Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Notes
INTRODUCTION
Theology of Baptism
Baptism in the Filipino socio-cultural and religious sphere:
Baptism, among the sacraments is the most popular yet limited to its social functions and less on its liturgical, theological and spiritual significance. In fact, it appears to be one of the least understood sacraments.
Baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence (CCC 1236, 1253)
“Why do we seek baptism?” Because of faith.
Baptism, the “first sacrament of Christian initiation incorporates new members into the Christ and into the Church. It accomplishes what it signifies: new birth, new life, new creation. It arises in response to evangelization, the proclamation of God’s word, to repentance and conversion, to faith and to a desire to be one with Christ in His Church.”
Scriptures bear witness to the significant place occupied by faith in the need for baptism. The Lord commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and baptize them (Mt 28, 19-20; Mk 16, 15-16)
The General Introduction to Christian Initiation is more explicit in relating faith and baptism: “Baptism, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit’s grace to the Gospel of Christ.”
David Tracy, “Approaching the Trinitarian Understanding of God,” in Systematic Theology, The Roman Catholic Perspective, Vol. I. edited by Francis Schusler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin.
ON THE ONE AND TRIUNE GOD
“For a Christian understanding of God is none other than a Trinitarian understanding.” (132)
“A Christian theological understanding of God cannot be divorced from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.” (133)
“… on a Catholic understanding, we understand God foundationally in and through Scripture and Tradition.” (135) In particular, “the ecclesial confession on God can be rendered: “We believe in the God of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.”(135-136)
“This common ecclesial confession which informs all the classic creeds, finds its scriptural foundation as well as its clearest rendering in the plain sense of the passion narrative of the New Testament.” (136)
“Christians understand who God is first and foundationally in and through their experience and understanding of Jesus Christ. Christians discover that experience and understanding mediated to them in word and sacrament through the mediation of the ecclesial tradition.” (136)
“A Christian theology further understands the person and salvific events of Jesus as the very self-revelation of who God is and who we are commanded and empowered to become.” (136)
“A systematic theological understanding of both revelation and salvation in turn is also grounded in the common ecclesial confession and the plain sense of the passion narrative of the Gospel.” (137)
“The passion narrative, moreover, should not remain isolated from the rest of the scriptures or from the latter creeds. Rather, the passion narrative, as foundation and focus of all properly Christian understanding of God, should open up to the larger gospel narrative of the message and ministry of Jesus, the incarnation of the Logos…” (137)
“… for the Christian faithful to answer who is Christ to the question “Who God is?,” asked in relation to the self-disclosure of God in Jesus Christ, is: God is love, and Christians are those agents commanded and empowered by God to love.” (138)
But Love is not God…
“God is love:” this identity of God the Christians experiences and knows is and through the proclaimed and narrated history of God’s actions and self-disclosure as the God who is love in Jesus Christ, the parable of God.” (138)
“God is love”, ‘is also to affirm now in the more abstract terms proper to post scriptural metaphysical theologies that God, the origin, sustainer, and end of all reality is characterized by the radical relationality of that most relational of categories, love.”(138)
‘the Christian understanding of the ‘existence” and “nature” of God is grounded in the “identity” of the God disclosed as kenotic love in Jesus Christ.’ (139)
“Holy Baptism and Contemporary Theology” in The Christian Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist by Kenan B. Osborne, OFM.,
In contemporary sacramental theology with its emphasis on Jesus as the primordial sacrament and the Church as the basic sacrament, one would have to say that the only reason, theologically, that baptism is a sacrament is that baptism has an intrinsic and foundational relationship to the humanness of Jesus on the one hand and to the Church on the other hand. (79)
… baptism is a sacrament not simply because Jesus instituted it, but more profoundly because Jesus himself is the very meaning of baptism (79).
Jesus as primordial sacrament and Church as basic sacrament is indicated in some documents of Vatican II (cf. 79-80)
Jesus as the primordial sacrament of baptism is a “twentieth century approach to the issue of sacraments.” It is also the direction taken by Karl Rahner and Edward Schellebeckx.
-In what way can we say that today Jesus is the “primordial sacrament” of baptism?
A theological opinion… “Jesus in his humanity is the first sacrament.” (81) “Jesus in his humanity, is the baptized, that is, jesus is in himself what baptism is all about.”
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
CATHOLIC DOGMA, In the Eyes of a Baptized
Born in Christ, faithful to Christ, becoming like Christ…
CATHOLIC DOGMA, In the Eyes of a Baptized
INTRODUCTION
The theology of baptism provides a concise yet creative and practical approach in presenting a synthesis of the Catholic dogma. An elaboration of the Church’s doctrine on baptism amounts to a similar elaboration of the contents of the Christian Faith. As a matter of fact, baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence, wherein one is baptized because of faith and to grow and become mature in faith. This chapter will describe how theology of baptism provides an angle of looking and explaining the dogmatic formulations of the Christian Faith, in view of the challenge to reflect them in the way one has to live his/her life.[1] (Introduction)
By teaching that through baptism one is made into “a new creature” through the Paschal Mystery is to affirm that creation is in need of redemption and has to be transformed into the likeness of Christ[2]. In view of this, the paper will elaborate the Church doctrine on life and the after-life[3] (Chapter I, Creation and Eschatology)
In baptism, a baptized person is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ.[4] In such a way, the person needs to profess and commit (fides qua) to the faith (fides quae) received from God through the Church[5]. Not only that, in the event of baptism, the involvement of the community is manifested by their assurance and promise to support the baptized grow in his/her faith.[6] Here, we will discuss such fundamental theological issues like faith and revelation(Chapter II, Faith and Revelation)
The Church holds that its entire liturgy and the celebration of the sacrament in particular is the work of the Trinity.[7] This calls for an elaboration not simply of the content of faith (fides quae) but of the Church’s particular understanding of the Trinitarian Mystery in order for one to become mature in his/her faith (fides qua). Hence, the need to discuss the Church’s dogmatic teaching on the Trinity. (Chapter III, One and Triune God)
As “a new creature”, a person baptized is redeemed by Christ by the forgiveness of sins, divine adoption and sharing in the life of Christ.[8] Hence, one needs to cultivate a deeper and more intimate knowledge of the Jesus the Christ. To be discussed here is the way Jesus lives like us and as the Son of God, who showed us the way to the Father. (Chapter IV, Christology)
In baptism, the graces we received are not only undeserved but constitutes the fullness of life[9]; beyond which there is none other. Here, we will discuss the theological issues of grace and its relation to justification. (Chapter V, Grace and Soteriology)
Faith and baptism is a gift one received from and to be fully developed within the Church.[10] Also, in baptism one is incorporated into the Church, to belong to the Body of Christ and share in His priesthood, in his prophetic and kingly mission.[11] This means participation in the works of charity and worship of the Church.[12] (Chapter VI, Ecclesiology and Sacraments)
Faith is fides qua and fides quae. In Baptism, one is promised a place in the Kingdom of the Father by sharing in the New Life won by Christ in the power of the Spirit dwelling in the person incorporated in the Church. Baptism happens in faith that is to be later lived out to attain the fullness of life like Christ. (Summary and Conclusion)
]
INTRODUCTION
Theology of Baptism
Baptism in the Filipino socio-cultural and religious sphere:
Baptism, among the sacraments is the most popular yet limited to its social functions and less on its liturgical, theological and spiritual significance. In fact, it appears to be one of the least understood sacraments.
Baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence (CCC 1236, 1253)
“Why do we seek baptism?” Because of faith.
Baptism, the “first sacrament of Christian initiation incorporates new members into the Christ and into the Church. It accomplishes what it signifies: new birth, new life, new creation. It arises in response to evangelization, the proclamation of God’s word, to repentance and conversion, to faith and to a desire to be one with Christ in His Church.”
Scriptures bear witness to the significant place occupied by faith in the need for baptism. The Lord commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and baptize them (Mt 28, 19-20; Mk 16, 15-16)
The General Introduction to Christian Initiation is more explicit in relating faith and baptism: “Baptism, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit’s grace to the Gospel of Christ.”
David Tracy, “Approaching the Trinitarian Understanding of God,” in Systematic Theology, The Roman Catholic Perspective, Vol. I. edited by Francis Schusler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin.
ON THE ONE AND TRIUNE GOD
“For a Christian understanding of God is none other than a Trinitarian understanding.” (132)
“A Christian theological understanding of God cannot be divorced from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.” (133)
“… on a Catholic understanding, we understand God foundationally in and through Scripture and Tradition.” (135) In particular, “the ecclesial confession on God can be rendered: “We believe in the God of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.”(135-136)
“This common ecclesial confession which informs all the classic creeds, finds its scriptural foundation as well as its clearest rendering in the plain sense of the passion narrative of the New Testament.” (136)
“Christians understand who God is first and foundationally in and through their experience and understanding of Jesus Christ. Christians discover that experience and understanding mediated to them in word and sacrament through the mediation of the ecclesial tradition.” (136)
“A Christian theology further understands the person and salvific events of Jesus as the very self-revelation of who God is and who we are commanded and empowered to become.” (136)
“A systematic theological understanding of both revelation and salvation in turn is also grounded in the common ecclesial confession and the plain sense of the passion narrative of the Gospel.” (137)
“The passion narrative, moreover, should not remain isolated from the rest of the scriptures or from the latter creeds. Rather, the passion narrative, as foundation and focus of all properly Christian understanding of God, should open up to the larger gospel narrative of the message and ministry of Jesus, the incarnation of the Logos…” (137)
[1] Cf. CCC 2087 “Faith as source of moral life.” Also, CCC 222-227 “Implications of faith in One God.”
[2] Cf. CCC 280-281. “… from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ. Also. Romans 8:18-23.. “Incorporated into Christ in Baptism, the person baptized it configured to Christ.” CFC 1599 “New life in union with Christ”. See also Romans 8, 29.
Here I am cautious in using the more popular term ‘alter christus” (which I suspect carries an exclusively clerical meaning.) The Eastern Tradition more appropriately used “theosis” to refer to this doctrine of salvation. (See “The Doctrine of Theosis” in http://www.geocities.com/apotheoun/theosis accessed on September 27, 2007.
[3] See Ephesians 2, 4-7. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” The NAB commentary notes explains, “Our relation through baptism with Christ, the risen Lord, is depicted in terms of realized eschatology, as already exaltation, though Eph 2:7 brings in the future aspect too.”
[4] CCC 1267.
[5] CCC 1270.
[6] Christian Initiation, General Introduction, 9.
[7] Cf. CCC. “The Liturgy—The Work of the Trinity,” 1077-1112.
[8] Cf. CCC, “The Grace of Baptism,” 1262-1274.
[9] CCC, “The Grace of Baptism,” 1262-1274.
[10] CCC, 1253.
[11] CCC, 1263.
[12] CCC, 1270.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Dreamland and The Pastoral Circle
The
THE DREAMLAND EXPERIENCE
By
CONTACT OR IMMERSION
The place is called “dreamland” understood by its residents in the manner of the biblical sense of the term “Promised Land.” The occupants of the place believed that God by his mysterious ways brought out a piece of land from the depths of the sea and gave it to them to be their home, a land of their own.
Dreamland is a sand bar that has accumulated in time offshore. It was then a patch of land that had risen from and dumped by the sea. It was 20 meters from the sea wall protecting seaside baranggays of Muzon I and Muzon II of
Six years ago, a real estate developer whom they identified as Engineer Magno started a massive land reclamation project covering an area of more than 50 hectares including the same area where dreamland was located. His construction firm had put down concrete blocks around the area to mark the perimeter of the part of the sea he intends to reclaim and to strengthen his right of claim on the property. Also, the construction firm opens the reclamation site for garbage dumping, allowing them to save the cost for landfill and at the same time collect fee for every truckloads of garbage dumped in the site. There had been a considerable progress in the land reclamation project undertaken in the site for the last six years. The formerly vast open seashore had been littered with garbage that was later covered with a land fill.
The residents had experienced being harassed. In fact, there had been several attempts to demolish their shelters. Also, court cases had also been filed against the residents by Engineer Magno charging them with trespassing a private property. In return, they filed claims of ownership to the Bureau of Lands. In ‘dreamland,” the constant struggle had been the conflicting interest of a company represented by Engineer Magno and the residents.” Both sides are appealing to their inherent right to occupy the land. Yet on the wider scale, the issues and concerns that interest me are more than ownership, the right to private property
I came to know the place way back in 2003, when I was assigned in
SOCIAL ANALYSIS AND THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Land Ownership (Shelter)
Obviously, highest in the priority of needs of the people of dreamland is ownership of the land. They believed and are convinced that the piece of land rightfully belongs to them as a gift from God, an answer to their long-time longing and need to have a piece of land they could claim to be their own and call their home. Understandably, coming from far away provinces seeking for means and looking for new opportunities to earn a living, they are practically not only landless, but are also without money and shelter. Hence, the need is really basic and urgent for them to find a place to settle and rest their tired bodies. I believe, it would be dehumanizing to deprive and deny the occupants of “dreamland” their fundamental right to seek shelter and look for a legitimate land to settle. For all that God has created belongs not exclusively to those who have the resources to develop the site but to all who are in need.[1]
Neglect of Environment
The reclamation site is practically turned into an open dumpsite for all kinds of garbage and wastes. Every now and then, the reclamation project staff would burn some portions of the garbage. Hence, residents surrounding the place complained of the foul smell coming from the reclamation site and of many children acquiring respiratory illness. If residents of the surrounding communities are alarmed of the health hazards posed by the dumped sites, the threat for the residents of “dreamland” who are practically beside the garbage dump are more immediate and to a much greater scale.
What is more alarming in the continuing neglect of environmental concern by the reclamation’s dump site is its long term effect. This could be negligible if the dump site is properly maintained in a safer place. But it was not only unregulated but was not in a right place. Considerable amount of garbage dumped in the site end up in the sea due to negligence and inconsiderate acts of people managing the site. The last time I was there this year, I can no longer see the sand along the seashores. All I saw were plastics piled up covering the beaches and many more afloat blanketing the sea as far as my eyes can see; and if you test the waters, chances are, you will wade through the dark and murky waters. The damage to the marine life by the garbage that spilled over into the sea is irreparable. It will take several decades to rehabilitate and clean the marine habitat.
Creation is God’s gift to humanity for all generations, it is not ours to waste but ours to protect and nurture for ourselves and our children and their children, and for all generations to come.[2] As the church teaches: “Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to present needs but also to those of the future.”[3]
Lack of Education and Livelihood Opportunities
Coming from far away provinces, the residents who came to settle in “dreamland” were families of fishermen. Due to the destruction of marine habitat and the dwindling catch of fish, the families who were mostly dependent on fishing were severely affected. Although, factories in the nearby Cavite Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) are hiring workers, they could not qualify because they lack the required skill. Fishing remains the main source of income for most families in “dreamland”. Since fishing is a seasonal work they spent most of the time waiting for the sea to calm; and whatever the amount they get in fishing it is not enough to support a family of six throughout the year. So, children are forced to earn a living by collecting recyclable materials from the dump site that can be sold in the junk shop.
With their parents extremely constrained financially and finding difficulty to meet the basic needs of food and shelter, children are forced to drop out of school and work full-time in the garbage site collecting saleable items just to help their parents feed the family. Without these children going through the basic education, I see no bright future ahead of them and good opportunities for them to fight poverty.
It is every person’s right to have an access to work and livelihood to support himself and his/her family. [4] Yet for the people of “dreamland”, the opportunities for work and sources income are not meant for them. Besides, in the eyes of those in the leadership positions they are so insignificant to attract their attention and for their need to occupy a spot in their list of concerns.
While parents and their guardians have the specific role and vocation to educate their children, this being part of their participation in God’s creative act.[5] Their miserable condition makes them extremely constrained even to address their basic needs and too powerless to address distant concerns such as education of their children.
Cultural and Social Stigma
The most humbling and difficult to live by experience for residents of “dreamland” is the loss of dignity they suffered in the eyes of their neighbors who are a little well-off than they who look down on them with contempt and ridicule. The grown up can live by this unfortunate and dehumanizing situation, but the children suffered the most with their self image shattered and their confidence trampled upon. It is a heart-breaking sight to behold children walking on the streets with their heads bowed down collecting saleable items from other people’s garbage, while other neat-looking children would cover their noses once these children from “dreamland” pass by them. I can only wonder how easily we have forgotten the fundamental teaching that each person is endowed with inviolable dignity by God.[6]
“Dreamland” is a compelling situation that epitomizes, on the one hand, the Church’s negligence, insensitivity, indifference and lack of concern, and on the other hand, the Church’s failure to live out its vocation and identity as community of Christ’s disciples. First, the local Church was for so long only a distant indifferent observer of the abuses and violence committed against the residents of “dreamland”. Also, the local Church never gets involved in the struggle of the residents of ‘dreamland” to their legitimate right over that small piece of land that was unlawfully being obtained by an influential developer. Second, the Church was not only a failure in becoming stewards of creation but was also largely an agent of its destruction. It is an undeniable fact that the pollution of the water bodies and the destruction of marine habitat were due to the people’s negligence and utter disregard for the welfare of the environment. Third, the poverty and lack of access to basic education of children of dreamland is a scandal for the Church. “Before these tragedies of total indigence and need, in which so many of our brothers and sisters are living, it is the Lord Jesus himself who comes to question us (cf. Mt 25:31 46).”[7] Fourth, it is a very serious offense against God to deny others of God’s gift dignity that is inherently theirs being created in the image and likeness of God. (Gen 1:24) Nonetheless, many of our brothers suffered the indignity through our very own actions.
PASTORAL PLAN
Certainly, the situation needs to be improved. Although, one would right away suggest that land titles be awarded to the residents to legitimize their claim and occupation of that piece of land for it will then solve all the problems. Even if legal titles can be acquired for the residents of “dreamland” it will not solve the concerns and issues we have identified above because most of them are systemic and attitudinal. They are like a bacterial infection within the human tissue causing a swelling of the skin which in due time will sought release after finding the weakest area to rupture. Seen analogically in a manner of an infection, “dreamland” was the unfortunate weak spot where the bacteria created a rupture to come out in the open. Awarding land titles is a “band-aid” solution to an infected wound that will in no way heal it. What needs to be done is some kind of surgical procedure to drain and flush out the bacterial fluids and a strong dosage of anti-bacterial medicine to contain the spread of the virus. This amounts to a kind of a parish-wide (or maybe a diocese-wide) advocacy and campaign to stop and condemn the violence committed against the residents of dreamland by those who finance and operate the reclamation project, and by those who ridicule and look with contempt at the powerless and the marginalized. It will also include a massive involvement of all the sectors of the community, the Church, governments units, non-governmental organizations and others to participate in the rehabilitation of water bodies and in the implementation of a Proper Waster Disposal and Management Scheme that will not only reduce but promote recycling and re-use of things as well in order to maintain sanitation and protect the environment from further damages. Finally, collaboration between the Church and the State have to be strengthened to bring back to the mainstream of society those who are at the margins and fringes of the community by reason of their poverty and lack of education.
Looking at it, I am overwhelmed. Before a massive wall of concerns and issues, and the staggering amount of resources needed, I can only shake my head, look up to heaven and wait for miracles to happen. As I see it, it will take a lifetime for all these to happen. It is too ideal. Nonetheless, I consoled myself with the thought that in my almost two years of weekend apostolate I have done something. It might have been dwarfed by the gigantic actual situation it has to address, yet I believe, my share is enough and significant.
In the course of my stay at “dreamland’ every weekend, I initiated a regular Bible Service on Saturday evening during which we reflected upon the scripture readings of the following Sunday. This regular gathering of prayer and reflection lead us to form several clusters in the community to help organize the evening service. From these clusters, leaders were identified to form the coordinating group that regularly meets to address issues in the community like their claim to the property and others concerns in the community. The same group establishes contact with the Parish who then heard and listened to their flight and eventually got involved in their struggle for a place in the Church and the community and in their legal claim to the land they occupy.
At that time, the best practical pastoral plan of action was to lead the residents of “dreamland” to realize their common struggle and concerns; and that they share the same destiny. Once, achieved, it consequently disposed them see the need to organize themselves, that without coordinating their efforts and resources together it will be very difficult for them to achieve something and improve their lives. Thus they decided to formally organize themselves into a community. I do not claim to myself the sole credits of organizing them. It was they who worked to bind themselves together. I was there identifying with their struggles and life-concerns, and providing them with the tools and ideas of community organizing.
Four years after I left, their lives remain miserable and their struggles continuous. But their spirit is high, they remain persistent believing that God is on their side, and also hopeful that one day the Lord will reward their dedication and commitment.
[1] Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 172; Also in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, n. 42
[2] Evangelium Vitae, n. 42
[3] Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 467.
[4] Laborem Excercens, no. 16. Also Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 287.
[5] Familiaris Consortio, n. 36. Also Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 239.
[6] Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1700.
[7] Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, n. 13
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