Tuguegarao Archdiocesan Schools System

Saint Joseph’s College of Baggao, Inc.

Baggao, Cagayan, Philippines
Transforming Lives, Shaping the Future

Aralin: Encountering God Who Comes To Meet Us: Asignatura: [Link] 7

Relevation
Guro: Maebylyn T. Tupiῆo S.Y. 2021-2022
Joan Domiingo
Rina Joy Fantolgo
Melody Remodaro
Prexy Grace A. Ramer

Module 1
ENCOUNTERING GOD WHO COMES TO MEET US: RELEVATION
I. Overview

We begin the celebration of our Catholic identity and mission by going back to the very basis
of our Christian faith – God’s revelation. We may not always be aware for it, but our every belief,
moral act, and prayer as Catholic is anchored on God’s act of revealing Himself to us. He did not
have to, but out of His great love for human persons, He had chosen to make Himself and His will
known to all.

God’s will is that all people “should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word
made flesh, in the Holy Spirit and thus become sharers in the divine nature” (Dei Verbum 2). For us
Christians, therefore, eternal life is to know the one true God, and the one whom He sent, Jesus
Christ (cf Jn 17:7). The more we get know God, our Creator and Lord, the more we discover who we
truly are and what we are made for.

II. Intended Learning Outcomes

a. Recognize God as the one who love us first, the one who reveals himself to us and share his
divine life through his Son Jesus Christ – the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit.
b. Respond to God’s revelation with love ad gratitude by being faithful to our Catholic identity and
following the will of God who reveals.
c. Pray that we may always be sensitive and open to God’s manifestations of Himself, both around
us and within us through his body, the Church.
III. Learning Resources & References

Sanggunian: Called to Celebrate Our Catholic Identity and Mission 7

Page 5-14
By: Genalyn Soledad- Sanvictores
Noel P. Miranda
IV. Learning Content – 2 hours
The first one to know and recognize us is God. He made the move to offer love and
friendship to us. He made Himself known. He came to meet us, reached out to us, and accepted us
for who we are. It is in knowing God that we discover and come to terms with our true identity and
mission in life.
The Desire for God
St. Augustine’s Restless Heart
 St. Augustine (354-430 CE), a bishop of Hippo, is one of the greatest Fathers of the Catholic
Church. His mother – St. Monica, is a devout Christian. St. Augustine was a dedicated and strong
defender of faith. His numerous sermons and writings continue to influence and inspire the faithful
of today.
Before St. Augustine became bishop of hippo, and, later on, declared a Saint and Doctor of
the Church, he had been a sinner just like any of us. His life was characterized by a series of
desperate search to find meaning and fulfillment in worldly pleasure and false beliefs. However,
none of them seemed to satisfy his deep longing. Something has been missing and lacking. He was
restless.
One day, he stumbled upon the letters of St. Paul in the New Testament through the
influence of St. Ambrose, who was then the bishop of Milan. There, he found what he had been
looking for. Although he had not been aware of it at first, he eventually realized that all hid effort in
search for truth, meaning and happiness was ultimately an expression of his heart’s deepest desire:
to be with God, his Creator and Lord.
A decade after his conversion to Christianity, he wrote one his famous manuscript, the
Confessions, which is an autographical prayer and meditation addressed to God. A line from his
book beautifully summarizes the entire theme of Augustine’s life and conversion: “For You have
made us for Yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
God Draws Us to Himself
The church teaches us that “the desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is
created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to Himself. Only in God will he fine
the truth and happiness he never stops searching for. “ Since we were created by God, it is natural
to share a unique exclusive bond or special connection with Him.
One analogy that we could use to describe this bond is the connection we have with our
own mothers. Our bond with our mothers is one that had been forged since we had been conceived
in their womb. It is one that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. Imagine the kind of bond
that we have with God, who knew us even before our own mother. It was He who loved us into
existence, who “formed our innermost being and knit us in our mother’s womb.
God has place in our very hearts the desire to seek and find Him. We may not always be
aware of it, but this yearning to know and be with God who has loved the first is always deep within
us.
God’s Plan of Salvation: Stages of Revelation
Divine Revelation
Revelation is God’s personal and loving act of making Himself and His plan of salvation
known to all people. He introduced Himself to human person by relating to us, talking to us, and
even living with us― so that we may come to know Him and become sharers in His life and love.
This self-revelation happened is stages: His Creation of the world, His covenant with His
chosen people, and His perfect and definitive revelation in Jesus Christ, the only- begotten Son of
God made man. Christ, revelation to the Church to be passed on to all people through the power of
the Holy Spirit.
In Creation (Natural Signs)
The first way by which God reveals Himself to us is through His creation. As they as the
psalmist says, “the heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder’s craft”.
Everything in creation, no matter how small, is a sign of God, a reflection of its Creator.
 This is especially true for us human persons, whom He entrusted the care of His creation.
Among all creatures, we are the ones who most fully reflect and reveal God’s power, beauty, and
goodness to one another. However, in our everyday dealings with people, we experience not only
goodness, but also hatred and suffering. This is because all creation had become tainted by sin and
“through sin death”. Sin had tainted the “natural signs” of our Creator” - around us and within us.
Hence, God chose to reveal Himself to us in a more intimate way by entering our history to save us
from sin.
In Salvation History (Biblical Signs)
The next God reveals Himself to us is through the history of our salvation. It is a story or
account which had been recorder in the Bible. Through the Bible, we learn how God called and
established a covenant (a special relationship) with individuals like Noah, Abraham, Moses and the
entire nation of Israel―His chosen people. He did this to begin and carry out His plan of salvation
for humanity.
“Through chosen men and women, kings, judges, prophets, priests, and wisemen, God led,
liberated, and corrected hid people” (CFC 69).
In your Bible, red Exodus 34:6 and John 3:16
Jesus Christ: the Fullness and Mediator of Revelation
“In times past, God spoke in partial and various to our ancestors through the prophets; in
these last days, He spoke to us through His Son, whom he made heir of all the things and through
whom He created the universe. (Heb. 1:1-2)
God fully reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. He is the eternal
Word of God-made flesh (cf Jn1:14) the One mediator between God and man (cf 1 Tm 2:5), the
“visible image of the invisible God” (cf Col 1:15). He was sent into the world to renew and perfect
God’s eternal covenant with humankind. Since Jesus Christ in the Father’s definite Word, there will
be no new revelation after Him.
Through His words and deeds, most especially through his Passion, Death and Resurrection,
Jesus Christ completed and perfected God’s revelation and fulfilled His plan of salvation (cf DV 4). In
and through Him, we are no longer mere creatures of God, but His adopted children called to
become coheirs to eternal life.
In the Church (Liturgical/Ecclesial Signs)
God’s definitive revelation in Jesus Christ did not stop with Christ’s ascension to heaven.
Before returning to the Father, Christ had made a promise to His disciples that He would be with
them until the end of time (cf Mt 28:20). He fulfilled this promise by sending them the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost (cf Acts 1:8). This event paved way for the formation of the Church or ekklesia, the
community of believers that make up the Body of Christ.
Christ therefore, continues to reveal Himself to us today in and through the Church. In her
doctrine, life, and liturgy, Church continues to communicate to every generation the complete and
perfect revelation of God through Christ in the Holy Spirit. “He is present in the Church’s preaching
the truth of scripture, in its witness of loving witness of loving service, and through the celebration
of the sacraments” (CFC 72). Hence, the more we become active members of the Church, the more
we get to know the God revealed by Jesus Christ.
In Other Religions or Beliefs
God is the God of all people. He makes Himself known even to non-Christians. The Church
teaches us the anyone “who seeks God with a sincere heart, moved by grace, and tries to do His will
through the dictates of their conscience, may achieve eternal salvation” (CFC 74). Whatever is true
and holy in other religions is often a reflection of the light of Christ that enlightens all people.
 This means salvation in Jesus Christ is open to all. God is present where there is goodness
and love, for God is Love. “Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God” (1 Jn 4:7).
Therefore, as Catholic Christians, we are encouraged to be more open to people of other religions,
to avoid discrimination against them, and to be more understanding to their religious conviction.
Whenever we treat non-Christians with respect, we manifest God’s love to them.
Revelation as a Call to Follow Christ
The First Disciples
Read John 1:35-39 in your Bible.
In the Gospel according to John, he narrates how he and his brother, James came to know and
follow Christ. They used to be disciples of John the Baptist. When John the Baptist testified that
Jesus is the Lamp of God, they believed and were filled with the desire to follow Christ. They were
curious about who He was. They wanted to know more about Him. They wanted to listen on His
words. However, they were uncertain on how to begin.
When Christ finally turned and noticed them, all they could muster was, “Rabbi, where are
you staying?” Instead of telling them where He was staying, Christ responds with the words “Come,
and you will see.” Right away the two disciples followed Christ. They followed Him and stayed with
Him all day. Since that encounter, they never stopped following Him. They walked with Him through
out their lives.
When the two disciples had decided to heed Christ’s call to join Him, they began to know a
lot of things about their Lord and Savior, through His teachings, miraculous works, and ultimately,
through His Paschal Mystery. More than just knowing about Him., they started to know Him in a
deeper and more personal way. Their spending time with him, breaking bread with Him, and
sharing in His joys and sorrows in life, led them to becoming Jesus’ friends.
In revelation, Christ calls us to do the same. He calls us to “come and see”. He calls us to
follow Him so that we may know Him intimately. We also realize that even before we make our
move toward Christ, He is already there, waiting to meet us to offer His love and friendship through
the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. Let us continue to respond to Christ’s revelation with much
gratitude and love by nurturing our personal relationship with Him and staying faithful to His call.
For ultimately, Christ, who is our Lord and Savior, is also the Truth and Life that we have been
searching for. He is our only way back home to God, our Father (cf Jn 14:6)
“It is pleased God, in His goodness and wisdom, to reveal Himself and to make known the
mystery of His will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word
made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature” (DV 2).
We respond to God’s revelation in Christ through the Holy Spirit with love and gratitude. We
do our best to be faithful to our identity as Catholic Christians and to follow the will of God who
reveals.
This time, pray that we may always be sensitive and open to God’s manifestations of
Himself, both around us and within us, so we can respond to Him genuinely and lovingly.
V. Learning Activities

Answer the following.

1. Why do human persons seek God?
2. Why did God reveal Himself to human persons?
3. Why is Jesus Christ the definitive revelation of God?
4. Who is St. Augustine? What can we learn from his life?
VI. Assessment
  When was the last time you made a conscious effort to know more about God? How does
God reveal Himself to you at this point of your life?

VII. Application

Accomplish the following.

1. Observe one object in nature, how this object a sign or a reflection of God?

2. Write something about your chosen object.