How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place
Lyrics and music by: Arnel Aquino, SJ
Performed by: RB Hizon, SJ, and Himig Heswita
There is a Reason for the season.
It's always good to remember that Jesus Christ was not born in a hospital. He did not receive gifts from Santa Claus, either.
Merry Christmas!
Categories: Religion, Filipiniana Online
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
FO: Himig Heswita's
"How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place"
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Filipiniana Online,
Religion
FO: Bukas Palad's "Humayo't Ihayag"
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Filipiniana Online,
Religion
Humayo't Ihayag
Lyrics: Manoling Francisco, SJ, Johnny Go, SJ, and Louie Catalan, SJ
Music: Manoling Francisco, SJ
Performed by: Bukas Palad
In the spirit of the season, watch the video of this song and reflect on the fact that although it's not really a Christmas song, there is so much joy in it that it gets sung a lot during Christmas. The lyrics below are from the Bukas Palad website. The translation is mine.
HUMAYO'T IHAYAG
Categories: Religion, Filipiniana Online
Humayo't ihayag (Purihin Siya!)GO FORTH AND PROCLAIM
At ating ibunyag (Awitan Siya!)
Pagliligtas ng Diyos na sa krus ni Hesus
Ang Siyang sa mundo'y tumubos
KORO:
Langit at lupa, Siya'y papurihan
Araw at tala, Siya'y parangalan
Ating 'pagdiwang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa tanan
Aleluya
Halina't sumayaw (Buong bayan!)
Lukso sabay sigaw (Sanlibutan!)
Ang ngalan Niyang angkin singningning ng bituin
Liwanag ng Diyos sumaatin (KORO)
At isigaw sa lahat
Kalinga Niya'y wagas
Kayong dukha't salat
Pag-ibig Niya sa inyo ay tapat
Go forth and proclaim (Praise Him!)
And let us reveal (Sing to Him!)
God's salvation on the cross of Christ
Who redeemed the world
CHORUS:
Heaven and earth, praise Him
Sun and stars, glorify Him
Let us celebrate God's love for everyone
Alleluia
Come let's dance (The whole nation!)
Jump and shout (The universe!)
The name He owns is as bright as a star
God's light is with us (CHORUS)
And shout it to everyone
His love is pure
You who are poor and needy
His love for you is steadfast
Categories: Religion, Filipiniana Online
FO: Hangad's "Magnificat"
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Filipiniana Online,
Religion
Ang Puso Ko'y Nagpupuri (Magnificat)
Based on Luke 1:39-55
Lyrics and music by: Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ
Performed by: Hangad
Lyrics | Audio sample (ram)
This video moved me to post the following on Hangad's online forum more than two years ago:
hi! i just saw most of the video recently. i had seen the video before but only catching the last 30 seconds or so. i noted the blue and white motif and the jumping, but didn't quite get it even though i did like the video as a whole.
anyway, this time i saw it from the beginning (i think). and it got me thinking. the blue and white is obviously marian and, though i had to verify it in the bible, the jumping is a reference to john leaping in his mother's womb just before mary utters the magnificat. but there's obviously more to it than just john's prenatal leap because of all the shots of planes, trains and automobiles. my best guess is that it has something to do with infecting others with god's love. evidence? the last shot where the guy about to enter his car decides to forego the comfort of his own vehicle and run after the jumpers.
and i suppose this has something to do with what i liked best about the video--that it takes an old song with all the baggage of something that tends to be sung as if at a funeral and reminds viewers that the song is about JOY. who wants to join people who are so burdened by guilt (and boredom and apathy?) that they sing "alleluia" and "santo" at mass as if somebody died? no wonder so many catholics are defecting to more joyful congregations. but i digress.
good job! and i hope you make many more that will remind christians that following christ is not JUST about suffering, that we are sustained through the suffering because of the JOY he brings.
Categories: Religion, Filipiniana Online
Immaculate (Mis)Conception
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Religion
Was it Mary or Jesus who was conceived on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception? What's the difference between the celebrations on September 8 and December 8? For that matter, what's the difference between the feasts of the Annunciation and the Immaculate Conception?
If you're not sure, then you're not alone. There is a logic to the liturgical calendar that is not always explained in religion classes or even in Church. Most Catholics (should?) know that the liturgical year starts with Advent and ends with Easter. The rest of the year is known as "ordinary time," which also occurs between the feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
But there are other events that do not follow the Advent-to-Easter cycle. Like the feast of the Immaculate Conception. And the Annunciation. And Mary's birthday.
Part of the confusion arises, I believe, because the readings for those three events—primarily Luke's account of the Annunciation—are also read during the Advent season.
In fact, the feast of the Immaculate Conception takes place during Advent. So people tend to think that it's part of the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ on Christmas day. Wrong.
If you're not sure, then you're not alone. There is a logic to the liturgical calendar that is not always explained in religion classes or even in Church. Most Catholics (should?) know that the liturgical year starts with Advent and ends with Easter. The rest of the year is known as "ordinary time," which also occurs between the feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
But there are other events that do not follow the Advent-to-Easter cycle. Like the feast of the Immaculate Conception. And the Annunciation. And Mary's birthday.
Part of the confusion arises, I believe, because the readings for those three events—primarily Luke's account of the Annunciation—are also read during the Advent season.
In fact, the feast of the Immaculate Conception takes place during Advent. So people tend to think that it's part of the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ on Christmas day. Wrong.
Here's a list of the events mentioned above and the days on which they're celebrated:
But maybe it will make more sense if you look at it this way:
But if you already knew that the birthdates of Mary and Jesus Christ were set exactly nine months after the dates they were conceived, then maybe you'll want to take a look at "Ineffabilis Deus," the papal encyclical that defined the teaching on the Immaculate Conception.
Categories: Religion, Events
If that doesn't make the relationships between the events clear, that's because the events should not be viewed using the January-to-December cycle either.
March 25
September 8
December 8
December 25- Annunciation
- Mary's birthday
- Immaculate Conception
- Jesus Christ's birthday
But maybe it will make more sense if you look at it this way:
If you still can't see the relationships, try counting the months between the dates =)
December 8
September 8
March 25
December 25- Immaculate Conception
- Mary's birthday
- Annunciation
- Jesus Christ's birthday
But if you already knew that the birthdates of Mary and Jesus Christ were set exactly nine months after the dates they were conceived, then maybe you'll want to take a look at "Ineffabilis Deus," the papal encyclical that defined the teaching on the Immaculate Conception.
Categories: Religion, Events
Dialogue with Da Vinci, don't burn it
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Religion
Why would anyone want to burn any book? Read "Copies of 'Da Vinci' book, film burned" by Nini Valera and Tina G. Santos (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 27 May 2006) and let me know if the organizers said anything that remotely justifies burning the book. They won't even prevent people from reading the book because they only burned three copies. They are, of course, entitled to their own opinions, but my guess is that burning the book was really just a publicity stunt.
And then there's that dismissive comment from a member of the group who said that people in the provinces won't be interested in the movie because, "It’s mostly dialogue anyway." Contrast this position with the effort of Loyola School of Theology (LST) to start a real dialogue.
The event is called "Evenings with Da Vinci and Judas," and discussions will be led by Fr. Antonio de Castro, SJ, and Fr. Victor Salanga, SJ, a Church historian and a Bible scholar, respectively. They know their stuff, unlike the book burners who just know that people in the provinces don't like movies with dialogue. No books will be burned.
Incidentally, LST is a pontifical school. In Philippine-education terms, this means that the pope himself has "accredited" the school to teach future teachers of the Catholic faith.
Categories: Books and Movies, Religion
Response to Da Vinci Code Highlights
Inadequacies of Catholic Church
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Religion
If I were to give The Da Vinci Code another title, I'd probably call it The Gospel of Dan Brown. And like The Gospel of Judas a few weeks ago, it will not make much of a dent in the number of Catholics who go to Church. As I wrote before—and which a Bible scholar has been quoting—"If reading [The Da Vinci Code causes] you to 'lose your faith,' then perhaps you deserve to lose it."
The CBCP has finally issued a statement on the eve of the movie's release—years after the book started attracting attention. And if you'll look at how the pastoral statements are presented on the websites of the CBCP and the Archdiocese of Manila, you'll see that the latter has a better understanding of what it means to communicate.
In fact, the Archdiocese of Manila also makes "Handling Questions People may ask about the Da Vinci Code" available, the guide referred to in the CBCP's statement. The guide states that, "Brown sounds so convincing that many of his readers simply believe his assertions, due to insufficient knowledge of the Christian faith and a solid background in history and other fields." But why would Catholic readers have "insufficient knowledge" of their faith? Because the Church refuses to accept that times have changed.
Please pardon the language, but nowadays sex sells. I don't mean that the Church should start putting photos of sexy actresses on the cover of the Bible, but the Church needs to work on communicating with the faithful in a language that they can understand. Bishop Arguelles has asked that the movie be banned, but I would suggest that Arguelles, instead, work on his homilies so that the few who attend and stay awake will have their faith lives enriched. (Yup, he's that out of touch.) The bishops may also want to take a look at how Catholic schools are teaching students about their faith (see "'Average' Catholics and the Bible").
The CBCP has finally issued a statement on the eve of the movie's release—years after the book started attracting attention. And if you'll look at how the pastoral statements are presented on the websites of the CBCP and the Archdiocese of Manila, you'll see that the latter has a better understanding of what it means to communicate.
In fact, the Archdiocese of Manila also makes "Handling Questions People may ask about the Da Vinci Code" available, the guide referred to in the CBCP's statement. The guide states that, "Brown sounds so convincing that many of his readers simply believe his assertions, due to insufficient knowledge of the Christian faith and a solid background in history and other fields." But why would Catholic readers have "insufficient knowledge" of their faith? Because the Church refuses to accept that times have changed.
Please pardon the language, but nowadays sex sells. I don't mean that the Church should start putting photos of sexy actresses on the cover of the Bible, but the Church needs to work on communicating with the faithful in a language that they can understand. Bishop Arguelles has asked that the movie be banned, but I would suggest that Arguelles, instead, work on his homilies so that the few who attend and stay awake will have their faith lives enriched. (Yup, he's that out of touch.) The bishops may also want to take a look at how Catholic schools are teaching students about their faith (see "'Average' Catholics and the Bible").
Anyway, the Opus Dei is dealing with the movie in a much better manner—and that's to use the opportunity to evangelize and correct errors, instead of trying to stifle contrary opinions. Check out the following:
What can librarians learn from all this? We can't just leave it to others to tell the people who we are; that's why the stereotypes about librarians continue to flourish. We have to be the ones to go out there and tell people who we are. It's not enough to complain about inaccurate images of librarians; we must be able to present alternative, positive images in movies, books and, yes, blogs =)
Categories: Books and Movies, Religion
- "Who’s afraid of The Da Vinci Code?" by Francisco S. Tatad (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 14 May 2006)
- "The Ways of Opus Dei" by David Van Biema (Time, 24 April 2006)
When the book was setting record sales and everybody was reading it, you could put a sign outside a church that says we’ll be discussing the true meaning of Ash Wednesday or "The Da Vinci Code." A jillion people will show up. Maybe to tear it apart or maybe to support it but, more than anything else, just to have dialogue about what it does and does not mean. What could possibly be wrong with that? I have plenty of friends—people who are serious about their faith—who have said to me, "Let’s get together and not be afraid [to] have a conversation." All it is, is dialogue. That never hurts.The Catholic Church has failed to communicate with its followers using language that they can understand. Where are the Catholic authors who can write bestselling novels like The Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind series? Fr. Andrew Greeley had some success in the 1980s with The Cardinal Sins and Thy Neighbor's Wife, but the hierarchy didn't exactly approve of his novels either.
What can librarians learn from all this? We can't just leave it to others to tell the people who we are; that's why the stereotypes about librarians continue to flourish. We have to be the ones to go out there and tell people who we are. It's not enough to complain about inaccurate images of librarians; we must be able to present alternative, positive images in movies, books and, yes, blogs =)
Categories: Books and Movies, Religion
The Da Vinci Code, The Gospel of Judas and (Mis)Interpreting the Bible
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Religion
Today is Good Friday. It's the day when Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. But have you ever wondered why, unlike Christmas, the day on which Jesus supposedly died keeps changing? Well, the same is true of Easter Sunday.
To truly understand why this is so, we need to remember that the calendar we now have did not exist during the time of Jesus. That no one really knows when Jesus was born, when he died and when he rose from the dead. That the early Church only set the dates—many decades after Jesus died—on the basis of the little evidence they had and existing Jewish and pagan traditions. For more information on how this came to be, see "Christian Calendar." To calculate the days on which "movable" feasts fell or will fall in previous or future years, check out "Calculation of the Ecclesiastical Calendar."
Does the fact that the Church set the dates for celebrating the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus without using official, verifiable documents bother you? If this is so, then you should probably just throw out your Bible and rely on what the media have been saying about The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas in the past weeks.
To truly understand why this is so, we need to remember that the calendar we now have did not exist during the time of Jesus. That no one really knows when Jesus was born, when he died and when he rose from the dead. That the early Church only set the dates—many decades after Jesus died—on the basis of the little evidence they had and existing Jewish and pagan traditions. For more information on how this came to be, see "Christian Calendar." To calculate the days on which "movable" feasts fell or will fall in previous or future years, check out "Calculation of the Ecclesiastical Calendar."
Does the fact that the Church set the dates for celebrating the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus without using official, verifiable documents bother you? If this is so, then you should probably just throw out your Bible and rely on what the media have been saying about The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas in the past weeks.
What we must always remember is that when it comes to books, literary form is very important. For instance, the Bible is not just one book, it is composed of many books (e.g., Genesis, Matthew). And while some of them may be considered history books, most of them are not. What's written in the Bible is not supposed to be taken literally.
The Da Vinci Code's literary form is "novel," while that of The Gospel of Judas is, well, "gospel." If reading the former or watching the documentary about the latter cause you to "lose your faith," then perhaps you deserve to lose it. Both should be read as they were written, and not as "proof" of anything. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that either book is wrong or should not be read.
I've read The Da Vinci Code, and it's very entertaining, but please remember that it's in the fiction section. I haven't seen the documentary about The Gospel of Judas, but it's important to note that not everything that is "discovered" proves that a conspiracy exists. See "The Emergence of the Canon," which is part of the website of "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians," a more credible and less hysterical documentary than the one produced by National Geographic.
Check out what I've written before about reading the Bible: "Introducing Gen X to the Bible" and "'Average' Catholics and the Bible." If you don't trust me and/or you have time to read long, scholarly documents, see the Pontifical Biblical Commission's "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church" and "The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible."
Good Friday is not about historical dates. Just as the Bible is, as I've said before,
Categories: Religion, Books and Movies
The Da Vinci Code's literary form is "novel," while that of The Gospel of Judas is, well, "gospel." If reading the former or watching the documentary about the latter cause you to "lose your faith," then perhaps you deserve to lose it. Both should be read as they were written, and not as "proof" of anything. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that either book is wrong or should not be read.
I've read The Da Vinci Code, and it's very entertaining, but please remember that it's in the fiction section. I haven't seen the documentary about The Gospel of Judas, but it's important to note that not everything that is "discovered" proves that a conspiracy exists. See "The Emergence of the Canon," which is part of the website of "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians," a more credible and less hysterical documentary than the one produced by National Geographic.
Check out what I've written before about reading the Bible: "Introducing Gen X to the Bible" and "'Average' Catholics and the Bible." If you don't trust me and/or you have time to read long, scholarly documents, see the Pontifical Biblical Commission's "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church" and "The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible."
Good Friday is not about historical dates. Just as the Bible is, as I've said before,
not so much about numbers or facts or history as it is about God's love for his people and the different responses to his love. But if we don't know how to read the Bible, we may just think that the early Israelites lived and thought the way we do today. Or that everything written in the Bible is factually correct. Or that Jesus really was a lamb. And miss the point.
Categories: Religion, Books and Movies
FO: Church Documents
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Filipiniana Online,
Religion
Twenty years ago, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila, called on Filipinos to go to Camp Aguinaldo to "defend" Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos, who had withdrawn support for then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Many heeded Sin's call, and what happened after is now referred to as the People Power revolution, the EDSA revolution, and even EDSA 1.
I do not know whether Sin's call is available online, but there are quite a few Church documents on the Internet that convey a sense of the Church's role in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.
As early as 1971, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was already calling for electoral reforms. After the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, the bishops expressed satisfaction with "the assurance of the President that he was concerned not to prolong martial law unduly." Unfortunately, some presidents are not known for keeping their promises.
And so in 1978, the CBCP had to state that, "there was ample evidence of fraud and deceit, of connivance... to tamper with the results and to frustrate the will of the people" in the Batasang Pambansa elections. It would take a visit from Pope John Paul II for Martial Law to be lifted.
But not much changed, and that's why before the snap elections of 1986, the bishops had to say, "this election will be judged not only in terms of the persons and issues involved, but also by the way it is conducted and the way we respond to its conduct." Finally, after the elections had taken place, the CBCP proclaimed that, "The people have spoken. Or have tried to... the polls were unparalleled in the fraudulence of their conduct."
During the same period in the 70s and 80s, Cardinal Sin as head of the Archdiocese of Manila was also making his own pronouncements. Before the 1978 elections, he urged Filipinos to "go out and vote according to your conscience." After the elections, he called on the Commission on Elections to "investigate all charges brought to its attention, to give everyone a fair and public hearing, and to punish the guilty..." Still, not much happened with regard to election reform.
In 1986, Cardinal Sin told his flock before the snap elections that "MONEY OFFERED TO YOU IN NO WAY OBLIGES YOU TO VOTE FOR A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE. ALWAYS VOTE ACCORDING TO YOUR CONSCIENCE" (emphasis in original). There was probably no more time—or need—for another document on irregularities after the elections. A few weeks later, Enrile and Ramos made their move, Sin called on Filipinos to go to EDSA, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Note: The documents available on the website of the Archdiocese of Manila and the CBCP are not complete. Some of the documents, in fact, have erroneous URLs or need to be cleaned up.
Categories: Filipiniana Online, The Philippines, Religion
Fr. Archie Intengan on the Church Today
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Religion
Romeo J. Intengan, SJ, is a man who embodies many seeming contradictions. He is a priest and a doctor who supported the need for armed struggle in the 1970s. He is a former political detainee who had to flee the country in 1980, returned after the 1986 Edsa revolution, and is now in a position to recommend the abolition of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).If you'd like to know more about Intengan, please buy the latest issue of iReport. You may also listen to excerpts of my interview (21.2 MB) with Intengan through the PCIJ Channel.
Due to space limitations, the following paragraphs did not make it into the latest issue of iReport. Here, Intengan talks about women, homosexual priests and the relationship between population growth and poverty.
Romeo J. Intengan
by Vernon R. Totanes
Archie, Intengan’s nickname, is short for archbishop—the title bestowed on him by his pre-med classmates in Iloilo after he made a pronouncement regarding their less than exemplary behavior. It is unlikely that Intengan will ever become Archbishop of Manila—or even be ordained bishop because Jesuits are not supposed to seek or accept such appointments—but many would probably welcome an archbishop who shares Intengan’s views. He does, however, make it clear that as a "Catholic Christian, Jesuit, and social-democratic Filipino," he speaks for no one but himself.
While Intengan believes that the Church hierarchy is exercising the right kind of leadership in the current political impasse, he does have some doubt about the Church’s capacity to shepherd its flock in the near future. He speaks, for example, of the dearth of priests and asks, "If the people of God are entitled to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and baptism, where are the priests, where are the pastors? If they are not there, then probably the way the Church understands ministry and forms ministers has to be changed."
It may be time, according to Intengan, to seriously consider the ordination of women. He says, "Right now, the attitude in much of the Church is to shut out the [possibility of ordaining women] as a non-issue, not to be talked about." He asserts that a serious discussion is needed, "if only to reiterate the policy later on." After all, he adds, "Women do more than half the work in the Church, but they are underrepresented in decision-making in the Church."
With regard to the Vatican’s position on homosexual priests, which seems to be hardening, Intengan points out that outstanding priests are not necessarily heterosexual, that problematic priests who prey on people are not necessarily homosexual. As a former provincial superior of the Society of Jesus, Intengan believes that prospective seminarians should not be evaluated on the basis of their sexual orientation, but on "their psychological and spiritual health, and their motivation to serve God."
When it comes to sexual reproduction, it must be noted that Intengan once wrote an article that asked whether Filipinos are poor because they are predominantly Catholic—but did not mention the word "population" even once. He now observes that although poverty in this country is caused largely by poor governance, "Large family size is also a possible cause of worsening poverty." The impact of Church teaching and the combative stance of many Church leaders on contraception is that, "It may have deterred our legislators and Executive [Department] from crafting a comprehensive national program on responsible parenthood and population policy." He cautions, however, against purely technical fixes—like the distribution of condoms—which is what many bishops fear. "There’s a defect," he says, "on both sides."
Category: Religion
"Average" Catholics and the Bible
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Religion
When I saw "Bibles nurture hopes of poor" by Blanche S. Rivera (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 7 November 2005), I noted that it seemed as if the Bibles being distributed were how-to books that did not need to be interpreted at all. But I didn't think of the article again until I happened to open an old file that I had hoped to publish after further polishing.
After looking at it again, I thought of sharing it here because if you look beyond the religious aspect, what it says about books that go unread and how students should be introduced to reading is also very relevant to the GMA Modular Library program and DepEd's Library Hub.
I wrote this in 2001 or 2002, and though some of the views I've expressed below have already changed and the logic isn't always clear, I have decided not to revise what I wrote. Consider it a snapshot of me at a specific time =)
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and I suspect that the average Catholic family has at least one Bible. But, if asked, only the mother would know where to find the Bible. Or, at best, one of the children would be able to pull it out right away but that would be because s/he has to bring it to school every day. Pathetic, right? It gets worse.
After looking at it again, I thought of sharing it here because if you look beyond the religious aspect, what it says about books that go unread and how students should be introduced to reading is also very relevant to the GMA Modular Library program and DepEd's Library Hub.
I wrote this in 2001 or 2002, and though some of the views I've expressed below have already changed and the logic isn't always clear, I have decided not to revise what I wrote. Consider it a snapshot of me at a specific time =)
EKKS Marks the Spot
by Vernon Totanes
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and I suspect that the average Catholic family has at least one Bible. But, if asked, only the mother would know where to find the Bible. Or, at best, one of the children would be able to pull it out right away but that would be because s/he has to bring it to school every day. Pathetic, right? It gets worse.
Guess how many in this hypothetical average Catholic family actually read the Bible regularly? Most probably, none. Not even yearly, monthly, or weekly. And definitely, not daily. That's just reading. How about understanding? Never mind. But they hear the Word of God every Sunday, right? Then the priest explains, shouldn't that be enough? Umm, ALL of them? EVERY Sunday? And assuming they're all there every Sunday, do you think they actually HEAR what's read? The priest is a different story altogether. Let's not go there, let's stick to the Bible.
Now that we've established (I know, I know...) that the average Catholic does not read the Bible (priests, religious and students at theological schools please lower your eyebrows, you are NOT average Catholics), let's try to imagine how "good" average Catholics live their faith. The "good" average Catholic would probably go to at least one Mass other than the Sunday Mass, say a novena once a month, say the rosary at least once a week, and remember to pray every day. She, however, would be hard-pressed to explain why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 when Jesus was born during a time when today's calendar did not yet exist. What about the "bad" ones? The "bad" average Catholic would probably go to Mass once in a while and remember to pray when he's in trouble. He also wouldn't know the difference between the Annunciation and the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and the Ascension, and would probably agree if told that Catholics worship Mary as if she's God.
I exaggerate, of course, but I doubt I would be very wrong. I have no empirical data but ask yourself if I have not been, in fact, describing someone you know. I taught religion during the past school year at a school with a devotion to the Sacred Heart. But most of my students, like me, would not be able to explain the significance of the devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They had been required previously to bring their Bibles but eventually they learned to resent this requirement because they kept bringing their Bible but it was never used.
What most Catholics in the Philippines have, in my scientifically-unsupported opinion, is a faith in a memorized Jesus and an adherence to devotions not fully understood. What we have is a faith based more on teachings that tell us what we can and cannot do aside from what we should and should not do. Why? Because religion teachers find it easier to ask their students to memorize the names of the twelve apostles than to challenge them to reflect on how they are similar to the apostles. Why? Because that's how they were taught by their own teachers. So, is it the teachers' fault? Not entirely.
Can we blame someone for not achieving an objective if s/he doesn't know what the objective is? I think not. And since I've gotten this far, I suppose I might as well suggest an objective for religious education in the Philippines. I just hope I don't get excommunicated...
When I started teaching, I stated my objectives in terms of "X marks the spot." I told my 2nd year high school students that we had to be clear on where we wanted to go during the school year otherwise we would never get there. Or, alternatively, we would never find the hidden treasure if we had no idea where it was. And in this case, "X" was spelled "EKKS." E for Experience of God's love, KK for Knowing and Keeping the Word, and S for Spreading the Word.
My guess was that most of them had been taught to KEEP the Word and not much more than that. I explained that I wanted to help them reflect on their own experience of God's love. Why? Because this is what will give them the reason to WANT to keep the Word. However, keeping the Word presumes that they KNOW the Word. And if their experience of God's love is strong enough, they will not want to just keep the Word but SPREAD the Word, as well. That's what happened to the first disciples, why should we be different? Without the first disciples' Experience of Jesus, they would not have had the courage to Keep the Word in the face of difficulties, nor the zeal to Spread the Word. EKKS marks the spot.
Then I brought in the EKKS-Men who were different from everybody else and that's why people wanted to kill them even though they actually did a lot of good. I'm not talking of mutants but the followers of Christ. And how about the EKKS-files? The truth is NOT out there, it's in the Bible. That's why we need to read it. EKKSmas? Our Christmases would probably be more meaningful if we reflected on our Experience of God's love, whether we Know AND Keep the Word, and what our role has been in Spreading the Word in word and in deed. Funny? Simplistic? Well, it worked.
At the end of the year, most of my students could understand and relate a given Bible-reading to their own experience of God's love AND spread the Word to a younger cousin in language that their cousins could understand. It did not go as smoothly as I have described it and it's very likely that a lot of them still hold very heretical ideas to be true but I console myself with the thought that if all I was able to do was get them to open the Bible and read it, then maybe I would have accomplished something.
P.S. To see examples of how I taught, read "Introducing Gen X to the Bible." And then look at this Friendster testimonial, which let me know that I was able to accomplish a little of what I hoped to achieve.
Categories: Religion, About Vonjobi
Now that we've established (I know, I know...) that the average Catholic does not read the Bible (priests, religious and students at theological schools please lower your eyebrows, you are NOT average Catholics), let's try to imagine how "good" average Catholics live their faith. The "good" average Catholic would probably go to at least one Mass other than the Sunday Mass, say a novena once a month, say the rosary at least once a week, and remember to pray every day. She, however, would be hard-pressed to explain why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 when Jesus was born during a time when today's calendar did not yet exist. What about the "bad" ones? The "bad" average Catholic would probably go to Mass once in a while and remember to pray when he's in trouble. He also wouldn't know the difference between the Annunciation and the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and the Ascension, and would probably agree if told that Catholics worship Mary as if she's God.
I exaggerate, of course, but I doubt I would be very wrong. I have no empirical data but ask yourself if I have not been, in fact, describing someone you know. I taught religion during the past school year at a school with a devotion to the Sacred Heart. But most of my students, like me, would not be able to explain the significance of the devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They had been required previously to bring their Bibles but eventually they learned to resent this requirement because they kept bringing their Bible but it was never used.
What most Catholics in the Philippines have, in my scientifically-unsupported opinion, is a faith in a memorized Jesus and an adherence to devotions not fully understood. What we have is a faith based more on teachings that tell us what we can and cannot do aside from what we should and should not do. Why? Because religion teachers find it easier to ask their students to memorize the names of the twelve apostles than to challenge them to reflect on how they are similar to the apostles. Why? Because that's how they were taught by their own teachers. So, is it the teachers' fault? Not entirely.
Can we blame someone for not achieving an objective if s/he doesn't know what the objective is? I think not. And since I've gotten this far, I suppose I might as well suggest an objective for religious education in the Philippines. I just hope I don't get excommunicated...
When I started teaching, I stated my objectives in terms of "X marks the spot." I told my 2nd year high school students that we had to be clear on where we wanted to go during the school year otherwise we would never get there. Or, alternatively, we would never find the hidden treasure if we had no idea where it was. And in this case, "X" was spelled "EKKS." E for Experience of God's love, KK for Knowing and Keeping the Word, and S for Spreading the Word.
My guess was that most of them had been taught to KEEP the Word and not much more than that. I explained that I wanted to help them reflect on their own experience of God's love. Why? Because this is what will give them the reason to WANT to keep the Word. However, keeping the Word presumes that they KNOW the Word. And if their experience of God's love is strong enough, they will not want to just keep the Word but SPREAD the Word, as well. That's what happened to the first disciples, why should we be different? Without the first disciples' Experience of Jesus, they would not have had the courage to Keep the Word in the face of difficulties, nor the zeal to Spread the Word. EKKS marks the spot.
Then I brought in the EKKS-Men who were different from everybody else and that's why people wanted to kill them even though they actually did a lot of good. I'm not talking of mutants but the followers of Christ. And how about the EKKS-files? The truth is NOT out there, it's in the Bible. That's why we need to read it. EKKSmas? Our Christmases would probably be more meaningful if we reflected on our Experience of God's love, whether we Know AND Keep the Word, and what our role has been in Spreading the Word in word and in deed. Funny? Simplistic? Well, it worked.
At the end of the year, most of my students could understand and relate a given Bible-reading to their own experience of God's love AND spread the Word to a younger cousin in language that their cousins could understand. It did not go as smoothly as I have described it and it's very likely that a lot of them still hold very heretical ideas to be true but I console myself with the thought that if all I was able to do was get them to open the Bible and read it, then maybe I would have accomplished something.
P.S. To see examples of how I taught, read "Introducing Gen X to the Bible." And then look at this Friendster testimonial, which let me know that I was able to accomplish a little of what I hoped to achieve.
Categories: Religion, About Vonjobi
Introducing Gen X to the Bible
Labels:
Religion
Students went back to school last Monday and that's why most of the posts this week have been school-related. I would like to share the following article—which I wrote in my previous life as a teacher—in the hope that readers can pick up ideas on how to bridge the generation gap with students. The article was previously published in The Windhover (First Quarter, 2003) 26-27.
“The teacher. Too weird,” was what one of my students wrote in answer to the question, “What did you not like about the last quarter?” I was so happy with my student’s response that I started our next class, and even those with other sections, by saying that this feedback was my favorite among all the replies. And when they asked “Why?” I told them that I liked it so much because it’s true. I am, in fact, weird. “I don’t think you have ever had or will ever have another Religion teacher like me.” And, as if to prove my point, I told them we were going to listen to the song “Seasons in the Sun” before I returned their exams for the previous quarter.
Seasons in the Sun
Many of my students liked boy bands and some did not, but the reaction was fairly uniform. They were looking forward to it because teachers rarely played songs in class. (And when teachers did let them listen to songs, they were more likely to be religious songs and not the latest hits.) So I played the song. And their faces fell. “What is that?” I stopped the tape and asked them—even though I knew what the problem was—what was wrong.I had just played the version popularized by Terry Jacks in the 70s. And my students did not hear the Westlife version they expected to hear. They said it was baduy. But the people of the 70s liked this song, I told my students. How come they liked the Y2K version and not the 70s one? Their answer? Because they were different from the audience of Terry Jacks. And even though it was the same song with the same message, it was not going to “sell” to them because it was not their kind of music.
That’s when I reminded my students of what we had been studying the previous quarter. The gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, were essentially the same song with the same message but were written at different times for different audiences. Hence, they shouldn’t be surprised if the four gospels were very different in more than just a few aspects. And if they could not “get” a song written just 30 years earlier in the twentieth century, they would have to make even more of an effort to understand the gospels written in the first century.
I distributed copies of the lyrics and then I played the version all of them were waiting for. Many sang along and, in one class, some even got up and danced. Afterward, we discussed the significance of seasons and how it would be difficult for Filipinos to appreciate the importance to Americans of the changing of the seasons. The term black sheep resonated with quite a few of my students after I asked them whether a black-colored sheep would look at home in a family of white-colored sheep. Some even volunteered that they were the black sheep of their families.
After the English lesson, we went back to the Bible and agreed that there would be a lot of things we would not understand if we assumed that Jewish culture was the same as ours. And that it was important to remember that figures of speech existed even in the Bible. Jesus was not, in fact, literally a lamb.
Then I said, “Now that you’ve had your joy, you’ve had your fun, you’ve had your seasons in the sun, here are your test papers.” Welcome back to the real world!
Seasons of Love
During the next class, we used 1 Corinthians 7:1-13—“Love is patient and kind...”—for our regular let’s-read-the-Bible-together opening prayer. I knew they had gotten the results of their different tests and I wanted to assure them that they were more than the numbers—whether favorable or unfavorable—in their tests. That they were people, not numbers.And of course, we had another song. This time I needed to explain that the song was from a Broadway musical called Rent, something similar to Miss Saigon (which was playing in Manila at that time). It was going to be a different kind of song, nothing a boy band would sing.
The lyrics were different too. I wrote the number 525600 on the board and asked my students what they thought it referred to. We did a little math and figured that it was equal to 365 days times 24 hours times 60 minutes. It was time to listen to the song. It asked if it was enough to measure life in daylights, in sunsets... in inches, in miles... How about love?
What could that mean? Seasons of love? Was it just referring to romantic love? Could there really be a winter, spring, summer or fall of love? And what season of love were they in at that point? Remember the love? What for? Wasn’t it much easier to take love for granted? Along with all the good things people did for us? And how exactly do you measure your life in love?
Missing the Point
They didn’t know it then but I had just prepared them for the test at the end of the quarter. The multiplication of the loaves (Matthew 6:34-44, 8:1-9) was going to play a very important role. I would go on in another class and tell them that maybe the numbers in the miracle stories were significant. That maybe someone really counted the people present, and that there were, in fact, exactly 4000 people present. Or that maybe it was meant figuratively—4 to represent the 4 corners of the world and 1000 to mean a great number of people. And five loaves and two fish? Add them up and you get 7. For 7 days of the week? Maybe...And maybe we were missing the point. The miracle story—and the Bible—is not so much about numbers or facts or history as it is about God’s love for his people and the different responses to His love. But if we don’t know how to read the Bible, we may just think that the early Israelites lived and thought the way we do today. Or that everything written in the Bible is factually correct. Or that Jesus really was a lamb. And miss the point.
The last question in the quarterly test involved a saying I saw on a t-shirt: “Love is, like five loaves and two fish, always too little until you start giving it away.” In order to answer it correctly, the allusion to the five loaves and two fish had to be explained. But to leave it at that would not have sufficed. Because the Bible is not just about five loaves and two fish. Or miracles. Or parables. Or death and resurrection. The Bible is about love. And that’s the point.
John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005
Labels:
Religion
John Paul II visited the Philippines twice:
- In 1981, when the pope was said to have made the lifting of Martial Law a precondition for his visit; and
- In 1995, when the pope said Mass for more than 4 million people, the largest-ever crowd for a World Youth Day gathering, if not for any gathering.
- "The obituary of Pope John Paul II" by John L Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter, 2 April 2005)
- "Pope most trusted person in RP — SWS" (Philippine Star, 5 April 2005).
- "John Paul has passionate love affair with Filipinos" by Lito Zulueta (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 3 April 2005).
- Video of 1995 visit (CNN; QuickTime Player required).
- Photos of 1981 visit to Baguio City.
- An essay on the lasting effect of the pope's 1981 visit to Bacolod.
- Further proof of the pope's popularity (or the Filipino penchant for overkill) are the following:
A 1995 2500-peso gold coin
Source
A 1981 2-peso note on which the papal seal was also printed
Source
One of the many items sold with the pope's face or name
Source
For more information, see his biographies in CNN and Wikipedia.
FO: Bibles in Filipino
Labels:
Filipiniana Online,
Religion
Bibles in Your Language provides ways to read the Bible in the Filipino language of your choice. "Quick Picks" in the menu bar has: Cebuano, Ilokano and Tagalog. Clicking on "Complete List" will show you: Hiligaynon, Pangasinan, Samarenyo (or Waray-Waray; languages are referred to using the website's terms). And then, of course, you can always go to "Alpha Picks."
Clicking on any of the languages will not lead directly to the Bible of your choice. Instead, you will be shown a list of Bibles that are available for free or may be purchased on the Internet.
(Series: Filipiniana Online)
Are We Poor Because We're Catholic?
Labels:
Religion
Holy Week is serious business in the Philippines. Consider this post an invitation to reflect on why the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country, is predominantly poor.
The following are newspaper articles that illustrate the extent of the problem (or lack thereof):
- "UP professors to GMA: Control population to reduce poverty" by Jude C. Galford III (Manila Bulletin, 2 December 2004).
- "Population not booming, says 'prophet of boom'" by Christian Esguerra (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 March 2005).
- "Are we winning the war on poverty?" Inquirer News Service (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 20 March 2005 ).
The following are the bases for the articles listed above. They tend to be heavy reading but, hey, it's Holy Week, suffer a little!
- "Population and Poverty: The Real Score" by 22 economists from the UP School of Economics (pdf; December 2004).
- Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access (pdf; Manila: ADB, 2005).
Finally, the following is an article directly addressing the question posed by this post. It's quite interesting that the word "population" is not mentioned at all.
- "Are We Filipinos Poor Because We Are Mostly Catholic Christians?" by Romeo J. Intengan, S.J. (East Asian Pastoral Review 40:3 [2003]).
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