On opportunities for his apostolic work. He the eve of his death, with a paralyzed hand, never lost the chance to lead his friends he scribbled a message to a friend, asking to Mass, to the reading of Scripture, and him to take the medicine needed for injections to pray the rosary. to be given to Converso, a poor sick man he He was called Saint of the Alps due to his had been visiting. favorite sport, and it is where his quote Pier Giorgio’s funeral was a triumph. The “Verso l’Alto,” or “to the heights,” came streets of the city we relined with a from, as he felt closer to God when multitude of mourners who were unknown mountaineering. to his family – the poor and the needy whom he had served so unselfishly for ○ Fondness for the epistles of St. Paul sparked seven years. Many of these people, in turn, his zeal for fraternal charity, and the fiery were surprised to learn that the saintly sermons of the Renaissance preacher and young man they knew had actually been reformer Girolamo Savonarola and the the heir of the influential Frassati family. writings of St. Catherine impelled him in 1922 His family also never knew he was helping to join the Lay Dominicans (Third Order of St. the people. Dominic). He chose the name Girolamo after his personal hero, Savonarola. ○ Pope John Paul II, after visiting his original “I am a fervent admirer of this friar, who tomb in the family plot in Pollone, said in died as a saint at the stake," he wrote to 1989: “I wanted to pay homage to a young a friend. man who was able to witness to Christ with singular effectiveness in this century ○ “Like his father, he was strongly anti-Fascist of ours. When I was a young man, I, too, and did nothing to hide his political views. He felt the beneficial influence of his example, physically defended the faith at times involved and, as a student, I was impressed by the in fights, first with anticlerical Communists and force of his testimony.” later with Fascists. Participating in a ○ “By his example, he proclaims that a life lived Church-organized demonstration in Rome on in Christ’s Spirit, the Spirit of the Beatitudes, is one occasion, he stood up to police violence “blessed” and that only a person who and rallied the other young people by becomes a “man or woman of the Beatitudes” grabbing the group’s banner, which royal can succeed in communicating love and guards had knocked out of another student’s peace to others” — Pope Saint John Paul II, hands. Pier Giorgio held it even higher while May 20, 1990, using the banner’s pole to fend off the blows On May 20, 1990, in St. Peter’s Square, of the guards.” which was filled with thousands of people, the Pope beatified Pier Giorgio Frassati, ○ Just before receiving his university degree, calling him the “Man of the Eight Pier Giorgio contracted poliomyelitis, which Beatitudes.” doctors later speculated he caught from the sick whom he tended. ○ His mortal remains found completely intact Neglecting his own health because his and incorrupt upon their exhumation on grandmother was dying, after six days of March 31, 1981, were transferred from the terrible suffering, Pier Giorgio died at the family tomb in Pollone to the cathedral in age of 24 on July 4, 1925. Turin. Many pilgrims, especially students and the young, come to the tomb of  Blessed Frassati to seek favors and the Through time, God communicated to humans in courage to follow his example. ways they could understand His plan of Salvation. LESSON 3: DIVINE REVELATION Like us, God also wants to express himself and Divine Revelation disclose His plan of salvation. Revelation God's loving communication to humanity ○ Latin - Revelare gradually unfolds through time until the fullness To lift the veil, to disclose, to uncover. of His revelation is made known in Christ. ○ God, out of His infinite love for humankind, decided to make Himself known to us. Functions of WORDS “God’s personal loving communication to us of who He is and His plan to save us all Informative - We speak to merely tell something in His love.” It is God reaching out to us in or to just converse. friendship so we get to know and love Him. The ultimate purpose of God’s free act of Expressive - We speak to disclose our deepest self-disclosing to us is nothing else but for feelings. our salvation. Appellative - We speak to be reciprocated, OUR HUMAN LIMITATION: “There is nothing in begging for a response. the mind that is not first in the senses” - St. Thomas Aquinas God's capability of limiting himself in human words is in itself a manifestation of his greatness. God is SPIRIT. God is MYSTERY. ○ A spirit cannot be perceived by the senses. With his whole being, man gives his assent to A mystery transcends all human God the revealer. experience. Language - Is a product of human experience. Word of God For us humans to be able to speak of God, we ○ in Hebrew term “dabar” means “word” and have to speak of Him in terms of what our senses also “event” or “reality” can perceive. The events in Salvation History. The message of God is proclaimed All language about God is analogical and through the prophet. symbolic The person of Jesus, who himself is the Word of God Our images of God are products of The preaching of the Christian Faith Anthropomorphism. The general message of God to humanity The Bible Anthropomorphism - Is the attribution of human qualities to non-human beings, including God. Means of Communication God is a mother Positive  ○ Makes God more approachable. ○ Contains all the necessary truth about our ○ Presents God as a caring and loving person. faith. ○ Imposes the obligation of faith; adherence Negative is necessary, BINDING all of us. ○ Weakens God's image primarily due to the Final and complete in the person of Jesus negative attributes of feminity caused by the Christ. cultural conditioning of patriarchal societes. “In Jesus Christ, God chose to show forth and communicate Himself and the eternal God is a friend decisions of His will regarding the salvation of men.” Positive ○ Highlights God's immanence. Avenues of Revelation ○ Presents God as a person actively involved in the daily life experiences of man. Revelation through Events Negative 1. Creation - The first act of God’s revelation ○ May cause over-familiarity with God which that declares the glory of God. - Points to God as the cause of may lead to lack of reverence. everything. - The goodness of creation Types of Revelation reflects the goodness of God. 2. History - Events seen through the eyes Natural Revelation of faith become evidence of ○ “general revelation” God’s divine plan for humanity. Refers to how God makes himself known - Whether secular or religious, to us, through the created world. communal or personal, pleasant or tragic points as actions of God. Special Revelation ○ “supernatural revelation Would be unknown to us without God’s Revelations through Persons supernatural intervention through his 1. Prophets - Spokesperson of God. chosen messengers. - Proclaim a religious St. Thomas equates this with the Bible. interpretation of history. Private Revelation 2. Church - A collective discernment and ○ Apparitions, mystical experiences, etc. sense of divine actions. ○ Church-recognized messages. - They ritualize these through the following: Preaching of the ○ They impose no obligation of faith. word, in worship celebration, Are carefully examined by the Magisterium acts of service, and charity. based on Public Revelation so that we may authentically know what can help us lead to the true calling of Christ. Public Revelation ○ Refers to the Divine Revelation of God through Jesus Christ. 3. Jesus - God revealing and God-revealed Five Proofs for the Existence of God - Fullness of God’s revelation. - Ultimate self-communication. The way of MOTION ○ Things move when potential motion becomes actual motion. What is asked of us? Therefore, it is necessary to arrive at a first ○ God’s revelation is an invitation for us to mover, motion by no other; and this KNOW Him more clearly, LOVE Him more everyone understands to be God. deeply, and WORSHIP Him more sincerely. God is the prime mover, the unmoved KNOW - It entails reading the bible. mover, as he is the author of motion. LOVE - Practice the virtue of Charity. WORSHIP - Respond to His act of The way of CAUSATION revealing Himself. ○ We perceive a series of efficient causes of things in the world. Nothing exists prior to itself. LESSON 4: FAITH Therefore, it is necessary to admit a first Faith as a Response to God’s Divine efficient cause to which everyone gives the Revelation name of God. The Desire for God The way of CONTINGENCY ○ Man is created by God and for God, and God ○ We find in nature things that are possible to never ceases to draw man to Himself. be and not to be, that come into being and go Only in God will he find the truth and out of being i.e., contingent beings. happiness he never stops searching for. Therefore, some beings exist of their own The dignity of man rests, above all, on the necessity and do not receive their fact that he is called to communion with existence from another being but rather God. cause them. This all men speak of as God. Causes on the various reasons individuals may The way of GOODNESS / DEGREES OF turn away from faith: PERFECTION ○ Revolt against the evil in the world; ○ There is a gradation to be found in things: ○ Religious ignorance or indifference; some are better or worse than others. ○ The cares and riches of this world; Therefore there must also be something ○ The scandal of bad example on the part of which is to all beings, the cause of their believers; being, goodness, and every other ○ Current of thought hostile to religion; perfection; and this we call God. ○ Attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call. The way of DESIGN ○ We see that natural bodies work toward some Obedential Potency goal, and do not do so by chance. ○ The natural facility given by God to us, Therefore some intelligent being exists by enabling us to know God. That is to say that whom all natural things are directed to their the human mind is in obedential potency to end; and this being we call God. the knowledge of God.  ○ Faith and reason are like two wings on which relationships like family, friends, the human spirit rises to the contemplation of classmates, etc. truth, and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth–in a word, to know himself–so that, by knowing and loving God, 3 Essential Dimension of Faith men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves. (Fides Et Believing Ratio. ○ In the person of Christ as “my Lord and my God” (John 20:280 Faith Entrusting/Worshiping Latin ob-audire which means “to hear” or “to ○ Trust that grows through prayer and worship; listen to”. a personal heartfelt conversation. ○ To obey in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard because its truth is Doing guaranteed by God. ○ A commitment, for only those who will enter Faith is a virtue. the Kingdom will be those who does the will of Faith is infused by God. (a gift) the Father in Heaven (Matthew 7:21). Faith is something unmerited, given from the pure goodness of the giver. The gift of faith enables us to hope for Paralyses of Faith heaven and to love God and our neighbor. Idealism Characteristics of Faith ○ The view that only reality is the ideal world. This would be the world of ideas. 1. Total and Only faith in God call for total and Absolute absolute adherence. Christ himself Activism provides the best example of total and absolute commitment to God ○ A doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct through his Passion, Death, and vigorous action, especially in support of or Resurrection. opposition to one side of a controversial issue. 2. Trinitarian Faith is a personal conviction and belief in God our Father, revealed Ritualism by Jesus Christ, His own divine ○ An exaggerated emphasis on the importance Son-made-man, and their presence of rites and ceremonies. to us through the Holy Spirit in the Church. 3. Loving, Faith that is not only a belief in Dimension and Challenges Maturing, Christ's Word and Kingdom but Missionary also bearing witness and Ideological Activism proclaiming it. ○ Believes the right things, does what is good, 4. Informed and Faith is believing in Christ's words but hardly prays and goes to church. Communitarian transmitted through Sacred Scriptures and Tradition, accepting Pious Dogmatism his teachings and believing that he has the words of eternal life. ○ Believes the right things, always goes to church, but lives a questionable Christian life. 5. Uncultured Faith that is lived in daily  Idealistic Activism ○ Does good to others, goes to Church quite often, but does not really know what he/she believes. References: Content from Ma’am Corazon Dulce D. Bayaton, LPT, M.A. Proofread by Team Secretary, Team President, and Team Vice President