CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN IFUGAO

CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION 9

THIRD QUARTER – A.Y. 2024-2025

WEEK 1
LESSON 13: PARABLES OF GOD’S KINGDOM
This lesson deepens our understanding of God’s Kingdom through a few parables and stories of miracles from the
Gospels. In the Parables, Jesus clearly presented the qualities of the Kingdom using simple everyday language. Through
His miracles, Jesus led people to recognize someone greater than Abraham, Moses, or David. He is someone who would
bring God’s presence in an utterly new manner.
A STORY OF TRUE LOVE.
Have you heard the story of Hachiko? A statue of a dog named Hachiko stands in Japan. This statue is a tribute to
the beautiful story of a dog’s great love and faithfulness to his master. According to the story, Hachiko belonged to a
professor at the University of Tokyo. Every day, Hachiko would wait for his master at the Shibuya train station until one
day in 1925, the professor never returned. The professor had suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage.
Hachiko continued to wait daily at the train station for the return of his master. People in the community noticed
Hachiko and gave him food and water. His story went on the local and national news, which drew the attention of many
people who came to Shibuya to see Hachiko.
Hachiko continued his faithful watch for his master’s return until he died years later. A statue was built and placed near
the Shibuya station to remind the people about the beauty of friendship and faithfulness.
“Once upon a time” is a phrase that always catches the interest of people. Everyone loves to listen to or read
stories. This probably explains the popularity of “telenovelas” among the Filipinos. Stories not only entertain, but also
teach important lessons. A story becomes more meaningful if we can personally relate to the events in it or identify with
its characters.
The appeal of stories to people in universal and true for all. Jesus knew this, so He used a lot of stories to
communicate His teachings. This is why the Gospels contain many stories such as parables and miracle accounts.
We need to see the uniqueness of Jesus’ parables and his miracles. We must see them in the context of Jesus’ time and
discover in them the message of Jesus for us today.

SEARCHING FOR GOOD NEWS IN THE PARABLES.

Jesus was great storyteller; He told His audience stories to explain the meaning of the kingdom of God. Many of
these stories were parables.
A parable is the use of nature (like the mustard seed) or human life (like the marriage feast) in stories to teach some
moral or religious insight or message. Through parables, Jesus was able to clearly convey His teachings to the people.
The use of parables was not unique to Jesus, however. Other rabbis also taught using parables, but Jesus’ parables are
one of a kind because of the twists that He gave them. For example, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the
Samaritan, who belonged to a people the Jews hated, turned out to be good neighbor. In the parables of the Master of
the Vineyard, the workers who labored in the vineyard for only an hour received the same wages as those who had
worked the whole day.
This style of Jesus was meant to emphasize some countercultural values of the kingdom. The values that are
reflected in the Gospels are countercultural because they often run contrary to the values of society. For example,
materialism, which is prevalent in the society, is opposed to the Gospel value of detachment from material possessions
and positions of power.
When we read Jesus’ parables at present, we are led to question our attitudes or values that are contrary to the
Gospel values. We are then challenged to evaluate our behavior and our relationship with others. The parables invite a
response from readers. When we study the parables of Jesus seriously and reflect on them deeply, we often come to a
revelation of God’s mysterious Kingdom.

TYPES OF PARABLES.
Classifications of Kingdom Parables (by Thomas Zanzig)
1. Parables that describe the King/God- His nature, His qualities, and His attitudes in dealing with people:
The lost sheep (Lk 15:4-7), The Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10) The Lost Son (Lk 15:11-32), The Workers in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-
16) The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14), The Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21), and the Talents (Mt 25:14-30)
2. Parables that deal with our relationship with other people:
The Unforgiving servant (Mt 18:23-35) and the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37)
3. Parables that refer to the future coming of the Kingdom:
The Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14), The ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13) and the Weeds among the Wheat (Mt 13:24-30).

FA1: Parable searching: Choose 1 example of each of the above-mentioned classifications of parables. Read them and
give the message you understand from these parables. (3 points each)
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The PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR (LK 18:9-14)
Jesus the addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised
everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke in prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I’m not like the rest of
humanity-greedy, dishonest, adulterous –or even like this tax collector. I fasts twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole
income’. But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and
prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner’. I tell you; the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”.
The Pharisees followed every detail of the Law. For them, holiness was attained by faithfully following the
prescriptions of the Law. The Pharisee in the parable announced his holiness by telling his good deeds: fasting twice a
week and paying tithes on his whole income.
The Pharisee did not realize that the real purpose of the Law is lost when only the external action is observed.
He was to reduce the moral law of God to a mere legalistic external performance. The Pharisee’s legalistic attitude was
clearly shown in his self-righteousness. He saw himself as being more holy than the tax collector. He felt contempt for
the other. Thus, the Pharisee said, “I am not like the rest of humanity” (Lk 18:11). Convinced of his own righteousness,
he despised everyone else. Jesus condemned this kind of attitude.
On the other hand, the tax collector, also called publican, knew that he was a sinner. Thus, He kept his distance
from the altar and did not even dare raise his eyes to heaven. His humility and sincere repentance are manifested in his
prayer. “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Lk18:13). If we want to enter God’s kingdom, we have to imitate the tax
collector’s humility and sincerity.
From the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector, what is the proper attitude and action Jesus wants for us
to enter the Kingdom of God?

THE GOOD NEWS THEMES IN THE PARABLES

Jesus’ parables contain several Good News themes. Here are Thomas Zanzig’s summary points, which state the
major messages of the parables.
1. God’s loving mercy is at the heart of the Good News . Jesus reveals that God is Abba, an Aramaic word and term of
endearment for “father”. As our father, God loves us with his infinite, unconditional, and forgiving love. The
parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost coin, and The Lost Son in Luke 15 clearly point to this.
2. Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom . The coming of the Kingdom was prefigured in Yahweh’s covenant with the
children of Israel. The Parables of the wedding feast (Mt 22:1-14) and the Fish Net (Mt 13:47-50) tell us that the
kingdom is a gift to the people of all nations. However, the kingdom requires a response from each of us.
3. The Kingdom demands our repentance and persevering response . When Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, He
challenged the people to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). The parables challenge us to change our old
ways and to be selfless. This challenge is implied in the parables of the unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:23-35). And the
Pharisee and the Tax collector (Lk 18:9-14). We must be ready to face God with a soul free of sin through
repentance. This is the message of the Parables of the wedding feast. (Mt 22:1-14) and the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13)
4. Rejoice and be hopeful. Jesus reveals to us God’s goodness, generosity, forgiveness, love, and offer of salvation.
Those who accept God’s message will find the “hidden treasure” (Mt 13:44) Even though there is much offering and
evil in the world and there are forces working against God’s plan, we know that the Kingdom will triumph, God
assures us that He is in charge and he asks us to trust in Him in the Parables of the weeds among the wheat (Mt
13:24-30) and the mustard Seed (Mt 13:31-32).
SA1

LESSON 14 MIRACLES OF JESUS: SIGNS AND WONDERS

Seeing the power and goodness of Jesus in his miracles.
From television shows and newspapers, we learn about extraordinary events in the Philippines that are said to
be beyond the normal. In Filipino, we call these events kababalaghan or himala. Any unusual occurrence that happens
for the better is called a “miracle”.
Our idea of miracles at present is so much different form the way people in Jesus’ time viewed them. For the
Jews and for many religious persons today, a miracle is a manifestation of God’s presence and power.
In the New Testament, Greek words are used to refer to the miracles of Jesus. These are teras, dynamis and semeion.
Teras- means “marvel”. Jesus’ miracles were acts that awed the people.
Dynamis – means “power” and it refers to an act that shows extraordinary strength. Indeed, Jesus’ acts of making the
blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear certainly show great power.
The word semeion means “sign” and it tells us that a marvelous act of power is pointing to something. In the Gospel
according to John, the term semeion is used for Jesus’s marvelous acts of power that point to his true identity.
Jesus accompanied His words with many mighty works (dynamis) and acts of wonder (teras). All of which were
signs (semeion) manifesting that the kingdom was present in Jesus and that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The

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miracles that Jesus performed can be seen as a sign of the Kingdom of God in action. The rule of God was embodied in
Jesus’ deeds of healing, acts of love and forgiveness, and defeat of the devil and all evil works.
Jesus’ miracles were manifestations of His power over all creation (nature miracles), sickness (healing miracles),
evil (exorcisms), and death (restoration to life). Every time Jesus performed a miracle, he proclaimed the Father’s
unconditional love in action. Healing was an integral part of Jesus’ proclamation of the Good News.

MIRACLES AS REVELATIONS OF JESUS’ IDENTITY

Anyone who has power over nature, sickness, death, Satan, and sin itself must be divine. No human being can
claim such power. Jesus performed signs that showed that He is, indeed, the Messiah, the incarnate Son of God. Jesus,
however, did not come to abolish all evils in our life by force. Jesus’ mission rather was to free us from sin, the greatest
slavery of all. Sin is what prevents us in becoming our full selves as God’s adopted sons and daughters.
Jesus miracles leads us to put our faith in Him and to commit ourselves to His way of life as we work against the
evils that are around and within us. All the miracles of Jesus are signs that tell us the Good News that the kingdom of
God has come in the person of Jesus.

THE DIFFERENT MIRACLES OF JESUS

Jesus’ miracles addressed the needs of the people. He reached out to them through the miracles He performed.
1. Jesus performs healing miracles. In the Gospel narratives, we read how Jesus relieved the physical sufferings and
illness of people. In the accounts of the healing of the two blind men (Mt 20:29-34), Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-52),
and the blind beggar (Lk 18:35-43); the cleansing of a leper( Mt 8:1-4, Mk1:40-45, Lk 5:12-16); the healing of a
paralytic (Mt 9:1-8, Lk 5:17-26), and the cleansing of ten lepers (Lk 17:11-19), we see how faith is necessary for
healing to take place.
2. Jesus performs nature miracles. We learn that Jesus has control over the forces of nature in the miracles of the
calming of the storm at sea (Mt 8:23-27), Mk 4:35-41, Lk 8:22-25); the feeding of the five thousand (Mt 14:13-
21, Mk 6:34-44, Lk 9:10-17, Jn 6:1-15); the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-12); and the walking on water (Mt 14:22-33,
Mk 6:45-52)
3. Jesus performs exorcisms. Jesus drove out evil spirits. We learn this from the accounts of the healing of the
Gerasene demoniacs (Mt 8:28-34, Mk 5:1-20, Lk 8:26-39) and the boy possessed by a demon (Mt 17:14-20, Mt
9:14-29, Lk 9:37-43).
4. Jesus restores life. There are at least three occasions when Jesus brought those who had already died back to
life. These are recounted in the Gospel narratives of the raising of the widow’s son (Lk 7:11-17); the official’s
daughter (Mt 9:18-26, Mk 5:21-43, Lk 8:40-56); and Lazarus (Jn11:1-44)
The widow of Nain (Lk7:11-17).
In this account, we see Jesus and His disciples meet a large crowd on their way to bury a man, the only son of his
widowed mother. The widow was broken hearted. The deaths of her husband and her son were interpreted by the Jews
as punishment for sin. When Jesus saw the widow, he was moved with pity. He said to her, “Do not weep”. In Filipino,
this is “tahan na”. Here, we see Jesus’ spontaneous compassion for the widow. Jesus did not only console the widow
with his words, but He also raised her son back to life. The large number of people in town who were with the widow
also felt compassion for her, but they had no power to help her. Jesus had compassion for the widow and the power to
help her. When he raised her dead son back to life, Jesus manifested His power over life itself. Recall that Jesus did not
use His power for personal gain during His temptation in the desert but in the service of mercy and for his saving
mission, He did not hesitate to use it.

Week 1
Various Ways Jesus performed His Miracles:
1. Generally, He required faith from the sick or possessed or from their relatives and friends before He healed or
drove away the evil spirit.
2. At other times, he healed the sick or possessed, immediately.
3. There were instances when He performed certain ritual first (when He asked the blind man to wash at the
pool of Siloam before healing him.)
4. Jesus also healed from a distance, as shown by the account of the healing of the centurion’s servant.
In the Gospel story of the widow of Nain, Jesus did not demand faith nor did He perform any ritual. Jesus did not
demand faith nor did he perform any ritual. Jesus’ motivation for raising the young man back to life was pure
compassion for the widow.

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MIRACLES IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
Jesus manifested the love of the Father by healing people, forgiving sins, and driving away evil spirits . It was not
only kindness that led Him to perform such miracles, but most importantly, love. We believe that God continues to love
us every day and that he continues to perform miracles even though they often go unnoticed. T he continuing existence
of the whole world and of each of us is already a miracle, a sign of God’s marvelous power.
The following are some “ordinary” miracles:
1. God’s ongoing creation. Every day, millions of seedlings begin the long process of becoming trees, and millions of
animals and insects continue their species. Life certainly has been flowing and growing throughout the earth since
the first day of creation. Remember that a miracle is something that marvels people. We are surrounded by God’s
creativity, which amazes us and makes us wonder the majesty of mountains, the calmness or violence of the sea, the
beauty of sunrise and sunset and the freshness of the wind.
2. A person’s change of heart. What a miracle is greater than a person’s conversion, a person’s decision to turn away
from sin and enter a new life filled with grace?
An example of change of heart is that of drug user, who in the process of counseling, felt so loved and accepted by
their families and friends that they resolve to seek help and overcome their enslaving habit. Every time we resolve to
become better persons and better followers of Christ and pursue that resolution, a miracle takes place.
It is important to realize that personal resolutions rarely succeed without other people’s strong support and
God’s grace. Personal conversion always has a social dimension.
3. Modern-day miracle workers. Modern-day miracle workers, like doctors and social workers, bring people closer to
the kingdom by doing their best to alleviate or eliminate different forms of sickness and oppression. Others can
become miracle workers by praying for the sick and the destitute.
4. Social transformation. Jesus worked for the benefit of the oppressed and tormented people. There are people who
denounce and fight poverty, graft, corruption, and injustice. Their actions contribute to social transformation. Every
step we take to make this world a better place is a move toward the attainment of the fullness of the kingdom.
These movements concretize the prayer “Your kingdom come”.
5. We are God’s greatest miracles. Each person is unique and has something beautiful. We are capable of great
wonders, and our potential is unlimited. We are a marvel, a masterpiece of our creator. God considers us His
greatest miracle. We are special. To each of us, God our Father says,” see, upon the psalms of my hands I have
written your name” (Is 49:16).

FA2: Give 1 example of each of the miracles in everyday life (mentioned above). Do not use the already given examples
(5 points)

SA 2

WEEK 2
Lesson 15. LIVING THE BEATITUDES
Jesus challenges us to live by the values and attitudes mentioned in the Beatitudes, Jesus’ “secrets to a happy
life”, to be centered on God and neighbors, particularly the poor and the needy.
The things that we see on TV and online urge us to be aggressive, to get ahead of the rest, to be on top of
everything and everyone with no delays. Some TV programs show us the type of clothes to wear cars to own, places to
visit, and friends to be with, which are all in the style of the rich and famous. Everyone wants to be recognized and to
belong. Thus, we become vulnerable to a lifestyle of pleasure and materialism. What do you think will Jesus say about
this kind of life proposed to us today?
If we are not careful, we can be easily swayed to imbibe the values promoted by new media, primarily
materialism, consumerism, competition, and individualism.
But today’s young people are fortunate to have numerous opportunities to be of service to others. We see more
and more young people actively serving in their communities.
Teenagers today live in a constant tension between two standards: Jesus Christ’s and Satan’s. Let us be aware of
the different tactics used by each camp. There is battle going on between good and evil in the world and in our hearts.
Young people who choose Christ are strong: they are fed by His word and they do not need to ‘stuff themselves’ with
other things! Have the courage to swim against the tide. Have the courage to be truly happy!

LIVING THE BEATITUDES

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 The beatitudes are set of declarations that Jesus delivered in His Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3-12). They are
ethical and spiritual standards that Jesus set for those who want to follow Him. They present solemn pronouncements of
blessings for those who have embraced Jesus’ attitudes and values.
The Beatitudes give us Jesus’ formula for a worthwhile and happy life. They are as relevant to us today for the
Beatitudes express what ordinary people truly desire deep in their hearts.

THE BEATITUDES
Jesus’ Beatitudes are for all people of all times.
1. Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
6. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The blessings of the Kingdom are promised to the poor and powerless, to the gentle and afflicted, to the
peacemakers and righteous who go beyond external observance of God’s law, and to the compassionate and clean of
heart. To them, Jesus promises a unique type of happiness. They will inherit God’s Kingdom, possess the earth, become
children of God, receive mercy, and see God. This set of qualities and their corresponding blessings are known as the
Beatitudes.

The 8 Beatitudes
1. The poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?
The first beatitude recognizes our complete dependence on God. Material possessions, friends, and talents are
valuable in our life. Money is a means, not an end; it is important, but not the most important. The with our friends and
our talents. We must not place our ultimate trust in anything or anyone other than the living God. This is what it means
to be “poor in spirit”. Jesus declared, “blessed are the poor in spirit” He was not saying that material poverty and
destitution are good things. Rather, He was saying that no one should be in need. This is the reason that He fought
against self-centeredness, pride, jealousy, envy and greed. He warned all especially the rich, about the dangers of using
their possessions wrongly and valuing their riches over relationships.
What does the first beatitude tell teenagers today?
The first beatitude can help teenagers put things in proper perspective. Material possessions (barkada, hangouts,
gadgets, things they own, clothes, etc.) are good and necessary, but they do not give the true worth of a person. They
should not be the basic criteria for friendship. What makes us really valuable is the fact that we are persons created and
loved by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and destined for life after death with our loving God.

2. Those who mourn will be comforted.

It is comforting to know that Jesus is there for us when pain, suffering, or sorrow enters our lives. When a loved one
is sick, a grandparent dies, or a best friend moves to a new school, we are driven to reflect on the deep realities of life.
God through the Holy Spirit, consoles us.
Jesus Himself experienced sorrow and mourning. The second beatitude says that it is all right to grieve and it is
natural and healthy to mourn. It tells us that just sadness is part of life, so is comfort. When in grief, we should open our
hearts to the Spirit’s presence through prayer. The Spirit comforts us through other persons. He inspires others to
manifest Christ like compassion and reach out to us in authentic love.
Jesus promised, “Your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20). Our mourning turns into God’s blessing when our sorrow
awakens real compassion inn us. The blessing assured by Jesus to the grieving person is the growth than an experience
of grieve gives us. Our grief may be sorrow over our sins or over a form of injustice or evil.

3. The meek will inherit the Land.

Is the third beatitude really telling us that we should allow people to use and abuse us? No. It is not Christian to
encourage evil acts. Bullying is unkind. It is a form of oppression. Jesus would never approve of such behavior. To be
meek is to humble, gentle and patient. The meek are happy because in the end, people who remain meek instead of
arrogant become the winners because their behavior shows that they are in control and in charge of the situation more
than those who lose their “cool”.
The meek have control over their reactions because they are able to direct their passions and energies to positive
goals. Meek persons are not defensive. They do not suffer from the urge to win. They simply know that their real worth
depends on God’s unconditional love for them. Thus, they are not afraid of cheap attacks, such as name-calling and false
accusations. They realize humility is truth. Their real strength lies not in proving anything to anyone but in ultimately
realizing that their true dignity rests on what God has done for them. Isn’t this better way to be “cool”.

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 Meek persons are patient. They do not try to speed their way through life, nor do they take moral shortcuts.
Jesus taught, “When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well” (Mt 5:39). This is an
act of foolishness by the world’s standards. However, Jesus was not saying that we must not defend ourselves. He was
saying that if we want to live in His Kingdom, we must try to break the vicious cycle of aggression and violence, and
willingly and actively pursue justice and peace even at the cost of suffering.

4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.

Everyone wants to do what is right, or at least what they believe is right. To hunger and thirst for righteousness
is to have an intense drive for justice. Spiritual hunger or thirst for justice is much different from craving for food and
drink; it cannot be appeased by a simple trip to the nearest canteen. Spiritual hunger or thirst can push us to radical
persevering actions that modify our whole life.
As teenagers, we can apply the fourth beatitude to our everyday life by:
a. Studying well and not cheating;
b. Saving some money to buy what we need instead of resorting to stealing;
c. Staying away from cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs; and
d. Doing homework instead of wasting time on unproductive activities with friends or watching senseless
programs on TV.
In the fourth beatitude, Jesus focused on justice, a value so essential to community life. Justice or righteousness is
not simply avoiding what is wrong, but also actively pursuing what is right- to fight against anything that prevents justice
or righteousness. Jesus taught, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one of your members than to have your whole body to Gehena” (Mt 5:30)
Fighting for what is right and just sometimes makes a person suffer. One may end up being branded as an
“enemy” of the unjust government. To refuse to cheat when almost everybody does may result in being taught as
“weird”, “walang pakikisama “or a “killjoy”. But, a person who truly hungers and thirsts for righteousness will go on to
pursue justice because there is no sacrifice too great to attain our destiny, a life with God.
The fourth beatitude helps us keep our priorities clear. While it is important to nourish our body with good food, it is
even more important to nourish our hunger for a just way of life.

5. The merciful will be shown mercy.

Being merciful often involves two virtues: compassion and forgiveness. The word compassion comes from the
Latin words cum passus, meaning “suffer with”. Compassion is empathy accompanied by the urge to help. It is not pity,
which can be demeaning. It brings out a positive uplifting attitude. To be compassionate is to be sensitive, kind, and
understanding toward those who are in pain.
When we forgive, we focus not on the wrong done but on the doer whose genuine repentance is grace from God.
When we forgive, we restore the dignity of the wrongdoer. The readiness to forgive is central to following Jesus, toward
the Kingdom of God, filled with peace and love. Jesus taught, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly
father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” (Mt 6:14-
15). We need to learn mercy for two simple reasons: God shows mercy to all, and we need mercy from others and from
God.

6. The clean of heart will see God.

Why does Jesus exhort us to be “clean of heart”? Can we really be clean of heart when we know that we are all
sinners and only God is all holy?
The clean of heart are those who seek what is authentically good with pure intentions and who can detect what is
false. They strive to avoid sin, such as lying, because they value the truth. To be clean of heart, we have to commit
ourselves to live as Christ’s disciples, and we must always seek to do God’s will.
“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do the right and to love
goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” -Mi 6:8
The clean of heart are living a “good life”. In the Christian sense, “good life” refers to an ordered life where God
is central. On the other hand, a life that conforms to the ways of the world is self-centered life. It is a life of pleasure-
seeking with very little awareness of the needs of others.
Jesus is the perfect example of someone who is clean of heart. During His temptation in the desert, we see his
fidelity to his mission as the suffering Messiah. He embraced His destiny because of his total obedience to the Father’s
will and His intense love for all of us. Jesus, sinless and the clean of heart, had offered his life for the salvation of sinners
and rose to the right hand of the Father, so that whoever sees Him “sees the father” (cf Jn 14:9)

7. The peacemakers will be called children of God.

A peacemaker does not need to have a position of authority or great power. All that is needed is the willingness
to act for peace. A true advocate of peace “makes peace” even during difficult situations. He or she settles quarrels
between friends, resolves conflicts between classmates, or reconciles family members family members who have had
misunderstanding.

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 Jesus is the great reconciler and peacemaker. As the Savior, He reconciles humankind with His father, forgive
sinners, and brings us back to a loving relationship with the father and with one another from a relationship that had
been destroyed by sin.

8. Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness will inherit the Kingdom.
Martyrs in our school may be the students who refuse to have their homework copied, who do not drink alcohol or
smoke, and who do not engage in idle talks or gossip. These students may experience real persecution. They may be
laughed at, ridiculed, and even maligned.
Christians who stay loyal to Christ and the Kingdom may find that they no longer fit in with certain groups. This
experience of not belonging is a form of persecution that causes much emotional pain and even physical suffering, as in
the case of who died for Jesus and the Kingdom. Those who do not fit in with the secular world because they want to fit
in Christ’s Kingdom are truly blessed. Like Christ, they belong to the real world created by God.
Jesus did not promise an easy life for Christians. What he promised was a life that is full: “Whoever loses his life for
my sake will find it” (Lk 9:24; Mk 8:35; Mt 10:39; Jn 12:25). This is the Gospel Paradox.
Jesus’ Paschal Mystery is a testimony to the eight beatitudes. Jesus died for us, and through His Resurrection, new
life was offered to all.
The Sermon on the Mount shows us how profoundly humane Jesus’ teachings are. The beatitudes and the other
teachings of Jesus in the account of the sermon on the Mount call us to a deeper level of loving.

FA 3 What beatitude is shown in the following situations?

1. A person who is an advocate of peace during difficult situations.
2. A person who values relationship over money and believes that money doesn’t define the true worth of a
person.
3. A student who forgives and no longer harbour grudges or desire to take revenge.
4. A rich person who always donate to charity and puts his trust to God alone.
5. A person who believes that Jesus comforts through other person.
6. A person who strives to avoid sin, such as lying, because he/she value the truth.
7. One who settles quarrel between friends and resolves dispute between classmates.
8. A student who has empathy to others and helps those who are bullied.
9. Students who are not defensive and are not afraid of false accusations.
10. A person who is experiencing grief finds comfort in Jesus.

SA3

Week 3
CALLED TO BE HAPPY: LIVING THE BEATITUDES
God wants us to be happy. God is our happiness. When we search for God, we are actually searching for our happiness.
Keep on searching for God in your daily life:
1. Study the life of the saints and learn from them. 4. Serve others whenever you can.
2. Find time to be quiet and be still to encounter God. 5. Teach younger relatives or neighbors about the
3. Be faithful and attentive to the Sunday Mass. beatitudes.

Reaching Out to the Poor and the Outcast

Being in the third world country, we Filipinos are very much aware of the poor. On our way to school, we may
see them: street children, sick and elderly beggars, scavengers, and squatters. Others may not be noticeable but they are
also there: child laborers, prostitutes, and the underemployed.

The Jesus of the Gospels clearly identified Himself with the poor. He not only preached the Good News to them,
but really offered them life, the recovery of their self-worth, through physical and spiritual healing: “Go and tell John
what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised, and the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them” (Mt. 11:4-5). The special mark of the people of the
Kingdom of God is their love for those in need.

Jesus and the Poor of Israel

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 The “poor” in Jesus’ time were not only those materially poor. They included the sinners, tax collectors,
prostitutes, Samaritans, and lepers. These people and other outcasts were treated as non-persons. Sometimes, they
were pitied, but they were certainly not loved. Most of the time, there were abhorred, and even shunned. The poor
today are treated the same way.

Jesus identified with the outcasts. One of the most remarkable things about Jesus was how much He differed
from the “reformers” of His time who told people how they should change. Unlike them, Jesus identified Himself with
the poor. He went out of His way to mix with the “nobodies” and the “discarded people” of His society.

More than simply mixing with the poor, Jesus made them the special object of His ministry and the first
beneficiaries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus declared, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours”
(Lk 6:20). He revealed to them that God is their Father who loves them and who wants to save them. He showed the
Father’s love by ministering to these unwanted people, taking meals with them, healing them, and above all, forgiving
their sins. Jesus gave them the feeling of importance and restored their dignity.

However, for the Jewish leaders, it was blasphemous and sacrilegious to invoke the blessings of God on
notorious sinners and to offer divine forgiveness to outcasts. It was totally divine forgiveness to outcasts. It was totally
outrageous, even sinful, for those “keeping the law” to invite outcasts to their feasts and celebrations.

As in today’s society, meals during Jesus’ time were considered a way of sharing one’s life with others. Hence,
table-fellowship was done with friends, not with strangers, and especially not with public sinners. Besides, ritual
impurity could be incurred by associating with public sinners.

But Jesus shared meals with everyone. For Him there were no outsiders. No one was excluded. This basic
openness and friendliness of Jesus to the poor and the outcast was scandalous to the Pharisees and the leaders of
Jewish society, but these gave the dispossessed and the unwanted great joy. Jesus declared, “Those who are healthy do
not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but the sinners” (Lk 5:31-32).

Jesus welcomes sinners to Himself. Jesus interacted with the sinners of His time. Note that the sick like the lepers
were also considered sinners because the Jews believed that sickness, blindness, and any physical handicap were the
result of sinfulness.

Read the stories of Jesus’ interactions with some sinners in the Bible.

The Penitent Woman (Lk 7:36-50)

A notorious woman sinner rushed into the house of Simon the Pharisee while Jesus and His companions were
having dinner. The woman knelt at Jesus’ feet, washed them with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and kissed and
perfumed them.

Jesus did not reject her as holy men were expected to do with public sinners. He did not punish or scold her.
Instead, He forgave her and exhorted Simon to love others as He did.

The result was healing, as the woman experienced forgiveness, relief, joy, gratitude, and love. It touched the
woman whom Jesus allowed to wash His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Jewish law prohibited public
sinners, like the woman, to come near, much less do these intimate gestures to a respectable Jew.

Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10)

Zacchaeus was a man of wealth. He became rich by abusing his position as a tax collector. Consequently, he was
regarded as a public sinner and an outcast by Jewish society. No respectable man would enter his house and eat with
him. But Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’s house and went to have dinner with the tax collector.

Zaccheaus was touched by Jesus’ gesture of friendship and acceptance that he declared before Jesus, “Behold,
half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have exhorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four
time over.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

Jesus Cures a Leper (Mk 1:40-45)

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 During Jesus’ time, a leper was treated as an outcast. Lepers had to live outside the city in little colonies of
misery and were made to carry a bell when they travelled to warn others of their approach. One day a leper called out
to Jesus, which sent those who were nearby scurrying for cover.

Jesus touched the leper and instantly cured him. By restoring a leper to health, Jesus demonstrated His
compassion for those who were suffering not only physically but also socially. Jesus desired to take the lepers out from
their isolation and restore them back to their community.

The Samaritan Woman at the Well (Jn 4:4-30)

In biblical times, no respectable Jew would speak in public with a Samaritan, even more so with a Samaritan
woman of bad reputation. But Jesus engaged in a long conversation with a Samaritan woman. He even asked her to give
Him water to drink.

Her encounter with Jesus opened up new possibilities for the woman. Jesus’ acceptance of her, shown in His
request for water to drink, converted her and made her want to change her life of lies to life of honesty and communion
with God.

Jesus’ own life was a parable and a proof of the Kingdom. He shows us that everyone, especially those who do
not count much in the society, matters to Him. His acceptance of people is genuine and sincere. His very presence
liberates people from sin, lack of self-worth, and illness.

FA4: Enumerate (10) important persons and events in the stories showing Jesus reaching out to the poor and outcasts.

Week 4

BEING CONVERTED: A CONSTANT DEMAND OF THE KINGDOM

Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God was actually a call to a change of heart – a metanoia. Metanoia is a
Greek word that means “turning about.” A person who is converted is said to have a “turnabout.”

When Jesus announced the Kingdom to the people, He asked them to repent, to change, to make a choice, to
turn about. Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God requires a new way of living. This new way of living He described
in His teachings. Accepting the Kingdom means making the decision to begin to live in the kingdom way, which is
characterized by loving, forgiving, and praying.

Love as I Love

The greatest sign of a person’s conversion is his or her love. The apostle John wrote, “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). If
God is love, then His Kingdom is a Kingdom of love, a condition or situation where people love or are loved. When Jesus
told his disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34), He was giving us a new commandment – to love as
He loves.

We all have heard of people taking care of their loved ones. There is a story of a young professional who went on leave
to take care of her grandmother who was dying of cancer. Throughout her last days, the old woman said demeaning
words to her granddaughter but the latter patiently served her and attended to her needs. How was the young woman
able to do this? As Christians, we realize that it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to love as Christ loves (Jn 15:26).

When we care for a parent, a relative, a friend, or even a stranger, we become signs or proclamations of the
Kingdom of God. Through our good works, the Kingdom of God becomes present in our midst. Jesus’ love and
compassion are shown through us when we help make the lives of other peole better and happier.

Forgive as I Forgive

When Peter asked Jesus how often he must forgive others, the Lord answered, “Not seven times but seventy-
seven times” (Mt 18:21-22. This means forgiving without limit!

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 Jesus showed the importance of forgiving others during His Ministry. He did not cast a stone at the woman
caught in adultery. Instead, He forgave her and told her to sin no more. He also forgave the sins of the paralyzed man.
While on the Cross, He prayed for His executioners: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

Jesus commands us to be forgiving as He is. To empower us to forgive, He sends us His spirit of love – the Holy
Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to forgive even those who have betrayed us or have made our life miserable.

Forgiveness is the very essence of God and His Kingdom. As members of His Kingdom, we have to learn how to
forgive one another, no matter how difficult it is. We can begin by reminding ourselves that we ourselves need
forgiveness. After we take this first step, God will give us the grace to “do to others whatever we would have them do to
us” (Mt 7:12).

It is only with God’s help that we can learn to truly forgive those who have wronged us. Whenever we pray,
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us,” we are acknowledging that we are like the people
who have wronged us, that we ourselves have wronged too, and therefore also need forgiveness. Though we are not
perfect, God constantly accepts us. Just as God forgives us, so, too, must we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Pray as I Pray

Jesus, the man of prayer, not only taught people how to pray; He also showed how important prayer is.

Jesus spent three full years preaching and ministering to people. During Hid ministry, He always found time for
prayer. This shows how close He was to the Father. Jesus taught, both by word and example, that only through prayer
can we be conscious of the presence of God in our lives.

“Your kingdom come” is the heart of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus bids us to ask God to send His workers so the
Kingdom will come in its fullness. “Your will be done” in the same prayer expresses our trust in God as the only One who
can establish the Kingdom. Truly, we need constant conversion to be able to fully live in God’s Kingdom.

Pope Francis reflects on the Beatitudes in his WYD 2014 message:

When we look only for success, pleasure and possessions, and we turn these into idols, we may well have
moments of exhilarations, an illusory sense of satisfaction, but ultimately, we become enslaved, never satisfied,
always looking for more. It is tragic to see a young person who “has everything”, but is weary and weak. Have the
courage to swim against the tide. Have the courage to be truly happy! Say no to an ephemeral, superficial and
throwaway culture, a culture that assumes that you are incapable of taking on responsibility and facing the great
challenges of life!”

SA 4

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