CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN IFUGAO

CHRISTIAN LIVING EDUCATION 9

SECOND QUARTER – A.Y. 2024-2025

UNIT II: ENTERING INTO THE MYSTERY OF JESUS

LESSON 1: JESUS WAS BORN (The Incarnation)

Matthew Luke
1. The Genealogy of Jesus 1. The announcement of the birth of John
2. The birth of Jesus 2. Announcement of the Birth of Jesus
3. The visit of the Magi 3. Mary Visits Elizabeth
4. The flight to Egypt 4. The canticle of Mary
5. The massacre of the Infants 5. The birth of John
6. The return from Egypt 6. The canticle of Zechariah
7. The birth of Jesus
8. The visit of the Shepherds
9. The Circumcision and naming of Jesus
10. The presentation in the temple.
11. The return to Nazareth.
12. The Boy Jesus in the temple.
Only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke contain the Infancy Narratives. The primary purpose of these narratives
is to bring out the religious significance of the coming of Jesus. The events that constitute the Infancy narratives are the
following:

A. The Genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:17; Lk 3:23-38)

The Generations listed in Matthew’s account is not meant to give an accurate historical record of Jesus’ ancestors.
Instead, Mathew traces the lineage of Jesus to David and Abraham.
For Matthew, if Jesus is the Messiah, then he must be of the house of David. The Jews were expecting the Messiah
to be of David’s royal line. Furthermore, if Jesus is the Messiah, He must be an Israelite, a son of Abraham. Jesus is the
man of truth who trusts totally in the Father; and so, Abraham, our father in faith, is his ancestor.
There are fourteen generations or 2x7. Seven is the symbolic number of fulfillments for the Jews.
Matthew wanted to stress Jesus’ identity as the Messiah promised by Yahweh long ago. The birth of Jesus means
that God has fulfilled the promises He made to His chosen people.
In Luke 3:23-38, the evangelist presents Jesus, savior of all people, both Gentile and Jew alike. He traces Jesus
‘lineage to Adam, the father of all of us. “The son of God” (Lk3:38). The accounts of both Matthew and Luke imply Jesus’
true identity; He is both truly divine and fully human.
B. The Announcement of the Birth of Jesus. (Mt 1:18-25, Lk 1:26-38)
In Matthew, the announcement of the “miraculous” conception and birth of Jesus was made to Joseph, the head
of the holy family. Luke, on the other hand, made Mary the recipient of the annunciation.
Luke gives prominence to the role of Mary in his Infancy Narratives. He stresses that Jesus came for all, but especially for
the poor and outcasts. In Jesus’ time, women, though respected, were not treated as citizens, but were even classified
among the outcasts.
Luke gave prominence to Mary describing that it was to Mary that the angel Gabriel announced the coming of
Jesus as savior of all. Matthew focused on Joseph to defend the legitimacy in Jewish law of Mary’s giving birth to Jesus.
C. The First Visitors of Jesus (Mt 2:1-11; LK 2:8-20)
Matthew narrates how the Magi traveled from the east to visit Jesus. He wants to show that Jesus is King,
someone deserving of our loyalty and worship. The term magi probably refers to astrologers, perhaps from Persia,
Babylon, or the Arabian desert. They were Gentiles who embraced Jesus as the Messiah, while the Jews did not
recognize Him.
The story of the Magi’s gifts is richly symbolic: gold is worthy of a king, frankincense was used in offerings to God,
while myrrh was used to prepare a body for burial. These gifts testify to the identity and mission of Jesus. Jesus is truly
the king of the Universe, the Son of God who will undergo death to save His people.
Luke relates the story of some poor shepherds, to whom angels proclaimed the good news of great joy: a savior has
been born for you (Lk2:10-11). Shepherds of that time often did not observe the Jewish religious laws and were
considered among the unclean or outcasts of Jewish society. Thus, Luke wanted to show that Jesus compassionately
reaches out to the poor, the outcasts, and the sinners.

FA: Retell the story of Jesus through a creative graphic organizer identifying the symbols during His birth.

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 A. Unique details in the Infancy Narratives in Matthew.
The account on the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt is recorded in Matthew’s Infancy narratives’ (Mt 2:13-15, 19-24).
Matthew’s account parallels the Old Testament account of Moses and the Exodus.
Egypt is a symbol of the land of slavery for the Chosen People. At a critical point in the history of Israel, Moses led the
Jews out of Egyptian slavery in the great Exodus into the Promised Land.
Moses had been saved from the Egyptian Pharaoh’s slaughter of the Hebrew babies. In comparable way Jesus was saved
form Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. The lives of both Moses and Jesus were spared by God-chosen persons, so they
could carry out God’s saving plan. Moses was called to be the liberator and teacher of the Jew’s in the Sinai Covenant.
Jesus is the New Teacher and Savior of the World, the Way, the Truth and the Life for all in the New Covenant. (Jn 14:6)
B. Unique Details in Luke
The visit of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth is found only in Luke’s version.
The visitation story describes the quality of Mary’s faith. Aside from being a sign of complete surrender to and trust in
the Word of God, Mary’s Visitation is a witness to outgoing service to the needy, in this case her cousin Elizabeth. Mary
exemplifies “the poor one of Yahweh” because the mission given her to become the mother of the Savior was
completely beyond her natural abilities. Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, acclaimed Mary as the “mother of
my Lord” (Lk1:43)
1. Jesus is circumcised (Lk 2:21).
Jesus was given the highly symbolic name of Jesus, thus foreshadowing His role as Savior of all people as
described by the angel at the Annunciation. In Hebrew, Jesus means “God saves “.
2. Jesus is presented in the Temple (Lk 2:22-40).
The prophet Simeon, who had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, came in the
Spirit into the temple, and took the child Jesus into his arms and blessed God “for my eyes have seen your
salvation … a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:25-32). Anna, an old
prophetess also met Jesus and enthusiastically spread the news that God had begun the deliverance of
Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s Chosen people. Simeon and Anna were the first to herald the significance of
Jesus’ birth. They did this at the temple, the very center of Jewish worship and power. Their prayers marked the
end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the era of the New Covenant. The Kingdom of God was being
inaugurated in a radically new way.
C. Common Elements in Matthew and Luke
The following details are found in the infancy Narratives in the books of Matthew and Luke:
1. Jesus was born of the Virgin (Lk 1:26-38; Mt 1:18-25).
Both Luke and Mathew narrate how Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit form the very
beginning of his human existence. The birth of Jesus by the virgin mother makes a profound statement: Jesus is
unlike any other person ever born. He is the Son of the Father, the Word, who has taken on human nature to
become one of us (Jn 1:14)
The incarnation derives from the Latin words en carne meaning “in flesh”, teaches the truth that the eternal Son
of God became human in Jesus and “dwelt among us”. The mystery of the Incarnation, like the Resurrection, is
totally unparalleled in human history. The Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ, announced by the angel
Gabriel, and prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, is born into the world and begins God’s New Covenant
with our human race.
2. Jesus was born in the time of King Herod the Great (Mt 2:1; Lk1:5).
Jesus was conceived and born during the reign of King Herod the Great. Luke tells us that John the
Baptist and Jesus were both conceived during Herod’s time. Most scholars agree that Jesus was born before 4
BCE. Luke added that the time of Jesus’ birth coincided with the great census decreed by Caesar Augustus, when
Quirinius was governor of Syria (Lk 2:1-20
The inclusion of some historical facts in the Infancy Narratives stresses Jesus’ birth was historical. It was
customary in the early times to attach the names of kings to establish the time and identity of someone’s birth.
3. Angels brought the Good News (Lk 1:26-28; Mt 1:20).

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
The presence of angels signifies the sacredness of a place or an event by indicating the presence of
God’s power in a visible way. It is a literary form very common in the Old Testament, and is used here to
symbolize the birth of the child as God’s action. The message of the angel (as well as the star in Matthew) points
to the divine hand in the birth of the child being announced.

LESSON 2: GROWING YEARS OF JESUS

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LOOKING UP TO JESUS IN HIS GROWING YEARS (LK 2:41-52)
*Only Luke breaks the Gospel silence about the hidden life of Jesus.
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
The incident at the temple of Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve. Again, the story is symbolic and reveals to us
that Jesus was brought up as a practicing Jew, and thus, when he was already of age, he accompanied Mary and Joseph
to attend Temple worship. Moreover, even as a boy of twelve, Jesus was already aware of His special relation to God the
Father.
In the Finding of Jesus in the Temple, we get a glimpse of Jesus’ sense of special mission that flowed from his
unique relation to God: “Did you not know that I must be in my father’s house?” (Lk2:49). Yet Jesus returned to Nazareth
with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them. “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was
subject to them. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man”. (Lk 2:51-52). These two
sentences contain the history of the 18 years of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. That is why those years are called “hidden
life”, the years between Jesus’ being lost in the Temple and His baptism by John the Baptist at the River Jordan.
The Gospels are not biographical, but faith documents and seemed to be concerned with Jesus’ public ministry
more than with His youth except Luke’s highlighting of Jesus’ obedience to His human parents. Luke would like to show
Jesus as the model of obedience to parent’s authority as asserted in the Fourth commandment. The God of all created
things, almighty and Infinite, was subject to two poor and unknown mortals!
Jesus’ obedience to Joseph and Mary was part of His fulfilling His mission, a visible sign of His relationship with
God. Jesus’ Obedience in the daily routine of His hidden life was already inaugurating His work of restoring what Adam’s
disobedience had destroyed (Rom 5:15): “I came down from heaven not to my own will but the will of the one who sent
me” (Jn 6:38). How is our obedience to our parents, teachers, and those who were placed over us?

The Message of the Hidden Years.

What spiritual lessons might we draw from the 30 years of Jesus' life in a marginal laid back Jewish village of
Nazareth?
Blessed Pope Paul VI describes the home of Nazareth as the school in which we begin to understand the life of Jesus
narrated in the Gospels.
1. Lesson on Silence.
As we grow toward, we learn to esteem silence as an indispensable and admirable quality of the mind. Young
people today live in an environment of constant noise. Their natural restlessness and frenzied ways produced a
myriad of unstudied activities that only leave them feeling more bored and emptier. Often, they find it difficult to
focus on simple everyday tasks.
The value of silence in our modern world cannot be underestimated. Spending some moments of silence can
restore our inner peace especially when we are so stressed out. Mindfulness, as a result of a more recollected
disposition increases mastery of self. Spiritually, it helps us to connect with God in the silence of our hearts, more
than the physical silence of our environment.
2. Lesson on Family Life.
Nazareth can teach us what family life is really about: communion of love, with austere and simple beauty. By
choosing a quiet, subdued, and private growing up years for Jesus, God is teaching us that the family comes first and
the importance of living the fourth commandment of God. This is far away from today’s confused priorities and set-
ups that make the family unit vulnerable: Making it more difficult today for parents to pass on religious and moral
values to their children.
Pope Francis has this to say about the importance of family life:
“It is in the family that we first learn how to pray… there in the family, welcome to know God, to Grow into men
and women of faith, to see ourselves as members of God’s greater family, in the church. It is in the family that
we learn to love, to forgive, to be generous and open, not closed and selfish. We learn to move beyond our own
needs, to encounter others and share our lives with them” (Meeting with the Families, Mall of Asia Arena,
January 16, 2015)
When we consider Jesus as the model of a “Man for others” we can think of the Holy Family in Nazareth as his
important source of formation, training and experience.
3. Lesson in Work.
Nazareth was the home of the “Carpenter’s Son’ in whom we come to understand and exercise the redeeming
law of human work “besides the daily chores of helping his family run a house, He would probably spend many
years working as a carpenter with Joseph…. think of the values that a carpenter needs. You need persistence to
carry out physically taxing labors… cutting down trees… patience, for slowly waiting for wood to dry…. A sense of

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 fairness, for charging his customers a fair price… ability to cooperate and to lead when working alongside with other
laborers … Jesus understood work. No wonder many of Jesus’ parables are about work and workers…” (James
Martin, SJ. Jesus: A pilgrimage, pp 89-90)

Jesus’ hidden life at Nazareth allows us to enter into fellowship with Him by means of the most ordinary events in
our daily life. In Nazareth, Jesus’ life was most like our own. “None of us is going to be preaching and performing
miracles-at least not as Jesus did- but all of us live everyday lives, as Jesus did in Nazareth, being taught and cared for by
our parents, living and squabbling with our families, playing with our friends, learning to be what it means to be adult,
and in time earning a living.” (Jesus, A Pilgrimage, p.74)
The hidden years of Jesus represent His long years of preparation for His public ministry. His wisdom, prayer,
discipline, strength of character, fellowship with others, and especially His compassion for the poor, the sick and the
sinners of His society, could only be the result of those years of formation.
The adolescent phase of our lives consists mostly of work that is hidden. It is a time of gaining experience and
discipline, of relating, of training, and of obeying. These years form our hidden lives. What we see accomplished in the
young Jesus is surely a legitimate good for high school.
FA
Write something about yourself which you only know that others don’t.

ENCOUNTERING CHRIST THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR

The abbreviation A.D stands for Anno Domini, which means “in the Year (Anno) of the Lord (Domini). For us
Christians, every year is a year of the Lord. As stated in the Vatican II’s constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (102)
“In the course of the year, the holy mother church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from the Incarnation to the
nativity to the ascension, to the Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord”.
Besides civil society’s yearly pattern, the Church has created its own liturgical year, or the yearlong pattern of
celebrations of the official prayer of the Church, marking the life and mysteries of Christ. The liturgical year begins with
advent and ends with the thirty-fourth week of the year, and the feast of Christ the king.
The seasons of the liturgical year keep us attentive to the process of growing in faith and becoming more and
more like Christ. Through the liturgy, we celebrate the mystery of the Risen Christ’s presence and action in our lives
now- the Risen Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary, Baptized by John the Baptist, preached the Gospel, died and
rose from the dead. Through the Liturgical celebrations, Jesus is brought present to us every day of our lives. This is the
realism of the liturgical year that can develop in us a consciousness that Jesus Christ is a real part of our life.

THE LITURGICAL SEASONS

Advent – the four-week season starting our liturgical year. The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus that
means “coming”. This is the season that commemorates the two comings of Christ; His incarnation and birth, and his
second coming in glory at the end of time. We celebrate the Lord’s coming anew into our hearts in grace every
Christmas.
Christmas – is the feast of the human birth of our Lord who came as light into the darkness of this world. The great
message of Christmas is the incarnation, the mystery of God the Son becoming man in Christ. It is the season of Joy
because God “became one of us”, the Emmanuel.

Lent - is a forty-day period preparing for Easter. This is a time when Christians get ready to celebrate Holy week, Christ’s
Paschal Mystery. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before the Eucharist on Holy Thursday. It is a season for
prayer and fasting, for confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for attending recollections in school and
parish. It involves participating in different penitential rites and religious activities that climax in the Sacred Triduum:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter vigil.
Our celebration of the Holy week is uniquely Filipino. This yearly commemoration of our Lord’s Passion and
Death presents to young people a very rich religious tradition that leads us closer to Jesus. Holy week begins on Palm
Sunday, on which we celebrate and dramatize the triumphant entry of Jesus, the Messiah, into Jerusalem. During Holy
Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday the church reflects on the Lord’s Passion through the readings in the
liturgy. On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the “last Supper” and reenact the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, the
ordination of the Apostles, and the washing of the feet. In highlighting Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist, the liturgy
recalls Jesus’ new commandment of love: “Love one another as I Love You” (Jn 15:12). Together with the washing of the
feet, this calls us to humble service to one another. On Good Friday, the day commemorating the Lord’s Death on the
Cross, no full mass is celebrated. On Holy Saturday, the church quietly meditates during the day at the Lord’s Tomb,
prayerfully preparing for celebrating the Resurrection.

Easter- the greatest feast in the Liturgical year because it celebrates Christ’s rising from the dead. This is the feast of
resurrection. It is celebrated through fifty days climaxing with the sending by the father and the Risen Christ of the Holy
Spirit on Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter.

Ordinary Time- consist of thirty-three to thirty-four weeks, or more than half of the year. It is the time to celebrate and
deepen our understanding of the public life of Jesus, with his teachings and miracles. Ordinary time begins on the day
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after the Baptism of the Lord and runs to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, starts again after Pentecost, and runs to
the end of the Liturgical year.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

LESSON 3: BEGINNING OF JESUS’ MINISTRY

Certain instances that influence us are called turning points. Our high school years are fertile ground for one or more
turning points in our lives. Our formation during these years prepares us for our vocation- that we are called to be or to
do in the future.
Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call” or “calling”. Considered from a faith point of
view, vocation is an initiative from God who beckons us to a particular way of life. Our response is always free; God
never compels us. He calls everyone
Vocation does not only refer to a calling to be a priest or a religious. By virtue of our Baptism, God calls all of us
to share in innumerable ways the mission of Jesus. All Christians are called to spread the Gospel whatever their career
may be. It is important for us not to miss the indications of our vocation. We must use all our God-given talents to
gradually discern what God is calling us to be or do.
A. Beholding God's Own Beloved Son in Jesus' Baptism

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, I
need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me? Jesus said to him in reply, 'Allow it now, for thus it is fitting
for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him. And a
voice came from the heavens, saying, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
-Mt 3:13-17
Jesus began His public ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist.
The heavens having opened, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and a voice from heaven proclaiming:
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). What do all these mean?
1. The opening of the heavens signifies that God had come to visit His people. It symbolizes God's intervention in human
affairs through His Son made man, Jesus Christ.
2. The descent of the dove represents the coming of the Holy Spirit. It signifies God's Spirit resting on Jesus and
anointing Him with the extraordinary power necessary for His public ministry. The dove also symbolizes the Spirit's
gentleness and peace, whose presence characterizes the divine joint mission Jesus and the Spirit would accomplish for
the people of Israel and the whole world.
3. The proclamation of the voice from heaven was God, the Father's affirmation of Jesus as His own beloved Son, the
Messiah, who would save all people from sin.
The baptism of Jesus revealed both His identity and His mission. His baptism showed that He was called to
accomplish His Father's saving work through the power of the Spirit with which He was anointed.

THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS: BEING FAITHFUL TO ONE'S MISSION

Jesus' temptations took place immediately after His baptism. This implies that they all concerned His mission.
Jesus was anointed for His mission of salvation at His baptism, but because He was truly human, Jesus had to face
situations involving serious temptations. Unlike us humans, though, Jesus is "one who has similarly been tested in every
way, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). The Gospels suggest that Jesus was tempted not only once but throughout His ministry.
Even on the cross, He was mocked and tempted: "Save yourself by coming down" (Mk 15:29-32).
DRAMATIC READING
Recall the account of Jesus' temptation and take note of important details in the story.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him,
DEVIL: If you are the Son of God, Command that these stones become loaves of bread.
Narrator: He said in reply.
Devil: It is written: "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."
Narrator: Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him...
Devil: You are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written "He will command his angels concerning you" and
with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone."
Narrator: Jesus answered him.,
Jesus: Again, it is written, "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.".
Narrator: Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their
magnificence, and he said to him.
Devil: All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.
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Narrator: At this, Jesus said to him...
Jesus: Get away, Satan! It is written; "The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.

A. The Meaning of Jesus' Temptation

"Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil'" (Mt 4:1). The Spirit who descended upon
Jesus at His baptism was the same Spirit who drove Him into the desert.
Desert was a place both for testing and receiving great favors. The desert is a place where decisions were made
on the basis of life and death.
The Gospel records that while Jesus was in the desert. He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Jesus' three
temptations are significant especially when taken in the context of His mission and its relevance to our life of faith.
1. Temptation l: "Turn these stones into bread." Satan tried to persuade Jesus to accomplish His mission by
bringing material riches to Israel. The temptation was for Jesus to take a shorter route and perform magic to produce
the material things the Jews needed or wanted, which would gain for Him the people's acceptance. However, Jesus
refused to take it. He refused to gain the people's allegiance through material gifts.
Jesus' mission as Messiah was to save the people from sin and not to satisfy all their physical and material
needs. Jesus was sent to establish the Kingdom of God. Jesus' response to Satan showed that material things can never
fully satisfy human needs.
Jesus' mission was to preach the Word of God, the Good News of salvation, which is a treasure that is far more
valuable than material prosperity. It actually thrives better in very simple lifestyles.
2. Temptation 2: "Throw yourself down." In the second temptation, the devil wanted Jesus to convince the
people that He was the Son of God by doing impossible and strange things. The sight of Jesus floating down from the
temple heights and landing on the ground unhurt would create such a reputation for Him. Jesus would not intend to
have any of this. His mission was not to seek a great name for Himself but to bring people closer to the Father. Jesus
rejected the way to worldly prestige and reputation.
3. Temptation 3: "Prostrate yourself and worship me." In return, Satan would give Jesus all the world's power. Again,
Jesus did not succumb to the temptation of the devil. He refused to pursue the illusion of power.
Jesus' mission was to establish God's Kingdom of love here on earth. He was committed to do this even if it took
Him to the Cross and to His death. He refused to compromise His mission. He ended His prayer to the Father with "Not
my will but yours be done Lk 22:42).
Jesus teaches us to reject the ways of the world, such as our Filipino crab mentality. Jesus opted for the long and
hard way in obedience to His Father's will. It is the way of self-giving love. He rejected Satan's temptations and relied on
His Father totally. Indeed, the Kingdom of God had begun.

B. Understanding Temptation
Normally, temptation lies not in our aims or objectives, but in the means we take to achieve them.
Consider these two situations:
1. Jason had homework to do. He had very little time to do research in the library. The school bus would be leaving in a
few minutes. Jason had to read two more pages. The pages happened to contain most of the information he needed. He
looked at the time on his watch. It was time to catch the bus. He got up, went behind the shelves, and tore out the pages
he needed from the reference book. He folded the pages neatly and put them in his pocket. He passed by the circulation
desk, smiled at the librarian, got his bag, and ran out to the bus.
2. Shirley was a good student, but one time she was caught cheating during a long test. She missed a week of classes
when she competed in a sports tournament outside the country. When she returned to school, she realized that she had
a lot of catching up to do. She did not have enough time to study the lessons that she had missed. During the test, she
peeked at her notes, and the teacher caught her:
If you analyze the motives or goals of Jason and Shirley, you will see that their motives were valid. Jason wanted
his homework done, but he also did not want to miss the bus. Shirley needed good marks to be able to continue playing
for her team. Both students wanted something that was good for them, but they failed to judge the morality of the
means to achieve their respective goals.
How will young person’s judge the goodness or the evil in their acts? What is the role of one's conscience and
the Holy Spirit during moments of temptation?
Jason resorted to vandalism and Shirley gave into academic dishonesty to attain what they wanted. They
rationalized that their actions did not harm anybody nor their dignity as persons. They concentrated solely on what they
desired. A good goal never justifies wrongful means. Vandalism and dishonesty are acts that do not become good just
because they seem to help one attain desirable goals. This is the principle: "A good end does not justify evil means."

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 Satan is a wily tempter. He usually does not tempt us to do outright evil. Rather, he leads us to rationalize that
the evil we do is "good" for Satan has subtle ways of enticing us to do evil. He disguises his suggestions in many ways
which can be a "practical" solution to a problem, a friend' advice, and the like.
Temptation comes to all, especially those who consider themselves resolved to do good. In fact, temptation
often comes when one is trying to accomplish something really desirable. We have our conscience and the grace of the
Spirit to help us discern the evil in the temptation and reject it.
"No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength;
but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it." -1 Cor 10:13

"On a certain day when Benedict was alone, the tempter presented himself. A small dark bird, commonly called
a blackbird, began to fly around his face and came so near him that, if he had wished, he could have seized it with his
hand. But on making the sign of the cross, the bird flew away. Then followed a violent temptation of the flesh, such as
he had never before experienced. The evil spirit brought before his imagination a woman whom he had formerly seen,
and inflamed his heart with such vehement desire at the memory of her that he had very great difficulty in repressing it.
He was almost overcome and thought of leaving his solitude. Suddenly, however, with the help of divine grace, he found
the strength he needed. Seeing near at hand a thick growth of briars and nettles, he stripped off his habit and cast
himself into the midst of them and plunged and tossed about until his whole body was lacerated. Thus, through those
bodily wounds, he cured the wounds of his soul. Never again was he troubled in the same way.
1. What was St. Benedict's temptation?
2. How did he try to overcome the temptation?
3. What would you do if you encountered the same kind of temptation?

FA: Essay:
1. What can you say about your baptism?
2. Identify the devil’s proposal and Jesus’ response during the temptation.

Bible Scanning:
Name the 12 apostles and say something about each apostle.

THE CALL OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES: SAYING “YES” TO GOD’S CALL

"As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother
Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, come after me, and I will make you fishers of
men.' At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the
son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them,
and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him."
-Mt 4:18-22
A. The Relationship between Jesus and His Apostles
The call of the apostles is a part of God's saving plan and a mystery. We can never fully understand why, of all
people, these twelve men were called by Jesus, just as we can never fully understand why God created each one of us.
The term apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means "to be sent
1. It was Jesus who chose and called His disciples. "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you" (Jn
15:16). During Jesus' time, it was usually the disciple or student who approached the teacher and asked to be accepted
into the latter's group of followers.
2. Jesus called His apostles to a lasting personal relationship with Him. "He said to [Levi], 'Follow me" (Lk 5:27). "I have
called you friends" (Jn 15:15). Most rabbis kept their students for the purpose of teaching them. When the studies are
completed, most of the students and teachers no longer maintain contact with one another.
3. The disciples were called not only for their benefit. In the Gospel of John, it is clear that Jesus called the Twelve, so
they would "go and bear fruit" (In 15:16). In the Synoptics, the Twelve were called to be "fishers of men" (Mt4:19). In
short, the apostles were called to work for the Kingdom that Jesus had started.
The apostles were a major part of Jesus' ministry. Jesus sent them on a mission to proclaim the Good News of
the Kingdom. He was empowered to teach, heal, and cast out devils (Mt 10:1). The apostles realized their full mission
only after Jesus' Resurrection, when they received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day. These great events brought the
apostles ear understanding of Jesus' identity and His mission of making the whole world His disciples. However, the
apostles' mission was never exclusive to them. All of us, Christians, by virtue of our Baptism, have the mission to follow
in the footsteps of the apostles and spread Jesus' message of salvation. Like the apostles, we are empowered by the
Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News.
B. Sharing in Jesus' Mission
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 We need to understand the meaning of our Baptism more deeply because it is the sacrament that made us
Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Unlike many events in our first years, our Baptism has constantly
influenced us.
As we grow up within our Christian family and community, we gradually learn about the realities of life, personal
relationships, and the Christian faith that we have been baptized into. Reflect on the present conditions and instances in
your Iife that are direct effects of your being a baptized Christian. Think about your parents' choice of your name.
By our Baptism, we have been incorporated into Christ. Hence, we are called to be His disciple and friend. We
have been given the perfect norm and model for living our life, Christ. Imagine how different our life would be if we
were not Christians.
In Baptism, we are reborn into a supernatural existence and become adopted sons and daughters of the Father.
To be baptized is to center a life of union with God. This life of faith develops as long as we live that raises our natural
human development.
There are a few key realities in the Sacrament of Baptism that link it with Jesus' Baptism in the River Jordan, His
temptations in the desert, and the call of His first disciples.

Jesus' Baptism
Jesus' Baptism in the River Jordan Constituted His "missioning" By coming to the river to be baptized by John,
Jesus began His mission from the Father. This was confirmed by the voice from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17)
The coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove that rested upon Jesus' head served as His anointing for His
special mission as the Savior of the world. Jesus was, thus, prepared to begin His public ministry of proclaiming God's
Kingdom.
Christian Baptism
Having been baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," we share in the Son's
mission of building God's Kingdom on earth. Let us review the rite of Baptism and reflect on how it points to our call to
share Christ's mission.
When our parents brought us to Church for Baptism, the priest asked them, "What do you ask of God and
Church for your child?" They answered, "Baptism," the grace of new life in Christ and entrance into the Church. Our
parents expressed for us the desire to belong to Christ and to His Church.
Baptism unites us with the Risen Christ through His Spirit. St. Paul teaches, "For all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ... for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:27-28).
The basic rite in the baptismal ceremony is the pouring of water on the forehead or the immersion in water.
During which, the priest says the words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
By this sacramental act, God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, incorporates us into the Church, which is the body of
Christ on earth. By the baptismal grace, we become adopted sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters
of God's Risen Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
The water in Baptism signifies the new life of grace that we share through the Holy Spirit, It is precisely by
receiving the Holy Spirit that we receive this life of grace by which we are cleansed from all sin. Just as Christ was
anointed during His baptism, so were we anointed to share Christ's life and mission in ours.
Our anointing with chrism in Baptism symbolizes our being members of God's anointed people and our sharing
in Christ's triple mission of being Prophet-Priest-King. The commitment to Christ's mission is pressed in the baptismal
vows through the lighted candle. If the baptized is an infant, the parents and sponsors make the vows and receive the
lighted candle for the infant. The candle given to the baptized is lighted from the Paschal candle, which symbolizes Jesus
as the Light of the World and the source of the grace received in Baptism. Receiving the lighted candle symbolizes the
baptized Christian's sharing in Christ's mission as the Light of the World.
Just like Christ, the baptized are commissioned by God to be His witnesses to the world. Being God's witnesses,
we must constantly struggle to come closer to Christ and live our daily lives according to the Gospel. Thus, the baptized
are strengthened against all temptations that may come from the world (our surroundings), the flesh (our sinful
tendencies and inclinations), and the devil (1 Jn 2:16).

Jesus, God's beloved Son, was sent to accomplish the work of Redemption, which was ritually inaugurated at His
Baptism. Jesus overcame all obstacles and temptations to fulfill the tremendous mission given Him by His Father.

MORAL
We must follow Jesus, God's beloved Son, who was perfectly faithful to the Father. Jesus is the fundamental
moral norm for all human moral life

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WORSHIP
The Holy Spirit that we received in the Sacrament of Baptism joins us O the Risen Christ, both as individuals and
as members of the Church, and anoints us for our own mission. We renew our baptismal vows each year during the
Easter Vigil.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Lesson 4: Building a Personal Relationship and Spiritual journey with Jesus

FA
A. Create a symbol for your baptism.
B. Temptations that come to you.
Explain the symbol

Source:
Frago, Ester V. and Josephine C. Dango. Called to Meet Christ in Scripture, Church, and Sacraments. Quezon City:
Sibs Publishing House, Inc., 2013.