Module 3: God’s Pagpapadama: What Being Christian is not the result of an ethical

Makes us Fall and Stay in Love with God choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an
event, a person, which gives life a new horizon
All religions have some idea of the importance and a decisive direction.
of love.
Saint John's Gospel describes that event in
Christian theology stresses the importance of these words: “God so loved the world that he
love because God has revealed that he is love (1 gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
John 4:8, 16). him should ... have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Love is both what God is and what he has done; In acknowledging the centrality of love,
God always acts in love. Christian faith has retained the core of Israel's
faith, while at the same time giving it new depth
Love is a transitive reality—that is, it requires and breadth”.
an object.
Based from the encyclical letter of Pope
In the Bible, love is described as personal Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est. God is love
(between persons) and selfless (desiring the and we become Christians because we believe
best for others). in God’s love.
Christians see God’s love in sending his Son to God loves us so much that He even gave us His
die on the cross to save sinners (Rom. 5:8; only son Jesus Christ who died for us and save
John 3:16; 1 John 4:10). us from all kinds of sins.

Christians are to be known by the fact that they Furthermore; having faith in God’s love is not
love God and others (John 13:34-35). enough, as what St. James once said, “Faith
without practice is empty”.
Their love is not to be like the love the world
has (Luke 6:32, 35). Thus, having Faith in God’s love also connotes
that in everything, we should practice love.
Love is best seen in actions and in most cases is
to be identified with what we do—in our St. Paul in his First letter to the Corinthians
13: 1-3 wrote, “Whatever Christians do, no
compassion and commitment to those around
matter how impressive, as meaningless without
us, regardless of the object’s virtue (1 John love”.
4:19).
St. Paul gave us a reminder that as Christian we
Our loving attitudes and behavior are to reflect are all called to love and in loving we make our
God’s love. Jesus said that only two commands Christian Faith meaningful.
are needed to govern our lives: love of God and
love of neighbor. If such love is demonstrated, Being Christians and a follower of Christ, Christ
all the law and prophets are fulfilled. in the Gospels commands us, “You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with
The Centrality of Love in Christian Faith all your soul and with all your mind”. This is
the great and first commandment. And a second
Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical letter is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as
entitle “Deus Caritas Est” yourself”.

“God is love, and he who abides in love abides Given these two commandments of Christ
in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16) makes us as Christian. Hence, if we commit
ourselves following the commandments of
These words from the First Letter of Christ we belong to Christ and Christ in us.
John express with remarkable clarity the heart
of the Christian faith: the Christian image of
God and the resulting image of mankind and its
destiny.

In the same verse, Saint John also offers a kind

of summary of the Christian life: “We have
come to know and to believe in the love God What are the four types of love?
has for us”.
There are four types of love according to the
“We have come to believe in God's love: in Bible. And these are the following:
these words the Christian can express the
fundamental decision of his life. 1. Eros- is the Greek word for sensual or
romantic love. The term originated from
 the mythological Greek god of To ensure God loves us is truly selfless, John
love, sexual desire, physical attraction, chose to use agape.
and physical love. Love in the form of
Eros seeks its own interest and There is a sense of deliberateness and
satisfaction—to possess the object of resoluteness in this word which transcends
love. God is very clear in the Bible limits that human emotions may at times block
that eros love is reserved for marriage the growth of true love.
2. Storge- is a term for love in the Bible The Bible scholar, William Barclay, describes
that you may not be familiar with. This agape as “the power to love the unlovable, to
Greek word describes family love, the love people whom we do not like.” Christians
affectionate bond that develops naturally need to include such a virtue because
between parents and children, and Christianity “does demand that we should
brothers and sisters. have at all times a certain attitude of mind
3. Philia - is the type of intimate love in and a certain direction of the will towards all,
the Bible that most Christians practice no matter who they are.”
toward each other. This Greek term
describes the powerful emotional bond But agape is different from eros the later word
seen in deep friendships means desire and is focused on the benefit that
accrues to the lover in the relationship often in
Philia originates from the Greek term phílos, a context of sexual love.
noun meaning "beloved, dear ... a friend;
someone dearly loved in a personal, intimate The meaning of eros degenerated towards the
way; a trusted friend held dear in a close negative that the New Testament avoided using
bond of personal affection." Philia expresses it.
experience-based love. The Filipino word “pag-ibig” is similar. It is a
form of love expressive of eros and is derived
Philia is the most general type of love in from the root word “ibig” or desire.
Scripture, encompassing love for fellow
humans, care, respect, and compassion for It commonly connotes the yearning to possess
people in need. what is “loved”. When one says to another
“Iniibig kita, pinaka-iibig kita,” this person is
The concept of brotherly love that unites saying “I want you to be mine.”
believers is unique to Christianity.
In addition, here is more appropriate to
translate agape as “Kagandahang-loob” to
Jesus said philia would be an identifier of his
describe God rather than “pag-ibig” which is
followers: "By this everyone will know that
the usual Filipino translation in the Bible.
you are my disciples if you love one another."
(John 13:35) We now explore the richness of the concept
“kagandahang- loob” and relate it to the
4. Agape- This term denotes a love that is Christian understanding of God’s relationship
oriented towards the well- being of the with us. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 62)
beloved.

Agape is the highest of the four types of love in

the Bible. This term defines God's
immeasurable, incomparable love for
humankind.

It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape

love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and God as Kagandahang- loob in Jesus Christ
pure
Loob/Kalooban
Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine Loob, literally meaning “the within” refers to
love to His Father and to all humanity in the the core of our personhood as Filipinos and to
way He lived and died: "For God so loved the our most authentic inner self which is
world, that he gave his only Son, that essentially related to other selves.
whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life." (John 3:16) The Filipino loob is a shared self so we cannot
comprehend it apart from experiences of
Agape and Philia these two types of love at relating to others.
times are even regarded as synonymous in
meaning.
It is, moreover, regarded as the organizing 5. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is
center of human reality and the wellspring of fleeting; but a woman who fears
feeling (damdamin), thought (isip) and the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs
behavior (kilos). This means that whenever we 31:30
feel, think and act, our loob is inevitably
involved; it is the loob that actually feels, thinks, Kagandahang- Loob
and acts. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 63)
Kagandahang-loob is a winsome goodness, ang
Ganda/ Maganda kabutihang nakabibighani o nakakaakit.
Ethical goodness and aesthetic charm are
Mahilig tayong mga Pilipino sa magaganda. combined.
The popularity and proliferation of beauty
contests is one obvious indication of it. That is why Kagandahang-loob is pure
positivity that captives and wins people over
In addition, when we are positively in touched (Schillebeeckx in de Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p.
by events, we speak of them as maganda. 64).
The general harmony experience of harmony in According to first letter of Paul to the
life, when everything seems to be in order Colossians 1:15, “The invisible love of God
is maganda, the grandeur of nature as delightful, became visible in Jesus Christ”.
relationship that are build up are also described
as maganda; magandang pagkakaibigan or Paul’s letter to Titus attest to this thus:
samahan. Thus, maganda has noticeably an “Sapagka’t inihayag ng Diyos ang kanyang
impact and a positive effect; ang maganda ay kagandahang- loob na nagdudulot ng
may nakakaginhawang dating at talab. (Cacho kaligtasan sa lahat ng tao” (Titus: 2:11) our
& de Mesa, 2012, p. 63) definition, so to speak of God is Jesus Christ for
God is Jesus like.
The term ganda in general, Ganda stands for a
delight-bringing totality. It is “not a mere This is why Jesus is so foundational and so
aspect of social, intellectual, and material central in Christian Faith. (Cacho & de Mesa,
reality” but “the sum total 2012, p. 64)
of katangian (traits) associated with
anything.” Ang Kagandahang- Loob ni Hesus ay
nakakatawag pansin at nakakabighani may
That is why we consider pleasant physical dating ito at talab. And God is this kind of
appearance as insufficient in what we could beauty. God’s Kagandahang- loob is salvific, it
call maganda if there is no corresponding transforms, it heals, and it comforts. (Cacho &
goodness in character” (de Mesa & Cacho, 2012 de Mesa, 2012, p. 65)
p. 64).
God’s agape; God’s kagandahang- loob who
Concept of Beauty in the Bible: freely and graciously acts for the well- being of
people (lubos na naginhawahan) without any
1. “For the LORD sees not as man thoughts of return of the favor.
sees: man looks on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks on Describing God in Jesus Christ
the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7 as Kagandahang- loob goes beyond its
2. "I praise you, for I am fearfully references to kindheartedness, benevolence,
and wonderfully made. Wonderful beneficence, and goodness as a specific act.
are your works; my soul knows it Kagandahang-loob, does not only mean divine
very well."- Psalm 139:14 goodness and benevolence it is goodness and
3. "For we are God’s handiwork, benevolence that arises from the very core of
created in Christ Jesus to do good God.
works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do." -Ephesians Furthermore; the kagandahang-loob of God has
2:10 been described as kagandahang walang daya,
4. Your beauty should not come from and finally; God’s kagandahang- loob or the
outward adornment, such as love of God is identical with the being of God,
elaborate hairstyles and the therefore, it is not something which God has or
wearing of gold jewelry or fine does, it is not a virtue or a property of God, nor
clothes. Rather, it should be that is love something which God can decide to here
of your inner self, the unfading and without there. It cannot be uneven or pass
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, away. Love is, quite simply, what God is.
which is of great worth in God’s (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, pp. 66-67)
sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4
Module 4: The Foundation of 16). Such “kagandahang – loob” is one that
Faith: Pagpapadama ng Diyos ng Kanyang bestows dignity to us – tinatao tayo – and in his
kagandahang-loob as Revelation way honors god as truly a God of genuine
concern.
We can speak of God’s initiative in a way that is
more in harmony with Filipino thought. This we 2. God’s pagpapadama is life-giving
shall describe as God’s pagpapadama of 3. Zoe as ginhawa
divine kagandahang – loob or agape. It is out of
God’s kagandahang – loob that our relationship Filipinos who experience “hirap ng buhay”
with the GodSelf begins. (difficulty in life) desire for “ginhawa”. It
Pagpapadama: The intuitively affective- expresses Filipinos’ experience of total well -
cognitive way of experience being. It is rooted in human realities but does
not take for granted other aspects of human life
When we ask about how God manifests His love that transcend earthly blessings. We aim at the
to us, we turn to a most common way Filipinos fullness of “ginhawa” even when at times it is
communicate: pagpapadama that is, making elusive.
someone feel what one wants to
convey. Pagpapadama is both an important Through our day – to day experiences, we get a
feature of our Filipino communication patterns glimpse of ginhawa which God gives us. Even
and indicative of the importance that we give to when we only have fragments of ginhawa, we
feelings. What we want to be communicated to are sustained in our continuous struggle to fulfill
another needs to be done the feeling way. God’s will of lubos na ginhawa for all of us.

Pagpapadama is communicating the intuitively Two perspectives of Zoe or Salvation

affective – cognitive way. The occurrence The notion of ginhawa can represent two (2)
of “having felt” (nadama) implies that means perspectives on zoe or salvation, the redemption
that whatever is communicated has an - centered and the creation - centered. Each one
effect, may dating at talab. In this work we shall has its strengths and weaknesses.
use the term “dama” with its
cognates “pagpapadama”, “nadama” or
“nadarama” to speak in general about this
Filipino manner of relating.
Redemption-centered
It is intuitive because it is rationally calculated;
it is affective – cognitive because “dama” Focus on the process from hirap to ginhawa
Intimately combines feeling and thought in the (pag – ahon sa hirap) generally relates to the
action. redemption - centered mindset. In this
perspective, God’s salvation is seen as a
Kailangang maramdaman ng kapwa ang nais liberation or release from sin and all its evil
nating ipabatid. effects. Oriented as it is towards evil, this
outlook regards the world as corrupt and
Re-interpreting “revelation” in the light
corruptive.
of pagpapadama and kagandahang-loob
Humanity needs to be redeemed. By our own
1. God’s pagpapadama is relational efforts, we can put things right. Our
helplessness comes from our being born in sin,
Kagandahang – loob calls our attention to the having inherited it from the first human beings.
fact that what transpires between God and
people is a relationship that involves the deepest We had become, in St. Augustine’s words,
and most authentic reality of the self (loob). a massa damnata (Latin, condemned mass of
humanity).
It is implied that “kagandahang – loob” is a
relational concept; it cannot be known or As Paul puts it, since all have sinned, and fall
demonstrated in isolation from fellow human short of the glory of God, they are justified by
beings. God’s relationship of “kagandahang – his grace as a gift, through the redemption
loob” is not a superficial one for it engages who which is in Christ Jesus whom God has put
God truly is and who we truly are. forward as expiation by his blood to be received
by faith” (Romans 3: 23 – 25).
According to Paul, God’s pagpapadama was
something that occurred within him. “But when Redemption from the slavery of sin is only
God who had set me apart before I was born possible by acceptance of Jesus as savior. To
and called me through his grace, was pleased to believe Christ Jesus, who took upon Himself the
reveal his son in me so that I might proclaim punishment which was due to us, is to be
him among the Gentiles…”(Gal. 1: 15 – assured of redemption.
Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus will (kagustuhan / kalooban ng Diyos).
is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Negative experiences in life are seen as part of
him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans God’s will.
10: 9).
Point: It is never God’s will to make people
This way of understanding redemption is suffer. Only that which ensures our well – being
referred to as the theology of atonement. It was is God’s desire and plan. Our tradition of faith
formulated by St. Anselm. He is, however, often testifies to this.
misunderstood as presenting Jesus appeasing an
angry offended God. God’s liberation of Israel from the bondage of
Egypt (cf. Ex. 3: 7 – 8) and the constant
Actually, what he is offering is a contextualized compassion Jesus showed to the suffering
view of God’s compassion within the medieval people of his time are two prime examples.
feudal culture of Europe. In his view divine Many of the sufferings we experience are due to
goodness provided a solution to the predicament selfishness, greed, apathy and misuse of our free
of human beings. will.

Creation-centered The question of suffering is complex and many

reasons have been given why it exists. But to
Concentration on experienced ginhawa, no simple blame God or others is to pass on the
matter how partial and temporary, connects with responsibility and not learn from our wrong
the creation – centered way of thinking. decisions.

The creation – centered way of looking at Even natural disasters cannot be laid on God.
salvation, for its part focuses on blessings of They are not divinely orchestrated tests of our
life. Before there was sin and sinfulness, there faith, but simply due to the way nature works.
was what had been considered by God as By way of an example, no one is singled out to
“good” and “very good”. suffer for no virus or bacteria have the capacity
Before “original sin”, there was “original to choose who deserves or does not deserve
blessing”. Life is meant to be a joy, not a infections. Randomness is part of life and there
gloomy existence. are sometimes no special reasons for things that
occur.
To make us realize that the world and all of
creation are good (cf. Gen 1: 31), God shares What matters most is our unwavering trust in a
our humanity through Jesus. God who suffers with us. We do not suffer
alone. A tragic story illustrates this belief.
The question of God’s love and human
suffering The Jewish writer Elie Wiesel narrates an
incident in one of the Nazi concentration camps
People are often confused about the seeming during the time of Hitler where a prisoner had
irony of God’s love and the reality of suffering escaped. To get even with the Nazis took a
in the world. Many tend to ask or sometimes young boy and hanged him publicly. Everyone
question, “Why does God allow people to suffer was forced to watch the boy die. Seeing the boy
if God loves us?; Where is God when we are in dangling on the rope, one cursed bitterly,
deep crisis or difficulties?; Does God really “Where is God now?” Someone answered,
care for us?” “There, on that rope. That’s God!”
Indeed, it is much easier to acknowledge The God we believe in is not autocratic nor
God’s kagandahang – loob in the many positive vindictive. Through the kagandahang - loob of
or enriching moments in life. When there is God, we are healed and empowered to sustain
abundance, stability, strength, joy, peace, one another as we work together to alleviate
success, order and pleasant surprises that leave people from sufferings
us in awe, we always attribute these to God. At
time like these, gracious love is evident. God’s pagpapadama is unconditional and
universal
But when death - dealing situations like failures,
calamities, difficulties, break – ups, loneliness, Another element of initiative which is also part
frustrations, sickness or death come our way, we of kagandahang - loob pinpoints the
begin to question and some would even blame unconditionality, therefore, the dependability of
God for all these catastrophes and often God’s love.
conclude that these are just ways by which God Kagandahang - loob connotes one’s personal
is testing our faith. initiative wherein every act is graciously free.
Likewise, Filipinos often attribute everything This should arise from genuinely free decision
that happens to them as God’s and option of the person (kusang-loob). Bukal
sa kalooban suggests that the kagandahang - The passion and death of Jesus undeniably
loob being manifested is truly in harmony with manifested God’s great love. Jesus did not just
the most authentic in the person. It is being die; he was to put to death by those who
likened to a spring from an undeniably pure opposed what he lived for and taught. He could
source. Hence, forced or have backed out of his mission to bring zoe for
manipulated, kagandahang - loob is not his own safety, but he did not.
authentic.
Dei Verbum also highlights the same point
concerning God’s initiative. It is God’s initiative
to reveal the GodSelf itself. “It is in His
goodness and wisdom where God chose to
reveal Himself and to make known to us the That would have compromised what he stood
hidden purpose of his will…” (cf. Dei for and who he was. Besides, he loved “too
Verbum, art.2). much.” Jesus himself saw it this way, saying,
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down
one’s life for one’s friend’s” (Jn. 15:13).
In here, we need to take note of the important This gospel seems too good to be true: that God
phrase “God chose…”, this denotes that, from would love and care for us beyond merit,
the very depths of God (loob) the Godself, beyond expectations and beyond reason. In
decided, “to reveal himself.” other words, the extraordinary friendship which
The innermost being of God is agape God extends to all unconditionally is pure
(kagandahang - loob) which makes us certain of graciousness and beyond measure. This is what
God’s faithfulness. God took the initiative, the Jesus reveals to us of God, kagandahang-loob
first step to relate to us without any conditions na walang kapantay.
which offers life-giving relationship. This can Thus, it views revelation essentially as God’s
be seen in Romans 11:29 saying, “for the gifts self-communication, a loving and totally
and the calling of God are irrevocable.” gratuitous invitation to enter a dialogue of
Moreover, one must have in mind that God does friendship.
not discriminate for the love of God is not
dependent on us but the love of God is universal God’s pagpapadama is historical
which is for all peoples.
God’s pagpapadama transcends human Revelation as pagpapadama ng Diyos ng
limitations kanyang kagandahang - loob is historical in two
senses. First, it occurs in history, the
God’s kagandahang-loob, proposes the lavish concentration of human experiences. Second,
benevolence of God that far exceeds human revelation is historical because there is actually
expectations. Kagandahang-loob is also a sequence of events that lead up to its
characterized by its tendency to an “excessive” completion in Jesus Christ.
manifestation of goodness and generosity which
goes beyond the limits of necessity, duty or In sacred history
sufficiency or what is considered usual, proper It is in our ordinary day-to-day experience
or just. where salvation is being revealed. Within the
However, in the popular mind, their notion process this can be seen within the process and
of kagandahang-loob is that, it should not be details of our everyday experiences that
naïve. There must be limits to acts of goodness God’s kagandahang - loob is made evident and
and generosity lest they be abused. tangible. We do not experience God’s
captivating love only once nor only in
When others became too dependent on us we extraordinary ways.
are advised to calculate the boundaries of
our kagandahang-loob and not to go beyond Human experience of falling in love may tend to
reasonable limits. be fleeting or momentary but it may be the
occasion of beginning and deepening of a
Dei Verbum remarks that Jesus “perfected genuine personal relationship. As it is in falling
revelation”, that is, completed the work of in love with God may happen time and again.
salvation by transformative presence in the Nonetheless, we need to be attentive and have a
world. listening heart to God’s loving presence.
It notes that this was especially accomplished, Our experiences may either be positive or
“through His death and glorious resurrection negative but both manifest a sense of God – an
from the dead and the final sending of the Spirit experience of grace. These, are sometimes
of Truth” (Dei Verbum, art. 4). referred to as moments of grace or occasions
when we can claim that we are suffused or Because God is disclosed in and through
submerged by the grace of a loving God. For creative acts, and because these creative acts
others, it may come in mysterious as well as in constitute history, we come to a knowledge of
most unexpected ways. God as we reflect on the principal events of
human history and our own personal history.
This overwhelming gift that the “transcendent”
communicates is beautifully proclaimed in In understanding “revelation” we
Psalm 8. Here, the psalmist marvels at the use kagandahang - loob as our concept.
grandeur of God’s glory reflected in creation Revelation, also presupposes a history of God’s
and the dignity bestowed on the human person way of relating with humankind and with our
who is undeserving of such a gift. created world. The GodSelf cannot be known
hastily. Just as the God of the Judeo - Christian
Indeed, such a pleasant surprise is faith was not known and recognized
acknowledged in humble gratitude. For when as kagandahang - loob all at once.
people encounter in a most personal way the
gratuitous love of God, they are left in awe of The ways of this “God of supreme love” came
the gift that was unmerited but freely bestowed to be gradually known “by experience.” (cf. Dei
on them. Verbum, art. 14), particularly in the persons of
Abraham, Moses and the Prophets. It was only
In times of healing and forgiveness in Jesus Christ that the GodSelf was
God’s kagandahang - loob is also made experienced in a definite and definitive manner
tangible. When one is being liberated from as kagandahang - loob.
painful memories and hurting relationships one
will experience better happiness. Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to dwell
among us and tell us “the innermost realities
Forgiveness is not easy but in doing so, we can about God.” It is He who completes the work of
find the peace we are longing. Jesus reminded salvation which His Father gave Him to do (cf.
us to forgive without limits (cf. Mt. 18:22) and Jn. 5:36, 17:4).” Thus, in Jesus we have come to
to forgive from the heart (cf. Mt. 18:35). know who God really is for us because “to see
On the one hand, negative experiences can also Jesus is to see the Father (Jn. 14:9).” This God
be considered as “blessings in disguise.” It is in known through Jesus Christ is the God
this experience were the gracious love of God of agape or kagandahang - loob. He is the
can be experienced. foundation and reference point in knowing and
loving God. Jesus Christ is God – for - us.
It can be seen through friends’ help, in comfort
in moments of loss, in strength in sorrow and God’s pagpapadama is trinitarian
the like. These experiences of life, teaches us One important aspect of God’s Pagpapadama
lessons to grow and become better individuals. which was retrieved by Vatican II from overall
Lest not to consider them as futile hence, one theological neglect concerns its Trinitarian
must be more sensitive and discerning of God’s singularity. Before Vatican II while much was
grace. said about Jesus Christ, little was mentioned
From this perspective, we can say that all places about the Father, and the Spirit was spoken of
offer possibility of experiencing the least.
God’s Pagpapadama. In other words, The reality and importance of the Holy Spirit in
God’s Pagpapadama, can also be experienced Christian Faith was relegated in the background
not only in Church or sacred places but also of theological talk. In fact, the Spirit was often
everywhere. Thus, God’s Pagpapadama is referred to as “the forgotten God”. Reference to
anywhere so we should not delimit ourselves Jesus in theology overshadowed the reality of
with humanly designated structures, places or the Father, much more so the truth about the
spaces. Spirit.
God’s pagpapadama as the history of And yet God as triune is the Christian form of
salvation believing in one God. So Dei Verbum, when it
For the Christians, history is not simply the put forth its view of God’s Pagpapadama, made
place or context wherein God communicates sure that its trinitarian character would not be
eternal truths to humankind. History is itself the put aside again.
creative act of God through which God is
manifested and continues to be manifested to us.
The climactic moment of history is always the In its metaphorical use of “word” (dabar), the
event of Jesus Christ. Father is seen as “speaking”, the Son is
considered the “spoken” Word of the Father,
and the Spirit is the effective power of such through the words and activities of special
speaking and spoken Word. individuals (prophets, apostles, et al.), of special
communities (the Church in particular), and
The Father is regarded as the one who “out of supremely in and through Jesus Christ, who is at
the abundance of His love speaks to human once God-revealing and God-revealed. All of
beings as friends”. In this revelatory activity history, and therefore, all of revelation, is
“the deepest truth about God and the salvation oriented towards the Christ-event as history’s
of people is made clear to us in Christ, who is center and core.
the Mediator and at the same time the fullness
of all revelation” (cf. Dei Verbum, art. 2). For the modernist view, God is thoroughly
immanent to the world that revelation
But for faith to become a reality “the grace of constitutes nothing more than ordinary human
God and the interior help of the holy Spirit must experience and ordinary human knowledge.
precede and assist, moving the heart and turning
it to God…” It is this same Spirit that enables
“an ever deeper understanding of revelation”
and that brings “faith to completion by Her
gifts” (cf. Dei Verbum, art. 5) Thus, the Triune
God is essentially involved in our experiencing
of God from beginning to end.
The Trinity can also be considered in terms of
three interconnected moments which starts from
the Father’s great love for humankind and His
sending of the Son, then continuing with the
making visible and palpable this immense love
by the son, and carried on towards culmination
through the abiding presence of the Spirit that
takes us up into the very Self of god, who is
love. This total event, remarks Bible scholar
Barbara Reid, is “analogous to falling in love”
as “it is something self – transcending that
happens to us and transforms us.”
Summary:
Revelation is presupposed when speaking of
faith. The Foundation of Faith, with its beautiful
components is revealed in the Pagpapadama ng
Diyos ng Kanyang kagandahang-loob. We can
speak of God’s initiative in a way that is more
in harmony with Filipino thought. This we shall
describe as God’s pagpapadama of
divine kagandahang – loob or agape. It is out of
God’s kagandahang – loob that our relationship
with the GodSelf begins. It is through God’s
initiative that we have a glimpse of the presence
of God.
Thus, it is a gift and not a human effort that we
come to believe. Our way to faith is our
conscience because it connects us to our Creator
believing that God is within the depths of our
being (loob), communicating to us the divine
presence in our very person and existence.
Revelation is the self-communication of God. It
is a process which God initiates and which we
recognize and accept because of our radical
capacity to be open to the presence and action of
God in our History and in our personal lives.
God is disclosed always sacramentally,
mysteriously, symbolically. Revelation of God
occurs in nature itself, in historical events,