Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Mariology
Fr.James Liebner, SVD is the professor of this subject
We have to write the reflection on Mariology this is my reflection.
The Mary dogmas
Throughout the history of the Church, the veneration to the Blessed Virgin Mary has developed in various ways. These concepts of veneration brought us the Doctrine and some explanations about them. Consequently we have many different titles of Mary, such as, Mother of God, Ever-Virgin and Immaculate Conception, etc. In this writing I would like to present some concepts and brief background of the development of the Mary dogmas.
Mary, Mother of God
If someone says “Mary is the mother of Jesus”, it will not be so suspicious. But if someone says “Mary is the mother of God”, it raises a problem as how a created woman can become a mother of God, the Creator. Those who are not Catholic may find it is difficult to accept this sentence, but for Catholics it is a mystery and yet it is a dogma which has been solemnly declared in 431 at the Council of Ephesus.
There are several passages from the Scripture that support the concept proclaimed that Mary is the Mother of God. On the account of the Annunciation, the angel told Mary that the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God (Lk 1:35). And again when Mary visited Elizabeth she called her “the mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43). St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, also put significant words that bring us to realize the motherhood of Mary.
According to Pelikan (1996), the most comprehensive and the most problematic of all the terms invented for Mary by Eastern Christianity was certainly that the title Theotokos, (mother of God). The word “Theotokos” is a compound of two Greek words, θεός (God) and τόκος (childbirth). Literally, this translates as “God-bearer” or “the one who gives birth to God”. We found the evidence of using the term “Theotokos” in the works of Fathers of the Church, such as Origen, Dionysius, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, etc.
In 431, the Council of Ephesus defined the doctrine of Mary as the Mother of God because her son Jesus is one person who is both divine and human. This dogma initially served as a defensive teaching against the teaching of Nestorius, who held with him the concept that Mary gave birth only to Jesus as a human not to the Word who eternally existed. According to Nestorius, one might see Jesus, who was born from Mary, had a human nature which was separated from his divine nature. This concept raises Christological problems.
According to Bastero (2006), Nestorius suggested that we might call Mary the “Anthropotokos” (Mother of the man) or “Khristotokos” (mother of Christ), but not Mother of God. For Nestorius, Christ has two natures. This teaching was unacceptable for St. Cyril of Alexandria. There were so many letters of explanation between Nestorius and St. Cyril. Finally, the Emperor Theodosius convoked a Council to solve this controversy and the doctrine was declared.
St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasized that Jesus Christ who was born from Mary is truly God and truly man. According to his theology, there were two states for the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son. The first state is the pre-exist of the Logos (Word) and the second state is the Incarnation through Mary by the Holy Spirit that the Word became flesh and was made man.
However the controversy continued between the groups of people who supported Nestorius and those who supported St. Cyril. The consequent council after Ephesus was the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. These two ensuing councils repeated the doctrine of “Mary is the really and truly the Mother of God” (Bastero, 2006, p. 161)
Rahner (1963) attested that the fact that Mary is the mother of God as the reflection of the Church is guided by her faith. This faith attained more explicit awareness and expression of the divine sonship of Jesus Christ. It is correspondingly from the belief of the Church that Mary the mother of Jesus is the mother of God. Therefore we can see that Mary is totally related to Christ, she is obedient to the will of God to become the Mother of Redeemer. She is predestined along with him for the redemption of the world.
Mary ever Virgin
We now come to another controversial issue of the Catholic dogma about the virginity of Mary. It is impossible for a human being to think of a woman to be conceived without the seed of a man and to be virgin after giving birth to a child. That is why, whenever we say that Mary is every-virgin, there are so many disputes among the believers and non-believers. Many heresies arose in the history because of the belief in Mary, as an ever-virgin. But in the case of Mary, it is possible that she is ever a virgin because God intervened by acting directly with an extraordinary way in choosing her to give birth to Jesus Christ virginally.
Rahner (1963) investigated that the Church has consequently always taught as part of its belief, and defended against false doctrine, that May conceived her son without the co-operation of an earthly father and remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus too.
Another testimony of Mary to be ever-virgin in the Gospel can be found in John 1:13. It said, “Who was born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will but God”. The words “not of blood” give us the understanding that at the moment of Jesus’ birth, Virgin Mary did not bleed. Through this statement, it is clear that Mary gave birth to Jesus without damaging her virginity. Some Mariologists agreed that Mary giving Jesus a virginal birth fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. For many theologians, this passage supports virginal conception and virgin birth.
But in the Gospel, there are several occasions that speak of “the brothers of Jesus” (Mt 13:55), which make other fellow Christians to assume that Mary has other sons and daughters apart from Jesus. Bastero (2006) attested that when Jesus Christ was on the cross, He entrusted His mother to his disciple. If she had other sons and daughters, He would not have entrusted His mother to John. This is implicit proof that Mary had no other sons and daughters and therefore she is a perpetual virgin.
Pope Leo the Great spoke out concerning Catholic belief in Mary’s virginity, saying that “He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, who gave him birth without losing her virginity as she conceived him without losing her virginity.” St. Epiphanius again said that Jesus was perfectly begotten of the Holy Mother Mary, ever virgin by means of the Holy Spirit. Since “ever” – “ever-virgin” conveys totality and perpetuity and therefore Mary is a virgin perpetually.
Concerning Mary as ever-virgin, the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and St. Augustine, were ardent defenders of the perpetual virginity of Mary. They saw Mary as a model of consecrated women. St. Augustine strongly defends the virginity of Mary by saying that “Mary remained a virgin in conceiving her son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin”.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that “the Blessed Virgin Mary was wholly free from the penalty of conceiving in corruption, giving birth with difficulty and bringing forth in pain”. It seems that St. Thomas was familiar with Genesis 3:16, when God said to Adam and Eve that “I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children”. Mary, unlike the generation of Eve, “conceived without corruption, bore her child in comfort, and brought him forth in joy”.
The teaching of the Church proclaims the absolute truth concerning Mary’s virginity. Mary conceived miraculously and virginally by the almighty power of God which meant that Jesus did not have a human father, and so Mary gave birth without her losing her virginity, and after the birth of Christ she stayed a virgin for the rest of her life on earth”. In other words, in calling Mary, “ever- virgin, it means that before the birth at the birth and after the birth. Mary always remains a virgin. She abstained from all conjugal relations. This also implies that Jesus left intact the virginity of His mother.
Bastero (2006) wrote that Mary is the prototype of the new people of God, because in her are anticipated the essential features, virgin and mother of the Church, the spouse of Christ, who conceives and gives birth to her children in a virginal way. We have to follow the suggestion of Caurenceau who says that in order to understand the deep reasons for Mary’s lifelong virginity is at the same time to perceive the greatness of a total response to the Word that God speaks to us in Jesus Christ.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary
Another doctrine about Mary is The Immaculate Conception which is “the most remarkable misunderstandings of this dogma of holy Church” (Rahner, 1963, p. 42). Actually, the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin is the physical coming into existence of Mary through generation by her parents. It was physically different from other human beings. This dogma does not imply to the coming into existence of human beings through the conjugal love of two human persons.
Bastero (2006) discovered that the teaching of the Church stated that Mary had to have a privilege because she is the Mother of God. She was adorned with sanctifying grace from the first instant of her existence by God. She never knew the state of the so called “Original Sin”. The Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin consists in view of the merits of Jesus Christ her son. Because of this reason, Mary, who is the Mother of the Redeemer, was prepared from the very beginning of her life in the redemptive and saving love of God.
It is no wonder that many Christians, especially the Protestants, find it difficult to believe that Mary was sinless from the moment of her conception to her death, because this doctrine, which is proper to the Catholic Church, just contradicts another doctrine which teaches that all men were born with sin and have the tendency to. As this doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary lacks the explicit biblical foundations and sounds contradictory to the doctrine of the universality of sin, it took the Church centuries to officially pronounce it as a dogma. As its members continually became more aware of the truth of the assertion of the fullness of grace and holiness of the Mother of the Lord, the Church formally proclaimed this doctrine of Immaculate Conception in 1854.
This belief of Mary’s sinlessness is said to have begun with popular devotion of Mary by the earliest Christians and then it found its way into liturgical celebrations before being theologically researched and dogmatically declared as a doctrine by Pius IX. This popular belief of Mary’s Immaculate Conception might have gained its ground in the second century because in the Protogospel of St. James, the miraculous conception of Mary is mentioned. But this belief was not held as true by some earlier Church Fathers saying that Mary did have imperfections.
In the fourth and the fifth centuries, St. Augustine found the difficulty in explaining how Mary’s Immaculate Conception was possible for he firmly held that in order to be redeemed one needs to have shared the sin of Adam. Though Augustine did not deny Mary’s holiness, his doctrine on Original Sin and its transmission through the generative act seemed to have led him and many theologians to conclude that the Immaculate Conception was not possible had Mary been born out of the concupiscence of her parents. Based on St. Augustine’s doctrine of the transmission of Original Sin, many theologians denied the Immaculate Conception, because for them, it was incompatible with the universal Redemption.
Eadmer of Canterbury, who was a close disciple of Anselm and a devout monk of Mary, defended the teaching of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. He distinguished active from passive conception and said that the conception of Mary had in fact be affected by Original Sin, the that was in her parents, (active generation) and not in Mary (passive generation). For Mary is preserved from the sin committed by others. The passive generation is the beginning of a new being and it is precisely in the newness that one can find the break in a long chain of sin.
After Eadmer we, then, have another theologian who developed the idea of preservative redemption. Dun Scotus explained and showed how appropriate it was that God should preserve Mary from sin. Following William of Ware, his teacher, Scotus wrote that Mary was preserved from both Original Sin and actual sin, for if she had not been preserved, she would have been an enemy of God. According to Scotus, Mary was preserved from all stain of sin in view of the Redeemer she was to conceive and in fact, it was her own Son, Christ Jesus who merited this preservation of sin for his Mother. Mary’s exemption from Original sin was not a mere exemption; but rather she had been redeemed by a redemption which prevented her from contracting Original Sin.
For the Protestants, the teaching of the Immaculate Conception is senseless because, this teaching not only contradicts the universality of Original Sin but also presupposes that Mary’s parents and grandparents must have been exempted from sin. If this were the case, the whole line of Mary’s parents must have all been preserved from Original Sin. Given the fact that Mary was just a lowly virgin and an ordinary woman from Nazareth, and nothing was mentioned about her holiness in the scriptures, the Protestants argue, it is impossible that Mary remained sinless throughout her life. Living in a sinful world without committing any sin is just impossible for them.
After gaining the consent from most bishops, Pope Pius IX officially defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary as a dogma in “Ineffabilis Deus” (Ineffable God) in 1854. In his bull, the Pope declared that “the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of God and in view of the merits of Jesus, the Savior, preserved from all stain of Original Sin, and therefore, this doctrine should be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful”. Pope Paul VI, in the Creed of the People of God, also taught that Mary was redeemed in a more exalted manner and preserved from all stain of sin, outstripping in excellence all other creatures by reason of the grace given to her.
Rahner (1963) stated that the truths, which appear the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, lead us back to the beginning of each spiritual being. It is very important to realize that God has laid down the spiritual being since the very beginning of the world. God surrounds the life of man with His eternal redemptive love. He surrounds the life of humanity with loving fidelity and Mary possessed grace of God from the beginning because of His plan for humanity that they shall be free.
In conclusion, given all the explanations of the theologians, it is reasonable and grounded enough to believe that Mary was preserved from all kinds of sin because, for God, nothing is impossible. It is really appropriate that Mary should be sinless through her life so that she can become the Mother of God. And lastly, God always gives the necessary graces needed to fulfill the mission he assigns as he did to the prophets in the past.
The Assumption and Queenship of Mary
When I was a little boy, once I asked my mother where was Mary buried? “Nowhere” she told me “She was assumed into heaven” I could not understand the meaning of the word “assume”. My mother tried her best to explain to me but it was too difficult, for a little boy like me, to understand. Later on, I entered the primary school, run by St. Gabriel’s brothers, called Assumption Rayong. Every year on August 15, we will have a holiday as it is the feast of Mother Mary, patroness of the school. Since then, one of my perceptions of the Assumption is holiday.
Now I am growing up and doing theology. I have read many books about Mary. I have gained more understanding and studied the historical background, the biblical basis and the doctrine of the Church. These help me to nurture my spiritual life and also my relationship with Mary, my heavenly mother.
According to Rahner (1963), the Church does not know the life of Mary, but the Church knows what must be said about Mary in confessing the faith and praising the grace of God. And to this there belongs the origin given by God in his grace to Mary, for instance, her Virginity, her sinlessness and her divine motherhood. These events in the life of Mary lead us to her holy end and consummation. For Rahner, the Church recognizes the nature of this consummation as an intrinsic element in what she is told by her faith in the mother of God.
Since the first century, the early Christian community held the concept that Mary is the first one whom redeemed by Christ. Bastero (2006) stated that in Mary wrought by Christ attains its fullness and is manifested in all its perfection. This perfection of Mary’s redemption impacts on all the mysteries in her life, from her conception and birth to her glorification. The glorification of Mary can be understood only in the sense that she is the mother of Christ and have a special place in the history of salvation. Therefore the glorification of Mary is studied from two points of view, likewise her Assumption and her Queenship.
Assumption and Queenship of Mary are so obviously connected that we regularly find them in the prayer of the Church. “Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us”. This connection leads us back to the Patristic period. In his work, St. Andrew of Crete wrote that the Lord translated Mary from earth to heaven, as Queen of human nature. Apart from this we also have St. Bernardine, St. Robert Bellarmine, Alvarez de Paz, etc. Hence the glorification of the Daughter, Mother and Spouse of the Trinity in summed up in the title “Queen of Heaven and Earth”
The biblical backgrounds that support this title appear in the so called “Christological hymn” which also known as the Kenotic hymn in Philippians 2:6-11. Another source from the scripture is in the writing of Luke in the so called “Magnificat” (Lk 1:46-55). The self-giving love and the exaltation are reproduced in the life of Mary. Mary, therefore, is the queen as Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of all mankind. These mysteries are simply the fulfillment of her raison d'être (reason for being) as the unique Mother she was eternally chosen to be.
In his Apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus (The most bountiful God), Pope Pius XII, declared that the light of divine grace, and inspired by their love for her who is Mother of God and our own sweet Mother too; those enable them to contemplate ever more clearly her privileges, as a marvelous and harmonious whole privileges which were God’s gift to her who was the cherished companion of our Redeemer. This decree was solemnly promulgated on November 1, 1950. One might say that it attested to primarily in Apostolic Tradition.
On the other hand, the source from the Fathers of the Church especially during the first three centuries, we could hardly find the reference of the final destiny of Mary. Bastero (2006) discovered the results for these reasons. Firstly, during the period the Apostolic Fathers and the Apologists propagated and defended the faith concerning the Trinitarian and Christological controversies. Lastly, the doctrine of Eschatology was slow in development.
Subsequently, in the fourth century, St. Ephrem did not observe the body of Mary as subject to corruption. This evidence can be taken as a relevance to the Assumption. The topic of the Assumption of Mary became a significant in the seventh and the eighth century. Bastero (2006) attested that St. John Damascene has left three sermons on the Dormition.
In the Liturgy of the Church, we found the Feast of the Dormition began to be celebrated in the Eastern Church around the middle of the sixth century. The celebration mainly focused on the passing of Mary which was evolving into the actual commemoration of her glorification. Consequently, it handed on to the Western Church and began to be celebrated on August 15. The Assumption of Mary was celebrated as a combination of a historical fact and the object of belief and devotion in the economy of salvation.
After the promulgation of the Immaculate Conception, there was a movement called “assumptionist movement” proclaiming the Assumption of Mary. Pope Pius XII sent first his encyclical letter “Deiparae Virginis Mariae” (The Virgin Mary Mother of God) to consult the bishops all over the world. Finally, the result of this survey brought us the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Munificentissimus Deus”
Schillebeeckx (1964) found that the dogma informs us that Mary was not obliged to wait, as we are, until the end of time for physical redemption. This is a clear indication of the unique quality of her sublime state of redemption. We can basically understand the meaning of this dogma in two aspects. First, the Assumption of Mary brought the Mother to the first rank after Christ. She is the first and greatest of the Redeemed. Second, Mary, through her Assumption, is the first fruits and model of the Church. In eschatological point of view, Mary has shown us the way to follow Christ. Her glorification affirms us the hope of our own salvation.
I have mentioned already that the connection of the Assumption and the Queenship of Mary is so close. The concept of the Queenship of Mary as Queen has already appeared in the Patristic period. Apparently, Pope Pius XII formally declared the Queenship of Mary in his encyclical called “Ad Caeli Reginam” on October 11, 1954.
The Queenship of Mary led us to deep understanding of her divine motherhood both in natural and spiritual dimension. In natural dimension, she has the right to become a queen because she is the mother of a king, Jesus Christ. Mary, therefore, participates by her maternal right in that universal royal authority of her son. She shares in the royal dignity of Christ but in a subordinate way. For spiritual dimension, Mary exercises her royal power over those spiritual and supernatural gifts which help all men and women reach their final end.
In conclusion, there are four Mary dogmas, the Mother of God (Theotokos), Mary ever-Virgin, The Immaculate Conception and The Assumption and Queenship of Mary. These titles have significant liturgical celebrations in the Church which bring us to meditate the mystery of Jesus Christ in the history of salvation.
The Maternal mission of Mary
There are many different beliefs held by various groups of Christians which make ecumenical dialogue difficult, some have to do with Mary’s role in the redemption of man. Some Protestants cannot accept the titles of Mary which Catholics give them to her, such as, Co-redeemer, Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate. Though those titles have not been declared as dogmas by the Popes, they have long been widely used in prayers, writings and in liturgies. It is recently reported that millions of Catholics, including hundreds of bishops and cardinals, have supposedly signed petitions asking the Pope to proclaim Mary as “the Spiritual Mother of all humanity, the Co-redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer, the Mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one Mediator, and the Advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race”.
When we call Mary “Co-redemptrix”, we do not mean that Mary is a co-principle with Jesus or a kind of addition to his redemptive work but rather her unique participation in the sacrifice of Calvary. She is seen as a companion of the New Adam that she became known as Co-redeemer. Though the Church still has not officially declared Mary as “Co-redemptrix”, the teaching of the Second Vatican Council cleared up any doubt about the possibility of being so, when it says that “Mary’s free, conscious co-operation in the incarnation of the Word is not confined to the moment of the Annunciation, but it extends over her whole life, reaches a climax at Calvary and continues to apply in the maternal care she takes of all mankind”.
Bastero (2006) found that Mary’s spiritual motherhood of us all, is not a metaphor but a joyful fact because in the order of grace, she co-operates in the life and spiritual growth of the faithful, it is she who causes us to be reborn in Christ, and gives us life in the supernatural order. According to Shillebeeckx (1964), the reason why God chose Mary, a woman to play a role in the redemption of man was that God wanted to show the maternal aspect of his love through her’. If Schillebeekx’s assertion was true, then we could conclude that Mary’s spiritual motherhood was intended by God from the beginning and dispensing God’s graces to her spiritual children would be what God wants her to do. Therefore, it would be more accurate to say, as some Mariologists do, that Mary’s co-operation with Christ in the redemption, her universal mediation and her dispensing of graces.
There are many reasons why Mary is rightly called the spiritual mother of all men. Firstly, by conceiving and giving birth to Jesus, who is the Head of the Mystical Body, Mary spiritually gives birth to us, and all those in the course of time will be the members of that Body. Secondly, as she was chosen to uniquely participate in the redemptive work of Christ, by being faithful to that divine purpose, Mary continues to spend herself in the service of men, who are called to be brothers of her Son, Jesus. By participating actively in the redemptive work of her Son, Mary obtains for us all a new life. Therefore, she can be fittingly called a cause of our supernatural life and on that level, she is truly our Mother.
If we hold that Mary is truly our Mother, and then we must also believe that she performs the functions which this motherhood is due, that is to say, she carries out her maternal role by interceding with her Son on behalf of all human beings, and by granting us the graces necessary for our spiritual regeneration and our eternal salvation. Some people, especially the Protestants, might argued how can a human being have the right to dispense God’s graces to her fellow humans or as to how a creature can intercede or mediate with the Creator on behalf of all for the bible says that “Christ is the only mediator between God and man”.
In his work Rahner (1963) investigated that all are mediators for all, for God assigns his grace to each as he wills, including the gift and grace of being a blessing in the salvation of others. Following Rahner, we can now say that Mary is the only human being who can best help us gain eternal salvation for she was most “fully graced” among all creatures.
As I have mentioned above, Mary’s fiat is not restricted only to the moment of the Annunciation but it extends throughout her life and life after, in fact, she uttered her eternal fiat to all that God willed of her, to the whole great ordered plan of redemption. In other words, she agreed to all God’s plans for man with which He wished to accomplish through her. Therefore, if God wishes her to continue helping Him in bringing about the salvation of mankind, surely she will not deny for she has uttered her eternal fiat to God’s will. We can be sure that Mary would be ready and willing to dispense the graces that her Son Jesus won by his death and resurrection to all her children.
To be a mother does not only mean to give birth to her children, that is to say, to give them life, but it also means to nourish, to raise them up, and to lead her children to be saved. Therefore, in the sense of this motherhood, it is very appropriate to call Mary as “Dispenser of graces, Intercessor, Helper” and above all, “Co-redeemer” because as a mother, all that she wishes would be her children to have the graces necessary for their daily life and their eternal salvation.
For this reason, all the graces obtained in the redemption flow us only through Mary. However, this does not mean that Mary is the author of salvation. For she is not the source of grace but the “Dispenser of grace”, her mediation only depends on that of Christ, the Only Mediator for humanity. “We can simply say that Mary is our mediatrix. After all we have often prayed to our Lady as our advocate, our intercessor” (Rahner, 1963, p. 94).
The Devotion to the Blessed Virgin in my country
According to the History of the Catholic Church in Thailand, the French missionaries, called Missions Étrangères de Paris (M.E.P.), came to Thailand in 1662. They brought with them the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as we have some evidence in many churches which offer the several titles of Mary as the patroness of the Church. Therefore we have various names of the Church given the titles of Mary, for instance, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, etc.
For my diocese, the Cathedral is named Immaculate Conception which was built by the French priest in 1700s. We also have many churches devoted to Mary as the name of the Church. This is a sign of deep relationship between Thais Christians and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Redeemer.
After the promulgation of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand has agreed in a consensus to declare that Mother Mary is the patroness of the Catholic Church of Thailand. Hence, on August 15 of every year, we will offer a special prayer to Mary asking her to protect our country, to take care of our King and the royalty, to encourage the youth for the particular vocation of priest and religious and pray to God for us all.
Many parishes in Thailand have a special novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Some parishes organize it every Wednesday while the others make it on Saturday. The faithful will gather together for this novena and after that they will continue with the Eucharistic Celebration.
We also have a Marian month in October as there is a feast of Our Lady of Holy Rosary. Therefore in October the priests, together with the faithful, will bring a statue of Mary to each family’s house and say a rosary together. By meditating the truth of the mystery of Christ through the rosary encourages us to follow the footstep of Mary (cf. RVM # 16).
My parish was built in 1975 and given the name of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Fr. Joseph, the parish priest, who is very faithful to Mary, devotes himself to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. That is the reason why we have this title for our parish. Later on, Fr. Joseph was assigned to become a spiritual director in the minor seminary. He was also my spiritual director who always encouraged me to devote myself to Mary. It was he who told me the Latin expression as “Ad Jesum per Mariam” (to Jesus through Mary). He also repeated this to me again before he passed away.
I began my primary at Assumption College Rayong when I was five years old. Because of the name of this school that my life became closer to Mary. Every year on August 15, we will have a school holiday and on the day before the Brothers will invite the priest to celebrate a Mass in the school. After the Mass we had a long procession around the school and the Catholic students would lead the prayers and altogether would sing “Ave Maria”.
My mother is also the one who devoted herself to Mary. She joins the movement called “Legio Mariae” (Army of Mary) that leads her to say the rosary every day. She also encourages my brothers and sisters to say the rosary as much as possible. Therefore every night after watching the news my family will gather together saying the rosary. This kind of practice makes us to be united in the family. Even sometimes when we have problems among us by praying together to Mary, it brings us the reconciliation and peace.
When I was in Lux Mundi Seminary, I joined the feast of the Presentation of the Lord which occurs on February 2 in the liturgical year. This celebration reminds us the mystery of salvation which has been accomplished by Christ. We will sing solemnly the so called hymn “Nunc Dimitis” as it is written in Luke 2:29-32. This celebration has been explained in the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI in Marialis Cultus. In number seven of this official teaching I found the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of salvation who associated as the Mother of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh.
I would like to conclude this work which I have spent most of my times during this month reading and writing. It helps me to get to know Mary deeply and the more I know her is the more I love her. One might suspicious about her virginity or even disagree with some teachings of the Church, but, for me, the important thing is not the issue they are discussing. The most important thing is the quality of the relationship between you and Mary which gradually will lead you to our Lord, Jesus Christ. I want to repeat again that Mary is not only the mother of our Lord, but she is also the mother of Thais and especially she is my mother.
Bibliography
Bastero, J. L. (2006). Mary, mother of the redeemer. Dublin: Four Courts Press.
PeliKan, J. (1996). Mary, through the centuries. New Haven: Yale.
Rahner, K. (1963). Mary, mother of the Lord. New York: Herder.
Schillebeeckx, E. (1964). Mary, mother of the redemption. New York: Sheed and Ward.
Submitted by Anthony Vorasil RUEKSAWANG (t 576124)
We have to write the reflection on Mariology this is my reflection.
The Mary dogmas
Throughout the history of the Church, the veneration to the Blessed Virgin Mary has developed in various ways. These concepts of veneration brought us the Doctrine and some explanations about them. Consequently we have many different titles of Mary, such as, Mother of God, Ever-Virgin and Immaculate Conception, etc. In this writing I would like to present some concepts and brief background of the development of the Mary dogmas.
Mary, Mother of God
If someone says “Mary is the mother of Jesus”, it will not be so suspicious. But if someone says “Mary is the mother of God”, it raises a problem as how a created woman can become a mother of God, the Creator. Those who are not Catholic may find it is difficult to accept this sentence, but for Catholics it is a mystery and yet it is a dogma which has been solemnly declared in 431 at the Council of Ephesus.
There are several passages from the Scripture that support the concept proclaimed that Mary is the Mother of God. On the account of the Annunciation, the angel told Mary that the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God (Lk 1:35). And again when Mary visited Elizabeth she called her “the mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43). St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, also put significant words that bring us to realize the motherhood of Mary.
According to Pelikan (1996), the most comprehensive and the most problematic of all the terms invented for Mary by Eastern Christianity was certainly that the title Theotokos, (mother of God). The word “Theotokos” is a compound of two Greek words, θεός (God) and τόκος (childbirth). Literally, this translates as “God-bearer” or “the one who gives birth to God”. We found the evidence of using the term “Theotokos” in the works of Fathers of the Church, such as Origen, Dionysius, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, etc.
In 431, the Council of Ephesus defined the doctrine of Mary as the Mother of God because her son Jesus is one person who is both divine and human. This dogma initially served as a defensive teaching against the teaching of Nestorius, who held with him the concept that Mary gave birth only to Jesus as a human not to the Word who eternally existed. According to Nestorius, one might see Jesus, who was born from Mary, had a human nature which was separated from his divine nature. This concept raises Christological problems.
According to Bastero (2006), Nestorius suggested that we might call Mary the “Anthropotokos” (Mother of the man) or “Khristotokos” (mother of Christ), but not Mother of God. For Nestorius, Christ has two natures. This teaching was unacceptable for St. Cyril of Alexandria. There were so many letters of explanation between Nestorius and St. Cyril. Finally, the Emperor Theodosius convoked a Council to solve this controversy and the doctrine was declared.
St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasized that Jesus Christ who was born from Mary is truly God and truly man. According to his theology, there were two states for the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son. The first state is the pre-exist of the Logos (Word) and the second state is the Incarnation through Mary by the Holy Spirit that the Word became flesh and was made man.
However the controversy continued between the groups of people who supported Nestorius and those who supported St. Cyril. The consequent council after Ephesus was the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. These two ensuing councils repeated the doctrine of “Mary is the really and truly the Mother of God” (Bastero, 2006, p. 161)
Rahner (1963) attested that the fact that Mary is the mother of God as the reflection of the Church is guided by her faith. This faith attained more explicit awareness and expression of the divine sonship of Jesus Christ. It is correspondingly from the belief of the Church that Mary the mother of Jesus is the mother of God. Therefore we can see that Mary is totally related to Christ, she is obedient to the will of God to become the Mother of Redeemer. She is predestined along with him for the redemption of the world.
Mary ever Virgin
We now come to another controversial issue of the Catholic dogma about the virginity of Mary. It is impossible for a human being to think of a woman to be conceived without the seed of a man and to be virgin after giving birth to a child. That is why, whenever we say that Mary is every-virgin, there are so many disputes among the believers and non-believers. Many heresies arose in the history because of the belief in Mary, as an ever-virgin. But in the case of Mary, it is possible that she is ever a virgin because God intervened by acting directly with an extraordinary way in choosing her to give birth to Jesus Christ virginally.
Rahner (1963) investigated that the Church has consequently always taught as part of its belief, and defended against false doctrine, that May conceived her son without the co-operation of an earthly father and remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus too.
Another testimony of Mary to be ever-virgin in the Gospel can be found in John 1:13. It said, “Who was born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will but God”. The words “not of blood” give us the understanding that at the moment of Jesus’ birth, Virgin Mary did not bleed. Through this statement, it is clear that Mary gave birth to Jesus without damaging her virginity. Some Mariologists agreed that Mary giving Jesus a virginal birth fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. For many theologians, this passage supports virginal conception and virgin birth.
But in the Gospel, there are several occasions that speak of “the brothers of Jesus” (Mt 13:55), which make other fellow Christians to assume that Mary has other sons and daughters apart from Jesus. Bastero (2006) attested that when Jesus Christ was on the cross, He entrusted His mother to his disciple. If she had other sons and daughters, He would not have entrusted His mother to John. This is implicit proof that Mary had no other sons and daughters and therefore she is a perpetual virgin.
Pope Leo the Great spoke out concerning Catholic belief in Mary’s virginity, saying that “He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, who gave him birth without losing her virginity as she conceived him without losing her virginity.” St. Epiphanius again said that Jesus was perfectly begotten of the Holy Mother Mary, ever virgin by means of the Holy Spirit. Since “ever” – “ever-virgin” conveys totality and perpetuity and therefore Mary is a virgin perpetually.
Concerning Mary as ever-virgin, the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and St. Augustine, were ardent defenders of the perpetual virginity of Mary. They saw Mary as a model of consecrated women. St. Augustine strongly defends the virginity of Mary by saying that “Mary remained a virgin in conceiving her son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin”.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that “the Blessed Virgin Mary was wholly free from the penalty of conceiving in corruption, giving birth with difficulty and bringing forth in pain”. It seems that St. Thomas was familiar with Genesis 3:16, when God said to Adam and Eve that “I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children”. Mary, unlike the generation of Eve, “conceived without corruption, bore her child in comfort, and brought him forth in joy”.
The teaching of the Church proclaims the absolute truth concerning Mary’s virginity. Mary conceived miraculously and virginally by the almighty power of God which meant that Jesus did not have a human father, and so Mary gave birth without her losing her virginity, and after the birth of Christ she stayed a virgin for the rest of her life on earth”. In other words, in calling Mary, “ever- virgin, it means that before the birth at the birth and after the birth. Mary always remains a virgin. She abstained from all conjugal relations. This also implies that Jesus left intact the virginity of His mother.
Bastero (2006) wrote that Mary is the prototype of the new people of God, because in her are anticipated the essential features, virgin and mother of the Church, the spouse of Christ, who conceives and gives birth to her children in a virginal way. We have to follow the suggestion of Caurenceau who says that in order to understand the deep reasons for Mary’s lifelong virginity is at the same time to perceive the greatness of a total response to the Word that God speaks to us in Jesus Christ.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary
Another doctrine about Mary is The Immaculate Conception which is “the most remarkable misunderstandings of this dogma of holy Church” (Rahner, 1963, p. 42). Actually, the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin is the physical coming into existence of Mary through generation by her parents. It was physically different from other human beings. This dogma does not imply to the coming into existence of human beings through the conjugal love of two human persons.
Bastero (2006) discovered that the teaching of the Church stated that Mary had to have a privilege because she is the Mother of God. She was adorned with sanctifying grace from the first instant of her existence by God. She never knew the state of the so called “Original Sin”. The Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin consists in view of the merits of Jesus Christ her son. Because of this reason, Mary, who is the Mother of the Redeemer, was prepared from the very beginning of her life in the redemptive and saving love of God.
It is no wonder that many Christians, especially the Protestants, find it difficult to believe that Mary was sinless from the moment of her conception to her death, because this doctrine, which is proper to the Catholic Church, just contradicts another doctrine which teaches that all men were born with sin and have the tendency to. As this doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary lacks the explicit biblical foundations and sounds contradictory to the doctrine of the universality of sin, it took the Church centuries to officially pronounce it as a dogma. As its members continually became more aware of the truth of the assertion of the fullness of grace and holiness of the Mother of the Lord, the Church formally proclaimed this doctrine of Immaculate Conception in 1854.
This belief of Mary’s sinlessness is said to have begun with popular devotion of Mary by the earliest Christians and then it found its way into liturgical celebrations before being theologically researched and dogmatically declared as a doctrine by Pius IX. This popular belief of Mary’s Immaculate Conception might have gained its ground in the second century because in the Protogospel of St. James, the miraculous conception of Mary is mentioned. But this belief was not held as true by some earlier Church Fathers saying that Mary did have imperfections.
In the fourth and the fifth centuries, St. Augustine found the difficulty in explaining how Mary’s Immaculate Conception was possible for he firmly held that in order to be redeemed one needs to have shared the sin of Adam. Though Augustine did not deny Mary’s holiness, his doctrine on Original Sin and its transmission through the generative act seemed to have led him and many theologians to conclude that the Immaculate Conception was not possible had Mary been born out of the concupiscence of her parents. Based on St. Augustine’s doctrine of the transmission of Original Sin, many theologians denied the Immaculate Conception, because for them, it was incompatible with the universal Redemption.
Eadmer of Canterbury, who was a close disciple of Anselm and a devout monk of Mary, defended the teaching of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. He distinguished active from passive conception and said that the conception of Mary had in fact be affected by Original Sin, the that was in her parents, (active generation) and not in Mary (passive generation). For Mary is preserved from the sin committed by others. The passive generation is the beginning of a new being and it is precisely in the newness that one can find the break in a long chain of sin.
After Eadmer we, then, have another theologian who developed the idea of preservative redemption. Dun Scotus explained and showed how appropriate it was that God should preserve Mary from sin. Following William of Ware, his teacher, Scotus wrote that Mary was preserved from both Original Sin and actual sin, for if she had not been preserved, she would have been an enemy of God. According to Scotus, Mary was preserved from all stain of sin in view of the Redeemer she was to conceive and in fact, it was her own Son, Christ Jesus who merited this preservation of sin for his Mother. Mary’s exemption from Original sin was not a mere exemption; but rather she had been redeemed by a redemption which prevented her from contracting Original Sin.
For the Protestants, the teaching of the Immaculate Conception is senseless because, this teaching not only contradicts the universality of Original Sin but also presupposes that Mary’s parents and grandparents must have been exempted from sin. If this were the case, the whole line of Mary’s parents must have all been preserved from Original Sin. Given the fact that Mary was just a lowly virgin and an ordinary woman from Nazareth, and nothing was mentioned about her holiness in the scriptures, the Protestants argue, it is impossible that Mary remained sinless throughout her life. Living in a sinful world without committing any sin is just impossible for them.
After gaining the consent from most bishops, Pope Pius IX officially defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary as a dogma in “Ineffabilis Deus” (Ineffable God) in 1854. In his bull, the Pope declared that “the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of God and in view of the merits of Jesus, the Savior, preserved from all stain of Original Sin, and therefore, this doctrine should be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful”. Pope Paul VI, in the Creed of the People of God, also taught that Mary was redeemed in a more exalted manner and preserved from all stain of sin, outstripping in excellence all other creatures by reason of the grace given to her.
Rahner (1963) stated that the truths, which appear the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, lead us back to the beginning of each spiritual being. It is very important to realize that God has laid down the spiritual being since the very beginning of the world. God surrounds the life of man with His eternal redemptive love. He surrounds the life of humanity with loving fidelity and Mary possessed grace of God from the beginning because of His plan for humanity that they shall be free.
In conclusion, given all the explanations of the theologians, it is reasonable and grounded enough to believe that Mary was preserved from all kinds of sin because, for God, nothing is impossible. It is really appropriate that Mary should be sinless through her life so that she can become the Mother of God. And lastly, God always gives the necessary graces needed to fulfill the mission he assigns as he did to the prophets in the past.
The Assumption and Queenship of Mary
When I was a little boy, once I asked my mother where was Mary buried? “Nowhere” she told me “She was assumed into heaven” I could not understand the meaning of the word “assume”. My mother tried her best to explain to me but it was too difficult, for a little boy like me, to understand. Later on, I entered the primary school, run by St. Gabriel’s brothers, called Assumption Rayong. Every year on August 15, we will have a holiday as it is the feast of Mother Mary, patroness of the school. Since then, one of my perceptions of the Assumption is holiday.
Now I am growing up and doing theology. I have read many books about Mary. I have gained more understanding and studied the historical background, the biblical basis and the doctrine of the Church. These help me to nurture my spiritual life and also my relationship with Mary, my heavenly mother.
According to Rahner (1963), the Church does not know the life of Mary, but the Church knows what must be said about Mary in confessing the faith and praising the grace of God. And to this there belongs the origin given by God in his grace to Mary, for instance, her Virginity, her sinlessness and her divine motherhood. These events in the life of Mary lead us to her holy end and consummation. For Rahner, the Church recognizes the nature of this consummation as an intrinsic element in what she is told by her faith in the mother of God.
Since the first century, the early Christian community held the concept that Mary is the first one whom redeemed by Christ. Bastero (2006) stated that in Mary wrought by Christ attains its fullness and is manifested in all its perfection. This perfection of Mary’s redemption impacts on all the mysteries in her life, from her conception and birth to her glorification. The glorification of Mary can be understood only in the sense that she is the mother of Christ and have a special place in the history of salvation. Therefore the glorification of Mary is studied from two points of view, likewise her Assumption and her Queenship.
Assumption and Queenship of Mary are so obviously connected that we regularly find them in the prayer of the Church. “Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us”. This connection leads us back to the Patristic period. In his work, St. Andrew of Crete wrote that the Lord translated Mary from earth to heaven, as Queen of human nature. Apart from this we also have St. Bernardine, St. Robert Bellarmine, Alvarez de Paz, etc. Hence the glorification of the Daughter, Mother and Spouse of the Trinity in summed up in the title “Queen of Heaven and Earth”
The biblical backgrounds that support this title appear in the so called “Christological hymn” which also known as the Kenotic hymn in Philippians 2:6-11. Another source from the scripture is in the writing of Luke in the so called “Magnificat” (Lk 1:46-55). The self-giving love and the exaltation are reproduced in the life of Mary. Mary, therefore, is the queen as Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of all mankind. These mysteries are simply the fulfillment of her raison d'être (reason for being) as the unique Mother she was eternally chosen to be.
In his Apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus (The most bountiful God), Pope Pius XII, declared that the light of divine grace, and inspired by their love for her who is Mother of God and our own sweet Mother too; those enable them to contemplate ever more clearly her privileges, as a marvelous and harmonious whole privileges which were God’s gift to her who was the cherished companion of our Redeemer. This decree was solemnly promulgated on November 1, 1950. One might say that it attested to primarily in Apostolic Tradition.
On the other hand, the source from the Fathers of the Church especially during the first three centuries, we could hardly find the reference of the final destiny of Mary. Bastero (2006) discovered the results for these reasons. Firstly, during the period the Apostolic Fathers and the Apologists propagated and defended the faith concerning the Trinitarian and Christological controversies. Lastly, the doctrine of Eschatology was slow in development.
Subsequently, in the fourth century, St. Ephrem did not observe the body of Mary as subject to corruption. This evidence can be taken as a relevance to the Assumption. The topic of the Assumption of Mary became a significant in the seventh and the eighth century. Bastero (2006) attested that St. John Damascene has left three sermons on the Dormition.
In the Liturgy of the Church, we found the Feast of the Dormition began to be celebrated in the Eastern Church around the middle of the sixth century. The celebration mainly focused on the passing of Mary which was evolving into the actual commemoration of her glorification. Consequently, it handed on to the Western Church and began to be celebrated on August 15. The Assumption of Mary was celebrated as a combination of a historical fact and the object of belief and devotion in the economy of salvation.
After the promulgation of the Immaculate Conception, there was a movement called “assumptionist movement” proclaiming the Assumption of Mary. Pope Pius XII sent first his encyclical letter “Deiparae Virginis Mariae” (The Virgin Mary Mother of God) to consult the bishops all over the world. Finally, the result of this survey brought us the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Munificentissimus Deus”
Schillebeeckx (1964) found that the dogma informs us that Mary was not obliged to wait, as we are, until the end of time for physical redemption. This is a clear indication of the unique quality of her sublime state of redemption. We can basically understand the meaning of this dogma in two aspects. First, the Assumption of Mary brought the Mother to the first rank after Christ. She is the first and greatest of the Redeemed. Second, Mary, through her Assumption, is the first fruits and model of the Church. In eschatological point of view, Mary has shown us the way to follow Christ. Her glorification affirms us the hope of our own salvation.
I have mentioned already that the connection of the Assumption and the Queenship of Mary is so close. The concept of the Queenship of Mary as Queen has already appeared in the Patristic period. Apparently, Pope Pius XII formally declared the Queenship of Mary in his encyclical called “Ad Caeli Reginam” on October 11, 1954.
The Queenship of Mary led us to deep understanding of her divine motherhood both in natural and spiritual dimension. In natural dimension, she has the right to become a queen because she is the mother of a king, Jesus Christ. Mary, therefore, participates by her maternal right in that universal royal authority of her son. She shares in the royal dignity of Christ but in a subordinate way. For spiritual dimension, Mary exercises her royal power over those spiritual and supernatural gifts which help all men and women reach their final end.
In conclusion, there are four Mary dogmas, the Mother of God (Theotokos), Mary ever-Virgin, The Immaculate Conception and The Assumption and Queenship of Mary. These titles have significant liturgical celebrations in the Church which bring us to meditate the mystery of Jesus Christ in the history of salvation.
The Maternal mission of Mary
There are many different beliefs held by various groups of Christians which make ecumenical dialogue difficult, some have to do with Mary’s role in the redemption of man. Some Protestants cannot accept the titles of Mary which Catholics give them to her, such as, Co-redeemer, Mediator, Intercessor and Advocate. Though those titles have not been declared as dogmas by the Popes, they have long been widely used in prayers, writings and in liturgies. It is recently reported that millions of Catholics, including hundreds of bishops and cardinals, have supposedly signed petitions asking the Pope to proclaim Mary as “the Spiritual Mother of all humanity, the Co-redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer, the Mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one Mediator, and the Advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race”.
When we call Mary “Co-redemptrix”, we do not mean that Mary is a co-principle with Jesus or a kind of addition to his redemptive work but rather her unique participation in the sacrifice of Calvary. She is seen as a companion of the New Adam that she became known as Co-redeemer. Though the Church still has not officially declared Mary as “Co-redemptrix”, the teaching of the Second Vatican Council cleared up any doubt about the possibility of being so, when it says that “Mary’s free, conscious co-operation in the incarnation of the Word is not confined to the moment of the Annunciation, but it extends over her whole life, reaches a climax at Calvary and continues to apply in the maternal care she takes of all mankind”.
Bastero (2006) found that Mary’s spiritual motherhood of us all, is not a metaphor but a joyful fact because in the order of grace, she co-operates in the life and spiritual growth of the faithful, it is she who causes us to be reborn in Christ, and gives us life in the supernatural order. According to Shillebeeckx (1964), the reason why God chose Mary, a woman to play a role in the redemption of man was that God wanted to show the maternal aspect of his love through her’. If Schillebeekx’s assertion was true, then we could conclude that Mary’s spiritual motherhood was intended by God from the beginning and dispensing God’s graces to her spiritual children would be what God wants her to do. Therefore, it would be more accurate to say, as some Mariologists do, that Mary’s co-operation with Christ in the redemption, her universal mediation and her dispensing of graces.
There are many reasons why Mary is rightly called the spiritual mother of all men. Firstly, by conceiving and giving birth to Jesus, who is the Head of the Mystical Body, Mary spiritually gives birth to us, and all those in the course of time will be the members of that Body. Secondly, as she was chosen to uniquely participate in the redemptive work of Christ, by being faithful to that divine purpose, Mary continues to spend herself in the service of men, who are called to be brothers of her Son, Jesus. By participating actively in the redemptive work of her Son, Mary obtains for us all a new life. Therefore, she can be fittingly called a cause of our supernatural life and on that level, she is truly our Mother.
If we hold that Mary is truly our Mother, and then we must also believe that she performs the functions which this motherhood is due, that is to say, she carries out her maternal role by interceding with her Son on behalf of all human beings, and by granting us the graces necessary for our spiritual regeneration and our eternal salvation. Some people, especially the Protestants, might argued how can a human being have the right to dispense God’s graces to her fellow humans or as to how a creature can intercede or mediate with the Creator on behalf of all for the bible says that “Christ is the only mediator between God and man”.
In his work Rahner (1963) investigated that all are mediators for all, for God assigns his grace to each as he wills, including the gift and grace of being a blessing in the salvation of others. Following Rahner, we can now say that Mary is the only human being who can best help us gain eternal salvation for she was most “fully graced” among all creatures.
As I have mentioned above, Mary’s fiat is not restricted only to the moment of the Annunciation but it extends throughout her life and life after, in fact, she uttered her eternal fiat to all that God willed of her, to the whole great ordered plan of redemption. In other words, she agreed to all God’s plans for man with which He wished to accomplish through her. Therefore, if God wishes her to continue helping Him in bringing about the salvation of mankind, surely she will not deny for she has uttered her eternal fiat to God’s will. We can be sure that Mary would be ready and willing to dispense the graces that her Son Jesus won by his death and resurrection to all her children.
To be a mother does not only mean to give birth to her children, that is to say, to give them life, but it also means to nourish, to raise them up, and to lead her children to be saved. Therefore, in the sense of this motherhood, it is very appropriate to call Mary as “Dispenser of graces, Intercessor, Helper” and above all, “Co-redeemer” because as a mother, all that she wishes would be her children to have the graces necessary for their daily life and their eternal salvation.
For this reason, all the graces obtained in the redemption flow us only through Mary. However, this does not mean that Mary is the author of salvation. For she is not the source of grace but the “Dispenser of grace”, her mediation only depends on that of Christ, the Only Mediator for humanity. “We can simply say that Mary is our mediatrix. After all we have often prayed to our Lady as our advocate, our intercessor” (Rahner, 1963, p. 94).
The Devotion to the Blessed Virgin in my country
According to the History of the Catholic Church in Thailand, the French missionaries, called Missions Étrangères de Paris (M.E.P.), came to Thailand in 1662. They brought with them the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as we have some evidence in many churches which offer the several titles of Mary as the patroness of the Church. Therefore we have various names of the Church given the titles of Mary, for instance, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, etc.
For my diocese, the Cathedral is named Immaculate Conception which was built by the French priest in 1700s. We also have many churches devoted to Mary as the name of the Church. This is a sign of deep relationship between Thais Christians and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Redeemer.
After the promulgation of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand has agreed in a consensus to declare that Mother Mary is the patroness of the Catholic Church of Thailand. Hence, on August 15 of every year, we will offer a special prayer to Mary asking her to protect our country, to take care of our King and the royalty, to encourage the youth for the particular vocation of priest and religious and pray to God for us all.
Many parishes in Thailand have a special novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Some parishes organize it every Wednesday while the others make it on Saturday. The faithful will gather together for this novena and after that they will continue with the Eucharistic Celebration.
We also have a Marian month in October as there is a feast of Our Lady of Holy Rosary. Therefore in October the priests, together with the faithful, will bring a statue of Mary to each family’s house and say a rosary together. By meditating the truth of the mystery of Christ through the rosary encourages us to follow the footstep of Mary (cf. RVM # 16).
My parish was built in 1975 and given the name of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Fr. Joseph, the parish priest, who is very faithful to Mary, devotes himself to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. That is the reason why we have this title for our parish. Later on, Fr. Joseph was assigned to become a spiritual director in the minor seminary. He was also my spiritual director who always encouraged me to devote myself to Mary. It was he who told me the Latin expression as “Ad Jesum per Mariam” (to Jesus through Mary). He also repeated this to me again before he passed away.
I began my primary at Assumption College Rayong when I was five years old. Because of the name of this school that my life became closer to Mary. Every year on August 15, we will have a school holiday and on the day before the Brothers will invite the priest to celebrate a Mass in the school. After the Mass we had a long procession around the school and the Catholic students would lead the prayers and altogether would sing “Ave Maria”.
My mother is also the one who devoted herself to Mary. She joins the movement called “Legio Mariae” (Army of Mary) that leads her to say the rosary every day. She also encourages my brothers and sisters to say the rosary as much as possible. Therefore every night after watching the news my family will gather together saying the rosary. This kind of practice makes us to be united in the family. Even sometimes when we have problems among us by praying together to Mary, it brings us the reconciliation and peace.
When I was in Lux Mundi Seminary, I joined the feast of the Presentation of the Lord which occurs on February 2 in the liturgical year. This celebration reminds us the mystery of salvation which has been accomplished by Christ. We will sing solemnly the so called hymn “Nunc Dimitis” as it is written in Luke 2:29-32. This celebration has been explained in the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI in Marialis Cultus. In number seven of this official teaching I found the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of salvation who associated as the Mother of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh.
I would like to conclude this work which I have spent most of my times during this month reading and writing. It helps me to get to know Mary deeply and the more I know her is the more I love her. One might suspicious about her virginity or even disagree with some teachings of the Church, but, for me, the important thing is not the issue they are discussing. The most important thing is the quality of the relationship between you and Mary which gradually will lead you to our Lord, Jesus Christ. I want to repeat again that Mary is not only the mother of our Lord, but she is also the mother of Thais and especially she is my mother.
Bibliography
Bastero, J. L. (2006). Mary, mother of the redeemer. Dublin: Four Courts Press.
PeliKan, J. (1996). Mary, through the centuries. New Haven: Yale.
Rahner, K. (1963). Mary, mother of the Lord. New York: Herder.
Schillebeeckx, E. (1964). Mary, mother of the redemption. New York: Sheed and Ward.
Submitted by Anthony Vorasil RUEKSAWANG (t 576124)
Christology
Fr.Peter Stilwell helps us to have a brief overview and clear understanding on the concept of Jesus Christ. He leads us to develope these topics;
1.Introduction
2.The historical record of Jesus and his times
3.From the faith of Jesus to faith in Jesus
4.The Gnostic temptation
5.Great Christological debates
We also have to present the reflection of Christological hymn which I chose the Kenotic Christology in Philippians 2:6-11
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul put the hymn to support his idea which he encourages the Philippians to be humble, self-sacrificing service (Phil 2:1-4). This hymn is not written by Paul but the main concept is related to what he wants to teach the people in Philippi. The hymn, therefore, presents Christ as a perfect example of the one who sacrifice himself for others.
This hymn is also called the Kenotic Christology. We found the word evke,nwsen which is the imperfect indicative active third person singular of the verb keno,w meaning “to empty”. It holds the idea of Christ who gave up himself to become a human in order to fulfill the plan of the Salvation of God.
By taking off his divine form Christ puts in a form of human. He rendered himself to be powerless like a slave who is powerless. I might say that, in the thought of the hymn, unredeemed human existence is essentially slavery, a bondage to spiritual powers, ending in death. But Christ took in human form, lowered himself and was obedient unto death. Truly it is not just an ordinary death but a criminal’s death. This reminds me a song of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:12.
I was touched by the example of Christ who gave himself up for us in order to free us from sins. The instruction of Paul to the Philippians can be treated as a general instruction for us also. Because of this self-giving love of God so that every knee should bow down and every tongue should confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord!”. Again I found this sentence is reminding me of the idea of monotheistic God of the Israelite. For the word “Lord” is a translation of “kurios” which is a translation of “adonai” in Hebrew for YHWH, the one true God. Jesus did what only God can do. It refers to the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah in Isa 45:23.
The lesson I have learned from this hymn is that humility leads to become the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Once Jesus also said like this in Mark 10:15. The point is not only to become the greatest but because we know that the greatest one in the heaven is God. Therefore to become the greatest, in this sense, means to become God-like. Paul has already told the Philippians and yet he would also like to encourage us. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” Paul’s words lead us to the selfless love as a model for Christian imitation.
1.Introduction
2.The historical record of Jesus and his times
3.From the faith of Jesus to faith in Jesus
4.The Gnostic temptation
5.Great Christological debates
We also have to present the reflection of Christological hymn which I chose the Kenotic Christology in Philippians 2:6-11
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul put the hymn to support his idea which he encourages the Philippians to be humble, self-sacrificing service (Phil 2:1-4). This hymn is not written by Paul but the main concept is related to what he wants to teach the people in Philippi. The hymn, therefore, presents Christ as a perfect example of the one who sacrifice himself for others.
This hymn is also called the Kenotic Christology. We found the word evke,nwsen which is the imperfect indicative active third person singular of the verb keno,w meaning “to empty”. It holds the idea of Christ who gave up himself to become a human in order to fulfill the plan of the Salvation of God.
By taking off his divine form Christ puts in a form of human. He rendered himself to be powerless like a slave who is powerless. I might say that, in the thought of the hymn, unredeemed human existence is essentially slavery, a bondage to spiritual powers, ending in death. But Christ took in human form, lowered himself and was obedient unto death. Truly it is not just an ordinary death but a criminal’s death. This reminds me a song of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:12.
I was touched by the example of Christ who gave himself up for us in order to free us from sins. The instruction of Paul to the Philippians can be treated as a general instruction for us also. Because of this self-giving love of God so that every knee should bow down and every tongue should confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord!”. Again I found this sentence is reminding me of the idea of monotheistic God of the Israelite. For the word “Lord” is a translation of “kurios” which is a translation of “adonai” in Hebrew for YHWH, the one true God. Jesus did what only God can do. It refers to the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah in Isa 45:23.
The lesson I have learned from this hymn is that humility leads to become the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Once Jesus also said like this in Mark 10:15. The point is not only to become the greatest but because we know that the greatest one in the heaven is God. Therefore to become the greatest, in this sense, means to become God-like. Paul has already told the Philippians and yet he would also like to encourage us. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” Paul’s words lead us to the selfless love as a model for Christian imitation.
Eschatology
Prof. Isabel VARANDA helps us to go deeper on the understanding of the concept of Resurrection in different thoughts.
Course outline
1.Methods of Eschatology
-extralpolation
-anticipation
2.Biblical and Paristic Eschatology
-Old Testament
-New Testament
-Eschatology in the Early Church Fathers
3.Roman Catholic Theology
-Pre-Vatican II
-Vatican II
-Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: Lumen Gentium
-Pastoral Constitution: Gaudium et Spes
-Post-Vatican II
-Letter on Certain Question concerning Eschatology, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, (1979)
-Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)
-On certain current issues in Eschatology, International Theological Commission (1992)
-Encyclical Letter: Spe Salvi (2007)
4.Contemporary Catholic Eschatologies
-Karl Rahner (1904-1984)
-Hans Urs Von Balthasar (1905-1988)
-Joseph Ratzinger (1927- )
-Johannes Baptist Metz (1928 - )
Eschatology in World Religions
Eschatology in distinct Christian Traditions
Theological Issues in Eschatology
-Heaven
-Hell
-Purgatory
-Universalism
-Annihilationism
-Death, Final Judgement and the Meaning of Life
For the presentation I chose "Heaven" as a topic to present to the class as following;
Heaven
When I was young, my mom once told me that heaven is up there far beyond the sky. It is the place where God lives with the saints. I always keep it in my mind that one day I would go up high to reach the sky and heaven, and then live a happy life with God.
Let us take a look at the word ‘heaven’. There are many sources explaining the derivation of heaven as ‘heofon’ in Anglo-Saxon, ‘himin-s’ in Gothic or even ‘hem-d’ in German. Here in this essay I would like to emphasize on its derivation from biblical background. In Latin, we found the word ‘coelum’ meaning ‘ceiling’ or ‘roof of the world’. In Greek term, we have the term “ouvrano,j ” in the Septuagint as a translation of “~yIm:ßV'” (shamayim) in Hebrew term. These terms we can find from the very first book of the scripture, Genesis.
The Hebrew word signifies a Semitic of about heaven and earth, (cf. Gen 1:20-23) like a sheet spread or a curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between it and the third heavens: the air, higher, middle, and lower, regions-the celestial globe, and all the spheres and orbs of light above. It reaches as high as the place where the stars are fixed, for that is called here the firmament of heaven and as low as the place where the birds fly, for that also is called the firmament of heaven.
According to the New Testament, We have to ‘repent’ in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 3:2; 4:17) In the Gospel of Matthew we also have Jesus’ intensive teaching of the seven parables of the kingdom of heaven, as a man who sowed good seed in his field, (Mt 13:24) as a grain of mustard seed, (Mt 13:34) as leaven, (Mt 13:44) as treasure hidden in a field, (Mt 13:33) as fine pearls that the merchant searching for, (Mt 13:45) as a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind, (Mt 13:47) and as a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old. (Mt 13:52)
It seems to me that the Good News, which Jesus has proclaimed in his time, echoes in the Gospel of Matthew and even in today’s world. It demands all Christian to have a continual conversion in following Jesus and we will receive “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Rom 6:23)
Walls’ concept of Heaven:
We have a perception of heaven as the highest happiness available is not limited to whatever pleasure and satisfaction we may enjoy in this life.
For Theism, belief in heaven is equivalent to believing in God
Feuerbach, Heaven stands in contradiction to our longings and wishes. While we might wish to survive death and experience perfect happiness forever, to believe that this, will happen is at best to cling to a vain hope and an immature fantasy.
-The hope of heaven is in accord with the classic idea that Truth, Beauty and goodness are in league together.
-If the hope of heaven is a function of belief in God then how heaven is conceived accordingly will be shaped by how God is understood. The very nature of the Holy Trinity is love.
David Hart, stated that the deepest ground of the relationship in the Holy Trinity is the relationship of mutual giving, love.
Hart’s reference to the “kenosis” of the Son leads us to our relationship with God through the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Christian concept must be understood theologically within the biblical narrative of fall and redemption. Therefore heaven is the climax of the history of salvation. God reunited with his people so closely that they will even see his face. Our final hope, therefore, is the hope for heaven. According to N. T. Wright, the ultimate future is not going to heaven but rather about the life of heaven.
Alister McGrath, discovered the concept of heaven through the Western literature and visual art. He stated that the two biblical images of heaven have been found the figure of City and Garden.
City represent the highest achievement in culture and society. Therefore heaven is the ultimate city, The New Jerusalem.
Garden has a combination of culture and nature in a way that makes vivid the beauty and bounteous delights of creation and our ability to participate in them.
The anthropocentric view sees heaven as an idealized version of life as we presently know it. It has the focus on family reunion, human relationships, and full range of activities that make this life interesting and meaningful.
By contrasts, theocentric view sees heaven as a stage of contemplation and rest. We have a concept influenced by St. Thomas Aquinas in the concept of beatific vision. The perfect happiness is in the contemplation of God. For Aquinas, God alone is the source of our eternal happiness. He even saw human society as a possible distraction from our true beatitude.
Let us now turn to the Eastern Orthodox’s concept of heaven, David Bradshaw remarked the account of St. Thomas Aquinas, beatific vision.
Aquinas Orthodox
1 God is beyond knowing. Our lives have a limitation but can be overcome in eternity by the grace of God.
The limitation is inherent to our nature and will not be overcome even in eternity.
2 The beatific vision has little place for the body.
Emphasize on the participation of the body in the ongoing experience of deification, or transformation.
3 Beatific vision is an end, a condition of rest and completion.
Beatific vision is a perpetual progress and any notion of rest must be balanced by that of constantly increasing desire.
The fundamentalist Christians use the concept of heaven to persuade people to accept their specific doctrines.
The fundamentalist Muslims explain the idea of heaven as a reward for those who die as martyrs for Islam.
Exclusivism, propose the idea as if some were excluded from heaven because God was less than gracious or fully loving toward them. Calvinism represents as a movement which holds that God unconditionally elects some to be saved and passes over the rest, thereby consigning them to eternal damnation. Those who die unconverted to God they will be denied the opportunity to be saved, whether or not they have ever heard of Christ and the message of salvation.
Inclusivism, agrees that all salvation is through Christ, but contends that it is not necessary to have explicit knowledge of Christ nor to accept him in this life in order to be saved. They emphasizes that God truly loves all persons and desires to save them. God does everything possible, short of overriding our freedom, to save us.
For those who emphasize on Freedom mentioned, if any do not enter, it is because they will not.
In heaven, we will be so completely transformed that we will naturally and willingly worship God and choose the good on all occasions. God is the source of happiness and evil is the source of misery.
Hell and Boredom: two contemporary challenges
The doctrine of eternal hell is incompatible with the idea of perfect happiness. According to Thomas Talbott, anyone who has been fully transformed by the love of God would surely love all persons and desire their salvation. We have seen sort of relationship in communion with the saints.
Many traditional theologians believed that the punishment and misery of the wicked would glorify the justice of God and thereby actually enhance the joy of the redeemed.
Some who suggested the idea of boredom in heaven, for instance, Carol Zaleski stated that our ancestors were afraid of Hell; we are afraid of Heaven. We think it will be boring.
Garth L. Hallett, proposed six points as solutions to the boredom difficulty.
1.There is an idea that heaven is timeless existence. So life will be so boring.
2.Heaven is a continuation of the best of this life, e.g.perfect summer vacation.
3.Heaven is a matter of unending progress, moral, spiritual and intellectual.
4.The delights of heaven will engage us so thoroughly that boredom will never threaten.
5.The redeemed in heaven might have bestowed upon them .
6.Heaven might face us with creative challenges to meet and overcome.
Heaven as a Moral source
Morality is also concerned with the whole issue of what makes for a truly meaningful life. The hope of an eternal happiness what includes all that is good and that redeems or defeats all that is evil clearly qualifies as such a source. Moral source could be a credible replacement for the prospect of eternal happiness in the presence of God.
1.In Greek mythology, we have the story of Sisyphus, a king who was punished in Tartarus by being cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity.
Richard Taylor, stated that God take mercy on Sisyphus by implanting in him an irrational compulsion to roll stones up hills. Therefore Sisyphus would be enjoy rolling the stones and would find the meaning of his activity.
For Taylor, human activity is an outcome of our intrinsic will to live and to carry on with the tasks and activities of our lives
2. Human is limited. It appears the idea of some theologians who suggest that acceptance of death is acceptance of the finitude (limited) of our individuated centers of being, but also our identification with the larger matrix as our total self that contains us all.
3.Historical analysis; They have a concept, which is influenced by Nietzsche, of heaven as a particular social class and served to distinguish the purveyors of the idea from their social opponents. (Exclusivism). The desire of people who want to prove that God favors one group and accept them into heaven.
This concept creates a dangerous sense of superiority over outsiders by dehumanizing or demonizing them.
In conclusion, Jewish’s perception of heaven as an ideal for justice.
Christianity, heaven is a hope because of the Resurrection of Jesus. It brought an idea of self-giving love. To acknowledge that love and to live under this rule, To give our life for others is an act of faith in a God who loves all and has endless resource of joy and delight to bestow on all who trust him with their lives.
It is only heaven that can offer the happiness that all rational creatures can hardly help but desire.
the hope for such happiness remains an indispensable moral source, and why is will continue to do so until the kingdom comes in which God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
So, What do you think about heaven?
For Eric Clapton (1945- ), “Heaven is one step away” or there will be no more tears in heaven as it is said in the song.
In Thais, we have and expression as “สวรรค์อยู่ในอก นรกอยู่ในใจ” which can be translated as “Heaven is in your breast and hell is in your heart”
It’s actually an expression which encourages us to bring the good things from the inside out. Sometimes we have a problem or not in a good mood and we act like a hell for others.
For me, I believe in God as, my last destination, my all. I do also believe that God has given me already the kingdom of heaven, as I can experience in a temporally happiness through my life in this world. It proves that there is an eternal happiness, which we call heaven, paradise or even the kingdom of God. The only thing I have to do is to be good, to do well, proving that I am suitable for that free gift. This faith has been proclaiming in the Church at least every Sunday after the homily as “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, Amen”.
Fundamental Theology: Faith and Theology
Fr.Domingos Terra, S.J. brought us the general idea of faith and theology. These are the details of the whole course.
Fundamental Theology: Faith and Theology
Prof.Domingos Terra S.J. January 4-21, 2010, USJ, Macau
1.The connection btw faith and theology.
-there is no theology without faith
-there is no faith without theology
a)Faith is the point of departure
b)Faith is the atmosphere develop
c)Arrival of theology
Therefore Faith is before, simultaneous and after theology.
Chapter 2. Dialogical structure of Xn’s faith
1.the 2 realities, Accord,
Xn’s faith = 1.God’s gift, God’s grace
2.And human free answer (Engagement of Xn faith)
-God traces in us
-As a finite being human open to someone who is infinite, unlimited.
-Xn faith is not a human conquest, not a human action but a gift from God.
-According to human structure human being is given a gift.
How do we perceive this thing?
2.Mediator (human mediator, Channel, open, tell,
Romans 10:14-15 4 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
=to speak about Jesus Christ, when people speak they may hear. = mediator
=Announcement = the beginning of Xn faith, Proclamation – Acceptance
-the sequence of the generation through generation has brought the people into the faith.
=a sequence of transmission= tradition (Christian tradition)
-the moment of Baptism, you are given already a mission to give, pass on the faith.
=I become a Christian believer because there is someone taught me about this belief.
God’s word functioned in human word (Parent’s word about God) that we can perceive God’s intention. = God speaks to us through others mouth.
The Scripture is both God’s word and human words.
The proof that it is from God = Sometimes, something is very demanding and it’s really hard to accept and we never even think about it. It is a proof that this word doesn’t come from this world but it’s actually comes from God.
=In the beginning there was the Word. Through which God reveals = Divine Word.
John’s Gospel is the best conception of Christian faith.
“to believe” = 98 times in “credere”, “pisteo”
It’s a dynamic, a process of action
To believe, receive, come, listen, follow, remain = process of believing
1.Impulse of all our being,
The whole being of person – profundity of the being of Jesus
-impulse us into the direction of God
-fundamental attitude of human being towards Jesus who is before him
-Faith engage my whole being
=we got this through the vocabularies used in the Gospel so it is the message and activity for us to have a process of faith.
-When John use the word “to believe” without an object it force upon the Subject e.g. Do I believe or not believe? To distract us … believe or not?
2.Believer and reality (Faith try to understand the veil)
To believe, to see, to know
We can reach it through Jesus signs, witnesses, words, = (indirectly)
“Who see me see the Father” = you will not see the Father directly
-Faith is called to “see” the fingerprint of the Father, through Jesus with his authority of the Father himself.
Why many people don’t believe in Jesus? Because they were not able to get through it..= someone, something behind him.
Faith has to go beyond the works of miracle.
The Word made flesh = God in Jesus
3.the mystery of salvation is fully present in Jesus
-concentrated in the very person of Jesus, everything in regarding salvation is in Jesus.
-with the full strength, complete, Chritocentric
-My faith has to reveal in the “I” of Jesus e.g. I am the way.., I am the life…, I am the light..
-The person of Jesus is the penetrating of the Truth. Jn 1:14
4.Faith to go deep in the mystery of Jesus
-to discover the mystery of Jesus,
-my own interiority …….to the interiority of Jesus himself
-Faith engages me deeply to engage also deeply in Jesus.
-to believe – to know, to process to go deeply into Jesus’ mystery. = form a Unity
-We are called to believe, to jump into something, not to be naïve,
-Faith touching us and impels us to jump into the mystery of Jesus
-It moves us to go further inside the mystery of Jesus. (There is some knowledge inside) the condition to know more is to get into him deeply.
-The Gospel of John calls us to jump into the truth that is revealed in Jesus.
-Development of faith, path of faith, expansion of life,
-The intimate unit btw the Son and the Father, He is the Son of God, He is God. He has all God’s power, One day I will see God face to face = eternal, but right now it’s a partial. The relation btw Jesus and Father = life, so Jesus is the truth that saves us.
-When we go into the mystery of Jesus we get the life and love
1 John 1:1-3 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us;
-Inside the mystery we have jumped into it and discovered who the person is.
5.Divine work and human work
-A movement of response because God takes initiative, when we respond to God I discovered that He started coming toward me already. He responds to me in a deeper way. = the development of Faith
-I move further because I was touched by him, = Faith is the effect of a supernatural attraction
John 6:44 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.
-Faith = we have been attracted by God. (Faith implies knowledge)
-faith involves the aspect of the Will also (love)
-Faith – incredulity (doubt about faith), unfaith, lack of faith
-the Fight btw faith & unfaith takes place always in our own heart and in the society and culture, (They did not believe), We have to overcome the social pressure, the fight btw the son of light and the son of darkness, Faith & incredulity,
6. The attitude to build up again and again
-It’s an effort, to believe is not a stable attitude that we acquire once and for all.
-Because the circumstances in life may change, We will fall down and raise up the question. Do we still believe in Jesus?
-To renew my faith, the new discover about Jesus, e.g. The Transfiguration of Jesus. Do you still believe in me, in spite of this Good news?
-The movement of immature to more mature.
-Pedagogy of faith, we need to be faithful through all kind of things in our life.
-Different step of faith,
-Nathanael…, the multitude,
6.1Lack of faith Unfaith
6.2Beginning of faith partial faith
6.3Matured faith True faith
Chapter 3 Vatican II
We don’t have a single document about faith but revelation Dei Verbum #5
5. "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5) To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts.
5. Deo revelanti praestanda est oboeditio fidei (cf. Rom 16,26; coll. Rom 1,5; 2 Cor 10,5-6), qua homo se totum libere Deo committit "plenum revelanti Deo intellectus et voluntatis obsequium" praestando (4) et voluntarie revelationi ab Eo datae assentiendo. Quae fides ut praebeatur, opus est praeveniente et adiuvante gratia Dei et internis Spiritus Sancti auxiliis, qui cor moveat et in Deum convertat, mentis oculos aperiat, et det "omnibus suavitatem in consentiendo et credendo veritati"(5), Quo vero profundior usque evadat revelationis intelligentia, idem Spiritus Sanctus fidem iugiter per dona sua perficit.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Vat I
Chapter 3 On faith
1. Since human beings are totally dependent on God as their creator and lord, and created reason is completely subject to uncreated truth, we are obliged to yield to God the revealer full submission of intellect and will by faith.
2. This faith, which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church professes to be a supernatural virtue, by means of which, with the grace of God inspiring and assisting us, we believe to be true what He has revealed, not because we perceive its intrinsic truth by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God himself, who makes the revelation and can neither deceive nor be deceived.
3. Faith, declares the Apostle, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen [17].
4. Nevertheless, in order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it was God's will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external indications of his revelation, that is to say divine acts, and first and foremost miracles and prophecies, which clearly demonstrating as they do the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are the most certain signs of revelation and are suited to the understanding of all.
5. Hence Moses and the prophets, and especially Christ our lord himself, worked many absolutely clear miracles and delivered prophecies; while of the apostles we read: And they went forth and preached every, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it [18]. Again it is written: We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19].
6. Now, although the assent of faith is by no means a blind movement of the mind, yet no one can accept the gospel preaching in the way that is necessary for achieving salvation without the inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all facility in accepting and believing the truth [20].
7. And so faith in itself, even though it may not work through charity, is a gift of God, and its operation is a work belonging to the order of salvation, in that a person yields true obedience to God himself when he accepts and collaborates with his grace which he could have rejected.
8. Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.
9. Since, then, without faith it is impossible to please God [21] and reach the fellowship of his sons and daughters, it follows that no one can ever achieve justification without it, neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end.
10. So that we could fulfill our duty of embracing the true faith and of persevering unwaveringly in it, God, through his only begotten Son, founded the Church, and he endowed his institution with clear notes to the end that she might be recognized by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
11. To the Catholic Church alone belong all those things, so many and so marvelous, which have been divinely ordained to make for the manifest credibility of the Christian faith.
12. What is more, the Church herself by reason of her astonishing propagation, her outstanding holiness and her inexhaustible fertility in every kind of goodness, by her Catholic unity and her unconquerable stability, is a kind of great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.
13. So it comes about that, like a standard lifted up for the nations [22], she both invites to herself those who have not yet believed, and likewise assures her sons and daughters that the faith they profess rests on the firmest of foundations.
14. To this witness is added the effective help of power from on high. For, the kind Lord stirs up those who go astray and helps them by his grace so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth [23] ; and also confirms by his grace those whom he has translated into his admirable light [24], so that they may persevere in this light, not abandoning them unless he is first abandoned.
15. Consequently, the situation of those, who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the Catholic truth, is by no means the same as that of those who, led by human opinions, follow a false religion; for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question.
This being so, giving thanks to God the Father who has made us worthy to share with the saints in light [25] let us not neglect so great a salvation [26], but looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith [27], let us hold the unshakable confession of our hope [28].
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.htm#4
Obedience of faith: the context of Va1 and Va2 is different.
Vat 1 Vat 2
1.God revealed thing -Person (Jesus) God revealed Godself through
-revelation is atmosphere, truth Xt in the dialogue of human being
2.Obedience of faith = truths -Obe of faith is to be encountered inside the
Affirmed by God Person of Jesus
Many times we have separated faith and life from each other.
Revelation and faith is the two sides of the same coin. The process, moment of encounter, that God shows himself to us, He is the Way, Truth and Life.
Jan 11, 09
Fides qua (faith through which) Act (St.Augustin created this vocabulary)
Fides quae (faith which) content
“There is a faith which is the same for all of us” = content
“There is a faith specifically in each one of us” = act
Vat 1 “Obedience of Faith”
We must response to God as He was the one who spoke
-very intellectual just accept
Vat 2 = interpersonal encounter btw God and human by saying ‘Yes’ engage his own person.
-it’s more kind but much more demanding, response to God with the whole person.
-We must deliver ourselves fully to God.
Because it has put together the “fides qua and fides quae”
Existential act and intellectual content together.
For 4 centuries, during after Luther to the first part of 20th century
Catholic emphasize on the intellectual consent of faith
While the protestant emphasize the act of faith, so the Vat 2 tried to combine these 2 together.
In Vat 2 God reveals new things every day
Chapter 3#2
Faith combines knowing and moving
The Realm of Faith
Two different aspects in Christian faith
1.Intelligibility, A form of knowledge, “What do I see there”, the meaning I give to the things, way of understanding, meaning, aspect of faith, order of reason
2.Emotion, An affective and spiritual motion. Event, the order of experience. “What is there”,
What is there How I look at what is there
(experience) (Significance)
=but significance is bigger than experience. (Human existence)
This two sides must be together because (knowing and moving must go together)
1.through faith I get to know something, but not only that it’s put into action which has to do with emotion, moving. (knowing and moving)
2.It is a personal way to perceive what is God revelation is all about? And a consequence of responding to the way I understand God’s way.
3.God is God and when he entered into my life it’s too much. It excessively challenges me to follow Him. I have to move towards God
Summary;
1.Xn faith is not only understanding but responding
2.the knowing inside the moving, living it’s very personal way of understanding God
3.God is too excessive to us, to know God is not enough but I have to move to this too much.
Chapter 4 Christian faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation.
Salvation = liberation from sin, these 2 words are very close.
Faith –dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the individual level.
- dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the social level, cultural (tendency of Grace and sinful), cultural way of thinking (to help us approaching God or move away from God)
4.1 In a personal perspective
4.2 In a social perspective
To become a matured faithful person,
Revelation from God
e.g.The conversation btw Jesus and Nicodemus “to reborn” = to allow God to come and grow in your life,
e.g. Jesus with the prostitute, Jesus gave her a new chance
-to let the Word from the outside enter into our life. Follow God’s work you will become of what you really are.
-Therefore I should not be afraid for God’s work to call out the depth of my life
-the force image and my reality, He calls me a new birth, it’s made a new.
-I should accept God’s work in my life, no more delay.
Wed Jan 13,
Chapter 4 Xn faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation (Cont.)
1.Process of Xn faith
-the proclamation during the baptism “I will not construct myself to others”
-Xn faith is constructing, We are invited as what we really are…
-God wants me to be different, being born again, a renew identity.
-I can’t find myself unless I loose myself in God
-It is a personalize life = Xn life
-Relationship btw “I = Y”, Who do you say I am?
-God calls each one of us by name…
-a personal invitation and we need to reply a personal answer
-A parable of Good shepherd (Jn 10:10-14)
-the Word of God is a very specific word
-it’s not a word of imposition
-The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God
-We understand ourselves through a communication, and dialogue.
-the non believers can not understand the word of God because the holy spirit is not with them.
Xn faith is explicitly a process of Salvation
1.What we leave behind.
2.What we embrace.
-Salvation = what we want to get free of… =SIN
-I just want to move away from sin,
-Xn faith saying “yes” to God, accepting God’s will, God’s plan.
-What is the path of Xn process of Salvation?
But it’s beyond what we can see= it’s a mystery
-When the life of God comes in me = Salvation, it moves away sin
-We are justified by faith (cf. Gal 3:24)
-in Rom 3:28, We are justified by faith not the Law.
- now we have to think that what is the faith inside us?
-is it the saying “yes” to God through my whole being not only my mouth
-if we take away of faith what about faith?
-Christian faith is a dynamism of whole being, the word and deeds are also the process of Salvation.
-Faith supposed to make us have a feeling like God, think, say, concern…?
-How do I get this sense of God?
In the order of being In the order of knowledge
God Sense of God
Christ Sense of Christ
Church Sense of Church
We are getting the sense of God through the sense of Jesus Christ in the sense of the Church.
-The sense of Christ who died for us, crucified on the cross for our sins, and who is risen from the dead.
The sense of the Church is to impart, to love the Church and without the Church I am NOTHING
-According to God’s eyes and God’s feeling, Xn faith has a duty to acquire the sense of God.
How Xn faith is a dynamic process on the social level (4.2)
Social perspective
-a German Theo. John Baptist Metz “Political theology”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Baptist_Metz
He argued for the concept of a 'suffering God' who shared the pain of his creation, writing, "Yet, faced with conditions in God's creation that cry out to heaven, how can the theology of the creator God avoid the suspicion of apathy unless it takes up the language of a suffering God?"
-What is our faith?
-The God that we find in the Bible is a man who challenge the people to build their own identity in the Solidarity in ourselves, Domination.
-Xn faith is the process of constructing human faith not in the cloud but on this very earthly existence, society.
-Especially when Hm being is in Danger, Struggle, Injustice, Suffering, Sadness, Oppression because of the unjust in the society.
-So we have to set the Network in the midst of the society.
-If we don’t look at the negative side, darkness, evil sin in the society, What about our faith has to do with?
-I may be a part of it also. Otherwise we might be a part of the tendency to care only those who are in the victory, but God came to save the sinners, looser. Keep the looser in your mind.
-So that all human being can become Subject, person.
-Why are they poor? Why they can not possess?
-Dignity is for all human beings?
-Keeping in mind the Paschal mystery of Jesus, PDR
-Give Power to the ruthless, give them hope, new opportunity.
-Resurrection is the victory of Justice upon the passion
-Separating worship of God from the love of brothers.. is unacceptable..
Fri 15 Jan, 09
Chapter 5 Growth and maturation of the Christian faith
-the very important moment of transformation, event
-Circumscribed, (localize)
-Human relationship make me grows
-I’m growing up trough fast and slow movement
-I discover new possibility of existence
-How I have been growing up through both experience
-Events, and slow movement are related to each one.
-they lead a deeper road in my hearts
-Human relations make them grow (make me grow)
-Open my hearts for something new, I have never had before
-Discover a new way in my life
-Open my life to a universe, to new things
-it remains in my heart because it allows me to perceive the existence of others in my life.
5.1. Personal Itinerary and discover of God
-I may struggle for a period of time
-Experience and Language, confront the language with the experience = personal approach
-Experience itself develop and language also in the same way
5.2Moving away from faith and coming back to it
Chapter 6 the community dimension of the Xn faith
6.1Xn faith as a given prior to the individual person
-I can leave the faith as I want? No it’s the faith of the Church
-I’m not a creator of my own faith
-Are we living a true faith?
-We are living the faith and the Christian community
-Individualistic and Social (community), Church’s faith
-Jesus is Both God and Human = Formulation of faith = put in to language or formulation
-The Church communicate to me the faith
-When I say “yes” it is to both the Church and to the formulation
-The parents are communicating the faith to the X@ and the Formulation for me
-because they “see” = eyes and “hear” = ears so Xn faith exist before I was born
-I don’t produce faith by myself, but it’s sth I ask for and I receive as a gift
-When I receive I have to keep to reserve
-It’s a gift from God through the Church because others wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity
-Texts, make Xn faith visible, e.g. The holy scriptures, commandment
-Institutions, Parish, Diocese, Holy See, Social works
-Figures, e.g. Mary & St.Joseph, Teresa of Calcutta, Martyrs, Blessed
-Rites, e.g. Sacraments, Liturgy, Devotions, Blessing of houses, cars,
-Behavior
-Events, e.g. Pilgrimage to Fatima, to Lourdes, WYD
-from experience to reality of socio historical
-my experience helps me go deeper in the Faith of the Church
-See, Judge, Act
-in the midst of the Faith of the Church, I make my faith visible
-The Church is the community of people,
-X@ faith pre-exist before my faith, my existence
-Xn faith require me to decide to live this faith
-Though it exist before me it demands my individual
-X@ = a living community
-Require me to propagate the faith to the next generation
-Individual dimension = I say I believe
-Community dimension = I receive the faith of the Church
1.we are underlining the faith of the community
2.it needs my personal respond
6.2. the Ecclesial discernment of the different believing behaviors
-Personal way and the Faith of the Church
-Xn faith exist only in a personalize way without individual Xn faith doesn’t exist
-The singular (individual) is the place where the Church’s faith is affirmed.
-Ecclesial verification
-People today want democracy (freedom) not to imposed things
-Individual is very importance (the lesson for the Church)
-Individual conscience = The Church respect much more about Hm’s freedom
-I need to belong a particular community = Root
-I need to be free (space, freedom) to live
-Belong to a group, = human right and pronounce
-Transfer this law to Particular Realm of faith
1.must belong to the Church = root in Xn community
2.X@ need to make it declared = I believe
3.Roots in the Xn community
-Pastoral Question; -Open space for people to encounter Jesus in a particular way
-not to impose too much for the new comers, believers
Mon 18, Chapter 6 cont.
-The verification of the Church is a process that she makes sure on what the person (Christians) believe.
-They can not just impose but they need the Church to recognize them as well.
-The Church recognizes that Christian faith has passed through the individual conscious. Because the Church is a community of people, She needs to affirm the things.
-Each one of the member says a particular way what has already impressed in the Church.
6.2-Discernment
Obligations;
-You have to prove to the Xn community that you will live the Xn faith, proclaim, and pass it on. It is a free gift that he receives and through the Xn faith he will live his life. He sent me to build the truth of the Church.
-Christian faith is an objective and more personal, in the same time it’s not simply subjective (not each one own, will). We cannot do what we want, because it’s objective. But it’s not impersonal. Without saying that I believe, how can the Church continue the mission. Therefore Christian faith is more formal, (Subjectivization). But it can never be a privatization (to do as what you want). It is a mutual confrontation, we all have the right to say (talk) things. = We grow the faith together.
2.They need a room to proclaim the faith in a singular person “I” believe. There must be a Christian belonging that I must have root in the community.
2.1.There must be a part of tradition, Institution, inheritance, tasks and challenges. = a world of Christian faith.
Conclusion;
I have the right to pronounce the faith that I believe, = “I” believe then it comes the point of arrival as the construction as “We” by crossing the different “I”. By crossing the I together, unlike in the past that we imposing.
B: Theology as reflection on Christian Faith
Chapter 7 Theology as science and as wisdom
-7.1 Theology: science and wisdom
-How does Theology function, specification, knowledge of activities?
-Phil. Uses human freedom, Theo. Illuminated by Xn Freedom
-Theo as Science; a competent exercise of reflection upon faith using responsibly human reason. Theo as wisdom; a reflection that breaths the light that comes through faith. (Majar aspect of Theology’s function) You have to live the Xn faith in order to understand it.
-Wisdom as a light of faith, theology: conceptual knowledge about faith.
-Hans Urs Von Balthasar (Switz) German speaking, “good theologians are made by kneeling” = a radical statement.
-Conceptual elaboration, wisdom coming from God
-There need a scientific competent to tell the truth.
2 aspects –inside the Church = Wisdom, made in the atmosphere of Xa
-outside the Church = Competent, rational to proclaim to the World.
-Xn Philosophers shouldn’t function as a theologian because it’s not the same thing.
-Philosophy as an exercise of human reason and freedom that has nothing to do with faith, while Theology needs the atmosphere of the Church inside the Church nurtured by liturgy, prayer and worship.
-As the church worship so theology developed
Wed 20 Jan, 09
-We see Theology outside and in the same time inside the world.
-Construct the Monastery of the Abbot
-set the Abbot
-Begin the formation during the middle Age
-Theology has been started in the University.
-But the contemporary brought us back to the source of Xn life, Scriptures and Fathers of the Church, Connection of Prayer, Liturgy, Mystics and concrete Xn life.
-The life of the Church exists only in the particular context.
Chapter 8 the hermeneutic task of theology and inculturation of Xn faith
1.Hermeneutic theo. Operates
-a way of interpret the scriptures, the text and theology need to be interpreted because the work of the Holy Spirit is still running throughout the Church
-the change of the attitude in the interpreting the Scripture = fundamental
-Rule = must be made inside the Xn community (Church)
-We have no right to make Holy Spirit say as whatever you want.
-Historical continuity of the Church correspond the continuity of the meaning
-In the past, we use the scripture to justify as what you want. It serves as to defend, to sustain, to grant for one’s own.
-The tradition with its own statements use the grounds from the scripture to serve itself.
-Today, we need to search for the history of the context of the text.
-and also the tradition of the interpretation… look with today’s eyes
-=reinterpretation today’s the interpretation = Scripture, Traditional, Historical context.
8.1.2.In the past, theology regarded as Knowledge (speech) but now it turns in to the interpreting with new eyes according to each particular historical (it’s always open) It can always be said in new way.
-the way we express the theology depends on the way we understand and look ourselves.
-there is a connection btw present and the past. We understand our Xn lives through the past and we make a new interpretation of our daily lives through the past.
8.2 the inculturation of Christian faith.
-the biblical image of Incarnation of Xt = Gad made himself human in order to speak in human being.
-Inculturation is necessary to let the content of Xn faith get into the culture in order to talk in that culture.
-It’s a gradual process which takes time to make it grow.
8.2.1.-There is a continuity (need to adopt the concept of culture) and discontinuity in the Culture. (mutual dimension)
-The human rights (oppression, and injustice)
8.2.2-The origianality of Christian as religion
-the originality is only Jesus Christ. While we are having different ways of celebrating the live of Jesus.
-It’s not a particular historical form, there is room for historical expression for new things in our life.
-Xn is originated in a Jewish context then it jumped into a new context (Greek), European context, Asian context
-There in no single way of being Christian. We need to respect the new arise that God makes through humankind in the history.
-Discernment is very necessary in this process
-A critical discernment has to be a work of local Church. ?a production in Thailand? What kind of theology I can make in the context of Thailand.
-we have to be aware of this mystery of Incarnation and let the Holy Spirit helps us to get through it.
Chapter 9 the force of the singular in doing theology
1.the particular faith of the Catholic Church
2.the dialogue between the Christian Churches
3.The interreligious dialogue to others religions
The meaning of the Catholic is “unity in diversity”
-“yes” to God
-“yes” about God (different understanding of their faith when they explain about their Faith)
-1.1.Yes to God = I accept
-“Yes” about God = a particular way of understanding God
-In reality we cannot separate these two “yes”
-In the 20th cent. We have faith that came from different contexts in shape the Xn faith now we receive
-In Apostles time those who join the community practiced the different way of worshipping.
-the way of understanding Jesus in different particular circumstances.
-saying the same “yes” to God in different “yes” about God.
-The ground of Catholicity is diversity in unity.
-In summary, 1.it is obvious that Xn communities have a diverse way of explaining their faith and the Church include all common data from the local churches
2.Though we have different of understanding God, it comes from one another. It submits itself to the question of other community. We need to be humble.
Look outside the Catholic Church
9.2.1The dialogue between the Xn Churches (ecumenism) Unitatis Redintegratio)
-Cat, Orthodox, Protestant
-In 16th cent. There was a religion war btw Cat & Protestants.
-the theologians function is like shouting one another. = theology of controversy
-the others were regarded as adversaries, I have to call him back to the reason.
-But now we don’t have that kind of ideas because we have ‘dialogue’
-Change strategy to the theology of dialogue
-called them ‘our brothers’ = respect others
-there is no a single Church who holds the Christian faith but partial
-How can we get closer to Christian truth? By doing dialogue.
-the truth in Xn faith is the mystical Body of Christ, transcendence. (Mystery)
-complementary to one another
-each one has their own official teaching
-trough dialogue makes each one develop common ground
-to create a “living together”
-ecumenical dialogue cannot ignore the truth in each other
-Objective hierarchy of Christian truths
-Different context and subjective hierarchies of Christian truths
-Ecumenical is difficult but it’s the way need to be done
9.2.2The interreligious dialogue, Nostra Aetate
-The Christian part accept the truth in other religions
-The work of JPII, “History being made”, asked for forgiveness, holocausts,
-One part should not humiliate the others
-the other religion also legitimate towards God
-We need to respect the “Singularity” of others
-We need to seek to truth together
-We should not be naïve
-Muslim, Asian, :the incarnation may make problem to others religion:
-The second person to become human is something difficult for them to accept.
-Buddhism, Confucianism,
Mon 25
Chapter 10 The regulation of the faith by the Church
1.The need of such a regulation
-Xn faith is not only to live but it also needs to be expressed, in a particular Church need to put faith into local language and the Church needs to verify it.
-the process of verify the expression of the content of faith which sometimes can be mistaken.
-the language of Xn faith can be separated into two types of Language
1.Language of discourse (rational discourse), Formula of faith
2.Lanuguage which is not rational discourse, gestures, symbols ..cross rosary, the language of Christian faith. Movement of liturgy, values, behavior, life style the way the Church organize itself.
-The Church has to approve that the way the local church express Xn faith don not betray Xn faith.
-The Church needs to regulate, supervise the Xn faith, the believer listen to the one who speak. Therefore we have a process of witness, transmit, listening, believing.
- Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, (the norm of doctrine 0r the form of teaching) They remain in Xn faith. Problem… 1.when the apostles passed away
2.the Xn community was expanding because of evangelization
3.the growth of heresy, Gnosticism
-Therefore the Church appointed the ministers to supervise (regulation) the bishops, who have the mandate from the Apostles. =2nd Generation. What it is written is not enough. While in the 1st Generation only what is written (Doctrine) is enough.
-in the letter to Titus, 1Thim, 2Thim we have several criteria for those who will be chosen as a Bishop.
-Regulators who are in charge of Regulating, Therefore we have references (what is written and authorities official ministers of the Church =episcopus.
-The consequences of regulation of Church are Unity and Identity. While the separated brethren don’t have such a regulation as the Roman Catholic they then are easily divided because the underlining on the personal, individual relationship.
-1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
-the Holy Spirit is surprising the Church and the Regulation of the Church does not eliminate the H.S.
-we have, therefore, the need of such a regulation.
10.2the references and the agents of that regulation.
The support of the Regulation of the language of faith by the Church.
1.Objective data, of faith, of the witness, of the Church. Therefore we have the works of the Fathers of the Church, the lives of the Saints, Rites of Sacrament, lives of Theologian, the official document of the Church, encyclical, Apostolic Exhortation.
-These written materials beside the scripture help the Church to regulate the language of faith by the Church.
Question; the regulation is made in the light of the 1.Holy Scripture (norma non normata) it’s a normal number one which is not submitted to any other norms. and 2.all those written stuff (norma normata) = norm submitted to the norm number one (the Holy Scripture) therefore the secondary sources have to be in accordance with the primary source of the Church.
-The official documents of the Church do not have the same rank with the Holy Scripture. They don’t have the same weight in the regulation of the Church.
2.Activity of regulation, The action in regulating
2.1Continuous, spontaneously take care of one another. (the faithful themselves) the latin expressin “sensus fidei fidelium” (the sense of faith of the faithful)
The faithful are supposed the have the sense of faith moved by the Holy Spirit and live in a Christian way of living. Personal and individual way of imitating Christ. So it is a spontaneous in every-day life.
2.2Ministerial regulation, presided by the Pope and bishops. (the authority) = Those who produce the teaching of the Church,
Question; the people of the Church and the ministers of the Church. Those who regulate.
This is a mechanism in regulating the Christian faith and Unity and Identity of the Church.
10.3The relationship between the theologians and the official teaching of the Church.
-Systematize
-Theology is the Ecclesial science of faith these 3 realities help to define the faith
-As a science theology must be competence, which was built in the Church in the atmosphere of the Christian community.
-Therefore we have faith = Theo. as a result of faith
Church = Theo should be done in the Christian community
Science = Theology should be done in a competence way
-two model of theologians and Magisterium
1.the model of delegation
The Magisterium make delegate to the theologians some stuff, e.g. Climate Change, Ecology, Reflection of Humanae Vitae and problem of sexual Ethics.
-Magisterium make theologians as servants. They have to do what the Magisterium wants them to do. This causes tension for the theologians.
2.the model of cooperation
The Magisterium give the theologians freedom to research and do their theology. The Magis respect the theo. and this is more mature, because they should cooperate. In the past we rarely see the cooperation and relationship btw the Magis and Theo.
Both have responsibility in transmission the Christian faith. The Pope is the head of the Church and exercise the Magisterium. Concern the faith of the faithful the unity of the Church.
While the theologians are researching the way to interpret the faith in the context of today’s life, the Church try to maintain the Unity and Fidelity of the faithful.
Therefore we have a concrete human contexts and the Church (Magisterium) are promoting the Unity of the Church and fidelity of the Christian faith.
The theologians relate the Holy Scripture and the tradition of the Church in a contemporary context. The sources and references of Christian faith are the Scripture and Tradition.
The same object = transmit the Xn faith throughout the history, by doing different tasks.
Fundamental Theology: Faith and Theology
Prof.Domingos Terra S.J. January 4-21, 2010, USJ, Macau
1.The connection btw faith and theology.
-there is no theology without faith
-there is no faith without theology
a)Faith is the point of departure
b)Faith is the atmosphere develop
c)Arrival of theology
Therefore Faith is before, simultaneous and after theology.
Chapter 2. Dialogical structure of Xn’s faith
1.the 2 realities, Accord,
Xn’s faith = 1.God’s gift, God’s grace
2.And human free answer (Engagement of Xn faith)
-God traces in us
-As a finite being human open to someone who is infinite, unlimited.
-Xn faith is not a human conquest, not a human action but a gift from God.
-According to human structure human being is given a gift.
How do we perceive this thing?
2.Mediator (human mediator, Channel, open, tell,
Romans 10:14-15 4 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
=to speak about Jesus Christ, when people speak they may hear. = mediator
=Announcement = the beginning of Xn faith, Proclamation – Acceptance
-the sequence of the generation through generation has brought the people into the faith.
=a sequence of transmission= tradition (Christian tradition)
-the moment of Baptism, you are given already a mission to give, pass on the faith.
=I become a Christian believer because there is someone taught me about this belief.
God’s word functioned in human word (Parent’s word about God) that we can perceive God’s intention. = God speaks to us through others mouth.
The Scripture is both God’s word and human words.
The proof that it is from God = Sometimes, something is very demanding and it’s really hard to accept and we never even think about it. It is a proof that this word doesn’t come from this world but it’s actually comes from God.
=In the beginning there was the Word. Through which God reveals = Divine Word.
John’s Gospel is the best conception of Christian faith.
“to believe” = 98 times in “credere”, “pisteo”
It’s a dynamic, a process of action
To believe, receive, come, listen, follow, remain = process of believing
1.Impulse of all our being,
The whole being of person – profundity of the being of Jesus
-impulse us into the direction of God
-fundamental attitude of human being towards Jesus who is before him
-Faith engage my whole being
=we got this through the vocabularies used in the Gospel so it is the message and activity for us to have a process of faith.
-When John use the word “to believe” without an object it force upon the Subject e.g. Do I believe or not believe? To distract us … believe or not?
2.Believer and reality (Faith try to understand the veil)
To believe, to see, to know
We can reach it through Jesus signs, witnesses, words, = (indirectly)
“Who see me see the Father” = you will not see the Father directly
-Faith is called to “see” the fingerprint of the Father, through Jesus with his authority of the Father himself.
Why many people don’t believe in Jesus? Because they were not able to get through it..= someone, something behind him.
Faith has to go beyond the works of miracle.
The Word made flesh = God in Jesus
3.the mystery of salvation is fully present in Jesus
-concentrated in the very person of Jesus, everything in regarding salvation is in Jesus.
-with the full strength, complete, Chritocentric
-My faith has to reveal in the “I” of Jesus e.g. I am the way.., I am the life…, I am the light..
-The person of Jesus is the penetrating of the Truth. Jn 1:14
4.Faith to go deep in the mystery of Jesus
-to discover the mystery of Jesus,
-my own interiority …….to the interiority of Jesus himself
-Faith engages me deeply to engage also deeply in Jesus.
-to believe – to know, to process to go deeply into Jesus’ mystery. = form a Unity
-We are called to believe, to jump into something, not to be naïve,
-Faith touching us and impels us to jump into the mystery of Jesus
-It moves us to go further inside the mystery of Jesus. (There is some knowledge inside) the condition to know more is to get into him deeply.
-The Gospel of John calls us to jump into the truth that is revealed in Jesus.
-Development of faith, path of faith, expansion of life,
-The intimate unit btw the Son and the Father, He is the Son of God, He is God. He has all God’s power, One day I will see God face to face = eternal, but right now it’s a partial. The relation btw Jesus and Father = life, so Jesus is the truth that saves us.
-When we go into the mystery of Jesus we get the life and love
1 John 1:1-3 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us;
-Inside the mystery we have jumped into it and discovered who the person is.
5.Divine work and human work
-A movement of response because God takes initiative, when we respond to God I discovered that He started coming toward me already. He responds to me in a deeper way. = the development of Faith
-I move further because I was touched by him, = Faith is the effect of a supernatural attraction
John 6:44 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.
-Faith = we have been attracted by God. (Faith implies knowledge)
-faith involves the aspect of the Will also (love)
-Faith – incredulity (doubt about faith), unfaith, lack of faith
-the Fight btw faith & unfaith takes place always in our own heart and in the society and culture, (They did not believe), We have to overcome the social pressure, the fight btw the son of light and the son of darkness, Faith & incredulity,
6. The attitude to build up again and again
-It’s an effort, to believe is not a stable attitude that we acquire once and for all.
-Because the circumstances in life may change, We will fall down and raise up the question. Do we still believe in Jesus?
-To renew my faith, the new discover about Jesus, e.g. The Transfiguration of Jesus. Do you still believe in me, in spite of this Good news?
-The movement of immature to more mature.
-Pedagogy of faith, we need to be faithful through all kind of things in our life.
-Different step of faith,
-Nathanael…, the multitude,
6.1Lack of faith Unfaith
6.2Beginning of faith partial faith
6.3Matured faith True faith
Chapter 3 Vatican II
We don’t have a single document about faith but revelation Dei Verbum #5
5. "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5) To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts.
5. Deo revelanti praestanda est oboeditio fidei (cf. Rom 16,26; coll. Rom 1,5; 2 Cor 10,5-6), qua homo se totum libere Deo committit "plenum revelanti Deo intellectus et voluntatis obsequium" praestando (4) et voluntarie revelationi ab Eo datae assentiendo. Quae fides ut praebeatur, opus est praeveniente et adiuvante gratia Dei et internis Spiritus Sancti auxiliis, qui cor moveat et in Deum convertat, mentis oculos aperiat, et det "omnibus suavitatem in consentiendo et credendo veritati"(5), Quo vero profundior usque evadat revelationis intelligentia, idem Spiritus Sanctus fidem iugiter per dona sua perficit.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Vat I
Chapter 3 On faith
1. Since human beings are totally dependent on God as their creator and lord, and created reason is completely subject to uncreated truth, we are obliged to yield to God the revealer full submission of intellect and will by faith.
2. This faith, which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church professes to be a supernatural virtue, by means of which, with the grace of God inspiring and assisting us, we believe to be true what He has revealed, not because we perceive its intrinsic truth by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God himself, who makes the revelation and can neither deceive nor be deceived.
3. Faith, declares the Apostle, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen [17].
4. Nevertheless, in order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it was God's will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external indications of his revelation, that is to say divine acts, and first and foremost miracles and prophecies, which clearly demonstrating as they do the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are the most certain signs of revelation and are suited to the understanding of all.
5. Hence Moses and the prophets, and especially Christ our lord himself, worked many absolutely clear miracles and delivered prophecies; while of the apostles we read: And they went forth and preached every, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it [18]. Again it is written: We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19].
6. Now, although the assent of faith is by no means a blind movement of the mind, yet no one can accept the gospel preaching in the way that is necessary for achieving salvation without the inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all facility in accepting and believing the truth [20].
7. And so faith in itself, even though it may not work through charity, is a gift of God, and its operation is a work belonging to the order of salvation, in that a person yields true obedience to God himself when he accepts and collaborates with his grace which he could have rejected.
8. Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.
9. Since, then, without faith it is impossible to please God [21] and reach the fellowship of his sons and daughters, it follows that no one can ever achieve justification without it, neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end.
10. So that we could fulfill our duty of embracing the true faith and of persevering unwaveringly in it, God, through his only begotten Son, founded the Church, and he endowed his institution with clear notes to the end that she might be recognized by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
11. To the Catholic Church alone belong all those things, so many and so marvelous, which have been divinely ordained to make for the manifest credibility of the Christian faith.
12. What is more, the Church herself by reason of her astonishing propagation, her outstanding holiness and her inexhaustible fertility in every kind of goodness, by her Catholic unity and her unconquerable stability, is a kind of great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.
13. So it comes about that, like a standard lifted up for the nations [22], she both invites to herself those who have not yet believed, and likewise assures her sons and daughters that the faith they profess rests on the firmest of foundations.
14. To this witness is added the effective help of power from on high. For, the kind Lord stirs up those who go astray and helps them by his grace so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth [23] ; and also confirms by his grace those whom he has translated into his admirable light [24], so that they may persevere in this light, not abandoning them unless he is first abandoned.
15. Consequently, the situation of those, who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the Catholic truth, is by no means the same as that of those who, led by human opinions, follow a false religion; for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question.
This being so, giving thanks to God the Father who has made us worthy to share with the saints in light [25] let us not neglect so great a salvation [26], but looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith [27], let us hold the unshakable confession of our hope [28].
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.htm#4
Obedience of faith: the context of Va1 and Va2 is different.
Vat 1 Vat 2
1.God revealed thing -Person (Jesus) God revealed Godself through
-revelation is atmosphere, truth Xt in the dialogue of human being
2.Obedience of faith = truths -Obe of faith is to be encountered inside the
Affirmed by God Person of Jesus
Many times we have separated faith and life from each other.
Revelation and faith is the two sides of the same coin. The process, moment of encounter, that God shows himself to us, He is the Way, Truth and Life.
Jan 11, 09
Fides qua (faith through which) Act (St.Augustin created this vocabulary)
Fides quae (faith which) content
“There is a faith which is the same for all of us” = content
“There is a faith specifically in each one of us” = act
Vat 1 “Obedience of Faith”
We must response to God as He was the one who spoke
-very intellectual just accept
Vat 2 = interpersonal encounter btw God and human by saying ‘Yes’ engage his own person.
-it’s more kind but much more demanding, response to God with the whole person.
-We must deliver ourselves fully to God.
Because it has put together the “fides qua and fides quae”
Existential act and intellectual content together.
For 4 centuries, during after Luther to the first part of 20th century
Catholic emphasize on the intellectual consent of faith
While the protestant emphasize the act of faith, so the Vat 2 tried to combine these 2 together.
In Vat 2 God reveals new things every day
Chapter 3#2
Faith combines knowing and moving
The Realm of Faith
Two different aspects in Christian faith
1.Intelligibility, A form of knowledge, “What do I see there”, the meaning I give to the things, way of understanding, meaning, aspect of faith, order of reason
2.Emotion, An affective and spiritual motion. Event, the order of experience. “What is there”,
What is there How I look at what is there
(experience) (Significance)
=but significance is bigger than experience. (Human existence)
This two sides must be together because (knowing and moving must go together)
1.through faith I get to know something, but not only that it’s put into action which has to do with emotion, moving. (knowing and moving)
2.It is a personal way to perceive what is God revelation is all about? And a consequence of responding to the way I understand God’s way.
3.God is God and when he entered into my life it’s too much. It excessively challenges me to follow Him. I have to move towards God
Summary;
1.Xn faith is not only understanding but responding
2.the knowing inside the moving, living it’s very personal way of understanding God
3.God is too excessive to us, to know God is not enough but I have to move to this too much.
Chapter 4 Christian faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation.
Salvation = liberation from sin, these 2 words are very close.
Faith –dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the individual level.
- dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the social level, cultural (tendency of Grace and sinful), cultural way of thinking (to help us approaching God or move away from God)
4.1 In a personal perspective
4.2 In a social perspective
To become a matured faithful person,
Revelation from God
e.g.The conversation btw Jesus and Nicodemus “to reborn” = to allow God to come and grow in your life,
e.g. Jesus with the prostitute, Jesus gave her a new chance
-to let the Word from the outside enter into our life. Follow God’s work you will become of what you really are.
-Therefore I should not be afraid for God’s work to call out the depth of my life
-the force image and my reality, He calls me a new birth, it’s made a new.
-I should accept God’s work in my life, no more delay.
Wed Jan 13,
Chapter 4 Xn faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation (Cont.)
1.Process of Xn faith
-the proclamation during the baptism “I will not construct myself to others”
-Xn faith is constructing, We are invited as what we really are…
-God wants me to be different, being born again, a renew identity.
-I can’t find myself unless I loose myself in God
-It is a personalize life = Xn life
-Relationship btw “I = Y”, Who do you say I am?
-God calls each one of us by name…
-a personal invitation and we need to reply a personal answer
-A parable of Good shepherd (Jn 10:10-14)
-the Word of God is a very specific word
-it’s not a word of imposition
-The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God
-We understand ourselves through a communication, and dialogue.
-the non believers can not understand the word of God because the holy spirit is not with them.
Xn faith is explicitly a process of Salvation
1.What we leave behind.
2.What we embrace.
-Salvation = what we want to get free of… =SIN
-I just want to move away from sin,
-Xn faith saying “yes” to God, accepting God’s will, God’s plan.
-What is the path of Xn process of Salvation?
But it’s beyond what we can see= it’s a mystery
-When the life of God comes in me = Salvation, it moves away sin
-We are justified by faith (cf. Gal 3:24)
-in Rom 3:28, We are justified by faith not the Law.
- now we have to think that what is the faith inside us?
-is it the saying “yes” to God through my whole being not only my mouth
-if we take away of faith what about faith?
-Christian faith is a dynamism of whole being, the word and deeds are also the process of Salvation.
-Faith supposed to make us have a feeling like God, think, say, concern…?
-How do I get this sense of God?
In the order of being In the order of knowledge
God Sense of God
Christ Sense of Christ
Church Sense of Church
We are getting the sense of God through the sense of Jesus Christ in the sense of the Church.
-The sense of Christ who died for us, crucified on the cross for our sins, and who is risen from the dead.
The sense of the Church is to impart, to love the Church and without the Church I am NOTHING
-According to God’s eyes and God’s feeling, Xn faith has a duty to acquire the sense of God.
How Xn faith is a dynamic process on the social level (4.2)
Social perspective
-a German Theo. John Baptist Metz “Political theology”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Baptist_Metz
He argued for the concept of a 'suffering God' who shared the pain of his creation, writing, "Yet, faced with conditions in God's creation that cry out to heaven, how can the theology of the creator God avoid the suspicion of apathy unless it takes up the language of a suffering God?"
-What is our faith?
-The God that we find in the Bible is a man who challenge the people to build their own identity in the Solidarity in ourselves, Domination.
-Xn faith is the process of constructing human faith not in the cloud but on this very earthly existence, society.
-Especially when Hm being is in Danger, Struggle, Injustice, Suffering, Sadness, Oppression because of the unjust in the society.
-So we have to set the Network in the midst of the society.
-If we don’t look at the negative side, darkness, evil sin in the society, What about our faith has to do with?
-I may be a part of it also. Otherwise we might be a part of the tendency to care only those who are in the victory, but God came to save the sinners, looser. Keep the looser in your mind.
-So that all human being can become Subject, person.
-Why are they poor? Why they can not possess?
-Dignity is for all human beings?
-Keeping in mind the Paschal mystery of Jesus, PDR
-Give Power to the ruthless, give them hope, new opportunity.
-Resurrection is the victory of Justice upon the passion
-Separating worship of God from the love of brothers.. is unacceptable..
Fri 15 Jan, 09
Chapter 5 Growth and maturation of the Christian faith
-the very important moment of transformation, event
-Circumscribed, (localize)
-Human relationship make me grows
-I’m growing up trough fast and slow movement
-I discover new possibility of existence
-How I have been growing up through both experience
-Events, and slow movement are related to each one.
-they lead a deeper road in my hearts
-Human relations make them grow (make me grow)
-Open my hearts for something new, I have never had before
-Discover a new way in my life
-Open my life to a universe, to new things
-it remains in my heart because it allows me to perceive the existence of others in my life.
5.1. Personal Itinerary and discover of God
-I may struggle for a period of time
-Experience and Language, confront the language with the experience = personal approach
-Experience itself develop and language also in the same way
5.2Moving away from faith and coming back to it
Chapter 6 the community dimension of the Xn faith
6.1Xn faith as a given prior to the individual person
-I can leave the faith as I want? No it’s the faith of the Church
-I’m not a creator of my own faith
-Are we living a true faith?
-We are living the faith and the Christian community
-Individualistic and Social (community), Church’s faith
-Jesus is Both God and Human = Formulation of faith = put in to language or formulation
-The Church communicate to me the faith
-When I say “yes” it is to both the Church and to the formulation
-The parents are communicating the faith to the X@ and the Formulation for me
-because they “see” = eyes and “hear” = ears so Xn faith exist before I was born
-I don’t produce faith by myself, but it’s sth I ask for and I receive as a gift
-When I receive I have to keep to reserve
-It’s a gift from God through the Church because others wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity
-Texts, make Xn faith visible, e.g. The holy scriptures, commandment
-Institutions, Parish, Diocese, Holy See, Social works
-Figures, e.g. Mary & St.Joseph, Teresa of Calcutta, Martyrs, Blessed
-Rites, e.g. Sacraments, Liturgy, Devotions, Blessing of houses, cars,
-Behavior
-Events, e.g. Pilgrimage to Fatima, to Lourdes, WYD
-from experience to reality of socio historical
-my experience helps me go deeper in the Faith of the Church
-See, Judge, Act
-in the midst of the Faith of the Church, I make my faith visible
-The Church is the community of people,
-X@ faith pre-exist before my faith, my existence
-Xn faith require me to decide to live this faith
-Though it exist before me it demands my individual
-X@ = a living community
-Require me to propagate the faith to the next generation
-Individual dimension = I say I believe
-Community dimension = I receive the faith of the Church
1.we are underlining the faith of the community
2.it needs my personal respond
6.2. the Ecclesial discernment of the different believing behaviors
-Personal way and the Faith of the Church
-Xn faith exist only in a personalize way without individual Xn faith doesn’t exist
-The singular (individual) is the place where the Church’s faith is affirmed.
-Ecclesial verification
-People today want democracy (freedom) not to imposed things
-Individual is very importance (the lesson for the Church)
-Individual conscience = The Church respect much more about Hm’s freedom
-I need to belong a particular community = Root
-I need to be free (space, freedom) to live
-Belong to a group, = human right and pronounce
-Transfer this law to Particular Realm of faith
1.must belong to the Church = root in Xn community
2.X@ need to make it declared = I believe
3.Roots in the Xn community
-Pastoral Question; -Open space for people to encounter Jesus in a particular way
-not to impose too much for the new comers, believers
Mon 18, Chapter 6 cont.
-The verification of the Church is a process that she makes sure on what the person (Christians) believe.
-They can not just impose but they need the Church to recognize them as well.
-The Church recognizes that Christian faith has passed through the individual conscious. Because the Church is a community of people, She needs to affirm the things.
-Each one of the member says a particular way what has already impressed in the Church.
6.2-Discernment
Obligations;
-You have to prove to the Xn community that you will live the Xn faith, proclaim, and pass it on. It is a free gift that he receives and through the Xn faith he will live his life. He sent me to build the truth of the Church.
-Christian faith is an objective and more personal, in the same time it’s not simply subjective (not each one own, will). We cannot do what we want, because it’s objective. But it’s not impersonal. Without saying that I believe, how can the Church continue the mission. Therefore Christian faith is more formal, (Subjectivization). But it can never be a privatization (to do as what you want). It is a mutual confrontation, we all have the right to say (talk) things. = We grow the faith together.
2.They need a room to proclaim the faith in a singular person “I” believe. There must be a Christian belonging that I must have root in the community.
2.1.There must be a part of tradition, Institution, inheritance, tasks and challenges. = a world of Christian faith.
Conclusion;
I have the right to pronounce the faith that I believe, = “I” believe then it comes the point of arrival as the construction as “We” by crossing the different “I”. By crossing the I together, unlike in the past that we imposing.
B: Theology as reflection on Christian Faith
Chapter 7 Theology as science and as wisdom
-7.1 Theology: science and wisdom
-How does Theology function, specification, knowledge of activities?
-Phil. Uses human freedom, Theo. Illuminated by Xn Freedom
-Theo as Science; a competent exercise of reflection upon faith using responsibly human reason. Theo as wisdom; a reflection that breaths the light that comes through faith. (Majar aspect of Theology’s function) You have to live the Xn faith in order to understand it.
-Wisdom as a light of faith, theology: conceptual knowledge about faith.
-Hans Urs Von Balthasar (Switz) German speaking, “good theologians are made by kneeling” = a radical statement.
-Conceptual elaboration, wisdom coming from God
-There need a scientific competent to tell the truth.
2 aspects –inside the Church = Wisdom, made in the atmosphere of Xa
-outside the Church = Competent, rational to proclaim to the World.
-Xn Philosophers shouldn’t function as a theologian because it’s not the same thing.
-Philosophy as an exercise of human reason and freedom that has nothing to do with faith, while Theology needs the atmosphere of the Church inside the Church nurtured by liturgy, prayer and worship.
-As the church worship so theology developed
Wed 20 Jan, 09
-We see Theology outside and in the same time inside the world.
-Construct the Monastery of the Abbot
-set the Abbot
-Begin the formation during the middle Age
-Theology has been started in the University.
-But the contemporary brought us back to the source of Xn life, Scriptures and Fathers of the Church, Connection of Prayer, Liturgy, Mystics and concrete Xn life.
-The life of the Church exists only in the particular context.
Chapter 8 the hermeneutic task of theology and inculturation of Xn faith
1.Hermeneutic theo. Operates
-a way of interpret the scriptures, the text and theology need to be interpreted because the work of the Holy Spirit is still running throughout the Church
-the change of the attitude in the interpreting the Scripture = fundamental
-Rule = must be made inside the Xn community (Church)
-We have no right to make Holy Spirit say as whatever you want.
-Historical continuity of the Church correspond the continuity of the meaning
-In the past, we use the scripture to justify as what you want. It serves as to defend, to sustain, to grant for one’s own.
-The tradition with its own statements use the grounds from the scripture to serve itself.
-Today, we need to search for the history of the context of the text.
-and also the tradition of the interpretation… look with today’s eyes
-=reinterpretation today’s the interpretation = Scripture, Traditional, Historical context.
8.1.2.In the past, theology regarded as Knowledge (speech) but now it turns in to the interpreting with new eyes according to each particular historical (it’s always open) It can always be said in new way.
-the way we express the theology depends on the way we understand and look ourselves.
-there is a connection btw present and the past. We understand our Xn lives through the past and we make a new interpretation of our daily lives through the past.
8.2 the inculturation of Christian faith.
-the biblical image of Incarnation of Xt = Gad made himself human in order to speak in human being.
-Inculturation is necessary to let the content of Xn faith get into the culture in order to talk in that culture.
-It’s a gradual process which takes time to make it grow.
8.2.1.-There is a continuity (need to adopt the concept of culture) and discontinuity in the Culture. (mutual dimension)
-The human rights (oppression, and injustice)
8.2.2-The origianality of Christian as religion
-the originality is only Jesus Christ. While we are having different ways of celebrating the live of Jesus.
-It’s not a particular historical form, there is room for historical expression for new things in our life.
-Xn is originated in a Jewish context then it jumped into a new context (Greek), European context, Asian context
-There in no single way of being Christian. We need to respect the new arise that God makes through humankind in the history.
-Discernment is very necessary in this process
-A critical discernment has to be a work of local Church. ?a production in Thailand? What kind of theology I can make in the context of Thailand.
-we have to be aware of this mystery of Incarnation and let the Holy Spirit helps us to get through it.
Chapter 9 the force of the singular in doing theology
1.the particular faith of the Catholic Church
2.the dialogue between the Christian Churches
3.The interreligious dialogue to others religions
The meaning of the Catholic is “unity in diversity”
-“yes” to God
-“yes” about God (different understanding of their faith when they explain about their Faith)
-1.1.Yes to God = I accept
-“Yes” about God = a particular way of understanding God
-In reality we cannot separate these two “yes”
-In the 20th cent. We have faith that came from different contexts in shape the Xn faith now we receive
-In Apostles time those who join the community practiced the different way of worshipping.
-the way of understanding Jesus in different particular circumstances.
-saying the same “yes” to God in different “yes” about God.
-The ground of Catholicity is diversity in unity.
-In summary, 1.it is obvious that Xn communities have a diverse way of explaining their faith and the Church include all common data from the local churches
2.Though we have different of understanding God, it comes from one another. It submits itself to the question of other community. We need to be humble.
Look outside the Catholic Church
9.2.1The dialogue between the Xn Churches (ecumenism) Unitatis Redintegratio)
-Cat, Orthodox, Protestant
-In 16th cent. There was a religion war btw Cat & Protestants.
-the theologians function is like shouting one another. = theology of controversy
-the others were regarded as adversaries, I have to call him back to the reason.
-But now we don’t have that kind of ideas because we have ‘dialogue’
-Change strategy to the theology of dialogue
-called them ‘our brothers’ = respect others
-there is no a single Church who holds the Christian faith but partial
-How can we get closer to Christian truth? By doing dialogue.
-the truth in Xn faith is the mystical Body of Christ, transcendence. (Mystery)
-complementary to one another
-each one has their own official teaching
-trough dialogue makes each one develop common ground
-to create a “living together”
-ecumenical dialogue cannot ignore the truth in each other
-Objective hierarchy of Christian truths
-Different context and subjective hierarchies of Christian truths
-Ecumenical is difficult but it’s the way need to be done
9.2.2The interreligious dialogue, Nostra Aetate
-The Christian part accept the truth in other religions
-The work of JPII, “History being made”, asked for forgiveness, holocausts,
-One part should not humiliate the others
-the other religion also legitimate towards God
-We need to respect the “Singularity” of others
-We need to seek to truth together
-We should not be naïve
-Muslim, Asian, :the incarnation may make problem to others religion:
-The second person to become human is something difficult for them to accept.
-Buddhism, Confucianism,
Mon 25
Chapter 10 The regulation of the faith by the Church
1.The need of such a regulation
-Xn faith is not only to live but it also needs to be expressed, in a particular Church need to put faith into local language and the Church needs to verify it.
-the process of verify the expression of the content of faith which sometimes can be mistaken.
-the language of Xn faith can be separated into two types of Language
1.Language of discourse (rational discourse), Formula of faith
2.Lanuguage which is not rational discourse, gestures, symbols ..cross rosary, the language of Christian faith. Movement of liturgy, values, behavior, life style the way the Church organize itself.
-The Church has to approve that the way the local church express Xn faith don not betray Xn faith.
-The Church needs to regulate, supervise the Xn faith, the believer listen to the one who speak. Therefore we have a process of witness, transmit, listening, believing.
- Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, (the norm of doctrine 0r the form of teaching) They remain in Xn faith. Problem… 1.when the apostles passed away
2.the Xn community was expanding because of evangelization
3.the growth of heresy, Gnosticism
-Therefore the Church appointed the ministers to supervise (regulation) the bishops, who have the mandate from the Apostles. =2nd Generation. What it is written is not enough. While in the 1st Generation only what is written (Doctrine) is enough.
-in the letter to Titus, 1Thim, 2Thim we have several criteria for those who will be chosen as a Bishop.
-Regulators who are in charge of Regulating, Therefore we have references (what is written and authorities official ministers of the Church =episcopus.
-The consequences of regulation of Church are Unity and Identity. While the separated brethren don’t have such a regulation as the Roman Catholic they then are easily divided because the underlining on the personal, individual relationship.
-1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
-the Holy Spirit is surprising the Church and the Regulation of the Church does not eliminate the H.S.
-we have, therefore, the need of such a regulation.
10.2the references and the agents of that regulation.
The support of the Regulation of the language of faith by the Church.
1.Objective data, of faith, of the witness, of the Church. Therefore we have the works of the Fathers of the Church, the lives of the Saints, Rites of Sacrament, lives of Theologian, the official document of the Church, encyclical, Apostolic Exhortation.
-These written materials beside the scripture help the Church to regulate the language of faith by the Church.
Question; the regulation is made in the light of the 1.Holy Scripture (norma non normata) it’s a normal number one which is not submitted to any other norms. and 2.all those written stuff (norma normata) = norm submitted to the norm number one (the Holy Scripture) therefore the secondary sources have to be in accordance with the primary source of the Church.
-The official documents of the Church do not have the same rank with the Holy Scripture. They don’t have the same weight in the regulation of the Church.
2.Activity of regulation, The action in regulating
2.1Continuous, spontaneously take care of one another. (the faithful themselves) the latin expressin “sensus fidei fidelium” (the sense of faith of the faithful)
The faithful are supposed the have the sense of faith moved by the Holy Spirit and live in a Christian way of living. Personal and individual way of imitating Christ. So it is a spontaneous in every-day life.
2.2Ministerial regulation, presided by the Pope and bishops. (the authority) = Those who produce the teaching of the Church,
Question; the people of the Church and the ministers of the Church. Those who regulate.
This is a mechanism in regulating the Christian faith and Unity and Identity of the Church.
10.3The relationship between the theologians and the official teaching of the Church.
-Systematize
-Theology is the Ecclesial science of faith these 3 realities help to define the faith
-As a science theology must be competence, which was built in the Church in the atmosphere of the Christian community.
-Therefore we have faith = Theo. as a result of faith
Church = Theo should be done in the Christian community
Science = Theology should be done in a competence way
-two model of theologians and Magisterium
1.the model of delegation
The Magisterium make delegate to the theologians some stuff, e.g. Climate Change, Ecology, Reflection of Humanae Vitae and problem of sexual Ethics.
-Magisterium make theologians as servants. They have to do what the Magisterium wants them to do. This causes tension for the theologians.
2.the model of cooperation
The Magisterium give the theologians freedom to research and do their theology. The Magis respect the theo. and this is more mature, because they should cooperate. In the past we rarely see the cooperation and relationship btw the Magis and Theo.
Both have responsibility in transmission the Christian faith. The Pope is the head of the Church and exercise the Magisterium. Concern the faith of the faithful the unity of the Church.
While the theologians are researching the way to interpret the faith in the context of today’s life, the Church try to maintain the Unity and Fidelity of the faithful.
Therefore we have a concrete human contexts and the Church (Magisterium) are promoting the Unity of the Church and fidelity of the Christian faith.
The theologians relate the Holy Scripture and the tradition of the Church in a contemporary context. The sources and references of Christian faith are the Scripture and Tradition.
The same object = transmit the Xn faith throughout the history, by doing different tasks.
English: Expository writing
Fr.James Liebner, SVD helps us to improve our skills in English. We have been practicing on grammar, reading, speaking and especially writing with APA style of citation.
For my public speaking I shared with the class about my reflection on the Gospel.
Reflection on the 11th Sunday in Ordinary time, Year C (June 13, 2010)
The greater the sinner whose sins are forgiven, the greater is the love that he shall display towards the Lord Jesus.
In today’s Gospel Luke tells us the story of a woman whose sins are forgiven. Luke narrates how Jesus goes to the house of a Pharisee for a meal. Then there is a woman enters into the house with an alabaster jar of ointment. She is not named but she also had a bad reputation in the town. She anointed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped away with her long hair. Completely overcome, she repeatedly kissed his feet.
Jesus proves Himself to be a prophet by reading the secret thoughts of Simon. Jesus then tells the parable of the two debtors to Simon, asking him, which a person who loved the creditor the greater, the one who owed only a few or the one who owe much. Imagine that you were the one who owed that much then the creditor told you that now you don’t have to pay me anymore. How happy would you be to hear this kind of redemption?
When I was a seminarian in the minor one of my duties is to wash the car of the rector. As a driver I have to be responsible for any cars in the seminary. But one day after finish washing that wonderful expensive car of my reverend rector, I just wanted to keep it dry therefore I drove it out. It was a nice car with a powerful engine as a young guy like me I like to test it as fast as I can. The more you put your foot on it the faster it’s driven you out. Unexpectedly there was a motorcycle cross over me I suddenly turn the steering wheel of a car to the other side which there was a pole in front of me and of course I hit it.
I was really scared and did not know what to do. I came out of the car and wish that it would not hit much and I could fix it. But it was not the headlight was broken and some of the things need to be fixed. I got into the car again and drove it back this time was very slowly. Immediately I met the rector and reported him the accident I made. You would not believe that what he said to me is just exactly like the Jesus’ parable today. “Never mind” it’s o.k. but don’t do it again next time.
I really appreciated that not because he forgave me but the way he told me is the way he practice the teaching of Jesus. I was very happy to hear those words of forgiving. I also got a lesson not to drive too fast because we will not know about the accident. Otherwise we don’t call it accident.
Let us now come back to the first reading, when the prophet Nathan pronounced the judgment upon David. The king immediately repented of his sins. They were forgiven by God. God is merciful and always seeks to call us back to faithfulness and fidelity to Him. This is actually manifested by the grace of God. Without it, we could never repent and reconcile with God when we sin.
The second reading is from the Letter to the Galatians. There is also my favorite motto “It is no longer me but Christ who lives in me." (Gal. 2:20) Because we the Christian have been crucified with Christ, so it is no longer he who lives, but it is Christ who lives in him. Through faith and the Sacrament of Baptism, we have been identified with the phases of Christ’s paschal mystery: passion, death and resurrection. So we can only “live for God”
When we are baptized, our faith transforms us to become one with each other in the Body of Christ. We have the right to call God the Father and everyone is brother and sister. Everyone is the same therefore there is no distinction between us.
My dear friends if you realize yourself as a forgiven one what should you do to the one who forgive you even you are a sinner?
“To err is human but to forgive is divine” the lesson we have to learn from today’s readings is how to forgive. No one is perfect what we have to do is first we have to forgive ourselves then it would be easier to forgive others. Because even you yourself can do the wrong thing why the others can not?
But we should not learn only how to forgive but also how to forget. Someone might say that I will forgive but never forget. This is not what Jesus thought us. Forgive and forget must come together and the moment you forgive and forget you will then realize that it is a little heaven in your heart. May God bless you.
We also have the text on the APA style; in text citation as following;
1. According to Wong (2001, p.16), he states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
1. According to Wong (2001), the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
2. Wong (2001, p.16), he states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
2. Wong (2001) stated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
3. Wong states that the Internet is a useful research tool (p.16).
3. Wong (2001) found that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16)
4. Wong (2001, p.16) says that the Internet is a useful research tool.
4. Wong (2001) discovered that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
5. Wong (2001, p.16) state that the Internet is a useful research tool.
5. Wong (2001) stated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
6. Wong, D. (2001, p.16), states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
6. Wong (2001) investigated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
7. ' The Internet is a useful research tool', Wong (2001, p.16).
7. “The Internet is a useful research tool” (Wong, 2001, p. 16)
8. Wong (2001, p.16) claims that the Internet is a useful research tool.
8. Wong (2001) discovered that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
9. Wong (January 1, 2001, p.16) claims that the Internet is a useful research tool.
9. Wong (2001) found that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
1. Chan, W.M. 2009. Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
1. Chan, W. M. (2009). Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
2. Chan, W.M. (2009). Modern economic studies. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press: Hong Kong.
2. Chan, W. M. (2009). Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
3. Chan, W.M. (2009). What's New: Recent Developments in Economic Studies. Journal of Business Studies 10 (3), 63-75.
3. Chan, W. M. (2009). What's new: Recent developments in economic Studies. Journal of Business Studies, 10 (3), 63-75.
4. Chan, W.M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In Kwok, K.K. (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
4. Chan, W. M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In Kwok, K. K. (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
5. Chan, W.M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In K.K. Kwok and L.M. Wong (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
5. Chan, W. M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In K. K. Kwok & L. M. Wong (Eds.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
6. Chan, W.M. (2009). Major advance in economic studies. New Business Studies Weekly, 4-5.
(note: #6 is a newspaper or magazine).
6. Chan, W. M. (2009, November 29). Major advance in economic studies. New Business Studies Weekly, 13 (1), 4-5.
7. Chan, W.M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November , 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojbs.edu/chan2008-12-10.htm
7. Chan, W. M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://www.ojbs.edu/chan2008-12-10.htm
8. Ho, C.Y. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In W.M. Chan (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Wong, W.M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojbs.edu/wong2008-12-10.htm
Cheung, W.M. (2009). Concepts in economic studies. In W.M. Chan (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
8. Cheung, W. M. (2009). Concepts in economic studies. In W. M.
Chan (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Ho, C. Y. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In W. M.
Chan (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Wong, W. M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies.
Online Journal of Business Studies, Retrieved November 24,
2009, from http://www.ojbs.edu/wong2008-12-10.htm
For my public speaking I shared with the class about my reflection on the Gospel.
Reflection on the 11th Sunday in Ordinary time, Year C (June 13, 2010)
The greater the sinner whose sins are forgiven, the greater is the love that he shall display towards the Lord Jesus.
In today’s Gospel Luke tells us the story of a woman whose sins are forgiven. Luke narrates how Jesus goes to the house of a Pharisee for a meal. Then there is a woman enters into the house with an alabaster jar of ointment. She is not named but she also had a bad reputation in the town. She anointed the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped away with her long hair. Completely overcome, she repeatedly kissed his feet.
Jesus proves Himself to be a prophet by reading the secret thoughts of Simon. Jesus then tells the parable of the two debtors to Simon, asking him, which a person who loved the creditor the greater, the one who owed only a few or the one who owe much. Imagine that you were the one who owed that much then the creditor told you that now you don’t have to pay me anymore. How happy would you be to hear this kind of redemption?
When I was a seminarian in the minor one of my duties is to wash the car of the rector. As a driver I have to be responsible for any cars in the seminary. But one day after finish washing that wonderful expensive car of my reverend rector, I just wanted to keep it dry therefore I drove it out. It was a nice car with a powerful engine as a young guy like me I like to test it as fast as I can. The more you put your foot on it the faster it’s driven you out. Unexpectedly there was a motorcycle cross over me I suddenly turn the steering wheel of a car to the other side which there was a pole in front of me and of course I hit it.
I was really scared and did not know what to do. I came out of the car and wish that it would not hit much and I could fix it. But it was not the headlight was broken and some of the things need to be fixed. I got into the car again and drove it back this time was very slowly. Immediately I met the rector and reported him the accident I made. You would not believe that what he said to me is just exactly like the Jesus’ parable today. “Never mind” it’s o.k. but don’t do it again next time.
I really appreciated that not because he forgave me but the way he told me is the way he practice the teaching of Jesus. I was very happy to hear those words of forgiving. I also got a lesson not to drive too fast because we will not know about the accident. Otherwise we don’t call it accident.
Let us now come back to the first reading, when the prophet Nathan pronounced the judgment upon David. The king immediately repented of his sins. They were forgiven by God. God is merciful and always seeks to call us back to faithfulness and fidelity to Him. This is actually manifested by the grace of God. Without it, we could never repent and reconcile with God when we sin.
The second reading is from the Letter to the Galatians. There is also my favorite motto “It is no longer me but Christ who lives in me." (Gal. 2:20) Because we the Christian have been crucified with Christ, so it is no longer he who lives, but it is Christ who lives in him. Through faith and the Sacrament of Baptism, we have been identified with the phases of Christ’s paschal mystery: passion, death and resurrection. So we can only “live for God”
When we are baptized, our faith transforms us to become one with each other in the Body of Christ. We have the right to call God the Father and everyone is brother and sister. Everyone is the same therefore there is no distinction between us.
My dear friends if you realize yourself as a forgiven one what should you do to the one who forgive you even you are a sinner?
“To err is human but to forgive is divine” the lesson we have to learn from today’s readings is how to forgive. No one is perfect what we have to do is first we have to forgive ourselves then it would be easier to forgive others. Because even you yourself can do the wrong thing why the others can not?
But we should not learn only how to forgive but also how to forget. Someone might say that I will forgive but never forget. This is not what Jesus thought us. Forgive and forget must come together and the moment you forgive and forget you will then realize that it is a little heaven in your heart. May God bless you.
We also have the text on the APA style; in text citation as following;
1. According to Wong (2001, p.16), he states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
1. According to Wong (2001), the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
2. Wong (2001, p.16), he states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
2. Wong (2001) stated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
3. Wong states that the Internet is a useful research tool (p.16).
3. Wong (2001) found that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16)
4. Wong (2001, p.16) says that the Internet is a useful research tool.
4. Wong (2001) discovered that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
5. Wong (2001, p.16) state that the Internet is a useful research tool.
5. Wong (2001) stated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
6. Wong, D. (2001, p.16), states that the Internet is a useful research tool.
6. Wong (2001) investigated that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
7. ' The Internet is a useful research tool', Wong (2001, p.16).
7. “The Internet is a useful research tool” (Wong, 2001, p. 16)
8. Wong (2001, p.16) claims that the Internet is a useful research tool.
8. Wong (2001) discovered that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
9. Wong (January 1, 2001, p.16) claims that the Internet is a useful research tool.
9. Wong (2001) found that the Internet is a useful research tool (p. 16).
1. Chan, W.M. 2009. Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
1. Chan, W. M. (2009). Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
2. Chan, W.M. (2009). Modern economic studies. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press: Hong Kong.
2. Chan, W. M. (2009). Modern economic studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
3. Chan, W.M. (2009). What's New: Recent Developments in Economic Studies. Journal of Business Studies 10 (3), 63-75.
3. Chan, W. M. (2009). What's new: Recent developments in economic Studies. Journal of Business Studies, 10 (3), 63-75.
4. Chan, W.M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In Kwok, K.K. (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
4. Chan, W. M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In Kwok, K. K. (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
5. Chan, W.M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In K.K. Kwok and L.M. Wong (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
5. Chan, W. M. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In K. K. Kwok & L. M. Wong (Eds.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
6. Chan, W.M. (2009). Major advance in economic studies. New Business Studies Weekly, 4-5.
(note: #6 is a newspaper or magazine).
6. Chan, W. M. (2009, November 29). Major advance in economic studies. New Business Studies Weekly, 13 (1), 4-5.
7. Chan, W.M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November , 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojbs.edu/chan2008-12-10.htm
7. Chan, W. M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://www.ojbs.edu/chan2008-12-10.htm
8. Ho, C.Y. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In W.M. Chan (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Wong, W.M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies. Online Journal of Business Studies. Retrieved November 24, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ojbs.edu/wong2008-12-10.htm
Cheung, W.M. (2009). Concepts in economic studies. In W.M. Chan (Ed.) New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
8. Cheung, W. M. (2009). Concepts in economic studies. In W. M.
Chan (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Ho, C. Y. (2009). Twenty-first century economic studies. In W. M.
Chan (Ed.), New approaches to business studies. Hong Kong:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Press.
Wong, W. M. (2008, December 10). E-learning and economic studies.
Online Journal of Business Studies, Retrieved November 24,
2009, from http://www.ojbs.edu/wong2008-12-10.htm
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