Week 1

The Louisian Prayer

O God, wellspring of goodness and blessings, we give you thanks and praise as one Louisian community.
The graces You incessantly grant upon us, and Your divine providence have sustained our beloved
University throughout the years of mission and excellence.

Having been founded by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we pray that You keep us
committed and dedicated to our mission and identity to serve the Church and the society as we become
living witnesses to the Gospel values proclaimed by Jesus. For if we are steadfast in our good and
beautiful mission, our works will bring success not only to ourselves but also to those whom we are
bound to love and serve.

Inspired by St. Louis our Patron Saint, who was filled with a noble spirit that stirred him to love You
above all things, may we also live believing that we are born for a greater purpose and mission as we
dwell in Your presence all the days of our life.

Grant all these supplication through the intercession of Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord.

AMEN

VISION

USL is a global learning community recognized for science and technology across all disciplines, strong
research, and responsive community engagement grounded on the CICM mission and identity for a
distinctive student experience.

MISSION

USL sustains a Catholic academic community that nurtures persons for community, church and society
anchored on CICM's Missio et Excellentia.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

The University of Saint Louis upholds the philosophy that education is for building of self and persons for
the Church and the Society. Wisdom builds. To these ends, the following are University of Saint Louis's
core values integral in the formation of every member of the Louisian community.

USL CORE VALUES

 CHRISTIAN LIVING

We are witnesses to the Gospel values as taught and lived by Christ thus making God's love known and
experienced by all.

 EXCELLENCE
We seek and maintain uncompromising standard of quality in teaching, learning, service, and
stewardship of school resources.

 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

We are committed to efficiently and nesponsibly apply the learned principles, values and skills in the
chosen field of discipline, taking initiative and commard responsibility in one's professional
advancement.

 SOCIAL AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT

We engage ourselves with society by listening to the prevailing issues and concerns in the society,
thereby initiating and participating in constructive and relevant social activities for the promotion of
justice, peace and integrity of creation and for people's wellness and development consistent with the
CICM charism.

 INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND AGILITY

We keep ourselves relevant and responsive to the changing needs of our stakeholders by being flexible,
solution oriented, and having cutting edge decisions and practices.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION EDUCATION (CFED)

PHILOSOPHY

The University of Saint Louis offers a Christian Faith Education that upholds the integral formation of the
human person built by the wisdom of God.

VISION

The Christian Faith Education in the University of Saint Louis is a transformative life developing
curriculum anchored on the Gospel values of Jesus, responsive to the challenges and signs of the times,
faithful to the teachings of the Church, and aimed at forming Christian disciples and faith communities.

MISSION

Christian Faith Education in the University of Saint Louis is committed to the whole person geared
towards missionary discipleship in CICM Missio et Excellentia which:

1. Advances in the understanding of the Christian faith and morals.

2. Fosters Christ-centered missionary spirituality in the example of Mary.
3. Impels pastoral actions that give witness to the Gospel values in response to the signs of the
times.
4. Participates in the community life of the Church in the work of evangelization.
WEEK 2
INTRODUCTION
In our CFED 1033 course, we have presented a glance of the creation story and its message to the
human person in our topic on the emanation of the Church from God's salvific mission. On that topic,
we also presented how the human person deviated from the plan of the Creator by misusing some of
his/her gifts or human faculties. Now, in this CFED 1043, we will expound on these topics to have a
deeper understanding on what really caused God to go for a mission, what is this mission all about
and who will benefit from this mission. With this, the nature of the Creator will also be revealed.

I. The Background of God's Salvific Missions

1. The Creation: The Project of God

Almost all of us Christians are very familiar with the creation story in the Bible. As we see in Genesis 1: 1-
31, God who inspired the author of the creation story revealed that creation is very good and well
ordered. "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31). This
means that there was goodness, love, order, harmony, peace, tranquility, joy and all the good elements
that one can enumerate to describe such a state. Many would use the word "paradise" in describing the
situation of the creatures in the beginning. God created the human persons at the last part and put
them in the “Garden of Eden". He created them according to His image and likeness. The human person
being the likeness and image of God further reiterates that creation is really very beautiful very good.
After God. created the human persons, there was His "command" to them to "subdue" and take charge
over all the other creatures.

 Genesis 1:27-31

"So, God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he
created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and
subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living
thing that moves upon the earth. God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon
the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every
beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth. everything
that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw everything
that he had made, and indeed, it was very good."

2. The Goodness and Order of Creation

 7 DAYS OF CREATION

The goodness and order of creation would tell us that everything on earth is beautiful and created with
a purpose land function and that everything is interconnected or inter-related.

This is being proven by our experiences and observations in our present life. The function of one of
these creatures, even the smallest thing on earth has an effect to the well-being and role of other
creatures. Therefore, if one of these creatures is functioning well, all the others will benefit and will also
be functioning well. On the other way around, if one of these malfunctions, the others will also be
affected either immediately or the effect will come later. This is obviously revealed to us by our eco-
system. Our whole eco-system has been revealing to us the interconnectedness of everything and so the
need to sustain or maintain its balance. If one cannot see this in the ecosystem, our physical bodies
(body) is a good example of the goodness and order of creation.

This is a great reminder on why we as human persons need to do our role or functions as part of the
whole eco-system or mother nature. This is how good and wonderful God's design or creation is.

God created the human persons at the last part and put them as overseers of creation ("The Lord God
took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. Genesis 2:15). With the human
persons as overseers or stewards, creation was expected to sustain its order and harmony and with
every creature's function, all would flow according to the plan of the Creator until creation will reach its
"perfection". This was supposed to be perceived end of the project of the Creator.

3. The Human Person Being the Likeness and Image of God

 This is Michael Angelo's painting entitled "The Creation of Adam."

In relation to their role as stewards of creation, the human persons were created in the image and
likeness of God. Though the human persons are still part of creation, they are somewhat distinct from
the rest of creatures. Being made in the image and likeness of God, means that the human persons or
we have some qualities which God also possesses though God possesses these qualities perfectly
compared to us. Examples of these are goodness, love, beauty, truth, order, reason, wisdom, and many
others. So, if God is good, we are also good and we have conscience which will always guide or reminds
us to always do good, if God is love, we are also capable of loving and being loved, if God is truth, we are
also truthful or we do not like lies, if God is orderly. He also gave us reason or mind which will guide us
to always seek for what is orderly or correct for us to do, its God can create things, He also gave us will
and freedom or freewill so that we can also continue doing things for the good of all creation. To go
deeper into this aspect, there are many other faculties of the human person of which in relation or with
the guidance or "control the other faculties should function for the good of the human persons
themselves and the other creatures. To mention some, these are our passions such as pride, anger,
emotion, instincts, and others. This means that we are like God, or we mirror God in most of our traits as
human beings. This is just a glimpse of the picture of the original state of the human person and the
whole of creation. Again, with the human persons as overseers or stewards, creation was expected to
flow according to the plan of the Creator until its perceived end which is the perfection or completion of
all.

4. The Human Persons' Responsibility

The distinction of the human persons from the rest of the other creatures (being made in the image and
likeness of God) clearly reveals the responsibility that they should perform. Despite this, to guide them,
the Creator still directly revealed to them this role as being stewards of the other creatures by telling
them “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the
sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
With this, clearly God sets the human persons and the rest of creatures to function in accordance with
His Divine plan.

WEEK 3
CFED 1043 WEEK I

Learning Content

Introduction
In our discussion last week, we have presented a glance of the original state of creation and its supposed
to be destiny if everything especially the human persons followed the design of the Creator. For this
week's lesson, we will discuss some Biblical scenes on what did the people do which caused the
deviation from the supposed destiny of all which also brought a lot of disruption to the order of creation
and its bad effects to the human persons and to the whole of creation. From this, comes the many
chances of reparations given by the creator to the people and yet they keep on repeating the same
mistakes though in different manners by misusing some of their human faculties until finally the Creator
will have to directly intervene in the history of mankind for the restoration of His creation.

The Description of the Order of Creation: The Cause God's Mission

In our discussion last week, we have mentioned that all the gifts like faculties, skills and talents of the
human person should function in line with the design of the Creator which is the development and
perfection of the human persons themselves and of the whole of creation. On the other way around,
these human faculties if not being directed by correct reasoning. conscience and the guidance of the
Creator can be misuse or even abuse and will lead to the disruption of the plan of God for all His
creatures.

A. The Different scenes of the Human Person's Cleviation from the Plan of the Creator and The God's
given Chances for Reparations.

I. Adam and Eve and the Eating of the Fruit of the Tree

The Biblical authors presented to us the different scenes and ways of how the human persons deviated
from His plan. The Biblical authors often used the word "disobedience" for this attitude of not following
the plan of the Creator. Here are the different situations of people's disobedience to God's
command/plan:

With their very good state in the Garden of Eden called "paradise", there should be no reason for Adam
and Eve to look for other sources of happiness or contentment. In spite of this, how come that they still
entertain the temptations of "being like God", "that the fruit of the tree appears to be good to eat" and
the likes.

"when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil ..., "the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was
to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband,
who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:5-6)
If you read the full text of this narrative of Adam and Eve's obeying the temptation rather than that of
God's command, then you can see that there are three human faculties that they did not use or they
misuse which led them to give in to the temptation. First is the temptation of "being like God". As we
know that temptations are either not true but they appear as something which is true which is called
apparent ruth or they are half-truth which means that one can become like that in some aspects but not
in all aspects. In the case of Adam and Eve, they can become like God but they cannot become God
totally. So, their minds were just confused since in reality they are already like God who knew between
good and bad. The devil just presented the reality to them in a distorted manner just to push them to
accept the temptation. In this instance, the human faculty that they did not exercise was their mind or
reasoning.

They did not reflect on what was really the reality all about, and they did not foresee the consequence
of their action if they will obey the temptation. The other human faculty that they did not use in line
with their minds or reasoning is passion. Passion refers to the emotional elements like pride, anger, joy,
pleasure and others. In this case, there are two passions which were being misused or misled, these are
pleasure and pride. Adam and Eve's notion of the fruit of the tree being good to eat presents human
situations today of engaging with pleasurable things which should not be since they are either against
human dignity, or they are not yet in the proper time and place to be done, or pleasures which are
damaging to the health or well being of people. Examples of these are: engaging in pre-marital sex,
womanizing or adultery, prostitution, drinking too much liquor, taking prohibited drugs, watching
pornographic materials, engaging in gambling and the likes. With this, it was clear that Adam and Eve
confused these pleasures which are often temporal with authentic happiness or contentment which is a
deeper human experience, and they last long. Adam and Eve did not also listen to their conscience
properly or they exercise consequent conscience which is often damaging.

The other passion being misused relation with the eating of fruit of tree pride. you will become like
God". Pride supposed be used people to aspire for higher forms development for the well-being people
and creation. the case Adam and Eve, pride was use in manner trying topple down the other being
instead using him as inspiration aspire for higher good realities. This the pride which contaminated by a
passion called jealousy envy. Their aspirations become gods was what makes their action classified as
disobedience. The last human faculty that was not use properly being abused since was not use with the
guidance of the mind or reason and conscience was freedom. Adam and Eve allowed their freedom to
be misused by not allowing it to guided by other human faculties we mentioned above. sum it up, story
of temptation Adam and Eve presents to that almost all their important human faculties (mentioned
above) given God were not use confront the reality front them.

Despite all that had happened, God being LOVE (His nature is LOVE) did not erased the human persons
on earth but still allowed them to continue their existence with just some difficulties in living as a result
of their dis-obedience from the Divine plan. So, God still gave the human persons chances for
reparations of the damages to creation caused by their disobedience.

II. Cain and abel

The Story of Cain and Abel narrates to us another worst consequence of allowing ourselves to be ruled
by bad passion which is envy or jealousy. Allowing envy to affect us in a negative way can motivate us in
a very worst manner. Envy should push us to strive to do better in our endeavors to gain better harvest
and even rewards, but in the case of Cain, he allowed envy to push him to kill his brother Abel which he
thought was the solution for him to have the recognition or rewards which in reality cannot be.

At the end of this case, one cannot attain what he/she really wants for, but on the contrary, will receive
failures and condemnations. In the story, it was obvious that Cain was not doing good in his actions and
his work and even in giving offerings to God as implied in God's word in the text ".. Then the Lord said to
Cain: Why are you angry? Why are you dejected? If you act rightly, you will be accepted." (Genesis 4: 6-
7). When God asked Cain on why he killed his brother Abel, he even said "am I my brothers' keeper".

In this story, it is very clear that envy can push us to do something evil if we allow it, and the mandate of
God to love or take care of His creation like our brothers and sisters and even our world is violated. This
incident happens in our present times by students who are copying or cheating to have high grades, and
the worst is the actual killing of political candidates before election, and the many likes. Even in our
small communities, we can observe how envy can push one to destroy the name or image of his/her
neighbor. We have the so-called crab mentality attitude. All these kinds of attitudes will really destroy
the order and harmony in our community, society, and even in mother nature. Again, despite what
happened to Cain and Abel, God still allowed the human race to continue to multiply.

III. The story of Noah

The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every 6 inclination of
the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made
humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, "I will blot out from the
earth the human beings I have created-people together with animals and creeping things and birds of
the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. (Genesis:
5-8)

The story of Noah shows another scene of how people were so wicked and that they only follow what
they want even if it is bad and as the text said, it was even continuous. Despite God's plan of wiping out
the people on earth, He did not do it totally but still look with favor on people who are righteous and
doing good which was represented by Noah and his family.

The Noah's story shows us a situation where there seems no be other ways of stopping the hard
headedness or sinfulness of people but to wipe them out except those who are righteous. This situation
is reflected in our country by the non-stop crimes everywhere because of the culture of impunity (the
criminals keep on doing their evil ways since they are not being catch by law enforcers or if they are
caught and imprisoned, it is very easy for them to escape from their accountability by paying the
authorities or through bail since the criminals have lots of money from their criminal activities.) Looking
at our situation before the pandemic, the Covid19 phenomenon is a version of the flood ring the time of
Noah for people to stop their wicked cultures and practices and reflect on what is really true, authentic,
just, and good for the human person and creation.

Our problem now is that many of our leaders or the people on top are even the ones who cannot read
the signs of the times that God is giving us.

The strong message of this pandemic is really to go back to the basic, to reset our values on what will
really promote authentic human development, the ones which will protect human dignity and promote
authentic joy and contentment to the human person. As mentioned above, these should be
characterized by truthfulness, justice, goodness, and being lasting and not those shallow enjoyment
which are just temporal and even damaging to the human person and to mother nature.

Again, God gave the human persons chances for reparations through the family of Noah.

IV. The Lover of babel

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and

let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole
earth." the Lord said, "Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the
beginning of what they will do: nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7
Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's
speech." 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth.... 9 Therefore it
was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; ... (Genesis 11: 4-9)

Some are telling that the ancient people built the tower of Babel for them to reach God but this is not
really what is stated in our Bible. Instead, the ancient people built a tower for them to gain a name,
recognition or now in our term called FAME. Again, same with the case of Adam and Eve, there are two
violations or deviations from the design of the Creator. First, they did not obey God's command of
spreading over all the earth (Genesis 1:28), and the desire to spread one's name (Fame) instead of that
of God. If you recall before the pandemic, this attitude of proclaiming yourself, name or achievements
was very rampant especially now that people are so closed or united to one another through technology
(global). This was done individually and by big entities like countries, organizations, schools, and others
who want to make or set world records and other ways of being famous. The problem here is that they
want to set world-records or to be famous even at the expense of other people like they demand so
much effort from their constituents or workers for their dreams to be achieved. the end, their workers
are abused with too much endeavors which are not paid justly (abuse of laborers) and when their
dreams are achieved, the workers are not also part of the reward that they received.

Another message of this story is the wrong use of unity, (globalization) instead of uniting for a good
end/purpose, some people use unity to topple down others or worst even to cause the death of others.
This is what is happening at present by the people who authored the covid19 virus. It is also easy for
them to unite through technology and they can meet and agree on how they can destroy other people
and be the only ones who will survive. In another angle, before the pandemic, the global trends were
pursuit of fame, wealth, power, and other ways of how one can be recognized by others. As we've said,
these were done even at the expense of others. This might be the reason why God allowed this
pandemic to happen to stop all of these and go back to the drawing board on how to really promote
authentic and common human development and happiness.

Biblical authors have shown to us these different scenes of how people keep on deviating from the
design of the Creator. It is clear that it is also continuous which is why this is called "original sin" as we
have expounded in our CFED 1033 course. This is why if people do not cooperate with the divine plan
despite the many given chances, then God will have to come down and directly intervene in the lives of
mankind for the restoration of His creation.
WEEK 4
The Hints of the Coming of God and His Renewed People to Restore His Creation
CFED 1043: WEEK 4 LEARNING CONTENT

I. Introduction

Last week, we have presented the different scenes of people's deviation from the design of the Creator
and the many chances God has given them for reparations. As Biblical authors presented to us, people
keep on following their selfish and sinful ways and there seems to be no way of stopping it. In those
scenes, there were hints that God will have to come and directly intervene in the history of mankind if
people will not exert effort to fight their sinful ways and desires, after which God will establish His
people who will continue to work for the restoration of all His creation.

II. The Coming of God to Crash the Devil in the Lives of People in God's words to Eve

In the story of Adam and Eve, there is an escape goat for their act of disobedience from God's command
which also reveals the belief of the Biblical authors on why in some or even in most instances people
keep on committing sin. This is also the reason why God gave the human persons chances to reform
their sinful ways and to fight the influence of this being. This is the existence of the devil which in some
or most instances would strongly temp or influence people's minds to follow or do sinful actions. With
the very beautiful place created by God called the Garden of Eden or the state of paradise, how come
that all of a sudden there was this serpent (some Biblical authors use to symbolize the devil) which came
and tempted Eve by distorting the truth about their situation and God's plan for them. So, the Biblical
authors strongly believed in the existence of this devil who keeps on wanting people to follow his own
ways which are contradictory to the design of the creator. If we recall the story of how the devil came
into existence, it was the same cause which is pride, envy and abuse of freedom which made him
(originally was an angel Lucifer) became such.

After God allowed Adam and Eve to continue their existence with little "punishments" in their way of
living, there was this Hint on the plan of God to come and directly intervene in the history of mankind if
they continue living their sinful ways and keeps on obeying the influence of the devil.

"Because you have done this will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and hers: he will strike your head and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:14-15)
The photo above gives us a clear idea on who is the one who will strike the head of the serpent (devil).
The one striking the head of the serpent in this photo is a woman but the pronoun used to refer as to
who in the Biblical text is "he". ("he will strike your head", some Biblical translations use the word
"they"). So, who is this woman, and who is this he? For us Christians especially the Catholic ones, it is
very easy to identify the woman in the photo who is the Blessed Virgin Mary and the "he" refers to the
one whom Mary will give birth to who is no other than Jesus Christ. So, as early as the time of the
ancient people, God really planned to come down and crash the devil's influence in the lives of people if
people cannot resist it, and this will be unfolded in the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.

III. The Call of Abraham and its broad implications

The Lord said to Abram: Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father's house to a land
that I will show you, will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so
that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the
families of the earth will find blessing in you. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Most often, we hear some people and even some preachers saying that Abraham is the father of many if
not all nations which is not really the case. Abraham is just the father of the Hebrew nation or the
Israelites. In the text above, it is very clear that God will raise a nation (people) from Abraham who will
be His instrument to restore back people to Him as implied in the words "All the families of the earth
will find blessing in you". Abraham and his descendants will be God's instruments to connect people
with Him and restore all creation back to Himself. This was why God had to shape His chosen people
(the Israelites) as His special possession. But as we've expounded in our CFED 1033 discussions, the
Israelites did not live up to the mission that God wanted them to do but became self-righteous and
followed their own views and most often selfish plans despite the guidance of God and His many
reminders through the many prophets God had sent.

So, with those turn of events, God will really be the one to start the mission all over again through His
incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ before He will pass to a new or renewed people of God, the
ones (Church) who will be founded by Jesus,
Just to correct the mis-information about Abraham, he is not the biological father of all nations but he is
the father of our faith in God/YHWH. In that sense, Abraham because of his great faith in God/YHWH,
will be our connection with God is our father of faith.

IV. The Prophecy of Isaiah

This was the Word of God to King Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah in the midst of the coming political
upheaval in their country/kingdom and due to their lack of faith or trust in God. While God assured the
King or His people of His presence in the midst of the coming political trouble if they keep their
faith/trust in Him, this statement has also deep implication as interpreted by many Biblical experts.
According to them, this would strongly suggest the coming of the Messiah in whom God's presence for
His people will concretely or historically manifested; and this would be fully realized in the coming of
Jesus Christ. This hint of the coming of God Himself (incarnation) was because the Israelites whom God
Has raised as His own special possession to spread salvation for all could not carry out the mission God
planned or asked them to do.

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14)”

Still through the prophet Isaiah, there is a follow up on this imminent incarnation of God if the Israelites
will really fail God's purpose in raising them as His people. This is found in Isaiah 6:1-3, and Jesus would
later affirm that when He read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in a synagogue and telling the people
there that through Him, that prophecy is fulfilled.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;

He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to
the captives, release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of
vindication by our God; To comfort all who mourn; to place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem
instead of ashes, To give them oil of gladness instead of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of a faint
spirit, (Isaiah 61:1-3)

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on
the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the
scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the
Lord."

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the
synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your
hearing." (Luke 4:16-21)

Summarizing the discussions above, it is very clear that God will raise a nation or community or group of
people to do the mission of restoring back all creation to Himself. Through the call of Abraham, his
descendants, (the Israelites) is understood to be this nation or people to do the mission. This was proven
in history as God really raised the Israelites as His own special possession. In case that this people
(Israelites) would fail God's plan, God gave different hints on His coming to renew this people whom He
will send to do the mission. All the hints of this coming of God was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ
who came and personally did the mission until He passed it to the renewed people of God whom He
raised or founded. As fully discussed in our CFED 1033, this renewed people of God founded by no other
than Jesus Christ is the Church. To assure His presence in them when going for the mission, God sent
them the Holy Spirit during the feast of the Israelites / Jews called Pentecost. So, the Church with the
Holy Spirit is now the people that God will send to continue His mission personally started by no other
than Jesus Christ.

The Church by nature is missionary, and the ultimate source of the mission is no other than God. Despite
the Church's clear nature as missionary that all of us members of the Church are missionaries in our own
ways, our idea of a missionary is those who really go to rernote areas, to evangelize people who never
heard the word of God from the Bible. In the beginning, this was not yet clear also to the members of
the Church since the Church was just starting to grow and expand at that time. This is also why in our
CFED 1033, we also mentioned the early "kinds of priest according to spirituality such as the diocesan/
secular (serving their own local parishes) and the Monks (live a secluded life), and we put the missionary
at the last. So, later when the Church or Church communities were already somewhat stable in many
places, that was the time that many priests thought of going to remote areas to evangelize people who
never heard God's Word from the Bible and these priests are the ones we call missionaries. If there is
such a term as "more missionary”, this should be their level or tag since they are doing the mission of
the Church in a more challenging way compared to the diocesan and the monks. All the different groups
or congregation of missionaries are doing the mission of the Church, they only have few differences in
terms of their focus and strategies in doing the mission. Let us have a glimpse on some of these
missionaries so we can make some sort of comparisons in terms of their way of carrying out the mission
of the Church and also for us to be clear on what are some elements which makes the CICM distinct
from these other missionary groups/congregations.
V. Some Missionary Congregations

O.P.IO.S.A. | S.J. || S.V.D.

1. The Augustinians

The Augustinian missionaries started as a group or no specific founder in 1244 in Italy although they may
have stemmed from the Augustinian monks who started way back in the 11th century. They were the
first Catholic missionaries to arrive in the Philippines (Cebu) on April 28. 1565. Their arrival signaled the
official start of the Christianization of the Philippines. They were able to found, build and evangelize
more than 300 towns and churches in what is now Metro Manila (then Province of Tondo). Cebu,
Bulacan, Pampanga, Batangas, Panay Island, the two llocos Provinces, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Abra, La
Union and during the early years also in Negros, Leyte, Mindoro and Laguna.

Aside from their apostolic labors, the friars also introduced so many things to the Filipinos: from
agriculture to printing, from building bridges and dams to building roads, from cooking Spanish viands.
desserts and pastries to building magnificent buildings such as churches, convents and schools that
effectively urbanized and hispanized their flocks.

2. The Dominicans

Founded by St. Dominic in Prouille, France in 1215. Within 40 years of their foundation, they
concentrated in the schools and universities in Europe. They were among the first and most energetic in
the "expansion of Europe"

In modern times they broadened their preaching apostolate to include work in the fields of radio,
television, film, and stage.

The first Dominicans to arrive in the Philippines was Domingo Salazar, the first Bishop of Manila and his
companion Cristobal de Salvatierra in 1581. Later, this missionary group is credited with founding many
of the important towns in Bataan and Pangasinan as well as a few in the present-day province of Tarlac,

In 1594, they evangelized the fertile Cagayan Valley, establishing many of the major towns that we know
today. One of the lasting legacies of the Dorninicans are the massive brick churches they built in the
Cagayan Valley. The best example of this, and perhaps, can be said, the peak of Dominican brick
architecture is the stunning Tumauini Church in Tumauini, Isabela,

In the intellectual front, the Order established in 1611 what now is the University of Sto. Tomas, the first
university in Asia and predates Harvard University by 60 years.
3. The Jesuits

Society of Jesus (S.J.) whose members are called Jesuits was founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola are
noted for its and works. Almost from the beginning, and scholarship became their principal work. The
early Jesuits, however, also produced preachers and catechists who devoted themselves to the care of
the young, the sick, prisoners, prostitutes, and soldiers. The society entered the foreign mission field
within months of its founding, later, they were oppressed and even expelled by many leaders in Europe.
Their congregation was abolished in 1773 but was reestablished in 1814. They are involved in a broad
and complex list of activities, including the field of communications, and even politics. In 1968, they
refocused the order with a preferential option for the poor," and the Jesuit ranks experienced a rise in
the In 1581, the first Jesuits from the Province of popularity of Mexico arrived in the Philippines where
they established many schools in different places, In 1768, the Jesuits were banished from the
Philippines by King Charles III of Spain and were only allowed to return to the Philippines on June 14,
1859 where they intend to focus in Mindanao.

4. The Divine Word Missionaries

Societas Verbi Divini (Latin) or called Society of the Divine Word in English who also call themselves
Divine Word Missionaries was founded in 1875 at Steyl, Neth/ Holland, by to work in the foreign
missions. Its members are engaged in all phases of missionary activity, from teaching in universities,
colleges, and secondary schools to working among primitive peoples. The training of a native clergy has
been a major work of this society in all its missions, Divine Word Missionaries have traditionally been
active in publishing and Catholic literature.

In the Philippines, the Divine Word Missionaries arrived in Bangued, Abra in 1909 and have expanded to
other provinces in the country. They are also known for their method of prophe dialogue, in our world
deeply divided by belief, social class, culture and religion, seeking to bridge the divisions that keep
human beings separated from one another and from God, they understand dialoque as an attitude of
solidarity, respect, and love that is to permeate all of their activities.

WEEK 5
THE NAME CICM
Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae

Introduction

From the reason as to why we were given such a name to the historical lineage and significance of what
a name has come to represent, our name, beyond its objective purpose, encompasses what and who
each of us is. Its essence is at the very heart of our existence. It signified what tribe you came from
We have always traced the roots of our origin and identity beginning with our name as one compelling
aspect. This understanding shall shed light on the most important aspect in our lives which is our
distinctiveness while bringing to the forefront of our minds an awareness of Biblical concepts that were
thus far untapped. Finally, we shall attempt to define its relevance to examine the relationship
between one's name and one's purpose.

Scriptural Names in the Bible

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver and gold."

Proverbs 22:1

Names are deeply important to human beings, a crucial way of understanding not just the world arounc!
us, but each other. A surname roots us in history and family tradition, while first names establish more:
particular identity and personality; you may become quite attached to your name, or you may wish you
were called something else.

But does it really matter what your name is? Do you become what you're called, or are you called what
you are? The Bible is full of names, and those names are full of meaning. Turning to Scripture may help
us see whether we determine our names, or if they determine us.

The Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors
and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on
the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari'ah after his
father, 60 but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John." 61 And they said to her. "None of your
kindred is called by this name." 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him
called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled. 64
And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear
came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the
hand of the Lord was with him.

Names in the Bible can signify origin. Sacred Scriptures present examples of the inherent connection
between name and mission. After naming John, his father Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit,
prophesied that his son will be called prophet of the Most High, and his mission will be to go before
the Lord to prepare His ways. Jesus, on the other hand, will be given "the throne of David His father, and
He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
The Birth of Jesus Foretold

526 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a
virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Jaseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"al 29 But she was
greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you
will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David.

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And the angel said to
her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth
month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the
angel departed from her.

Names were more than just labels. To ancient Hebrews and Babylonians, nothing existed until it had a
name. Its name expressed its character.

Nowadays we do not really identify with the meaning of our names. Most of the time, our parents chose
our name because it sounded nice with our last name, or because they wanted to honor one of our
ancestors. But in the Old Testament, names were bearers of the person's identity.

Many Bible names contain "El" or "Yah," which are Hebrew words for God. Notice the "el" at the end of
Michael, Daniel, and Sarnuel. Can you hear the "yah" at the end of Obadiah, Nehemiah, and Jeremiah?

In Old Testament times, children were usually named by their mothers. These "El" and "Yah" names
were meant to honor God and ensure that God was a part of their children's lives.

A name change can signify a new identity. We conter identities on people through the use of
nicknames. In some cultures a name change carries great significance, Consider one ancient biblical
name change. God took care to change the name of Abram (high father) to Abraham (father of
multitudes) after promising him a lot of descendants (Genesis 17:5). His wife also had her name changed
from Sarai (quarrelsome) to Sara (Princess) (Genesis 17:15). Jacob's name means "supplanter," and he
lived up to his name when he stole the inherited rights belonging to his older brother, Esau. When he
became a changed man, he changed his name to Israel (he strives with God or "power in God").The new
name gave him a new identity, and a new future for a nation.

In the New Testament, When Jesus wanted to emphasize that Simon would be a steadfast upholder of
his teachings, he gave him the name Peter, based on the Greek word for rock. (John 1:42).
So, names have great symbolic import in Scripture. While there are trends in names at different times
or eras, as these shifts occur, so do our common ideas of what aspects of a person each name
represents. This suggests that we can quickly develop shared conceptualizations of what newly trending
names represent in terms of physical appearance, personality and behavior. Your name is a crucial
factor in developing your sense of self, and thus helps propel you forward on various paths of life and
career.

"How about CICM, what can be forebode relating to the implication of its name and missionary
identity? What does this name point towards to?"

It is intriguing to ask what stuff "founders" are made of, as there may well be no common answer. All
Congregations are marked by their own charisma, which may be as similar and yet as individualized as
two fingerprints. The Vatican, amid all the changes it initiated, took particular care to remind religious
institutes to hold on to the charisma of their founder, lest something of the beauty and variety of the
religious life in the Church be lost. It is in this rich variety that CICM has its own place. There is
something of the fingerprint of the Founder that continues to give CICM its own face, and its own
contribution to the Church.

The Name: Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae

Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1823, Father Theophile Verbist had ambitions to become a priest ever
since he was a boy. So, while his twin brother looked towards becoming a lawyer, he headed into a
priestly vocation. In the years after his ordination, he was a prefect in the minor seminary in Malines, a
chaplain at the Belgian Military Academy, and a diocesan priest in the archdiocese of Malines-Brussels.

His first serious thoughts of being a missionary came when he was already 37 years old. Inspired by the
work of the Holy Childhood Association which cared for abandoned children in the Far East and in other
parts of the world, Father Verbist felt that he, too, should do something more for the poor and needy in
China. He sought the permission of Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx, Archbichop of Malines and Cardinal
Alessandro Barnabo, Prefect of the Propagation of the Faith. For the realization of his plan, they directed
him to established a kind of a congregation, along the lines of the Congregation for the Propagation of
the Faith.

By strenuous efforts he overcame numerous obstacles, until his Belgian mission in China was finally
approved and finally obtain the approval of Cardinal Sterckx and the Belgian bishops to establish a new
Belgian missionary congregation. The canonical establishment of the congregation by Cardinal Sterckx
is dated 28 November 1862. The new foundation's first formation house was located at an old site of
pilgrimage called Scheut, in the municipality of Anderlecht, near Brussels, Belgium. Thus the name:
'Scheut Missions or Missionaries of Scheut'.

After the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854 in his
papal bull Ineffabilis Deus, and the assignment of the liturgical feast, there was the rapid spread of the
devotion to the "Immaculate Heart of Mary". This was one of the circumstances when Fr. Theophile
Verbist and his first companions/co-founders Frs. Alois van Segvelt, Frans Vranckx, and Remi Verlinden
unanimously agreed to consecrate the Mission to "the Holy Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ and to
the Immaculate Heart of the Very Blessed Virgin Mary. to whom they committed themselves to
recommend daily the interests of the Congregation."

It is thus clear that they were placing the Congregation under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The letters CICM are an abbreviation in Latin of the name Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae or
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

However, the CICM missionaries are also known by several other names depending on the country
where they are working.

In Europe and Africa they are widely known as the "Missionaries of Scheut" or "Scheutist", Scheut
being the name of the locality near Brussels where the institute was founded. In the past CICM
missionaries were sometimes known as the "Belgian Fathers" since the institute was founded in Belgium
and most of its members were Priest. However, the institute was never an exclusively Belgiurn institute
and includes both priest and brothers. Thus this name has fallen out of use, especially as the institute
becomes more and more multicultural.

In North America the institute is known as "Missionhurst-CICM" and its members referred to as
"Missionhurst Priests and Brothers". Hurst is an old English word meaning a small hill or a wooded rise.
As the headquarters of the missionary institute in North America are located on a small wooded hill, this
became the popular name of the institute in that part of the world.

On 2 November 1907 Fr. Devesse, together with his equally spirited eight CICM companions, arrived in
the Philippines to start the first CICM mission in the country. During those early years of missionary work
in Baguio, the CICM Fathers were locally known as the "Missionary Priests of the Church of San
Patricio," since they were identified with St Patrick church that they built. Later on, they were
commonly called the "Baguio Fathers," or simply the "Belgian Fathers."

WEEK 6
THE CURRENT CICM EMBLEM

CFED 1043: WEEK 6 LEARNING CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

Logos are special. They are not just a combination of shapes, text, and graphics. They tell stories. There
is also another component that goes into a remarkable logo: meaning. With the right mark, you convey
everything your organization stands for, your values as a brand and your heritage too. Logos are distilled
insights into your brand essence.

For some congregations, showcasing the heart of their organization means going back to traditions. An
emblem is one of the most original forms of brand mark. In a world that's continually evolving, there's
something to be said for this sense of heritage. After all, even as new ideas emerge every day, many
consumers are still more interested in what's trustworthy and well-established than what's "new."
As symbols of tradition, strength, and security, the emblem style logo can spark unique relationships
with your target audience. In today's topic, we are going to dive into the history and definition of the
CICM emblem and unravel the different symbolism and its long-standing implications in the life of the
missionaries.

The current CICM emblem includes in its upper portion the Virgin with a Child inside a trunk, who is Our
Lady of Grace of Scheut, which was venerated in the village where Fr. Verbist established the first
headquarters of the Congregation.

Karel Denys, CICM published an article on the CICM emblem with precious indications on the miraculous
trunk in Scheut and on the statue of Our Lady of Grace.

THE TRUNK WITH THE VIRGIN AND CHILD

This is the oldest element that can be found in all the CICM coats of arms, except for that of China,
Mongolia and Congo. It is thus good to give some historical explanations on this subject.

In the series of articles by J. Calbrecht mentioned above, we read that since the year 1445 a statuette
attached to a linden tree by a pious shepherd and dedicated to Our Lady of Grace had been venerated at
Scheut. Scheut was then a village outside the town of Brussels, in the midst of the countryside. The story
goes that pilgrims went to this sanctuary where miracles had been duly noted. In 1455, a chapel was
erected there. A little later, seven Carthusian monks settled next to the chapel. In the course of the
centuries, the chapel was destroyed three times-by the Protestants in 1580, by the emperor-sacristan
Joseph II in 1783, and during the French Revolution. For about sixty years, the chapel remained in ruins
and abandoned, until in 1855 a well-to-do inhabitant of Brussels, J. C. Brabandt, who could no longer
stand the profanation of this sanctuary, bought the land and the chapel and had it restored at his own
expense.

J. Rutten wrote that our Founder Theophile Verbist "had a great devotion to Mary that brought him to
Scheut, and it was the devotion of several servants of Mary who gave him the sanctuary of Our Lady of
Grace." In October 1861, Msgr. M. Mouly, Lazarist, Apostolic Vicar of Peking, while visiting Brussels,
confirmed the possibility of ceding to the "Belgian priests" a large part of the vicariate of Mongolia.
Immediately after this visit, Theophile Verbist and his first companions-Alois Van Segvelt, Frans Vranckx,
and Remi Verlinden-resolved to meet regularly to occupy themselves with the organization of the
Mission and to draw the Statutes of the new Congregation." During the first conference, they
unanimously agreed to consecrate the Mission to the Holy Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the
Immaculate Heart of the Very Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom they committed themselves to recommend
daily the interests of the Congregation.

A little later, the first Statutes of the Congregation were approved by Cardinal E. Sterckx of Mechlin
(November 28, 1862). Some words of the "first conference" report are recognizable: "The Congregation
is dedicated to the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, under the invocation of the Immaculate Heart of
the Very Blessed Virgin Mary" (Art. 2). By the will of our Founder Theophile Verbist and his companions,
the new Congregation would carry the title "Immaculate Heart of Mary" who will be its Patroness. Our
Founder and his companions did not choose the name "Congregation of Our Lady of Grace."
Why did our Founder and his companions choose the name CICM? In an article on the devotion to the
Heart of Mary, L. Barbé has given us without a doubt a good answer: "The proclamation of the dogma of
the Immaculate Conception [in 1854), in reviving the Marian devotion, contributed to the rapid
development of the devotion to the Heart of Mary and the spread of the name of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary! It was then that its liturgical feast was adopted about everywhere in the world. Given such
current of devotion at that time to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it is understandable why our Founder
and his companions chose the name CICM.

And why did they, and others after them, nevertheless keep the miraculous tree trunk of Our Lady of
Grace as the CICM coat of arms? Here are some indications. It was at Scheut, near the sanctuary of Our
Lady of Grace, where the CICM was born. Our Founder and his companions lived there; they met there
many times; they immersed themselves in the history of the sanctuary; and they prayed to Our Lady of
Grace. It was there, too, where they prayed one last time before departing for mission. After the 1974
Chapter, a century after the death of our Founder, the old sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace was replaced
by another chapel. The statue, which J. C. Brabandt had placed in his chapel and restored in the years
1855-1860, is now found in the new chapel at Scheut. A beautiful CICM emblem executed in ceramic
had been mounted against the outer wall of the new provincial house.

THE HEART SURROUNDED BY TWELVE STARS

The Heart surrounded twelve stars: question! is generally said that the Heart with the twelve stars
comes from text of the Revelation (12:1).

Let us look the text: great appeared adorned with the sun, with the moon under feet, on her head
crown of twelve stars."

In note about this text the his reflection thus: "With the image of the woman, did John wish symbolize
the Virgin, 12:1). seems questionable. With regard to Revelation The New Jerome Biblical Commentary
notes that the identity of woman has been debated. According traditional Catholic this woman Mary,
the Mother Jesus, who is the Eve. Others say this woman the heavenly Jerusalem, wisdom personified or
even the Church. Our Predecessors opted problem for the traditional Catholic interpretation: Mary the
woman with the twelve stars.

The Heart surrounded by twelve stars: What does this mean? A difficult question! It is generally said that
the Heart with the twelve stars comes from a text of the Revelation (12:1).

Let us look at the text: "And a great sign appeared in heaven, a Woman adorned with the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

In a note about this text in the La Sainte Bible, the commentator concludes his reflection thus: "With the
image of the woman, did John also wish to symbolize the Virgin, the new Eve? (Rv 12:1). This seems
questionable. With regard to Revelation 12:1, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1993) notes that
the identity of the woman has been debated. According to a traditional Catholic interpretation, this
woman is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who is also the new Eve. Others say that this woman is the
heavenly Jerusalem, wisdom personified or even the Church. Our Predecessors opted with no problem
for the traditional Catholic interpretation: Mary is the woman with the twelve stars.
Regarding the second emblem composed at the end of the 19th century we have seen that the
miraculous tree trunk of Scheut with the Virgin and Child was replaced by our Predecessors with the
Heart surrounded by twelve stars. The Heart is the Virgin, the Woman surrounded by twelve stars. In
opting for the traditional Catholic interpretation, our Predecessors did nothing exceptional. In fact, there
already existed at a Carmelite convent in Brussels a beautiful statue of the Virgin crowned with twelve
stars. "This statue of the Immaculate is gothic, in wood, without doubt from the 15th century. It
represents the 'Woman crowned with twelve stars' (Rv 12:1)."

But did our Predecessors know of this statue at a Carmelite convent in Brussels? We know that Karel
Van Sante, CICM, assistant to the Superior General from 1887 to 1920 and rector of the Scheut-Brussels
house from 1820 to 1900, was in contact with most of the Carmelite convents in Belgium during his
rectorate. His correspondence, preserved in our Archives, attests to the fact. But we cannot elaborate
on this matter.

COR URNUM ET ANIMA UNA

'One heart, One soul" - this is the translated Latin term of the inspired motto of CICM. This will be
further discussed in the succeeding topics, but to give you the whole depiction of the emblem, let us
have a glimpse of the meaningful implication embedded behind this motto.

The expression is taken from the Acts of the Apostles (4,32). It means "one heart and one soul." It was
used to describe the way the early Christian believers lived. The full text is as follows: "Now the full
number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that
belongs to him was his own, but they had everything in common."

This is the spirit of unity we should develop and have in any grouping we may belong to, be it a family, a
class, an office, a community, etc. Our sense of unity should not just be in the level of the physical,
professional, social, political, etc. It should involve our heart and soul. In other words, it should involve
our whole being.

Can this spirit of unity be doable, given the tremendous amount of differences we have with each other,
let alone, our unavoidable conflicts? The quick answer may be No, or at least, that it is doubtful. But if
we go by our Christian faith and realize that our spirit of unity has to be founded on God, then it is
possible. Precisely the early Christians managed to live it. They lived "cor unum et anima una."

We need to realize that the spirit of unity we are talking about here is not uniformity which can only
take place when things are taken only in their physical aspects. It is a spirit of unity that allows for
plurality and variety, where differences are acknowledged and even promoted but used for a common
end.

It is a spirit of unity that is spiritual and moral in character. It is a very dynamic spirit, ever active and
reactive to any situation, since it is animated by Christian love that can take on anything. It is always in
the process of composing and recomposing itself as it responds to the changing demands of the times.

This spirit of unity can only be made possible when it is rooted on the unity of God who are three
persons in one God. Let's remember that we are God's image and likeness, made children of his through
his grace. We are meant to reflect in our life that unity of the Trinitarian God who is full of goodness,
love, truth, justice, etc. This spirit of unity which we should try to live in any grouping we may belong to
is never one that leads to elitism. This spirit, if truly inspired by unity of the Trinitarian God, will always
have a universal scope, eager to understand and love everyone, including those who may consider
themselves as our enemies.

In fact, we don't restrict ourselves in any grouping only. Our spirit of unity should cover more and more
areas and levels, until we reach the universal family of God, the complete communion of saints. We
need to develop the appropriate attitudes and skills to develop this kind of spirit of unity. We have to
learn to listen to everyone, including those whose views may different from ours. We have to sharpen
our social skills, always thoughtful of the others, knowing how to empathize and sympathize, how to be
understanding and compassionate. From merely sharing things, let's move toward giving ourselves to
others more and more.

Let's not be afraid of the sacrifices involved. Let our differences and conflicts stir the dynamic of
complementation. Let's trust more in Christ's words that the more we give, the more we will receive
from him. It would be good if we pause from time to time to consider our duties of building up and
strengthening this spirit of unity, giving more teeth to our desires for it. We can always come up daily
with one concrete detail, no matter how small, to further this duty of ours.