Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [1]

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;

Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
STUDENT’S COPY as a community of friends with Jesus through the power of the
Holy Spirit; and see the consequent challenge to be a friend
TH 221E CELEBRATING GOD’S with one another through the power of the same Jesus and his
Holy Spirit.
PRESENCE
AS A CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY
NAME: ______________________________________________
DATE: ______________________________
Class Schedule: ______________________
Topic 4: PROF: _______________________________
The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing
Community; SEAT WORK: Recall your friendships past and present.
The Sacrament of Confirmation Strengthens
our Baptismal Commitment 1. What qualities or characteristics do you look for in a
friend? Why are these qualities or characteristics
important to you?
Objective: At the end of this session, the student is able to
_________________________________________________
come up with a list of concrete actions on how he/she can
_________________________________________________
show commitment to become a strong and mature witness to
_________________________________________________
faith in Christ and the gift of the Spirit: at home, in school,
_________________________________________________
with friends (and barkada,) and in the community/society.
_________________________________________________

2. What do you think are the factors that could weaken

Let us “SEE”
We shall now look at our experience of friendship. On
the basis of such friendship we will then reflect on the church
friendship? Why?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
 Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [2]
Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
_________________________________________________ the white garment, together with our families and friends who
_________________________________________________ was present at our “Christening”, we are “immersed”
(baptized) in the life-long process of becoming a Christian that
3. What can you do you to keep and strengthen as mentioned in lesson 3 was a sharing in the Christian Vision,
friendship? Christian Mission, Christian Identity, Christian Value-System
_________________________________________________ and Christian Community’s Spirit. Many of us were baptized
_________________________________________________ when we were still infants; and it was our parents and the
_________________________________________________ sponsors who professed the Faith on our behalf.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ Now we are no longer infants. We are on the way to
becoming adults. We are now able and capable of responding
GROUP SHARING to the challenges and difficulties of life responsibly. As we
continue to grow and advance in years, our circle of
community also grows. We now go beyond our families and
SYNTHESIS: extend ourselves to our school mates, peers (barkada or ka-
. tropa) and become part of their families. In some occasions, we
even treat our friends as our own kin or siblings. In our
:Let us “Discern” friendships, we discover something more about what we are
and what can we become as persons before others.

(Review of Past Lesson)

In the same manner as members of the church and
through the sacrament of baptism we are called and challenge
In our previous lesson, we discussed the Church as the
to further deepen and enlarge our friendship with God-in-
Family of God and the Sacrament of Baptism as incorporation
Jesus by embracing Jesus’ Vision, Mission, Value System,
into the Christian community. In Baptism we are welcomed
Identity and Spirit.
and accepted to this Christian Family - the Church. With the
presence of our parents and sponsors (our ninongs and
ninangs), we are introduce into and became part of the
Christian community. We are welcomed to embrace a new A. The Church Remembers: the God-in-Jesus
way of life; the life for which Jesus’ lived and died for. calls us to be his friends (Discipleship)
Through baptism, with its symbolisms of water, light and even

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
Jesus calls us to be his friends. “I no longer call you
servants, because a servant does not know what his master is
doing. I have called you friends because I have told you
everything I have heard from my Father.”(Jn15:15). Such a call
is a call to be a disciple. A disciple is first and foremost
connected to the master, Jesus. Just as Jesus is connected
intimately with the Father, a disciple is invited to abide in this
connection so that his life will be fruitful and not barren. At
the same time the disciple knows his master’s business and
goes about doing his master’s business. Discipleship is our
Christian Identity (Lesson #3).Discipleship is responding to
the invitation of Jesus to become his friends (we learned this in
Theology I). Discipleship is friendship with Jesus. His love,
even to the point of laying his own life for them, is the greatest
expression of love (in Greek, Agape).
Discipleship is also a call to bear fruit. Their mission
is to make friends with others in the name of Jesus, to give
witness before others of their experience of how Jesus loved
them unconditionally. As friends of Jesus, disciples are called
to be wise and bold in bearing witness to others of God-in-
Jesus’ offer of life and love. Imagine the feeling of Jesus
calling us his friends. But there is a condition for us to remain
in Jesus’ friendship and love. “If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have
kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”
(Jn15:10). What is this commandment that Jesus is talking
about? Jesus gave us a commandment: “Love one another as I
love you.”(Jn13:34). This commandment will be the mark of
Property of the Institute of Religious Education
Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [3]
and the “litmus test” of Christians’ authentic following and
relating to Jesus and to one another. Their love with one
another patterned after that of Jesus will become a sign for
others the presence of Jesus.
B. The Church Community Believes: We are
Apostles through the action of the Holy Spirit
(Apostleship).
Jesus knew that he will not be forever physically
present with his disciples. The time will come that he will
leave them because of his impending death for the sake of
reign of God. Jesus stood by his mission from God: “to
proclaim the good news to the poor, to set free the captives, to
give sight to the blind, etc.” To strengthen the disciples, Jesus
promised them the Holy Spirit whom he will send as Paraclete
or Advocate, “comforter”, “encourager”, “counsellor”, and
“helper”. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to “guide them in all
truth” so that they will become empowered witnesses to this
truth of and about Jesus. This is the Christian Mission
(mentioned in lesson #3). The truth that the disciples are
about to give witness before others is the belief in Jesus who
lives under the constant impact and active presence of the
Spirit of God, a man who lives a “life in the Spirit” and
anointed by the Father with the same Spirit: “The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, he has sent me to bring the good news to the
poor.” (Luke 4:16) The promise of the Paraclete came as a
realization of the community of disciples when they were

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
gathered to remember, to believe, and to celebrate the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-12)
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were in
one place together. And suddenly there came from the
sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the
entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to
them as tongues as of fire which parted and came to rest
on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the
Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
The coming of the Holy Spirit, which is already
present since creation and in the Old Testament times, as well
as in the life of Jesus “who was conceived by Mary through
the power of the Holy Spirit” and who walked in the Spirit of
God, was manifested in a more special way among the
disciples. It marked a new beginning for this batch of friends
of Jesus who were once afraid but now, being renewed by the
Spirit of Jesus are empowered to be bold witnesses to Jesus
and his proclamation of the Reign of God. The Holy Spirit is
a “strong driving wind” and “tongues of fire” – images that
symbolize the power and passion the Spirit give to a believer
of Jesus. In Luke’s Acts, the “coming down” or “dawning” of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost signalled the beginning of the
Church’s mission to the world. (cf. Catechism for the Filipino
Catholics, 1300).
At this point, the disciple is no longer just a follower.
He/she is now an apostle (with a Christian Mission) - one
Property of the Institute of Religious Education
Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [4]
who is sent by Jesus to proclaim the good news of salvation
(kaginhawaan). They are now a community of friends of Jesus,
guided and empowered by the Spirit, and equipped with his
gifts or “charisms”; their mission to make others become
friends of Jesus. The Church then is “the community of
friends proclaiming and celebrating the presence of Jesus in
the Spirit.”
The Pentecost did not only happen at a particular
time in history. We continue to experience as a community the
Pentecost or “dawning of the Spirit” whenever we are infused
with new insights or visions of life and the world, and we feel
empowered or strongly encouraged and strengthened to carry
out our mission as disciples and apostles in the world today.
C. The Church-Community Celebrates: Action
of the Holy Spirit empowering us to
Discipleship and Apostleship in the Sacrament
of Confirmation.
Today, Christians remember, believe, and celebrate
God-in-Jesus’ action through the Holy Spirit empowering us
to be disciples (Christian Identity) and apostles (Christian
Mission) in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is the
celebration of the Pentecost experience wherein the Christian
community celebrates the outpouring of the Spirit which first
happened to the apostles but continues in us and in the world
today. Although “the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gifts he

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
bestowed are already given in Baptism, Confirmation
celebrates such gift and gifts and in the process strengthens
the baptized in his/her commitment to Christ in three ways”
(de los Santos: 1986):
First, Confirmation is a celebration of the need for
deeper initiation or deeper conversion into the faith or
Christian community. In the words of Confirmation, one is
‘sealed” with the Spirit because here, the baptized is now
given a special Identity (disciple) and special Mission
(apostle) to proclaim and to witness the presence of Jesus in
his life and in the world to others. To “confirm” means “to
authorize”, “to make more firm”, “to strengthen” or “to
bolster”; thus, the Baptized receives more intense sharing in
the life and mission of Jesus and to the Christian community
which begun at baptism.
Second, Confirmation celebrates the gift of the Holy
Spirit and the gifts he bestows on us. At Baptism, the seeds of
God’s grace are already introduced to us. We already have the
Spirit as “sons and daughters of God”. Remember in our
previous topic on Baptism, that by this Sacrament we become
part of God’s family - the Church. We become brothers and
sisters in Jesus. But as we mature and face life’s challenges; as
we widen our circle of people beyond our family, we receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gifts he bestows that equip
us with the power to respond to the demands and challenges
of life as Christians and humans. In John 14:23 we read Jesus
answered and said to him, “whoever loves me will keep my
word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him
and make our dwelling in him.” (Mystery of Divine
Property of the Institute of Religious Education
Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [5]
Indwelling). God is present to us through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Third, Confirmation is a sacrament of witness. In the
Sacrament of Confirmation, the baptized is “awakened” and
“strengthened” so that the Christian can live mature life of
witnessing to Christ and of fuller participation (koinonia) in
the life and mission of the Church and society. The Eucharist
(which will be discussed in the next topic) renews and
nourishes this life of the Spirit received in Baptism and
Confirmation (Lampe).
What are these gifts of the Holy Spirit which the
confirmand receives in the Sacrament of Confirmation? The
Bible mentions seven: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel,
Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2-
3). These gifts are “virtues” which belong in their fullness in
Christ that makes the person obedient to God’s inspirations
(cf. CCC #1831). These gifts produce fruits to the person. St.
Paul enumerates these fruits as love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-
control (cf. Gal. 5:22).
These gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are
introduced to us first at Baptism, are now celebrated anew
through the Sacrament of Confirmation. These gifts enable
us to face life’s tasks, an intense commitment to follow Jesus
and witnessing to others, especially to the poor and the
marginalized so that they may feel they are cared for and
loved by God-in-Jesus. The Sacrament of Confirmation is
indeed a celebration of God’s friendship to us who

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
strengthens and encourages us to give witness and to
dialogue with others the friendship of God with the help
and power of His Indwelling Spirit in the Christian
community.
This celebration does not end at the ritual of the
Sacrament of Confirmation. It marks only the beginning of a
more intense sharing in the life and mission of Jesus, just like
the Pentecost experience of the Apostles of Jesus. It makes
present, in a more intensified way, the presence of Jesus in the
Spirit in the life of the baptized so he/she lives a life in the
Spirit characterized by a life of stronger commitment, zeal,
and fellowship with one another. The Church community
exists as a Resurrection- faith community, their proclamation
of the Risen Jesus is not only through words, but most shown
through their way of life- a community of virtues centered on
the love of God-in-Jesus.
D. The Church-Community Loves: Life in the
Spirit of the Love of the Father and Jesus.
The early Christian community gives us the kind of
life they share with one another, a life that should serve a
model of communities, let us look again on Acts of the
Apostles about the way of life of the Christian community:
(Acts 4:32-35)
“The community of believers was of one heart and
mind, and no one claimed that of his possessions was
his own, but they had everything in common. With
Property of the Institute of Religious Education
Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [6]
great power the apostles bore witness to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favour was
accorded them all. There was no needy person
among them, for those who owned property or
houses would sell them, bringing the proceeds of the
sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and
they were distributed to each according to need.”
What the apostles were teaching the new members of
the community is renunciation; they recall Jesus’ teaching to
renounce possessions: “Everyone of you who does not
renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple (Luke
14:33). What does Jesus mean by renouncing possessions?
Does Jesus reject abundance of material wealth? Not really.
What Jesus taught which the apostles also teach the
community is simplicity of life shared with others? By not
focusing on earthly goods as possessed by us alone, but by
being dependent on God’s goodness, a disciple looks at his
wealth as God’s blessings to be shared with others. By living
a simple life, a disciple lives according to what he/she needs
and no one is in want because everything is distributed
according to one’s need. The key to simplicity is not just
material austerity but in the sharing with others, especially
those in need. It is sharing with others which lead to the
building up of relationships and communities. The early
Christians call this koinonia, which means “sharing,
participation, partnership,” or simply, fellowship.
St. Vincent de Paul said that when we love, we must
love with affection but it must also be a love that is effective. It

Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
is a love of others that enable them to reach their full
potentials as human beings and relate with another with
dignity and respect. Do you think this is the ideal kind of life
we all long for, a community where there is sharing and where
each one lives in simplicity and harmony with one another?
St. Vincent de Paul also bore witness to the presence
of Jesus in his life. Born in poverty and moulded by his
experiences in life as a priest, he realized that the most
effective way to “proclaim the good news to the poor” is to
practice simplicity. “Saying things as they are” is how
Vincent de Paul defined the virtue of simplicity. Like the
apostles who were bold in proclaiming Jesus, Vincent spoke in
truth without concealing and hiding anything. For us today, to
tell the story of God’s presence in our lives we must be seekers
of truth and be courageous to speak out the truth with no
mincing of words even if the truth hurts others. In that
sense, simplicity is not covering up the truth but saying the
truth in plain language. However, to seek and speak the truth
implies that we continually observe, analyze, and evaluate
things or events. We engage with others in dialogue so that
we come to know the truth in its many aspects. We cannot
merely react impulsively; we are called to become discerning
in our thinking and prudent in our acting.( )
As a community of virtues the church is called to love
which is the center of all virtues. .It is the Spirit of the Risen
Jesus coming from the Father’s love for all that enables us to
respond to him/her in love. The same Spirit enables us also to
Property of the Institute of Religious Education
Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [7]
love everybody else. St. Paul said in his letter to the Romans,
“The love of God has been poured out in our hearts through
the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5). The
Church exists and operates because of love. God’s love
inspires us to live a truly Christian life (CFC 1315). The love of
the Risen Lord inspires and empowers us to love as He loves
and makes us include others in this embrace of love. The
Church community becomes the living witness, sign and
symbol (sacrament) of the love of God, the principle of
“being a Church”- a community of Life in the Spirit.
Through the Spirit, we are gathered as one community,
celebrates publicly (liturgy) the love of God which has poured
into our hearts which we cry to God “Abba, Father!” (Gal. 4:6)
and confess Jesus as “Lord” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3), thus we become a
holy community. It is the Spirit of the Risen Christ that
inspires us to live a life of prayer, worship, service, freedom
and love. St. Paul says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17).
Let us “ACT/PRAY”
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in
them the fire of your love.
Send forth Your Holy Spirit and they shall be created.
And you shall renew the face of the earth.
 Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [8]
Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
c.
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the d.
hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we e.
may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through 3. With Friends and Barkada:
Christ Our Lord, Amen.
a.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX b.
c.
NAME: _____________________________________ d.
DATE: ______________________________________ e.
CLASS SCHEDULE: __________________________
PROF: _______________________________________ 4. In the community/society:
a.
A. Living ones Confirmation: b.
c.
Make a listing of concrete actions on how you as a student d.
can show commitment to become a strong and mature witness e.
to faith in Christ and the gift of the spirit: at home, in school,
with friends (and barkada,) and in society. B. Personal Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Compose a Prayer to the Holy Spirit beginning by adoring
1. At home: and worshipping Him/Her, then expressing your gratitude
a. for His/Her presence in your life in knowing Jesus more and
more.
b.
Then, ask for the Spirit’s gifts as mentioned in the “Discern”
c. part. Ask for the grace that the Spirit will bear fruit in your
d. everyday life; the fruits of the Spirit also mentioned in the
e. “Discern” that you may be a strong witness to your faith in the
Risen Lord in facing your everyday life challenges. Write your
2. In School: prayer on the spaces below.
a.
b.

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.
 Theology 4: Celebrating God’s Presence as a Christian Community [9]
Topic 4: The Church as Witnessing and Dialoguing Community;
Confirmation Strengthens our Baptismal Commitment.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_____
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3375
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Property of the Institute of Religious Education

Unauthorized reproduction and selling is not allowed.
First Semester 2014-2015.