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D E U S

DEI ECCLESIAM UNAM SANCTAM(In the One Holy Church of God)

THE CONFERENCESFIRST CONFERENCE: SALVATION HISTORY

Human history has been divided into two great parts using the birth ofJesus Christ as the point of reference. This was done with an excellentreason. This was done in the spirit of Christianity and upholding monotheism.That reason may not be that clear to secular historians. It is clear, however,for men and women of faith. It is because that reason is the History ofSalvation.

The CreationExperimental scientists have been crawling in efforts to find out

the origin of the world and of life. The faithful have been granted thesame information through divine revelation.

The First Story of Creation1 may be read from the first chapter throughthe first four verses of the second chapter of the NEW AMERICANBIBLE GENESIS. The rest of the second chapter2 is devoted to theSecond Story of Creation.

There’s a lot of subject matters for study in the two stories of creation.We will concentrate, firstly, on chapter one verses twenty-six and thefollowing and on chapter two verses seven, nineteen, twenty-one throughtwenty-three of the first book in the BIBLE. Try to visualize and feel howgreat is the love God has reserved for the man.

Let us also consider chapter one, verse twenty-nine and the second partof verse sixteen of chapter two also of the first book in the BIBLE.

Please take note of the goodness of the Lord to man. Could it not be onaccount of His having breathed life on him? Could it not be on account ofman’s bearing something directly coming from God?

Come to think of it. You would probably think, with me, about Godcreating something out of His love. You would, most probably, also assertthat God’s out-pouring love could be the only reason for His having createdman.

Let us also consider that God commanded the first man and woman tomultiply and subdue the earth. This could have been, obviously, an easytask for men and women because God who created them out of love wouldnot command them to do a painful job.

The Fall of Man and the Proto-EvangelionDisobedience, even by the creature who had been created out of

God’s out-pouring love, deserved punishment. However, before havingbeen banished from paradise, man heard God’s promise of redemption.

Take note of the third chapter of the NEW AMERICAN BIBLEGENESIS. The first seven verses inform us of the temptation hurled uponthe first man and the first woman and their giving in. They were tempted into

committing the first sin which is also known as the original sin. Moreover,that sin has been passed on to all descendants of the first couple. That is justanother way of saying all human beings inherited that sin.

The relationship between God and man was severed on account of thatsin.

The sanctifying grace that God has endowed with the first human beingswas wastefully thrown away because of that sin. Consequently, all thosewho were born of Eve, the first woman, and those after them did not havesanctifying grace.

The original sin paved the way for the entrance of sickness and deathinto human history.

Man has fallen.Allow me to call your attention to the message of the NEW AMERICAN

BIBLE GENESIS chapter three, verse fifteen. The defeat of the tempterhas been pre-ordained by God.

Redemption of man from the slavery of sin has been foretold. The severedrelationship of man with God would have been rejoined in God’s own time.

The term religion would have been coined, in the passing of time, bycombining Latin words re, meaning again or once more, and legare, meaningto connect.

The Call of Abraham and the CovenantPreparation for the promised redemption began many centuries

before it took place.The first act of God towards reconnecting the severed relationship, known

to man through divine revelation, was the call of a man from Ur in the landof the Chaldeans.

Take note that at the time of the call, Terah had two surviving sons,namely: Abram and Nahor. Abram was married to Sarai whose ancestrywas never reported in the Sacred Scriptures. Sarai was barren.

Abram adopted his nephew by Haran, the departed son of Terah.Nahor was married to his niece by their departed brother Haran who

had left a son, Lot, and two daughters.God called Abram to go and settle in a land away from that of his ancestors.

Clearly, God wanted to establish a new nation.3

Abram and his wife with his nephew, Lot, left Ur following the leading ofthe Lord. The long journey brought them to the land of Canaan.

The LORD appeared to Abram and said: “To your descendants Iwill give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD whoappeared to him.4

Only after having built the altar did Abram pitched his tent. Can youappreciate the manner of putting God first then the personal and familyaffairs next in Abram? Is God also first for us? Do we postpone His affairsuntil it was almost twilight of our lives?

It may be worth our while to read something from other books of theBIBLE.

The LORD told Moses, “You and the people whom you havebrought up from the land of Egypt, are to go up from here to

the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I wouldgive to their descendants....”5

The LORD then said to him, “This is the land which I swore toAbraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to theirdescendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but youshall not cross over.”6

God did not give him a single square foot of this land to call his own,yet he promised to give it to him and after him to his descendants,childless though he was.7

Abram and his nephew, Lot, accumulated possessions in time. Theyboth had their own flock and herdsmen. It happened that their men gotengaged in petty quarrels. Abram thought it wise for Lot and him to partways.

Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain and set outeastward. Thus they separated from each other; Abram stayed inthe land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,pitching his tents near Sodom.8

After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram: “Look about you,and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east andwest; all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendantsforever. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; ifanyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants toomight be counted. Set forth and walk about in the land, through itslength and breadth, for to you I will give it.” Abram moved his tentsand went on to settle near the terebinth of Mamre, which is atHebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.9

War broke out in the Plain where Lot had settled. The invading kingswon the war and brought the inhabitants of the land away. Abram set topursue the abductors and successfully rescued his nephew along with theother captives.

When Abram returned from his victory over Chedorlaomer andthe kings who were allied with him, the king of Sodom went out togreet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

†Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, andbeing a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with thesewords:† “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

the creator of heaven and earth;† And blessed be God Most High,

who delivered your foes into your hand.”Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people; thegoods you may keep.” †But Abram replied to the king of Sodom: “Ihave sworn to the LORD, God Most High, the creator of heaven andearth, that I would not take so much as a thread or a sandal strapfrom anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I made Abramrich.’ Nothing for me except what my servants have used up andthe share that is due to the men who joined me -Aner, Eschol andMamre; let them take their share.”10

Let us also read the footnotes supllied by the translators so that we maybe able to grasp the real message of the preceding verses. The first is for the

eighteenth verse of the fourteenth chapter. That note may be read below.Salem: traditionally identified with Jerusalem (Psalm 76, 3), but

the Hebrew text is not certain; instead of the present melek shalem(“king of Salem”), the original may have been melek shelemo (“aking allied to him”). In Hebrews 7, 2, “king of Salem” is interpretedas “king of peace” (shalom).11

The second footnote is for verse nineteen of the fourteenth chapter and thatnote follows.

God Most High: in Hebrew, el-elyon. In Canaanite texts, eachelement may occur separately as a name of a specific deity, orthey may be applied together to a single deity, as is done here bythe Canaanite priest Melchizedek. For the Israelites, el became apoetic synonym for elohim (“God”); elyon (“Most High”) becameone of the titles of their God Yahweh.12

Verse twenty of chapter fourteen has been explained by way of a footnotealso. That note is being presented below.

Abram gave him: literally “he gave him”; but Abram is to beunderstood as the subject of the sentence, for the tithes were thetenth part assigned to priests; please see Hebrews 7,4-10.13

The fourth footnote was offered as an explanation to verse twenty-two ofchapter fourteen and that note reads:

Abraham uses the name of the Canaanite god el-elyon (“Godthe Most High”) in apposition to the name of his God, yahweh(“the LORD”).14

Abram was childless because his wife, Sarai, was barren. Sarai, then,told Abram to have sexual relations with her maidservant named Hagar justto have a son. Hagar gave birth to Abram’s first-born whom he namedIshmael.

You may be wondering why we have been talking about a man namedAbram all the while. You may be thinking of an error in pronunciation. Letme recommend that you read the whole of chapter seventeen of the NEWAMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS.

The birth of Abraham’s son by his wife, Sarah, was foretold and it wasrecorded in NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS chapter eighteenverses nine to fifteen. He was born when Abraham was a hundred years oldand was named Isaac. It was through him that God’s promise of innumerabledescendants of Abraham would be fulfilled.

Please read NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 22:1-18 to knowmore about Isaac before we discuss his part in the history as one of thepatriarchs.

The Other PatriarchsThe Lord carefully formed a people. He did it in the fashion of

“the work of a smith purifying gold.”Isaac, the son of Abraham, was married to a granddaughter of Nahor

son of Terah and brother of Abraham. How did it happen? We may readabout that in NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 24:1-66.

Isaac was forty years of age when he married Rebekah. Rebekah wassterile. Isaac, however, earnestly requested the Lord for offspring by her.

God heeded his request and she bore him a twin. They were named Esauand Jacob. Isaac was then sixty years old.15

Esau came out first and he enjoyed the favor of Isaac, his father. Rebekah,on the other hand, favored Jacob.

The blessings that Isaac, in his old age, intended for Esau wasunintentionally given to Jacob.

“Ah, the fragrance of my sonis like the fragrance of a fieldthat the Lord has blessed!

“May God give to youof the dew of the heavens

And of the fertility of the earthabundance of grain and wine.

“Let peoples serve you,and nations pay you homage;

Be master of your brothers,and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be those who curse you,and blessed be those who bless you.”16

Upon Rebekah’s prompting, Isaac discouraged Jacob from taking aHittite woman for a wife.17 Isaac, consequently, sent him to Paddan-aramwhere Laban, Rebekah’s brother was residing, so that he could choose awife from among his cousins there.18

Do you care to know something about that which our separated brethrencall tithe or tithing? Read NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS chaptertwenty-eight verses ten to twenty-two. You may be surprised.

Jacob reached the native land of his mother and met his uncle, Laban.He was welcome there. He maried his wives during his sojourn in the landof his kinsmen.

Jacob is also remembered as Israel in these days of ours. Care to knowwhy? Please read NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 32:23-33.

The sons of Jacob were now twelve. The sons of Leah: Reuben,Jacob’s first-born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; †thesons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; the sons of Rachel’s maidBilhah: Dan and Naphtali; the sons of Leah’s maid Zilpah: Gad andAsher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.19

An explanatory footnote has been supplied for verses twenty-four and thefollowing ones of chapter thirty-five. That note follows.

Benjamin is here said to have been born in Paddan-aram, eitherbecause all twelve sons of Jacob are considered as a unit, or becausethe Priestly source, from which verses 23-29 are taken, follows atradition different from that of the Elohistic source found in verses16-20.20

Joseph was sold by his own brothers to Midianite merchants passing bywho eventually sold him to slavery in Egypt. To appreciate this incidentbetter, we are recommended to read NEW AMERICAN BIBLE

GENESIS chapter thirty-seven, verses one through thirty-six.God favored Joseph. The monarch of Egypt came to know of his God-

given ability. Joseph’s interpretation of the monarch’s dream was appreciated.Seven years of good harvest will be followed by seven years of draught.The pharaoh gave him charge of grains of the whole kingdom. Draughtcame after seven years of good harvest. Famine was all-over except inEgypt.21

Ten among Joseph’s brothers had to travel to Egypt to buy grains. Theydid not know that the man whom they had to deal with was the same personthey sold to slavery to the Midianites. The revelation to the ten was atrembling moment. The contrite hearts of the ten was met with a benevolentand forgiving one in Joseph. It was a pleasnt surprise to Jacob in his oldage.22

Let us devote sometime to the will of Israel with regards his sons, thetwelve patriarchs of Israel.

“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,listen to Israel, your father.

“You, Reuben, my first-born,my strength and the first fruit of my manhood,excelling in rank and excelling in power!

Unruly as water, you shall no longer excel,for you climbed into your father’s bedand defiled my couch to my sorrow.

† “Simeon and Levi, brothers indeed,weapons of violence are their knives.

Let not my soul enter their council,or my spirit be joined with their company;

For in their fury they slew men,in their willfulness they maimed oxen.

Cursed be their fury so fierce,and their rage so cruel!

I will scatter them in Jacob,disperse them throughout Israel.

“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise- your hand on the neck of your enemies;the sons of your father shall bow down to you.

Judah, like a lion’s whelp,you have grown up on prey, my son.

He crouches like a lion recumbent,the king of beasts - who would dare rouse him?

† The scepter shall never depart from Judah,or the mace from between his legs,

While tribute is brought to him,and he receives the people’s homage.

† He tethers his donkey to the vine,his purebred ass to the choicest stem.

In wine he washes his garments,his robe in the blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine,and his teeth are whiter than milk.

“Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore[This means a shore for ships], and his flank shall be based

on Sidon.“Issachar is a rawboned ass,

crouching between the saddle-bags.When he saw how good a settled life was,

and how pleasant the country,He bent his shoulder to the burden

and became a tolling serf.† “Dan shall achieve justice for his kindred

like any other tribe of Israel.Let Dan be a serpent by the roadside,

a horned viper by the path,That bites the horses heel,

so that the rider tumbles backward.“[I long for your deliverance, O Lord!]

† “Gad shall be raided by raiders,but he shall raid at their heels.

“Asher’s produce is rich,and he shall furnish dainties for kings.

“Naphtali is a hind let loosewhich brings forth lovely fawns.

“Joseph is a wild colt,a wild colt by a spring,a wild ass on a hillside.

Harrying and attacking,the archers opposed him;

But each one’s bow remained stiff,as their arms were unsteady,

By the power of the Mighty One of Jacob,because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

† The God of our father, who helps you,God Almighty, who blesses you,

With the blessings of the heavens above,the blessings of the abyss that crouches below,

The blessings of breasts and womb,the blessings of fresh grain and blossoms,

The blessings of the everlasting mountains,the delights of the eternal hills.

May they rest on the head of Joseph,on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;mornings he devours the prey,and evenings he distributes the spoils.”23

There are six footnotes that the translators offered for the precedingverses. The first one is for verse five and we can read that note below.

Knives: if this is the meaning of the obscure Hebrew wordhere, the reference may be to the knives used in circumcising themen of Shechem (34, 24; please see Joshua 5,2)24

The second footnote is for verse ten and we are presenting that note below.While tribute is brought to him: This translation is based on

the slight change in the Hebrew text, which, as it stands would

seem to mean, “until he comes to Shiloh.” A somewhat differentreading of the Hebrew text would be, “until he comes to whom itbelongs.” This last has been traditionally understood in a Messianicsense. In any case, the passage foretells the supremacy of thetribe of Judah, which found its fulfillment in the Davidic dynastyand ultimately in the Messianic Son of David, Jesus Christ.25

The third footnote is offered to explain the eleventh verse and that note maybe read below.

In wine...the blood of grapes: Judah’s clothes are poeticallypictured as soaked with grape juice from trampling in the winepress, the rich vintage of his land; please see Isaiah 63, 2.26

The fourth footnote offered by the translators is an explanation of versesixteen and that note follows.

In Hebrew the verb for achieve justice is from the same rootas the name Dan.27

The fifth footnote explains the name “Gad” in verse nineteen and that noteis being presented below.

In Hebrew there is a certain assonance between the name Gadand the words for “raided,” “raiders” and “raid.”28

The last footnote is offered for verses twenty-five and the following and ittells us that “A very similar description of the agricultural riches of thetribal land of Joseph is given in Deuteronomy 33,13-16.”29

Migrants Israel and his descendants stayed in Egypt for several centuriesuntil the time of Moses who brought, upon God’s promptings, them out ontheir way to the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. Wecan read about these events in the NEW AMERICAN BIBLE EXODUS.

The People of God in the Promised LandA place of domicile is a basic need of every human being. So

also is a means of sustenance which cannot be anything else butagriculture and arrable land.

The land flowing with milk and honey was not presented to thedescendants of Israel as though an open city welcoming invaders. TheAmorite kingdoms of Sihon and Og were both leveled to the ground as theIsraelites occupied their lands.30

After crossing the river Jordan, the Israelites took the city of Jericho inthe manner God had commanded them to do except for a misappropriationby Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah.31

God punished Israel on account of the misappropriation. That punishmentis narrated in NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOSHUA chapter seven, versesone through five.

The city of Ai was captured by the Israelites after Jericho and we canread the narrative of that in NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOSHUA chaptereight, verses one through twenty-nine.

All the other territories in the Promised Land were captured by theIsraelites under the leadership of Joshua. We can read about said campaignas well as the apportionment of the land from the tenth through the twenty-first chapters of NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOSHUA.

The Chosen People had ups and downs in the land that the Lord gave

them. They were up whenever they were doing the will of God. They weredown during the lapses. In those instances that the chosen people weredown God would have sent Judges to lead them out of physical harm.Prophets were also sent to remind them of the promised Messiah who willdeliver them out of the sorry state they fell into on account of transgressionof God’s Law.

The Judges were replaced by kings in Israel. Most prominent among thekings was David, the successor to Saul, the first king.

We can read about all these in the NEW AMERICAN BIBLEtranslation of the books of JUDGES, SAMUEL, KINGS, the major andminor prophets.

Isaiah, one of the major prophets, wrote:A voice cries out:

In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

Every valley shall be filled in,every mountain and hill shall be made low;

The rugged land shall be made a plain,the rough country, a broad valley.

Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,and all mankind shall see it together;for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.32

Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shallbe with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.33

Please take a look at the footnote for the preceding verse in the NEWAMERICAN BIBLE. We can read that note below.

The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservationof Judah in the midst of distress (please see 7, 15.17), but moreespecially with the fulfillment of God’s earlier promise to David(2Samuel 7, 12-16) in the coming of Immanuel (meaning, “With usis God”) as the ideal king (please see 9, 5-6; 11 1-5). The Churchhas always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendentfulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother. The prophetneed not have known the full force latent in his own words; andsome Catholic writers have sought a preliminary and partialfulfillment in the conception and birth of the future king Hezekiah,whose mother, at the time Isaiah spoke, would have been a young,unmarried woman (Hebrew, almah) the Holy Spirit was preparing,however, for another Nativity which alone could fulfill the divinelygiven terms of Immanuel’s mission, and in which the perpetualvirginity of the Mother of God was to fulfill also the words of thisprophecy in the integral sense intended by the divine Wisdom.34

† But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,and from his roots a bud shall blossom

† The the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:a spirit of wisdom and of understanding.

A spirit of counsel and of strength,a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.

Not by appearance shall he judge,nor by hearsay shall he decide,

But he shall judge the poor with justice,and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist,and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

† Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

The calf and the young lion shall browse together,with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,together their young shall rest;the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord,as water covers the sea.

On that day,The root of Jesse,

set up as a signal for the nations,The Gentiles shall seek out,

for his dwelling shall be glorious.† On that day,

The Lord shall again take it in handto reclaim the remnant of his peoplethat is left from Assyria and Egypt,

Pathros, Ethiopia, and Elam,Shinar, Hamath, and the isles of the sea.35

There are four footnotes that the translators offered for the precedingverses. The first of those is for verse one and that note may be read below.

Jesse: David’s father. Shoot ... stump: after the Babylonianexile only a stump of the Davidic dynasty will remain from it willarise the new shoot, the messianic King.36

The second footnote is an explanation of verses two and three. That note isbeing presented below.

The source of the traditional names of the gifts of the HolySpirit. The Septuagint and the Vulgate read “piety” for fear of theLORD in its first occurence, thus listing seven gifts.37

The penultimate footnote is for verses six to nine and that note is “Thispicture of the idyllic harmony of paradise is a dramatic symbol of theuniversal peace and justice of messianic times.”38 The last footnote isoffered for the eleventh verse and that note may be read below.

Pathros ... sea: where God’s people lived in exile. Pathros:upper Egypt. Elam: east of Babylonia. Shinar: Babylonia. Hamath:on the Orontes River in Syria. Isles: or coastlands, in theMediterranean.39

Then let us proceed to the main event of this conference.

The RedeemerThe promised Redeemer arrived and accomplished his

soteriological mission.The prologue of the first Gospel to be written started with the words:

†Here begins the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. †InIsaiah the prophet it is written:

“I send my messenger before you to prepare your way:† a herald’s voice in the desert, crying,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord,clear him a straight path.’”40

There are three footnotes that the translators offered for the preceding threeverses. The first one is for the first verse and that note is being presentedbelow.

This verse is probably the title of the entire gospel, which Markregards as the account of Jesus’ ministry of redemption. Severalimportant early manuscripts lack the phrase Son of God; itsauthenticity, however, is accepted by most modern scholars.41

The second footnote explains, in part, the second and third verses. Thatnote follows. “Portions of Exodus (23, 20), Malachi (3, 1) and Isaiah(40, 3) are combind here; please see Matthew 11, 10; Luke 7, 26. Markmentions only Isaiah.”42 The third and last footnote explains the third andfouth verses of the fist chapter of the gospel according to St. Mark. Thatnote is “The historical concept of God’s fulfillment of prophecy is thesame as in Matthew. See note on Matthew 3, 1. On repentance, seenote on Acts 2, 38.”43

It went on to describe the ministry of St. John the Baptist which includedthe Baptism of Jesus and the temptation on the desert.44

The GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW devoted two ofits chapters for the prologue. It included the Genealogy of Jesus, His birth,the visit of the astrologers, the flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth innorthern Israeli province of Galilee.45 Please take note that the ministry ofJohn the Baptist with the Baptism of Jesus, and the temptation on the desertwere included in the section of Promulgation of the Reign of God.46

The GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE has more details aboutthe early life of Jesus. One hundred twenty-seven verses have been devotedto the so-called Infancy Narrative. The members of the Catholic BiblicalAssociation of America who translated the BIBLE into English wrote:

Beneath the simple beauty of Luke’s infancy narrative therelies a remarkable depth of theological reflection. It centers aboutthe similarity and the contrast between the religious mission of Johnthe Baptizer and that of Jesus. By presenting the parallelannouncements of their conception and birth (1,5-25: 1, 26-38, 1,57and the following verse; 2,1-20) and the parallel narratives of theircircumcision (1,59-63; 2,21), to which are added propheciesconcerning the unique religious importance of Jesus (2,22-40), theevangelist brings into sharp focus the transcendence of Jesus’person and mission over John’s.

This parallelism in literary structure, along with the pervadinguse of OLD TESTAMENT passages and ideas, conveys thebasically theological character of the infancy gospel.

Mary is presented as the virgin divinely chosen in Israel to bethe mother of Jesus and to experience the mystery and the spiritual

benefits of his redemptive mission (1,34-38.42.45-55; 2,19.35-51).She is the prefigurement of the life and destiny of the Christiancommunity.47

Let us take a glimpse of some personalities in the Infancy Narrative.Let’s start with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. When Mary, Jesus’mother, greeted her on the former’s visit during the latter’s pregnancy, thebaby leapt in the latter’s womb and she exclaimed:

Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb.But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Themoment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby leapt in mywomb for joy. Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to herwould be fulfilled.”48

Zechariah doubted that he would be father to a son in his old age. Becauseof this he became mute and regained his capability to speak after he haddeclared, by writing, that the name of his son will be John. The first wordshe spoke upon regaining his ability to speak were:

“Blessed be the Lord the God of Israelbecause he has visited and ransomed his people.

He has raised a horn of saving strength for usin the house of David his servant,

As he promised through the mouths of his holy ones,the prophets of ancient times:

Salvation from our enemiesand from the hands of all our foes.

He has dealt mercifully with our fathersand remembered the holy covenant he made,

The oath he swore to Abraham our father he would grant us;that, rid of fear and delivered from the enemy,

We should serve him devoutly and through all our daysbe holy in his sight.

And you, O child, shall be calledprophet of the Most High;

For you shall go before the Lordto prepare straight paths for him,

Giving his people a knowledge of salvationin freedom from their sins,

All this is the work of the kindness of our God;he, the Dayspring, shall visit us in his mercy

To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the way of peace.”49

Everytime we sleep, we are not speaking intentionally. Whenever wewake up, we also start to speak. What words do we usually utter first?

We are all too familiar with the circumstances of the birth of Jesus. Orare we really familiar with them? Are we more preoccupied with what foodto serve for Noche Buena? Are we more preoccupied with what to wrapfor our loved ones? Are we aware of what the Church was doing during thefour Sundays of Advent? Do we really know what Advent is all about?

It is good to expect the joy that the birth of Jesus brings. It is truly ajubilant occasion. It is a joyous season that must be prepared for andpreparations like that must be both spiritual and material. Spiritual

preparation means cleansing of the soul. It means getting rid of the stains ofthe sins we have committed after Baptism or after the last Confession.

Our joy during the celebration of Christmas must be both spiritual andmaterial. Such joy is possible only after a good Confession.

What do we do after Christmas? Do we passively wait for the the MaundyThursday and Good Friday as the next holidays? What about AshWednesday? What about the weeks of Lent? We probably wait for PalmSunday only for the annual opportunity of participating in the blessing ofpalms. And for what? So that we can have something in our dwelling placethat the evil spirits will be afraid of?

We are longing for the procession of Good Friday when the Priest goesto fetch the Sto. Sepulchro and the Mater Dolorosa. What does thatprocession mean to us?

The main personality of Christmas, Palm Sunday and Good Friday isone and the same person who is also the main character of Easter Sundaycelebrations. He is the man whom Pontius Pilate meant when he said “Eccehomo!” (Behold the man!) He is the man whom Judas Iscariot kissed in thegarden of olives on that night that was fateful for him but beneficial for us.

The man, who was thrice disowned by one of his most trusted man, wasthe same man who showed the world how to be humble to the point ofdoing the job of a slave.

“Do you understand what I just did for you?You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’and fittingly enough,for that is what I am,But if I washed your feet -I who am Teacher and Lord -then you must wash each other’s feet.What I just did was to give you an example:as I have done, so you must do.†I solemnly assure you,no slave is greater than his master;no messenger outranks the one who sent him.Once you know all these things,blest will you be if you put them into practice.50

The translators offered a footnote to explain the noun “messenger” in versesixteen of the preceding verses. That note is being presented below.

Messenger: the Greek has apostolos, the only occurence ofthe term in John. It is not used in the technical sense here.51

The man, who just before his death that was perfectly known to himanyway, left his closest friends and all of us a means of being perenniallywith us until the end of the world.

Then, taking bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it tothem saying: “This is my body to be given for you. Do this as aremembrance of me.” He did the same with the cup after eating,saying as he did so. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood,which will be shed for you.52

Jesus, Soter in Greek, saved us from the slavery of sin. Take note, myfriend, that the English translation of the Hebrew name Jesus is Savior. The

job that He did was complete as far as He is concerned. On our end,something must be done, that is our part in our salvation. We have to approachthe Sacrament of reconciliation and amend our lives to adapt it to the planGod has laid down.

Notes1. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 1:1-2:4a 2. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 2:4b-253. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 12:2-3 4. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 12:75. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE EXODUS 33:1 6. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE DEUTERONOMY 34:47. JERUSALEM BIBLE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 7:5 8. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 13:11-129. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 13:14-18 10. NEW AMERICAM BIBLE GENESIS 14:17-2411. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 14:18.12. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 14:19.13. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 14:20.14. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 14:22.15. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 25:20-26 16. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 27:27b-2917. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 27:46 18. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 28:1-519. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 35:22d-2620. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 35:24 and the folowing verses.21. please read NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 41:1-5722. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 42:1-45:28 23. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:2-2724. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:5 25. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:1026. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:11 27. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:1628. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49:1929. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE GENESIS 49: 25 and the following verse30. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOSHUA 2:10b 31. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOSHUA 7:16-2632. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 40:3-5 33. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 7:1434. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 7:14 35. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 11:1-1136. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 11:1 37. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 11:2-338. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 11:6-9 39. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE ISAIAH 11:1141. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MARK 1:1 42. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MARK 1:2-343. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MARK 1:3-4 44. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MARK 1:4-1245. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MATTHEW 1:1-2346. please see NEW AMERICAN BIBLE MATTHEW 3:1-4:7 47. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE LUKE 1:5-2:5248. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE LUKE 1:42b-45 49. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE LUKE 2:68-7950. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOHN 13:12c-17 51. Footnote to NEW AMERICAN BIBLE JOHN 13:1652. NEW AMERICAN BIBLE LUKE 22:19-20

SECOND CONFERENCE:INTRODUCTION TO THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

The written word of God is permeating lives of men and women in societiesof the world for thousands of years by now. It has been the basic readingmaterial for Jews and Christians alike.

What is the BIBLEThe written word of God has been compiled to form a library or

a collection of books. Such collection is called BIBLE.Every part of a book, every book in the library called BIBLE had been

subjected to critical study. They all passed the measuring standard calledcanon. They are all inspired.

Fittingly, the BIBLE is also called the Written Word of God. It is God’smessage in human language.

Biblical scholarship have come up with inspiration, canonicity andhermeneutics. These three have been a great help in human appreciation ofthe Sacred Texts. Knowing that the words of Sacred Scriptures are inspiredby the Holy Spirit serves as an assurance that its readers can rely on them.Canonicity of every single book of the BIBLE ascertains that none of theparts of the BIBLE is not inspired. Hermeneutics is the ready tool forinterpreting the Sacred Texts.

How was the BIBLE WrittenEvery part of a book in the BIBLE has, at least, two authors:

God himself and the hagiographer/s, the human author/s who did the

actual writing.The principal author of all books in the entire collection called BIBLE is

only one, the Holy Spirit. The principal author is the Holy Spirit or in anotherway of saying, God Himself.

The actual jotting down of the words was done by human beings writingunder the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Those human beings were thehagiographers (literally sacred writers). Since they were all inspired whilewriting, the end product are not exclusively their own. They were, in fact,secondary authors of the end product.

There were a lot of hagiographers. There were not only one for eachbook as some books were jotted down by more than two hagiographers.Traditions, in fact, had been penned by a lot of inspired writers. Traditionsand other documents were the sources of the materials collated and compiledby scholars working under the guidance and approval of the Magisteriumof the Church.

Redactors and editors also had a hand in the production of the librarycalled BIBLE. They were not reported as inspired writers as thehagiographers were. However, they worked under the men who had chargeof the community of God’s people.

How was the BIBLE PreservedOnce compiled, men in monasteries undertook the task of

carefully copying manuscripts to new and better writing materialsavailable.

Hermits developed into monks. The former lived individually in thewilderness. The latter live in communities inside monasteries. Thepredecessors devoted their lives in the srvice of God. The successorscontinued what their predecessors had started.

There were a lot more of hermits in the early days of the Church. Men,of those days, who would opt for a fuller life would escape the materialworld thus the slogan “fuga mundi” (meaning escape from the world) waspopularized. They would go away from the so-called civilized world andlive alone in the desert or the wilderness.

There were hermits who eventually became great names in the Church.St. Paul of the Desert or St. Paul the Hermit and St. Anthony of the Desertwere but two of them.

St. Pachomius was the first among the hermits who thought of forming acommunity. He thought that it would be beneficial for individual hermits todwell collegially in a designated place of domicile. These hermits wereeventualy called monks and their place of domicile was named monastery.

The monks, among other chores, engaged themselves in copyingmanuscripts of the Sacred Writings from old and almost worn out materialsto new ones. They did it in order to preserve the Sacred Texts from vanishingalong with the deterioration of the materials on which they were written.

They practically were working throughout the hours when daylight wasavailable. It was tedious a job because none of them were going to makemistakes in copying. They were not really allowed as they were working onthe Word of God.

The efforts and sacrifices of the monks in the one holy Church of Godwhich is universal and apostolic at the same time bore fruits for our benefits.We owe to them that we have the BIBLE. Its translations to differentlanguages are continuously being done to this days of ours.

Translations of the BIBLEAs the need arose, and for easier dissemination of the message

contained in the BIBLE, translations to languages were done.The languages of the BIBLE are classical Hebrew and classical Greek.

The original manuscripts were written in those languages because they werethe languages of the hagiographers. Unless we know how to read andunderstand those two languages, we cannot rightly and rightfully say thatwe are reading the BIBLE. The best we can say is that we can read at leasta translation of the BIBLE.

The BIBLE has been composed using different literary styles. Thelanguage in prose has always been distinct from the language in poetry.Poetry was easier to remember than prose. Poetry was widely employedduring the times when much of the transmission of ideas had to be be doneorally. Language, as a means of communication and transmission of ideas,evolved in time from poetry to prose as more convenient media ofcommunication had been invented.

Let us also consider the fact that every single human language has itspeculiar idioms and idomatic expressions.

Let us move a little bit further on. Translating the BIBLE into Englishinvolved a task of taking something from a text of an Asian language andexpressing it in a modern European language, on the farthest extent, andfrom an ancient or classical eastern European laguage to a modernnorthwestern European language on the nearest extent.

Reading the BIBLE through TranslationsOrdinary folks of our times, including ourselves and our separated

brethren, now read the Word of God in translations.What difference does it make if we read the BIBLE or if we read a

translation of the BIBLE?We have very little chance, if ever, to read the BIBLE because what we

have now, ordinarily in our hands, are translations of the BIBLE.There are common aspects that we have to consider in reading literary

works, whether in the original language or through translations. We have tobear in mind the various literary styles and forms and understand every partin its proper style and form. Poetry is to be appreciated and comprehendedas a poem that is why those reading such in public must do so in the mannera poem is read. On the other hand, prose narratives must be apprehendedas a prose, hence, must be read in public in the manner that prose is read.

Problems may arise when we read a translation without, at least a basic,knowledge of the language of origin. Among those can be that in connectionwith idioms and idiomatic expressions.

Take note of theTagalog idiom “bahag-hari” and “bahay-kubo.” These

are both compound words that assumed a different meaning.The literal translation into English of the former would be king’s loincloth.

This translation reflects a facet of the ancient Tagalog society where onlythe king was entitled to wear a loincloth with many different colors. Thecontextual English translation of the former, however, is rainbow.

Bahay-kubo would be literally translated into English as a little dwellingplace. It is a description of the thing named. The contextual translation ofBahay-kubo is nipa hut. The former illustrates the thing named while thelatter is a little bit misleading.

To illustrate: bahay-kubo is an original Tagalog idiomatic expression.Americans translated it (or more appropriately named the thing referred toas bahay-kubo) as nipa hut. The English term can be more of a translationof the Spanish chiosa de nipa than that of the original name, bahay-kubo.

A person, who knows nothing of Tagalog, reading the term nipa hut willhave a lot to imagine. He may start figuring out how can any part of the nipaplant can be used as flooring for a hut. He may also think that the trunk ofnipa is similar to that of other trees that may be used as lumber, but we, whoknow what nipa is, certainly are aware that it cannot be that way.

We have, briefly, illustrated how idioms may be translated.Let us take note of the sample that follow.Please read 1SAMUEL 24:4 in the translation in your hands.The NEW AMERICAN BIBLE reads: “When he came to the

sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave, which he entered to easenature. David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of thecave.”

The JERUSALEM BIBLE rendered it as: “He came to thesheepfoldsa along the route where there was a cave, and he went in tocover his feet.b Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses ofthe cave;” The footnote that explains the word “sheepfolds” is “a. Drystoneenclosures to house flocks at night.” The other footnote explains that “tocover his feet” is a “b. Euphemism for ‘to ease oneself’.”

The presentation in English may not be that clear, and so let us peep intothe Catholic edition of the translation by the Philippine Bible Society. Thereit is verse three instead of verse four and it reads: “Nang matapat sila saisang kulungan ng tupa sa tabi ng daan, nanabi siya sa may bungangang kuweba sa tapat ng kulungan. Samantala, sina David ay nagtatagosa loob ng kuwebang iyon.” Highlighting of some quoted words in thisand in the preceding two paragraphs are the author’s.

The NEW AMERICAN BIBLE translated the Hebrew idiom into theequivalent idiom in American usage.

The JERUSALEM BIBLE translated the Hebrew idiom literally andthen explained the idiom by way of an explanatory footnote.

The translators from the Philippine Bible Society employed an equivalentidiom in Tagalog for the original idiom in Hebrew.

What if we have just read about a man covering his feet without thefootnote? We would probably imagine a bare-footed king trying to hide hisfeet. But of what use?

There is a real necessity for us to be introduced to reading the SACREDSCRIPTURES. We have to be aware of the circumstances surroundingthe composition of every book of the BIBLE that we read.

We need the guidance of the person who knows. We need to consult apriest regularly in order that our understanding of the Sacred Writings willbe directed and the concept that may be formed in our mind will be the realmessage that is being revealed to us.

The next question will be why a priest? Why not a minister of a protestantdenomination? Why not Eli Soriano or Mariano Velarde or the company ofEraño Manalo?

We have to consult the one who knows, whose guidance we need, andis possessing the divine guarantee that Jesus has granted while He was stillhere on earth and preaching. Where do we find those possessing the divineguarantee except in the Church that Jesus founded upon the rock, the ApostlePeter? The Church that was founded by Jesus was initially headed by theApostle Peter as the first Visisble Head of the Church here on earth. Whosucceeded him if not the Holy Father whom we also refer to as the Pope?And who are his collaborators if not the entire clergy?

We, therefore, must consult a priest and only a priest of the Church thatOur Lord Jesus Christ founded in 33AD for our benefit, so that we mayattain salvation for our souls.

The history of the Church that we mean is the subject matter of the nextconference.

THIRD CONFERENCE: SURVEY OF CHURCH HISTORY

The work of redemption has been accomplished as far as the Redeemeris concerned. He exclaimed, while hanging on the cross on Mount Calvary,“It is finished!” Such a statement signifies that His part in the work of oursalvation has been fully accomplished. However, as St. Augustine of Hippoaptly pointed out, “God who created you without your consent will notsave you without your knowledge.” We have to accomplish our part inthe salvation of our souls.

Jesus, however, knew that we will not be able to do it on our own. Heknew fully well that we still need His help in accomplishing our part in thesalvation of our souls. We need to be kept alive in hope, to be sustained inthe faith, to be nourished with sanctifying grace. Hence, the necessity offounding a Church.

He actually founded a Church for our benefit. Jesus did not leave usorphans.

The Birth of the ChurchAnnounced in Cæsarea Philippi, the Church was born out of the

side of Christ pierced by a lance.The immediate preparation for the birth of the Church lasted for almost

three years.30-33AD: Ang pangangaral ni Jesus (matutunghayan sa 4 na

MABUTING BALITA o EBANGHELYO) ay naganap sa loob ng

tatlong taon. Tinatawag din ang tatlong taong iyon ng Buhay naPangmadla ni Jesus (o Public Life of Jesus sa wikang Inggles).Sinimulan Niya iyon sa hilaga ng Lawa ng Genezareth o Lawang Galilea at ipinagpatuloy Niya hanggang makarating saJerusalem, malapit sa Timog Israel kung saan Siya ipinagkanuloat hinatulan ng parusang kamatayan bagaman walangnagawang kasalanan.

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, pp. 4-5)

30AD: Ipinalalagay na tinawag ng Panginoon si San Andresat ang kapatid niyang si SIMON na nang malaon ay tinawag dingPEDRO.

Isinilang si San Andres bar Jona sa Bethsaida, Galilea sahilagang Israel. Siya’y nakatatandang kapatid ni SAN PEDRO, isapa ring mangingisda. Una niyang nakita ang Panginoong Jesusnang iyo’y pumaroon sa Ilog Jordan upang magpabinyag kaySan Juan Bautista. Nakilala niya at ng isa pang alagad ni SanJuan Bautista na ang bininyagan ay ang Mesiyas nangkinabukasan pagkakitang muli kay Jesus ay sabihin ni San JuanBautista “Narito ang Kordero ng Diyos!”17 Sinundan nila angpapaalis nang si Jesus at kanilang tinanong “Saan po kayonakatira, Rabi?”18 na sinagot naman ng “Halikayo at tingnanninyo.”19 Ibinalita niya iyon kay SAN SIMON subali’t hindi siyagaanong pinansin.

Tinawag siya, kasama ng kanyang kapatid, ng atingPanginoong Jesus habang naglilinis ng lambat at noon di’y iniwanang kanyang ama at sumunod sa ating Panginoon.

Si San Andres bar Jona ay ipinako sa krus na angpagkakagawa ay katulad ng titik na ekis sa panahon ng pag-uusig ng imperyong Romano.

Ipinagdiriwang ng buong Simbahan ang kanyang kagitingantuwing ika-30 ng Nobyembre. Ang pagdiriwang na ito ay katunayanng katotohanang hindi mabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabini Kristo: “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”20

Ipinalalagay na tinawag ng Panginoon si San Santiago Mayorat ang kapatid niyang si San Juan.

Ipinanganak si San Santiago Mayor sa Bethsaida, Galileasa hilagang Israel. Tinawag siya ng ating Panginoong Jesushabang nasa dalampasigan ng Lawa ng Galilea at noon di’ysumunod sa ating Panginoon.

Nang ayaw silang paraanin sa isang nayon ng mgaSamaritano ay tinanong niya ang ating Panginoon kung nais baNiyang paulanan ng apoy (kulog at kidlat) ang nayong iyon. Hindiiyon ipinahintulot ng Panginoon, bagama’t dahil doon aytinagurian siyang Boanerges (o Anak ng Kulog).

Si San Santiago Mayor ang unang apostol na martir.Ipinapatay siya ni Herodes noong taong 42AD humigit-kumulangat itinuturing na unang apostol na pinatay dahil sapananampalataya. Isang simbahan sa Compostela, Espanyaang itinalaga para sa kanyang karangalan at kabayanihan. Malaki

ang pagpapahalaga sa kanya sa dakong iyon. Ang simbahangnabanggit ay karaniwang patunguhan ng mga paglalakbay dahilsa pamimintuho (o pilgrimages sa wikang Inggles).

Kinikilala rin siya bilang isa mga mahahalagang patron ngMga Kursilyo sa Pagka-Kristiyano dahil na rin sapagkakapagtatag ng kilusan sa lugar na malapit sa Compostelaat ng inspirasyong nakuha ni Obispo Juan Hervas, D.D., angkinikilalang tagapagtatag ng kilusang nabanggit. Malaking bagaydin ang tatag ng pananampalataya at tibay ng pamimintuho ngmga naglalakbay patungo sa simbahang itinalaga sa paggunitaat pamimintuho kay San Santiago Mayor.

Ipinagdiriwang ng buong Simbahan ang kanyang kagitingantuwing Hulyo 25. Ang pagdiriwang na ito ay katunayan ngkatotohanang hindi mabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabini Kristo: “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”21

Si San Felipe ay ipinanganak sa Bethsaida. Naging disipulomuna siya ni San Juan Bautista bago sumunod kay Kristo.Siya’y pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya bagama’t ang petsa atang lugar ng pagpatay sa kanya ay hindi napatala.

Si San Santiago Menor, pinsan ng Panginoon at anak niAlfeo ay naging unang Obispo ng Jerusalem. Siya’y sumulat ngEpistolang kasama ngayon sa mga aklat ng BAGONG TIPAN.Marami siyang naakit sa pananampalataya. Siya’y namuhay ngpayak at pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya noong taong 62AD.

Sa pangunahing dambana ng Simbahan ng LabindalawangApostol sa Roma ay makakatagpo ng mga relikya nina SanFelipe at San Santiago Menor kaya magkasabay silangpinararangalan ng buong Simbahan tuwing ika-3 ng Mayo, angpetsa ng pagtatalaga ng nasabing Simbahan noong taong 565AD.

Ang pagpaparangal na iyon ay isa pang katunayang totoo ang“...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindimakapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan.”22

Tinawag din ng ating Panginoong Hesukristo ang anim panglalaki upang mabuo ang Kolehiyo ng mga Apostol. Sila ay angmga sumusunod:

Si San Bartolome ay pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya omartir. Siya rin ang lalaking tumutugon sa pangalang Natanaelna binabanggit sa Ebanghelyo kaugnay ni San Felipe.

Ipinalaganap ni San Bartolome ang MABUTING BALITA saIndia at sa Armenia. Pinaniniwalaang hinataw siya sa Armeniahanggang matalop ang kanyang balat na siya na rin niyangikinamatay.

Ang kabayanihan ni San Bartolome ay ipinagdiriwang ngbuong Simbahan tuwing ikadalawampu’t apat ng Agosto.

Ang pagdiriwang na ito ay katunayan ng katotohanang hindimabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabi ni Kristo: “...SA IBABAW

NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindi

makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan.”23

Si San Judas Tadeo, pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya omartir, ay isa sa labindalawang apostol ng ating PanginoongJesukristo. Siya rin ang tinutukoy na Judas anak ni Santiago saibang bahagi ng mga Banal na Kasulatan.24 Siya rin ang apostolna nagtanong sa ating Panginoon noong sila’y magsalu-salo saHuling Hapunan kung bakit ipinahayag Niya ang Kanyang sarilisa mga disipulo lamang at hindi sa buong mundo.25

Si San Judas Tadeo ay ipinagdiriwang sa buong Simbahantuwing ikadalawampu’t walo ng Oktubre.


NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindimakapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan.”26

Tinawag si San Mateo ng Panginoon mula sa kanyangpuwesto sa paningilan ng buwis.

Si San Mateo, marahil, ang sumulat ng pinagbatayan ngMABUTING BALITA AYON KAY SAN MATEO.

Sa Judea muna siya nagpalaganap ng mensahe ngEbanghelyo at dahil sa ang estilo ng nabanggit na MABUTINGBALITA ay malapit sa mga Hudyo, madaling mapapansin angkoneksiyon ng EBANGHELYONG iyon kay San Mateo.

Nang malaon ay nagtungo rin siya sa Ethiopia upangmagpalaganap ng Kristiyanismo roon. Sa Ethiopia siya pinataydahil sa pananampalataya.

Si San Mateo ay pinipintakasi ng mga accountants at opisyalng Customs.

Ang kabayanihan ni San Mateo ay ipinagdiriwang sa buongSimbahan tuwing ikadalawampu’t isa ng Setyembre.



Si San Simon Makabayan, pinatay dahil sa pananampalatayao martir, ay panglabing-isa sa talaan ng mga apostol ng atingPanginoon. Siya ay ipinanganak sa Cana, Galilea.

Si San Simon Makabayan ay ipinagdiriwang ng buongSimbahan tuwing ikadalawampu’t walo ng Oktubre.



Si Santo Tomas Didimo (o Kambal) ay pinatay dahil sapananampalataya o martir.

Naglaho ang kanyang pag-aalinlangan at iyo’y napalitan ngpananampalataya nang makita niya ang mga sugat ng atingPanginoon.

Si Santo Tomas Didimo (o Kambal) ang kinikilalangtagapagtatag ng Simbahan sa Kerala, India. Itinuturing siyangpatron ng mga nagtatayo ng infrastruktura, gayundin ng India atPakistan.

Ang kabayanihan ni Santo Tomas Didimo (o Kambal) ayipinagdiriwang sa buong Simbahan tuwing ikatatlo ng Hulyo.



Si Judas Iscariote ang apostol na nagkanulo sa atingPanginoon at pagkatapos ay nagbigti.

Inanyayahan at dumalo si Jesus sa kasalan sa Cana.Pagkalipas ng dalawang araw, may kasalan sa Cana, Galilea, at

naroon ang ina ni Jesus. Si Jesus at ang kanyang mga alagad aynaroon din. Kinapos ng alak kaya’t sinabi ng ina ni Jesus sa kanya,“Naubusan sila ng alak.” Sinabi ni Jesus, “Huwag ninyo akongpangunahan, Ginang! Hindi pa ito ang panahon ko.” Sinabi ngkanyang ina sa mga naglilingkod. “Gawin ninyo ang anumang sabihinniya sa inyo.”

Doo’y may anim na tapayan, ang bawat isa’y naglalaman ngdalawampu hanggang tatlumpung galon. (Nakalaan ang mga itopara sa paglilinis ayon sa tuntuning panrelihiyon ng mga Judio.) Sinabini Jesus sa mga katulong, “Punuin ninyo ng tubig ang mga tapayan.”At pinuno nga nila hanggang sa labi. Pagkatapos, sinabi niya,“Sumalok kayo ngayon at dalhin ninyo sa namamahala ng handaan.”Dinalhan nga nila ang namamahala ng handaan. Tinikman namannito ang tubig na naging alak. Hindi niya alam kung saan nanggalingiyon, bagama’t alam ng mga katulong na sumalok ng tubig, kaya’ttinawag niya ang lalaking ikinasal. Sinabi niya rito, “Ang una ponginihahain ay ang masarap na alak. Kapag marami nang nainom angmga tao, saka inihahain ang mababang uri. Nguni’t ipinagpahuli ninyoang masarap na alak.”

Ang nangyaring ito sa Cana, Galilea, ay siyang unangkababalaghang ginawa ni Jesus. Sa pamamagitan nito’y inihayagniya ang kanyang kadakilaan, at nanalig sa kanya ang mga alagad.30

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.5-9)

31 o 32AD: Ipinahayag ni Kristo sa Cæsarea Philippi angkanyang pagtatatag ng Simbahan.

Nang dumating si Jesus sa lupain ng Cæsarea Filipos, tinanongniya ang kanyang mga alagad, “Sino raw ang Anak ng Tao, ayonsa mga tao?” At sumagot sila, “Ang sabi po ng ilan ay si JuanBautista kayo. Sabi naman ng iba, si Elias kayo. At maynagsasabi pang si Jeremias kayo o isa sa mga propeta.” “Kayonaman, ano ang sabi ninyo? Sino ako?” tanong niya sa kanila.

Sumagot si Simon Pedro, “Kayo po ang Cristo, ang Anak ngDiyos na buhay.” Sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus, “Mapalad ka, Simonna anak ni Jonas! Sapagka’t ang katotohanang ito’y hindiinihayag sa iyo ng sinumang tao kundi ng aking amang nasalangit. At sinasabi ko naman sa iyo, ikaw ay Pedro, at SA IBABAW

NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindimakapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan. Ibibigay ko sa iyo ang mga susi ng kaharian nglangit: ang ipagbawal mo sa lupa ay ipagbabawal sa langit, atang ipahintulot mo sa lupa ay ipahihintulot sa langit.”33

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.9)

33AD: Ang Huling Hapunan ay malamang na naganap sa isangHuwebes ng gabi. Dalawang Sakramento ang itinatag ni Kristosa pagkakataong iyon. Ang mga iyon ay ang Sakramento ngBanal na Eukaristiya nang maganap ang isinasaad sa libis nito

Samantalang sila’y kumakain, dumampot ng tinapay si Jesus, atmatapos magpasalamat sa Diyos, kanyang pinagpira-piraso atibinigay sa mga alagad. “Kunin ninyo ito at kanin; ito ang akingkatawan,” wika niya. Hinawakan niya ang saro, nagpasalamat saDiyos at ibinigay sa kanila. “Uminom kayong lahat nito,” sabiniya. “Sapagka’t ito ang dugo ng tipan, ang aking dugo namabubuhos dahil sa marami, sa ikapagpapatawad ng mgakasalanan....”34

at ang Sakramento ng Pagpapari o Banal na Orden nang sabihinNiya ang mga katagang “...Gawin ninyo ito bilang pag-aalaalasa akin.”35

Ipinako sa krus si Jesus noong araw ng Biyernes, ika-14 ngNisan o maaaring makatapat ng Abril 14 sa taong ito (2006AD),36

Pitong pahayag ang binitiwan ni Jesus habang nakabayubay sakrus. Ang pitong iyon ay ang mga sumusunod:

“Ama, patawarin mo sila, sapagka’t hindi nila nalalamanang kanilang ginagawa.”37

“Sinasabi ko sa iyo: ngayon di’y isasama kita saParaiso.”38

“Ginang, narito ang iyong anak!”... ... “Narito ang iyongina!”39

“Diyos ko! Diyos ko! Bakit mo ako pinabayaan?”40

“Nauuhaw ako!”41

“Naganap na!”42

“Ama sa mga kamay mo’y inihahabilin ko ang akingespiritu!”43

Matutunghayan natin sa mga Banal na Kasulatan angsumusunod na pangungusap. “Subali’t inulos ng sibat ng isasa mga kawal ang tagiliran ni Jesus, at biglang dumaloyang dugo at tubig.”44 Ipinanganak ang Simbahan sapamamagitan ng nabuksang tagiliran ni Kristo.

(KRONOLOHIYA NG

KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.10-11)

The Persecution by the Roman EmpireThe devil would not relent though defeated on the cross when

Christ did not give in to his temptations of wondrously going downfrom being crucified. Finding out that he was no match to the Savior,he bent his anger to the members of the Church that was founded bythe Redeemer.

The apostles of Our Lord were not the only victims of the persecution ofthe Church by the Roman Empire. There were several others and a few ofthem have been included in the chronology that has been translated intoTagalog.

100-165AD: Si San Justino, Martir, ay ipinanganak ng mgapaganong magulang sa Flavia Neapolis sa Samaria noongpasimula ng ikalawang siglo. Siya ay nahikayat sa tunay napananampalataya. Siya ay maraming sinulat ukol sa pagtatanggolng relihiyon - kabilang ang APOLOGY at DIALOGUE WITHTRYPHO. Nagtatag siya ng paaralan sa Roma na pinagdausanng mga hayagang pagpapalitan ng kuru-kuro.

Si San Justino ay pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya kasabayng iba pang mga kasamahang mananampalataya sa panahongnakaluklok sa trono si Marcos Aurelio noong taong 165AD atginugunita sa buong Simbahan tuwing unang araw ng Hunyo.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay katunayan ng katotohanang hindimabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabi ni Kristo: “...SA IBABAW


(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.25)107AD: Si San Ignacio ng Antioquia, Obispo at Martir, ang

humalili kay SAN PEDRO bilang Obispo ng Antioquia nang ipasiyang Apostol na ilipat sa Roma ang sentro ng Kristiyanidad.

Nanatili si San Ignacio ng Antioquia sa luklukang iyonhanggang mahatulang mamatay. Siya ay ipinakain sa mgamababangis na hayop noong pinag-uusig ni Emperador Trajanong Roma ang Simbahan.

Dinalang bilanggo sa Roma si San Ignacio ng Antioquia.Habang nasa daan ay sumulat siya ng pitong liham106 sa mgaSimbahan sa iba’t ibang lunsod.

Si San Ignacio ng Antioquia ay pinatay dahil sapananampalataya noong taong 107 sa Roma. Ang kanyangalaala at kabayanihan ay ginugunita sa buong Simbahan tuwingikalabimpito ng Oktubre.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay katunayan ng katotohanang hindimabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabing: “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”107

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.25-26)125-136AD: Si PAPA SAN TELESFORO, P.P., ang ika-8 Santo Papa

o ikapitong kahalili ni SAN PEDRO, ay Martir sapagka’t iniutos ngemperador ng Roma na siya ay patayin dahilan sapananampalataya sa tunay na Diyos na ipinangaral ni Kristo.

Naghalal siya ng panibagong Santo Papa bilang kahalili niya.Nanungkulan, hanggang kamatayan, si PAPA SAN TELESFORO,

P.P. sa mga taong ito.Ang pagkilala sa kanyang kabayanihan ay katunayan ng

katotohanang hindi mabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabini Kristo: “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”109

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.26)130-200AD: “Mga Apolohetikong Kristiyano” mga sinulat nina:

San Justino Martir (165AD), Athenagoras (180AD?), Aristides(145AD?), Teofilo ng Antioquia (185AD?), Taciano (170AD),Quadrato (130AD?), Melito ng Sardis (180AD?), Apollinarisng Hierapolis (180AD?), laban sa Paganismong Romano, gayondin ang EPISTOLA KAY DIOGNETO.111

Si San Irenæo, Obispo at Martir, ay ipinanganak marahilnoong taong 130AD. Nag-aral siya sa Smyrna sa ilalim ngpagtuturo ni San Policarpio na noo’y Obispo ng Smyrna. Siyaay inordenahang pari sa Lyons sa Pransiya noong 177AD atnang lumaon ay inordenahang Obispo ng Lyons. Marami siyangmga akdang isinulat ukol sa pagtatanggol ng pananampalatayangKatoliko laban sa mga pagkakamali ng mga Gnostic.

Si San Irenæo ay pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya marahilnoong taong 200AD at ginugunita sa buong Simbahan tuwingikadalawampu’t walo ng Hunyo.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay katunayan ng katotohanang hindimabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabi ni Kristo: “...SA IBABAW


(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.27)160AD: Si San Policarpio, Obispo ng Smyrna at Martir, ay

pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya, sa gulang na 86, marahil sataong ito.

Si San Policarpio ay kaibigan ni San Ignacio ng Antioquiaat isang disipulo ng mga apostol, marahil, ay ni San Juan naanak ni Zebedeo at kapatid ni San Santiago. Sumulat siya ng“Liham sa mga taga-Filipos” noong taong 110AD. Napasa-Romasiya upang makipagpanayam kay PAPA SAN ANICETO, P.P. hinggilsa pagdiriwang ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay. Hinuli siya sa kanyangpagbabalik sa Smyrna at sinunog ng buhay sa ampiteatro ngSmyrna dahil sa kanyang pananampalataya kay Kristo.

Ang pagsilang sa langit ni San Policarpio ay ginugunita sabuong Simbahan tuwing Pebrero 23.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay isa lamang sa mga katunayan ngkatotohanang hindi mabubuwag ang Simbahan gaya ng sinabini Kristo: “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”117

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.28-29)203AD: Marso 7, Pagpatay dahil sa pananampalataya kina

Santa Perpetua at Santa Felicidad sa Cartago sa Aprika bilangbahagi ng pag-uusig ni Septimio Severo sa Simbahan.

Si Santa Perpetua ay bagong Kristiyanong may dugongbughaw, dalawampu’t dalawang taong gulang at may muntinganak nang patayin sa pamamagitan ng patalim at ipakain sa

mga mababangis na hayop.Si Santa Felicidad naman ay isang aliping nagdadalantao

nang pataying kasabay ni Santa Perpetua sa gayon ding paraan.Sina Santa Perpetua at Santa Felicidad ay ginugunita ng

buong Simbahan tuwing ikapito ng Marso.Ang paggunitang iyon ay isa lamang sa mga patunay na hindi

mabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”127

210-258AD: Si San Cipriano, Obispo at Martir, ay ipinanganaksa Cartago marahil ay noong taong 210.

Nahikayat si San Cipriano sa pananampalatayang Katolikoat inordenahan. Siya ay hinirang na Obispo ng Cartago noong249AD. Ginabayan niya ang Simbahan doon sa panahon ngmabibigat na pagsubok sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga sinulatat ginawa. Ipinatapon siya sa panahon ng pag-uusig ni Valerianosa Simbahan.

Si San Cipriano ay pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya noongSetyembre 14,258 at ginugunita ng buong Simbahan tuwingikalabing-anim ng Setyembre.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay isa lamang sa mga patunay na hindimabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”128

217-222AD: Si PAPA SAN CALIXTO, P.P. I, Martir, ang ika-16 nalalaking lumuklok sa TRONO NI SAN PEDRO bilang Santo Papa oPunong Nakikita ng Simbahan dito sa lupa. Nanungkulan siyasa mga taong ito.

Si PAPA SAN CALIXTO, P.P. I ay dating aliping lumaya sapagkaalipin, inordenahang diyakono ni PAPA SAN ZEFIRINO, P.P. nakanya namang hinalinhan sa TRONO NI SAN PEDRO.

Lumaban si PAPA SAN CALIXTO, P.P. I sa mga erehengAdopsiyonista at Modalista.

Si PAPA SAN CALIXTO, P.P. I ay pinatay dahil sapananampalataya noong taong 222 at ang kanyang bangkay ayinilibing sa isang libingang nasa ilalim ng lupa sa Daang Aurelia.

Maaaring gunitain si PAPA SAN CALIXTO, P.P. I sa buongSimbahan tuwing ikalabing-apat ng Oktubre.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay isa lamang sa mga patunay na hindimabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”129

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.32-33)230-235AD: Si PAPA SAN PONCIANO, P.P., Martir, ang ika-18

lalaking umupo sa luklukan ni SAN PEDRO sa Roma bilang SantoPapa o Punong Nakikita ng Simbahan dito sa lupa.

Siya ay inordenahang Obispo ng Roma noong 230AD.Ipinatapon siya ni Emperador Maximino noong 235AD sa Sardinia

kasama ng isa pang paring nagngangalang Hipolito. Bumabasiya mula sa TRONO NI SAN PEDRO noong 235AD nang malapitnang mamatay, inilibing ang kanyang bangkay sa Sementeryoni San Calixto na matatagpuan sa padausdos na bahagi ngDaang Appia samantalang ang bangkay ni San Hipolito namanay sa isang libingang nasa Daang Tiburtina.

Nanungkulan siya mula noong Hulyo 21,230AD hanggangSetyembre 29,235AD.

Sina PAPA SAN PONCIANO, P.P. at San Hipolito ay maaaringgunitain sa buong Simbahan tuwing ikalabintatlo ng Agosto.

Ang paggunitang iyon ay isa lamang sa mga patunay na hindimabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi.”...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, athindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan.”130

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.34)236-250AD: Si PAPA SAN FABIAN, P.P., ang ika-20 Santo Papa

at ikalabinsiyam na kahalili ni SAN PEDRO, ay Martir din sapagka’tpinatay siya dahil sa pananampalataya sa pagsisimula ng pag-uusig ni Decio sa Simbahan.

Pinatotohanan ni San Cipriano na ang bangkay ni PAPA SAN

FABIAN, P.P. ay inilibing sa Sementeryo ni San Calixto(Cœmeterium Sancti Callisti) na matatagpuan sa padausdosna bahagi ng daang Appia (via Appia ad catacumbas).

Nanungkulan si PAPA SAN FABIAN, P.P. mula noong Enero10,236AD hanggang Enero 20,250AD.

Si PAPA SAN FABIAN, P.P. ay maaaring gunitain sa buongSimbahan tuwing ikadalawampu ng Enero.

Ang paggunitang na ito ay isang patunay na hindi mabubuwagang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyang sinabi. “...SA

IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindimakapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihan ngkamatayan.”133

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.35)250AD: Pinag-ibayo pa ng Roma ang pag-uusig sa mga

Kristiyano, nagsimulang kilalanin at igalang ang mga martir bilangmga santo at santa.

Katunayan pa rin ang pagkilala at paggalang sa pagiging buoat di-mabubuwag ng Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ngKanyang sinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING

IGLESYA, at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit angkapangyarihan ng kamatayan.”134 (KRONOLOHIYA NG

KRISTIYANIDAD, p.36)257-258AD: Si PAPA SAN SIXTO, P.P. II, Martir, ang ika-24 na

lalaking lumuklok sa TRONO NI SAN PEDRO bilang Santo Papa oPunong Nakikita ng Simbahan dito sa lupa.

Siya ay inordenahang Obispo ng Simbahan sa Roma noong257AD, dinakip noong Agosto 6,258AD habang nagdiriwang ngBanal na Liturhiya sa libingang nasa ilalim ng lupang tinatawagna Sementeryo ni San Calixto.

Si PAPA SAN SIXTO, P.P. II, kasama ng apat na diyakono, aypinatay ng mga kawal ng imperyong Romano bilang pagtupadsa mapang-usig na batas na inilagda ni Emperador Valerianosa mismong araw ng pagkakadakip sa kanila at mas malamang

na doon na rin sa sementeryong iyon inilibing.Nanungkulan si PAPA SAN SIXTO, P.P. II mula noong Agosto

30,257AD hanggang Agosto 6,258AD.Si PAPA SAN SIXTO, P.P. II ay maaaring gunitain ng buong

Simbahan tuwing ikapito ng Agosto.Ang paggunitang ito ay isa pa ring katunayang totoo ang

katatagan ng Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”140 (KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.38-39)

258AD: Si San Lorenzo, Martir, ay diyakonong ipinanganaksa langit noong ikasampu ng Agosto 258AD, apat na arawlamang pagkatapos na patayin din sina PAPA SAN SIXTO, P.P. II atapat na iba pang mga diyakono dahil sa kabangisan laban samga Kristiyano ni Emperador Valeriano.

Si San Lorenzo ay inilibing sa kaparangan ng Verano malapitsa Daang Tiburtina kung saan, pagdating ng mas mabutingpanahon, nagpatayo si Emperador Constantino Magno ng isangbasilika sa karangalan ng martir dahil na rin sa malaganap naang pamimintuho sa kanya noong mga araw na iyon.

Ginugunita ng buong Simbahan ang kabayanihan ni SanLorenzo tuwing ikasampu ng Agosto bawat taon.

Ang paggunitang ito ay isa pa ring katunayang hindimabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatag ni Kristo gaya ng Kanyangsinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA,at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahit ang kapangyarihanng kamatayan.”141 (KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.39)

305AD: Si San Januario (o San Genaro sa ibang mgadokumento), Obispo at Martir, na noon ay Obispo ng Beneventosa Italya, ay pinatay dahil sa pananampalataya kasabay ngtatlong diyakono, isang lektor at dalawang layko sa Napoli bilangmga biktima ng pag-uusig ni Diocleciano sa Simbahan.

Si San Januario ay pinipintuho sa Napoli at itinuturing naTagapangalaga ng lunsod sa mga panahon ng panganib atkagipitan. Ang bantog na “pagkalusaw ng namuong dugo ni SanJanuario” doon ay inilalarawan na sa mga dokumentong ginawanoon pang ikalabintatlong siglo.

Siya ay maaaring gunitain ng buong Simbahan tuwingikalabinsiyam ng Setyembre.

Ang pamimintuho at paggunita sa kanya ay isa pa ringkatunayang matatag at hindi mabubuwag ang Simbahang itinatagni Kristo gaya ng Kanyang sinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY

ITATAYO KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindi makapananaig sa kanyakahit ang kapangyarihan ng kamatayan.”148 (KRONOLOHIYA NG

KRISTIYANIDAD, p.45-46)These are but a few. A more comprehensive listing may be found in the

Vatican. The document is called Roman Martyrology.

The Church in the OpenThe end of the persecution was the beginning of the life of the

Church in the open. Underground celebrations became things of the

past.313AD: Tinalo ni Constantino si Maxentius sa Labanan sa

Tulay Milvian dahil sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos sa pamamagitanng Krus (in hoc signo vinces) na nakita niya bilang pangitainsa langit noong gabing bago sumapit ang labanan at ipininta samga kalasag ng kanyang mga kawal, muling pinag-isa angImperyong Romano.

Batas na inilagda sa Milan, isinatitik ni Constantino angpagpapaubaya sa pag-iral ng Kristiyanismo. Naganap itosapagka’t totoong hindi maigugupo ang Simbahang itinatag niKristo gaya ng Kanyang sinabi. “...SA IBABAW NG BATONG ITO AY ITATAYO

KO ANG AKING IGLESYA, at hindi makapananaig sa kanya kahitang kapangyarihan ng kamatayan.”149 (KRONOLOHIYA NG

KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.46-47)The external threat against the Church was over. The devil would not

relent though. Another threat was shaping up, the threat of heresy. Thethreat from within the Church could be more dangerous.

In the same year that the Edict of Milan was issued, something serioushappened with the founder of the Donatists.

313AD: Itiniwalag ni PAPA SAN MELQUIADES, P.P. si Donato dahilsa pagpapaulit niya ng binyag ng mga nagbabalik-loob natumalikod sa pananampalataya.

Ang ginawang iyon ni PAPA SAN MELQUIADES, P.P. ay may bisadahil sa kapangyarihang kaloob ni Kristo sa pamamagitan ngmga salitang “Ibibigay ko sa iyo ang mga susi ng kaharian nglangit: ang ipagbawal mo sa lupa ay ipagbabawal sa langit,at ang ipahintulot mo sa lupa ay ipahihintulot sa langit.”150

(KRONOLOHIYA NG KRISTIYANIDAD, p.48)Another one of them was regarding the natures in Christ. Arius had a

hard time thinking about the divine nature and the human nature in Christ.He would not relent even if St. Athanasius had brilliantly expounded on theDivinity and humanity of Christ. The first ecumenical council, the FirstEcumenical Council in Nicæa, condemned Arius and defined the faith.

We now recite, especially on Sundays, the Nicene Creed. It is so-calledbecause it has been formulated in the council held in the city of Nicæa in325AD.

Many other defenders of the faith rose in history. Every heresy wasopposed by definition of authentic doctrine of the faith being championedby theological luminaries.

Muslim polemics, that is attack on the Catholic faith, was countered byChristian apologetics.

The Albingensians were no match to the brilliance of the Scholastictheologians espesially, St. Albertus Magnus and his outstanding pupil, St.Thomas Aquinas who is also known as the Angelic Doctor.

Christianization of the WorldThe Good News reached almost all places in the known world

and still spreading as soon as new territories were being discovered.

While theologians were clearing heresies on their writing desks,missionaries were moving inch by inch to spread the Good News ofsalvation.

1515-1595AD: Si San Felipe Neri, isinilang sa Fiorenze oFlorence noong 1515AD, ay napasa-Roma at nagsimulangmanghikayat ng mga kabataang lalaking iminulat niya sapamumuhay-Kristiyano. Nagtatag siya ng isang samahan parasa mga maralita at maysakit.

Siya ay inordenahang Pari noong 1551AD. Itinatag niya angOratorio kung saan ang banal na pagbabasa, pag-awit atpagkakawanggawa ay isinasakatuparan.

May isang anekdota sa kanyang buhay tungkol sa isangbabaing mahilig manira ng karangalan ng kapwa sapamamagitan ng kanyang kadaldalan. Gayunman, ang babaengiyon ay natatakot ding mapasa-impiyerno kaya lagingnagkukumpisal, katunayan ay araw-araw at laging si PadreFelipe ang pinagkukumpisalan. Sa dakong huli ay sinabi ng Parisa babae: “Ang magiging parusa mo ngayon ay naiiba sakaraniwan. Nais kong bukas ng umaga ay magdala ka rito ngisang buhay na manok na katamtaman ang laki at ipakita mosa akin. Ang iba pang gagawin mo ay bukas ko na sasabihin.”Dala ang manok kinabukasan ay napasa-Simbahan ang babaeat napakita sa Pari. “Ngayon ay lumakad ka sa mga lansanganng lunsod na dala ang manok na iyan habang isa-isa mongtinatanggal ang kanyang mga balahibo at pagkatapos ay bumalikka rito para sa susunod mong gagawin. Tiyakin mong hindimamamatay ang manok.” Nang magbalik ang babae dala angmanok na wala nang natitirang isa mang balahibo ay itinanongsa Pari kung ano pa ang gagawin niya at ang sabi ng Pari: “Itona ang huling bahagi ng iyong parusa. Balikan mo ang iyongnilakaran, pulutin ang mga balahibo ng manok na iyan at isa-isamong ibalik sa iyong pinagkunan. Pagkatapos ay humayo kana, tapos na ang iyong parusa at nawa’y huwag ka nangmagkasala pang muli.” Ang babae’y nananangis na umalis atmula noo’y kinalimutan na ang paninirang-puri.

Si San Felipe Neri ay namatay noong 1595AD at ginugunitang buong Simbahan tuwing Mayo 26. (KRONOLOHIYA NG

KRISTIYANIDAD, pp.128-129)There were also some martyrs of the propagation of the faith. St. Lorenzo

Ruiz de Manila and his companions were but few of those whom we cancite. Once more, we can browse at the pages of the Roman Martyrology tofind out more.

We are practically talking of the time from the Edict of Milan to thepresent here. The Rev. Fr. Tulio Favali, PME was not killed because ofexplicit persecution of the faithful. Nevertheless, if we examine thecircumstances around his death, we will be faced with an implied persecutionof the faith cowed under the shadow of the pretentious accusation of meddlingwith the affairs of the state. The Favali murder was not an isolated casebecause there were others like the Ortega brothers, Fr. Agatep, a priest inthe then Prelature of Malaybalay in Bukidnon and several other lay men

and women who were maliciously tagged as communists but in reality wereliving out the gospel.

Our Separated BrethrenThe Protestant movement initiated by Martin Luther and spread

out from Germany to the rest of the world has convinced those whowere ignorant of history that the Church tried to hide the Bible fromthe common faithful.

Martin Luther protested against the Church. He enumerated 95 thesesoutlining abuses and misgovernment by some of the leaders of the Churchin 1517AD. Zwingli, Calvin and several others followed his protest.

King Henry VIII of England, having been denied a divorce decree fromthe Vatican, founded the Church of England.

The PopesThe Chair of St. Peter, upon the apostle’s death, has become the

symbol of continuity of the Church that Jesus Christ founded.St. Peter was the first Visible Head of the Church. He went to Antioch

to bring the Good News of Salvation there effectually establishing the centralgovernment of the Church in that city. Later developments called for histravel to Rome. The diocese of Antioch which he established was thenentrusted to St. Ignatius becoming its second bishop.

The diocese of Rome was established when the Pope, St. Peter, decidedto settle down in that city. It happened sometime after he met the LordJesus along via Appia and he asked Him: “Where are you going, Lord?”which was answered with: “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”Surprised and shocked, St. Peter was not able to move a step neither forwardnor backwards. His weight had a toll on the slab of stone he was standingleaving marks of his feet on said stone. St. Peter, after a while said: “No, myLord, I’m going back there now and will stay there for good. Neveragain will I think of escaping from Rome.” A chapel has been constructedon that spot to commemorate the incident. It is named Quo vadis, Domino?reminding everyone passing by that St. Peter asked that question on thatspot when the apostle was contemplating of escaping the persecution of theChurch in Rome.

St. Peter was succeeded by St. Linus on the See of Rome who was inturn succeeded by St. Cletus (also referred to as St. Anacletus in somemanuscripts), then St. Clement then by others in continuous succession untilour present times.

The General CouncilsThe Church has celebrated twenty-one ecumenical councils so

far. The first one was held in Nicæa in 325AD and the 21st was inVatican city from 1963-1965.

Please refer to Romeo D. de los Santos, ANG SANTO PAPA,DALAWAMPU’T ISANG PANGKALAHATANG KONSILYO,AGAPE, (Manila: Sinag Publication, 2006) pp.33-38 for a listing and brief

discussion of the 21 general councils in the Church.

FOURTH CONFERENCE: THE CHURCH TODAY

The Church has been led by Blessed Pope John Paul II, P.P. throughthe beginning of the third millenium. The first Pope elected in the presentmillenium is his close ally during his pontificate in the person of JosephCardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, P.P.

The Structure of the ChurchThe whole Church is divided into Metropolitan Provinces each

headed by an Archbishop, some of whom are Patriarchs and Cardinals.A Metropolitan Province is composed of an Archdiocese (MetropolitanSee) and several suffragan dioceses, prelatures and/or apostolicvicariates. The smallest unit is called parish.

Following are some of the Metropolitan Sees in the country. Manila,Cebu, San Fernando, Pampanga, Zamboanga, Tuguegerao, Lingayen-Dagupan, Nueva Segovia (Vigan, Ilocos Sur), Palo, Leyte, Ozamiz, NuevaCaceres (Naga, Camarines Sur), Capiz, Jaro, Iloilo Lipa, Batangas,Cotabato, Davao.

The Task Awaiting usThe growing awareness of the common faithful that he/she is a

part of the Church gave rise to the added job of the common priest.The parish priest who used to be almost all the time in the parish rectoryare now obliged to go out and meet the common faithful.

The ordinary faithful are expected to be knowledgeable in the doctrinesof the Church. This may be better appreciated in the parish level though thereal responsibility is on the shoulder of the Bishops in the dioceses and,ultimately, the Roman Pontiff. The Parish Priests are charged with the jobof teaching the flock entrusted to them. Assistant Parish Priests, in a lot ofinstances, may not be enough collaborators of Parish Priests in this soenormous a job. Several of the parishioners have been actually helping.Some of them are called catechists, lay ministers of the Word, or plainvolunteers.

The Catholic schools are also a great help.Movements in the Church which include the Cursillos in Christianity and

the Catholic Charismatic Movement, which is a later development, havebeen doing a lot in disseminating the message of salvation. Yet they don’tseem to be enough.

What can we do?Laymen can do a lot of help especially in dissemination of useful

information about the Good News.Every Catholic layman is being called to live the Gospel message. In this

way, they will be teaching others by their examples. This call is in fact avocation for all the faithful: ordained ministers and lay people alike.

The ordained ministers are very few if seen from the point of view of the

enormous job to be done. A more active participation of the laity is beingenjoined.

The challenge is a deeper involvement in the study of the SacredScriptures. The challenge is living out the gospel message learned throughthe exercise of Christ’s mandate on the magisterium of the Church.

Let us be armed with the necessary tools. Let us develop the habit ofreading the Sacred Scriptures under the guidance of an ordained priest ofthe Church. Let us start by reading the official translation of the SacredScriptures and the translation by the Bible scholars. Let us dispel theignorance that our separated brethren are capitalizing on in order to increasetheir number.

We have a copy of each of the mentioned references in the residence ofthe Chairman. There is also a copy of the commentary written by experts inthe study of the Sacred Scriptures. These books must be available to everymember of Dei Ecclesiam Unam Sanctam. Membership in this associationmust carry competence in the Sacred Scriptures, doctrines of the Churchand the history of the Church we profess to believe and love.

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