Lesson 5 - God's Journey with His People PDF

UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500 Philippines SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, CRIMINOLOGY, ARTS AND PSYCHOLOGY CHRISTIAN FAITH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE CFED 1013: God’s Journ...

UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500 Philippines SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, CRIMINOLOGY, ARTS AND PSYCHOLOGY CHRISTIAN FAITH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE CFED 1013: God’s Journey with His People LESSON: GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, JOURNEYS WITH HIS PEOPLE TOPIC LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this lesson, you will be able to: 1. Identify the historical beginnings of the Pentecostal movements in the Philippines and their influence in Christian life today; 2. Draw relevant insights from the Scripture and Church Teachings of the Spirit’s role in the Church and Christian life; and 3. Express appreciation for the practical examples of the Spirit’s activity in your local church today. INTRODUCTION: The Pentecost experience of the Apostles serves as a key moment for the early Christian community because in that event, the community of disciples received the spiritual gifts, which are essential to the mission of the Church. The apostles provide you with ideas on how to be docile to the prodding of the Holy Spirit. It opens to new possibilities about how the church today may live and do her own vocation and mission. Pentecost Mural. (2018). Since the death of Jesus, His followers went “underground” in fear. Persecutions against Christians were prevalent and efforts to continue the mission was held back with much anxiety. The Pentecost experience, also known as the descent of the Holy Spirit, has given the followers of Jesus renewed strength and inspiration to continue Jesus’ mission. The Pentecost experience transformed the apostles “from simple followers of Jesus into spiritual leaders of the new Christian community” (Valone 1993, p. 801). The text says, "they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave utterance to them" (Acts 2:4). This ability to speak in another language (termed as “Glossolalia”) opened the Apostle’s minds to the will of God now poured through the Holy Spirit (Williams 2011). This means that the courage of the early followers of Jesus to speak of the good news came from knowing that the Holy Spirit is with them guiding and telling them what to say and do. The Holy Spirit gives life and empowers the Church (CBCP 1997 [CFC # 1265]). In the midst of harassment, persecution and threats, the early disciples braved the dangerous conditions and continued their mission to the point that many paid the ultimate price with their lives. This is shown in the mission and deaths of Jesus’ apostles that you were asked to watch earlier. In the mission of the church today, you also expect that some will believe, others will doubt, and still others will mock us. But we continue on. This was the life and work of the Church to bring the Good news to the world in accordance with Jesus' command. That same day also, the baptism of fire announced by John the Baptist was realized. The sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost led to the establishment of the Church. The Spirit comes to give life to the Church. It also comes to confirm or affirm the believers. The baptism of fire that the apostles received on the day of the Pentecost is normally conferred to us through the Sacrament of Confirmation. The sixteen (16) documents of Vatican II were produced as our guide in our life of faith. Many documents of the Church emphasize the central role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. The Spirit guides the Church, unifies her, builds her up and dwells in her. In various ways, the Spirit is manifested in the life of the Church through different charisms and gifts empowering each one. It is the Holy Spirit who brings to perfection the work of Jesus he began in the Church. The Spirit provides guidance and constantly sanctifies Christians. Among others, the following documents affirm these insights: The fourth paragraph of Lumen Gentium posits that the Spirit guides the Church in the way of all truth (cf. Jn. 16, 13). He unifies the Church in communion and in works of ministry. The Spirit both equips and directs with hierarchical and charismatic gifts and adorns with His fruits (cf. Eph. 1, 11-12; 1 Cor. 12, 4 Gal. 5, 22). The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful, as in a temple (cf. Cor. 3, 16; 6, 19). And paragraph 12 (Lumen Gentium) also states that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit” (Cf. 1 Thess 5, 12, 19-21). These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the simpler and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2003) furthermore posits: “Grace is the first and foremost gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate with his work, enabling us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the church.” The church in the Philippines came out with two (2) documents namely the Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) and the acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines and continue to be revisited in our time to ensure the changes. Catechism for Filipino Catholics, paragraph 1315, says that the Holy spirit inspires us to live a truly Christian life. Not only does He strengthen us in our struggle against the power of evil, but also frees us by His interior transforming presence. When we are troubled, in doubt, or in danger or giving in to temptation, we learn to pray, “May your good spirit guide me on level ground”. The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, paragraph 214, says that it is the Holy Spirit who continues and brings the work of Christ to perfection. It is the Holy Spirit who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is He who, in the depths of conscience causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood. He will ensure continuity and identity of understanding in the midst of changing conditions and circumstances. Through the Holy Spirit, the Gospel penetrates the heart of the world. The Holy Spirit continues to journey with the early church in her mission, giving her strength when faced with challenges, inspiration when she begins to lose hope, and sanctifying her constantly so she remains steadfast and faithful to the mission entrusted to her. And with the Holy Spirit, the Church continues to grow. The Holy Spirit is also instrumental in the conversion of the heart as portrayed in the life of Saul who was later renamed Paul after his conversion (see Acts 9:1-9, NABRE). In the process of conversion, just like the different relationships we have in our time, we go through different stages. Sometimes, we even go through denial or defiance because we are unable to accept that what we do is wrong. But there is often an occurrence, an experience or a kind of an encounter that serves as a turning point for us to work towards transforming our wicked ways. So, we acknowledge, and we take time to pray and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to intervene in our lives. Just like what Ananias told Saul before he regained his sight, “Brother Saul, The Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” In our Christian mission, therefore, let us not ignore the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That no matter how difficult life and the mission gets, God, the Holy Spirit continues to journey with us. The mission to continue with the mission of Jesus is never easy. We are often confronted with challenges regardless of the time. Jesus and the early apostles were faced with the actual dangers of death and persecution. And this continued on throughout the more than 2000 years of the Church’s mission. In your time, you may not encounter the same kind of threats as that of the early church but you are confronted with modern challenges.  In the last 20 years, the Philippines has witnessed the rise of Pentecostal movements within Christianity (Wiegele, 2005; 2006). The birth of various charismatic renewal communities (Alva 2016) in the grassroots and even in cities within the Pentecostal movement is attributed to the rising desire to cultivate a deeper relationship with God. The Philippine church notes that the charismatic movement has encouraged lukewarm Christians to a renewed desire for God (CFC # 1270). The word “charismatic” implies being spirit-filled. Even among professionals and high- profile personalities some charismatic groups sprouted. The establishment of these communities is inspired either by the desire to find God in the midst of life’s challenges to reform one’s life. Many seek God’s consolation and assurance in the midst of suffering and uncertainty, in the midst of poverty. Charismatic community life is primarily motivated by the outpouring of God’s love and bestowal of the spiritual gifts on the day of Pentecost (Albrecht, 1992). Membership in these communities takes place through a form of spiritual baptism in the Holy Spirit. This ritual of spiritual baptism is not sacramental in nature. It is carried out after a Christian life Program seminar which is conducted during the weekend (usually on 1213 Saturdays) (Couples for Christ 2021). Through this spiritual ritual, the member is initiated into the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit manifested in various gifts which include: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. These gifts are essential for the proper conduct of life since these are useful for decision making, discernment and service. It can be said that the reception of the spiritual gifts by the community members today reflects the original experience of the apostles when they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The day of Pentecost recalls the time when the early church was empowered to be witnesses of Christ. When they received the gifts, they were able to perform activities which they were not used to doing before such as speaking in various languages and performing healing upon the sick members. More than performing these personal functions, the infusion of the spiritual gifts also empowered individuals to build communities since every spiritual gift is given to support one another and promote solidarity in charity. From the experiences of the early church, the Pentecost experience served to strengthen communal life and service. The early Christian community lived in fellowship with one another and shared things with those in need (See Acts 2:42-47). ** END OF LESSON ** REFERENCES: Alva, R. (2016, January 1). The Role of the Charismatic Renewal Movement in Reigniting the Flame of Spirituality in Contemporary Christians. Brill. https://brill.com/view/journals/pneu/38/1-2/article-p77_6.xml?language=en. Albrecht, D. E. (1992, January 1). Pentecostal Spirituality: Looking Through the Lens of Ritual. Brill. https://brill.com/view/journals/pneu/14/1/article-p107_10.xml?language=en. CBCP. Couples for Christ. 2021. Christian Life Program. https://www.couplesforchrist.org.sg/evangelization/christian-life-programclp/ ECCCE Word & Life Publications. (2008). Catechism for Filipino Catholics. Valone, C. (1993). The Pentecost: Image and Experience in Late Sixteenth-Century Rome. Sixteenth Century Journal, 24(4), 801. https://doi.org/10.2307/2541602 Wiegele, K. (2005). Investing in Miracles: El Shaddai and the Transformation of Popular Catholicism in the Philippines. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Wiegele, K. (2006). Catholics Rich in Spirit: El Shaddai. Philippine Studies, 495–520. https://doi.org/10.13185/ps.v54i4.301 Williams, C. G. (1975). Glossolalia as a religious phenomenon: ‘Tongues’ at Corinth and Pentecost. Religion, 5(1), 16–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-721x(75)90027-5