The Angelite Prayer Holy Angel Hymn

Almighty God, we glorify you for giving us the Angelite Holy Angel, Holy Angel,
Charism. Holy, Holy, Holy Angel
We thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, From thy cradle safe and sound
who is the Way, Truth, and Life. Love of God and man we've found
We bless you for the continuous guidance of the Holy To a happy life we're bound
Spirit. Holy Angel dear.
Grant us, we pray, courage and strength Hear our vow of loyalty
that we may give perpetual praise to you in whatever Heart and soul we pledge to thee
we do. With the virtues great and free
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen We've embraced from thee.
Oh, Holy Guardian Angels, guide and protect us! When our battles won you'll see
Laus Deo semper! Banners high we'll wave for thee
In our hearts thy name will be
Holy Angel dear.
HAU Mission-Vision Composed by: Estrella A. Tuazon
Mission
We, the academic community of Holy Angel University, What is doing Theology?
declare ourselves to be a Catholic University. We
dedicate ourselves to our core purpose, which is to 1. Etymological meaning of Theology
provide accessible quality education that transforms a. Derived from the Greek words:
students into persons of conscience, competence, and i. theos (θεός) = god; goth
compassion.
ii. Logos (λόγος)= word; study; to speak about
Vision
We commit ourselves to our vision of the University as a iii. Thus: theology means “the study of god”; “to
role-model catalyst for countryside development and talk about God”
one of the most influential, best-managed Catholic
universities in the Asia-Pacific region. We will be guided Essentially, the term theology, particularly
by our core values of Christ-centeredness, integrity, Christian Theology means a discourse
excellence, community, and societal responsibility. All concerning Christian Faith. Faith in God is the subject
these we shall do for the greater glory of God. LAUS
matter of Theology. So without Faith, there is no sense
DEO SEMPER
Core values: in studying Theology. Without God, there is no faith.
Christ Centeredness – we strive to be witnesses of the Without our faith-response there is no sense in
person and example of Jesus Christ. studying God in the context of faith. So, both Faith and
Integrity - We are fair, honest, and transparent in our the object of our faith who is God are essential in
personal and professional dealings Theology.
Excellence - We produce outcomes with the greatest
possible human competence.
Community - We animate the spirit of communion and 2. Definition of Theology
solidarity.
a. Theology is the process of understanding God
Societal Responsibility - We work for economic
efficiency, social justice, and environmental and one’s own faith. For Catholics, doing theology
stewardship. means the effort to understand their faith in the
God revealed in Jesus Christ who is present with
Strategic Objectives us through his Church.
1. Academic quality and Organizational excellence b. Theology, according to St. Anselm is, “faith
2. Authentic instrument for countryside development seeking understanding.”
3. Great university to work for
i. To seek to understand one’s faith
4. Faithful Catholic education
c. The subject matter of theology is faith,
Student Learning Outcomes specifically Christian faith which refers to the
following:
i. the object of our faith: God and his saving
truths, as revealed in Judaeo-Christian history
and traditions, and
ii. the personal act of believing

3. In a college context, doing theology is, like physics,

history and psychology.
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a. Theology is a science, i.e., a methodical and interacting in creative tension towards the
systematic inquiry into a significant question or truth that is God:
phenomenon of human experience using the
faculty of critical reason. At the same time, we “Faith and reason are like two wings on which
do theology within the faith. Thus, in doing the human spirit rises to the contemplation of
theology, one has to be both faithful and truth; and God has placed in the human heart a
critical. desire to know the truth – in a word to know
i. Being faithful. There can be no theology himself or herself – so that, by knowing and
without faith, for as defined earlier, theology loving God, men and women may also come to
is “faith seeking understanding.” Theology a fullness of truth about themselves.” - Pope
presupposes faith in the one doing theology. John Paul II, Fides et Ratio 1
Theology is not the interpretation of
someone else’s faith, but of our own, or,
more properly, of our community’s faith. Theology as a Religious Experience
Theology is not just talk about God. To do
1. Theology- is a reflection of religious experience.
theology is to understand our own faith in
God. 2. Mabathalang Pag-aaral according to the Filipino
ii. Being critical. Many of us have the mistaken Theologian from Leuvein
notion that reason and faith are not in good a. Ito ay pagninilay sa mga karanasan kay Bathala
terms with each other: reason is said to o karanasang “mahal-banal”
make realities clear and lucid; faith is b. Mainam na sariwain natin ang mga panahon na
kung saan nadama natin ang kadahang-loob ni
supposedly for obscure realities that are
Bathala sa ating buhay.
impenetrable to reason. On the contrary
Catholic theology has always taken faith 3. An experience is defined as the encounter between
and reason as friends. man and reality.
a. However, Gabriel Marcel, a French theistic
There can be no real disagreement between existentialist believes that “experience is more than
faith and reason, since the same God who the simple meeting of self (inside) and sense of
reveals the mysteries and infuses faith has world (outside).” Marcel suggests that an
also endowed the human mind with the light experience implies reflection. Thus, reflection is
of reason. (Vatican 1, Dei Filius, DS 3017) intimately related with experience. Experience and
reflection do not just touch, they meet.
b. According to Gerald O’Collins, reason has the b. Experience thus implies not just juxtaposition of
task of checking, scrutinizing, and perceiver and perceived but a meaningful and
systematically reflecting on the content of creative relationship between the two, a dialectic.
faith and the practice of faith. This is what it  We wonder when we reflect. We reflect when
means for theology to be “critical” (not in the we wonder. When we wonder, we ask questions.
sense of “finding fault”). Critical reasoning is  But, what sort of questions do we ask ourselves
demanded by faith itself in order to distinguish with regard to any experience?
from our religious traditions what is truly of  A good question to ask is, what experience do
God and what is mindless piety, bizarre we consider as meaningful? Usually meaningful
enthusiasm, sick superstition and blind experiences are experiences that bring us into the
dogmatism. In the course of its history, the invisible but real world mediated by meaning like:
Church as a believing community used reason truth, beauty, love, etc.
to articulate, defend, communicate, and  A meaningful experience also speaks of one’s
deepen its faith by giving confirmation and ultimate concern, the number one priority in life.
reinforcement what we already believe, and can This could be one’s family, studies, special
enable faith to respond to ever new someone, dreams, or aspirations.
environments and challenges by showing faith  This ultimate value or concern has a character
new horizons and possibilities. of unconditionally and unreserved commitment
wherein you are willing to sacrifice everything
c. Thus faith and reason are both indispensable because you believe this will give you ultimate
partners in the task of doing theology, satisfaction and meaning.

7
 c. Roque Ferriols, a Jesuit theologian explains the transcend. Transcendence then is an important
meaning of “kahulugan” or meaning using the factor in religious experiences.
image of a “funnel” or “embudo.” Kapag ikaw  W/o faith, we can not come in contact with God
ay bumibili ng “buko juice,” gumagamit ng or the “unseen” in the depth of our experience.
embudo ang tindera para di matapon at tuluy At the same time faith is a grace and a gift from
tuloy ito sa baso o plastic. Doon lang hinuhulog God.
ng tindera ang buko juice o sago’t gulaman. Sa  Our language, our culture, our personal history,
buhay, kapag iisa lang ang pinaghuhulugan mo prejudices and preferences, and most
ng panahon at lakas, doon mo rin makukuha importantly our faith, shape the way we
ng kahulugan. Ang taong makahulugan ang perceive things and integrate them to our
buhay ay iisa lang ang pinaghuhulugan niya ng consciousness. We forge, mould, and configure
panahon. Kung maraming pinaghuhulan ang the object of perception accdg to our mental
buhay ng tao (at di gumagamit ng embudo) “baggage” as it is being integrated to our
tapun-tapon ang bagay na dapat sana iisa ang consciousness.
pinaghuhulugan. Sabog at walang direksyon o Thus, any experience is both objective and
ang buhay. subjective; it is not solely determined and
d. For Paul Tillich, a theologian, the ultimate shaped by the person who experiences, nor
value is equal to “god”. it is wholly determined by the object of
e. For Rudolph Visker, a Jesuit philosopher- perception (the one being perceived).
theologian, the ultimate longing for o Therefore, the experience of God occurs
satisfaction is the ultimate longing for the within and through human experience.
Absolute. He equates this absolute with God, h. At the very core of humanity is the inclination for
the one who satisfies ultimately man’s longing order and to the One responsible for order. AYAW
for meaning. NATIN SA MAGULO. Religious experience is
*** Now, how can an experience be religious? What is surrender to this bigger reality, in this case, God.
the difference between depth experience and religious Religious experience is a deeper experience of
experience? *** reality.
f. According to Dermot Lane, religious i. Religious experience is ecstatic which leads
experiences are those moments in life when you out of yourself. It is fulfilled time not filling
we perceive the world of meaning as grounded in time. Filling in time is an experience of
in that immanent and transcendent reality we boredom. A person starts becoming conscious
call God. of time. (parang ang tagal). In fulfilled time, like
 For any believer, faith forms an intrinsic being with a love one or in a game like
part of the perceptual apparatus. This basketball, you lose yourself, you tend to be
means, faith is an important component mindless of time; you become ecstatic
when we perceive things (seen or unseen). (euphoric or delighted) - leading you out of
g. To perceive the world of meaning as grounded yourself.
in God or even unseen realities requires faith: j. Accdg to David Tracy, limit situations are
the ability to see beyond the merely human or disclosive of religious experience in our way of
the merely actual or obvious. self-transcendence. There are two limit
 It is faith that makes us see, for example, situations:
that this particular human manifestation of  Positive limit situations: experiences of joy,
truth, love, goodness, or forgiveness is in jubilations, life, or happiness. These are
fact a reality of God reaching out to us experiences of “bitin.”
religiously or mundanely (ordinary  Negative limit situations: experiences of fear,
moments in life). An experience then can be loneliness as in “sagad,” naubusan ka!
religious w/o necessarily alluding to  Limit situations are self-transcending
religious or liturgical activities done in and experiences.
by the Church. Secular activities can be k. Karl Rahner in his Theological Investigation (vol.3)
considered religious experiences. has some questions that would reflect on our
 Faith as an intrinsic part of the perceptual religious experiences. One of the questions is,
apparatus enables us to see beyond the “Have we not had the experience of pardoning
ordinary moments in our life. It makes us with all sincerity? The act of forgiveness is a
religious experience.
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 tiwala. Pagasa ang dama ng taong
4. Pananampalataya: Bilang Paniniwala, Pagtitiwala, nagtitiwala.
at Pagkakatiwala  Dahil naguugat sa malinis (maganda) na
a. Tiwala ang salitang ugat ng paniniwala, kalooban ang tiwala, maganda rin ang
pagtitiwala, at pagkakatiwala. bukas na naghihintay sa taong may
 Ang tiwala ay maaring mag-ugat pananalig.
sa:nagsasabi (nagsasalita); o sa sinasabi  Ika nga ni Santino, “may bukas pa”
(salita)  Ika nga ni Sharon, “bukas sisikat din ang
 Kapag ang nagsasabi (person) ay may araw”
credibilidad (marunong; mabuti; c. Magandang umaga ang bati nating mga
matapat; maganda ang kalooban; Pinoy.
busilak ang puso) siya ay  Magandang umaga ang kaakibat ng
mapagkatitiwalaan. Tayo ay nagtitiwala taong nagtitiwala’t may pananalig.
sa kanya.  Makahulugan ang buhay ng taong
 Kapag ang salita ay “may dating”; nakakikita pa ng bukas. May kahulugan
“walang daya”, ito ay may “talab.” kapag may pag-asa; may bukas pa sa
Samaktuwid, tanggap ko ang salita. Ako may makahulugang pag-iral. Sumisikat
ay may tiwala sa kanyang salita. May ang araw.
epekto sa akin ang kanyang salita.  Sa taong walang pananalig o walang
 Ang salitang galing sa malinis na sinasaligan, ang bawat araw ay
kalooban ay salitang may dating; maari kasalukuyan. Ang bawat araw ay pare-
kong isabuhay. Samaktuwid, salitang pareho. Gaya rin ng kahapon, walang
maari kong panindigan. pinag-iba. Samaktuwid, walang
 Tiwala ang binibigay natin sa taong kahulugan.
busilak ang kalooban. Tiwala ang ating  Maitim ang budhi ng taong madaya.
binibigay sa bagay na walang daya. Tiwala ang wala sa taong madaya.
Tiwala ang ating binibigay sa salitang Dating at talab, samaktuwid ang wala sa
may dating. taong walang paninindigan. MASAMA
 Dahil sa tiwalang binibigay ko, sa tao ang tawag natin sa taong walang
man o sa salita, ako ay naninindigan: sinasaligan.
HINDI KO ITO PAPABAYAANG MAWALA,  ka ng mga matatanda, MAY ARAW KA
IPAGLALABAN KO ITO. RIN.
b. Kapag meron akong pananampalataya, ako d. Ang Diyos ay ang Dakilang Ganap. Ganap
ay naniniwala. ang kahulugang handog niya. Ganap din and
 Kapag ako ay naniniwala, ako ay kapanatagang dulot nya. Ganap
nagtitiwala. samaktuwid and tiwalang ibibigay niya. Sa
 Kapag ako ay nagtitiwala, ako ay kanya ako magtitiwala. Sa kanya ako
naninindigan, itataya ko ang aking mananalig. Sa kanya ko itataya ang aking
sarili.I make a solemn conviction. sarili. Ipagkakatiwala ko sa kanya ang aking
 Faith is pagtataya. Tiwala ang dahilan sarili.
kung bakit handa kong itaya ang aking  Dahil hangad kong gumanda ang
sarili. Naniniwala akong magdudulot ito kalooban ko, kay Bathala ako
ng kahulugan sa aking buhay. mananalig. Kay Bathala ako sasalig.
 Faith is pananalig. Galing ito sa salitang Pinagaganda niya ang kalooban ko.
“salig” na kasing-kahulugan ng sandig o  Dahil pinapadama ng Diyos ang kanyang
sandal ( to lean on; to depend). kagandahang loob, sisikapin kong
o Pagsalig is relying or depending on maisaloob ang kalooban niya. Susundin
someone as a foundation or ko ang kanyang kalooban (God’s Will).
support. Samaktuwid, pagsalig ay  MAGPAPAKATAO AKO.
pagtitiwala. Sinaligan ay
pinagtiwalaan. CONCLUSION: “to have faith is to be sure of the things
 Pag-asa (hope) ang bunga ng pananalig we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.”
- Hebrew 11:1
(faith). Palagay ang loob ng taong may

9
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND THE SACRED myths (the "dream time" of the Australian Aborigines,
Dr. James S. Dalton , Siena College. emergence myths of Native Americans, etc.).
The first question which arises is how do we Religious experience is always expressed in ACTION.
distinguish "religious" folks from "non-religious" folks? I Religious folks do something as a result of their
would do so in the following fashion: encounter with the Sacred. This is manifest in two
Non-religious folks claim "what you see is what you get" major ways in religious traditions.
or, in other words, that reality is encompassed by the Ethics: folks behave differently as a result of their
world of human experience (the physical universe, time religious experience (the Ten Commandments, the
and history from "the big bang" until the end of the Christian law of charity, the Buddhist "Five Precepts,"
universe, our lives from birth to death, etc.). Life finds Native customs and traditions, the Confucian code,
its meaning within life. See, for instance, the claims of etc.).
The Secular Humanist Declaration. Ritual (what I would prefer to call "religious symbolic
Religious folks claim that the above reality is not all action"): religious communities "act out" and
there is but that there is another order of reality (let us "dramatize" their experience of the Sacred in highly
call it "the Sacred"). This Sacred reality is of an order complex and symbolically dense ritual activities. Some
totally different from the ordinary reality of experience examples could include the Roman Catholic Mass, the
and is, therefore, ultimately inexpressible and Jewish Seder, Islamic Pilgrimage to Mecca, Buddhist
unknowable. recitations of Sutras and mantras, Native initiation
Religious folks claim further that, despite its rituals, universal rituals surrounding birth, marriage,
inexpressibility, this reality is accessible to human puberty, and death. These actions are extremely dense
experience. Human communities can, somehow, "link since they involve the community's response to the
up" with Sacred reality. The "how" of this link is the Sacred.
business of religious traditions. It can vary from the self- Religious experience is always expressed in
revelation of God (in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish COMMUNITY. When religious folks experience the
traditions), the experience of a Sacred in and through Sacred they always gather into communities. The nature
the natural world, or to the results of meditative and form of these communities is determined by the
experience in Buddhism. The point is that Sacred reality nature and form of the experience of the Sacred. This
is both "totally other" than ordinary reality and is has two major implications for the nature of community
accessible to human experience. in human experience.
Religious experience of the Sacred gives rise to various
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND ITS EXPRESSIONS forms of religious communities. Examples include
Joachim Wach defines religious experience as "the Christian churches or Church, the Buddhist sangha (the
total response of the total being to Ultimate Reality." universal Buddhist community), the Jewish family, the
Another way of expressing this is to say that religious Chinese extended family, the Hindu caste system, the
experience involves all dimensions of human experience "tribal" identity of Native Peoples, and so forth.
(the social, political, economic, psychological, etc.) in Religious experience always has a social dimension or,
response to the encounter with the Sacred. This in other words, implications for the organization of the
experience is not self contained but is always expressed. larger society. I often put this to my students in a
Religious folks don't only experience the Sacred, they theistic context by saying "if God is God, how should the
also do something as a result of this experience. I would world be?" Religious traditions have always seen the
summarize Wach's discussion (with my own larger social community in light of their experience of
emendations) of the expressions of religious experience the Sacred. Some examples from history include
as follows: Christendom (the Middle Ages), Islamic societies today,
Religious experience is always expressed in THOUGHT. India and the caste system, Buddhist countries like Sri
Human beings think about what they experience when Lanka and Thailand, tensions between Native societies
they experience the Sacred. This thought has taken two and nations (tribal sovereignty in the US, First Nations in
forms in the history of religions. Canada, etc.), the state of Israel and so forth. Examples
systematic thought: theology, religious philosophy, etc. abound of the interactions of religious traditions and
Scholars or thinkers within a tradition reflect the societies which encompass them.
systematically on the meaning of the community's Religious experience is always expressed through the
experience of the Sacred. The results are manifest, for religious imagination, that is, imaginatively. Human
instance, in Christian theology, the Jewish Talmud, beings gather together the various elements of their
Buddhist abhidharma, Hindu speculation and so forth. experience and imaginatively recombine them in order
mythology (I would prefer to define this as "the truth to express their experience of Sacred Reality. Often this
about reality told in the form of Story"): Present in all takes the forms of what are called in Western culture
religious traditions and dominant in non-literate "the Arts." Thus painting, sculpture, music and,
traditions (many native traditions), this "telling of especially performance (in ritual, for example) can be
stories" is the way in which the community reflects on profound expressions of a tradition's experience of the
the meaning of Sacred reality and its significance for Sacred. The religious imagination can also play a
life, the world and the community. Examples can range decisive role in the shaping of society and culture
from the Genesis account of the creation of the world
and the biography of the Buddha to Native creation THE CONTEXT FOR RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
10
 The pathway between religious experience and the for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So
human historical and cultural situation goes both ways. he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that,
Not only does religious experience have important while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the
shaping influences on human culture and history (for
blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their
examples see the history of any civilization or society),
but human economic, political, social, psychological, eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he
and cultural experience shapes religious experience. vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each
Religious experience always happens in a fully human other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while
context. What Christians think about Jesus (or, for that he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to
matter, Buddhists about the Buddha or the Dharma) is us?” 33 So they set out at once and returned to
partially dependent on who they are, where they are, Jerusalem where they found gathered together the
and when they are. To fully understand any religious
eleven and those with them 34 who were saying, “The
experience demands an analysis of all of its contexts.
This also accounts for the divergencies within any Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to
religious tradition and among the practitioners of these Simon!”35 Then the two recounted what had taken place
traditions. on the way and how he was made known to them in the
breaking of the bread.
SHARING OF AHA EXPERIENCE
Synthesis of the Lesson
Opening Prayer
 Question: What common characteristics do
Luke 24:13-35 [On the Road to Emmaus]
13
these religious experiences have?
Now that very day two of them were going to a village
 4 Characteristics of Religious/Mystical
seven miles[a]from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they
Experience according to William James ( a
were conversing about all the things that had
psychologist and a philosopher) in his book
occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were
entitled “The Varieties of Religious Experience”.
conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and
o Transient -- the experience is temporary;
walked with them, 16 [b]but their eyes were prevented
the individual soon returns to a "normal"
from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you
frame of mind.
discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking
o Ineffable -- the experience cannot be
downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him
adequately put into words.
in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who
o Noetic -- the individual feels that he or she
does not know of the things that have taken place there
has learned something valuable from the
in these days?” 19 And he replied to them, “What sort of
experience.
things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to
o Passive -- the experience happens to the
Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed
individual, largely without conscious
and word before God and all the people, 20 how our
control. Although there are activities, such
chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a
as meditation, that can make religious
sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were
experience more likely, it is not something
hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and
that can be turned on and off at will.
besides all this, it is now the third day since this took
place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have
Two Poles of Theology
astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the
morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back
Balangkas ng Talaban at Talastasan sa pagitan
and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of
ng Tradisyong Hudyo-Kristiyano at Kasalukuyang
angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some Karanasan
of those with us went to the tomb and found things just
as the women had described, but him they did not
Talaban
see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! (Dialogue
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets )
TRADISYONG KASALUKUYANG
spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should
HUDYO- KARANASAN NG
suffer[c] these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then KRISTIYANO BAYANG
beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he (Judeo- NANANAMPALA
interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Christian TAYA
Tradition) (Contemporary
scriptures. 28 As they approached the village to which
Human
they were going, he gave the impression that he was Experience)
Talastasan
going on farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us,
(Interaction)
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