Sacredness and Spirituality: Hallmarks of the Family
by Jose B. Pilar
When our editor, Tess Valencia, suggested this topic for the Christmas issue, I thought that it was an appropriate subject to ponder during Christmas, when the entire faithful is celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
As we know, the Christian faith is universal and global, but we must also remember that in many parts of the world, even in our own country, societies have beliefs and cultures of their own that are unique and different. They vary according to their ancestral legacies. These differences are often a source of conflict and problems.
In this context, the rise and fall of societies are deeply-rooted in family relationships which influence and often cause differing political thought and actions.
Christians believe that when a family holds itself as sacred and spiritual, it becomes a strong and positive influence in society. If we perceive these qualities in families around us, we can attribute them to an upright upbringing and to the Filipino’s traditional cultural make-up.
Some questions arise in my mind: how sacred do we view our own families? How spiritual are we, really? Are our faith and culture keeping us together in facing national political conflicts?
Perhaps, a brief historical perspective may shed some light into these aspects of our lives.
Long ago, the pre-hispanic Malay race from which our roots sprung was made up of freedom-loving, fiercely feudal tribes. When the Spanish explorers sailed to the Philippine islands, they came upon these ethnic tribes, some of whom were friendly and others, hostile. The Spaniards saw islands of virgin land that were sparsely populated. Unchallenged, they claimed the land for their king and queen, which we suppose was the customary way of their time. Soon after, Spanish missionaries came and built big churches all over the nation. One of our illustrious historians, Alejandro Roces, wrote that these ancient churches served to attract the ethnic tribes in the highlands, to come down to town to attend fiestas and other church festivities. They were, thus, converted and became the early Christians in our islands. Today, these great old Catholic churches, these edifices, are the landmarks of our cities and towns. They are symbolic of our people’s historical faith experience.
In the later part of our history, American teachers taught us our democratic principles and institutions. They paved the way for our independence. Foreign industries came to our shores. At the same time, in those years, Chinese and Indian cultures, among others, arrived and were assimilated into the mainstream. Indeed, the Filipino-Christian culture that evolved mainly from these various cultural influences is unique. It can be said, therefore, that despite many hardships, the colonial years brought positive social and spiritual benefits to our people. And this is why our Christian faith today is alive and strong. It is manifest in our customs and traditions.
For the ordinary Pinoy, faith is centered in the family. Thus, the family is sacred; it is a sanctuary. The Filipino needs family as much as he draws strength from it. He cherishes the things in the family that gives him peace and joy. His perception of sacredness is based on faith and belief, on religiosity and spirituality, on the integrity of the family members who practice what they preach, and on Christian values that apply to the daily grind. This view of family goes beyond today’s parents and kids. They go back to grandparents, and great grandparents. It is also a glimpse of the future.
For many of us, adopting social standards that address family issues give us a claim to respectability. Naturally, an image of self-respect is deemed important. It is a matter of pride. For instance, the family takes pride in a child’s achievement in school. The family takes pride in a son’s marriage that is well-prepared and is sanctified in the Church. But, on the other hand, the family may be humbled and hurt by the unexpected, such as when a daughter lives-in with her boyfriend. Citing another example, a child’s faith may suddenly be shaken by discovering his father’s secret infidelity.
For most Pinoys, church rites form part of their social agenda. It is part of the intrinsic desire for holiness. It goes with the attitude that, for example, urges parents to bring a newborn child to the sacrament of baptism. Another instance that is not uncommon is that of a couple already married in civil rites, but still wanting to have a church wedding ceremony. On Sundays, going to mass is a weekly family ritual, never to be missed. And mass is often followed by outings into the mall or to recreational places.
In the countryside, church festivities and town fiestas are traditional holiday celebrations. They are often the highlights of the annual social calendar.
These are traditions and customs of our Christian heritage. They indicate strong religiosity of the Filipino.
In our respective homes, whether big or small, one always finds the customary altar. Holy images are invariably displayed; even cars and jeepneys display a medal or crucifix, reflecting the Pinoy’s belief. Is this practice really meaningful?
Some Church authorities feel the laity is sometimes overly engrossed in external devotions, and duplicate movements, which priests do tolerate at times. It does bring to mind, however, a question of the authenticity and sincerity of our faith. Certain folk practices such as self-flagellations, or walking down the aisle and up to the altar on one’s knees are basically expressions of worship and supplication. Do they change people for the better? A popular quotation says: Prayer does not change God; prayer changes him who prays.
It is said that a real faith change is attainable with true spirituality. It can only be experienced in a personalized relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Thus, to be renewed, one must be in a state of readiness to learn and practice the teachings of Jesus (as He taught in the Scriptures). One must seek constant renewal and keep away from occasions of sin. Receiving and practicing the Sacraments, the Liturgy, and the Preaching of the Gospel, are ways for a family to attain spiritual peace and joy.
In light of the above, we propose that concerned members of the laity ponder the need to educate our fellow Catholics in a secular culture. Large numbers of Filipinos studying in public schools learn their religion only by word of mouth and by popular customs and traditions. Religious instructions are not given in these schools. Thus, it is easy to understand why we have so many Catholics in name, but not in practice.
In a way, the Philippine Bishops recognized the laid-back character of Filipino Catholics in its Second Plenary Conference in 1991. They exhorted the people as laity to awaken to the realities of politics in the country and to be actively involved in renewing politics as a citizen’s duty to God and country. But the laity, composed of nominal Catholics, failed to respond.
As a matter of comparative interest, a trend in secularization is causing Christ and God to be dropped from schools and workplaces in the United States. This trend is considered a threat to family solidarity. If the American faithful fails to respond to this trend, time will come when that American families will have a Christian faith with a pagan culture.
Perhaps at this stage of our national development, renewal of the faith by way of education is a call of the times. A deeper understanding of family issues is needed to deal with situations such as overseas work that separates parents and family members, declining school work and teaching quality, going to church and praying together as family, upholding family life, and, facing threats squarely such as pre-marital sex, drug abuse, early marriages, abortion, media entertainment, same sex marriage, live-ins, and so forth.
Nourishing family relationships and values is an area for renewal of faith, and this requires the devotion of personal time to learn the bible, join in community activities, encourage companionship and relationships by which we endure suffering and loneliness, understand sorrow and pain, and experience love and joy, as we go through different stages of family life. When we experience the whole gamut of our emotions and feelings as we go through life in pursuit of our faith, in the end, we learn to love God.
Contributed by Christian Family Movement, Unit 7, jose b. pilar
When our editor, Tess Valencia, suggested this topic for the Christmas issue, I thought that it was an appropriate subject to ponder during Christmas, when the entire faithful is celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
As we know, the Christian faith is universal and global, but we must also remember that in many parts of the world, even in our own country, societies have beliefs and cultures of their own that are unique and different. They vary according to their ancestral legacies. These differences are often a source of conflict and problems.
In this context, the rise and fall of societies are deeply-rooted in family relationships which influence and often cause differing political thought and actions.
Christians believe that when a family holds itself as sacred and spiritual, it becomes a strong and positive influence in society. If we perceive these qualities in families around us, we can attribute them to an upright upbringing and to the Filipino’s traditional cultural make-up.
Some questions arise in my mind: how sacred do we view our own families? How spiritual are we, really? Are our faith and culture keeping us together in facing national political conflicts?
Perhaps, a brief historical perspective may shed some light into these aspects of our lives.
Long ago, the pre-hispanic Malay race from which our roots sprung was made up of freedom-loving, fiercely feudal tribes. When the Spanish explorers sailed to the Philippine islands, they came upon these ethnic tribes, some of whom were friendly and others, hostile. The Spaniards saw islands of virgin land that were sparsely populated. Unchallenged, they claimed the land for their king and queen, which we suppose was the customary way of their time. Soon after, Spanish missionaries came and built big churches all over the nation. One of our illustrious historians, Alejandro Roces, wrote that these ancient churches served to attract the ethnic tribes in the highlands, to come down to town to attend fiestas and other church festivities. They were, thus, converted and became the early Christians in our islands. Today, these great old Catholic churches, these edifices, are the landmarks of our cities and towns. They are symbolic of our people’s historical faith experience.
In the later part of our history, American teachers taught us our democratic principles and institutions. They paved the way for our independence. Foreign industries came to our shores. At the same time, in those years, Chinese and Indian cultures, among others, arrived and were assimilated into the mainstream. Indeed, the Filipino-Christian culture that evolved mainly from these various cultural influences is unique. It can be said, therefore, that despite many hardships, the colonial years brought positive social and spiritual benefits to our people. And this is why our Christian faith today is alive and strong. It is manifest in our customs and traditions.
For the ordinary Pinoy, faith is centered in the family. Thus, the family is sacred; it is a sanctuary. The Filipino needs family as much as he draws strength from it. He cherishes the things in the family that gives him peace and joy. His perception of sacredness is based on faith and belief, on religiosity and spirituality, on the integrity of the family members who practice what they preach, and on Christian values that apply to the daily grind. This view of family goes beyond today’s parents and kids. They go back to grandparents, and great grandparents. It is also a glimpse of the future.
For many of us, adopting social standards that address family issues give us a claim to respectability. Naturally, an image of self-respect is deemed important. It is a matter of pride. For instance, the family takes pride in a child’s achievement in school. The family takes pride in a son’s marriage that is well-prepared and is sanctified in the Church. But, on the other hand, the family may be humbled and hurt by the unexpected, such as when a daughter lives-in with her boyfriend. Citing another example, a child’s faith may suddenly be shaken by discovering his father’s secret infidelity.
For most Pinoys, church rites form part of their social agenda. It is part of the intrinsic desire for holiness. It goes with the attitude that, for example, urges parents to bring a newborn child to the sacrament of baptism. Another instance that is not uncommon is that of a couple already married in civil rites, but still wanting to have a church wedding ceremony. On Sundays, going to mass is a weekly family ritual, never to be missed. And mass is often followed by outings into the mall or to recreational places.
In the countryside, church festivities and town fiestas are traditional holiday celebrations. They are often the highlights of the annual social calendar.
These are traditions and customs of our Christian heritage. They indicate strong religiosity of the Filipino.
In our respective homes, whether big or small, one always finds the customary altar. Holy images are invariably displayed; even cars and jeepneys display a medal or crucifix, reflecting the Pinoy’s belief. Is this practice really meaningful?
Some Church authorities feel the laity is sometimes overly engrossed in external devotions, and duplicate movements, which priests do tolerate at times. It does bring to mind, however, a question of the authenticity and sincerity of our faith. Certain folk practices such as self-flagellations, or walking down the aisle and up to the altar on one’s knees are basically expressions of worship and supplication. Do they change people for the better? A popular quotation says: Prayer does not change God; prayer changes him who prays.
It is said that a real faith change is attainable with true spirituality. It can only be experienced in a personalized relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Thus, to be renewed, one must be in a state of readiness to learn and practice the teachings of Jesus (as He taught in the Scriptures). One must seek constant renewal and keep away from occasions of sin. Receiving and practicing the Sacraments, the Liturgy, and the Preaching of the Gospel, are ways for a family to attain spiritual peace and joy.
In light of the above, we propose that concerned members of the laity ponder the need to educate our fellow Catholics in a secular culture. Large numbers of Filipinos studying in public schools learn their religion only by word of mouth and by popular customs and traditions. Religious instructions are not given in these schools. Thus, it is easy to understand why we have so many Catholics in name, but not in practice.
In a way, the Philippine Bishops recognized the laid-back character of Filipino Catholics in its Second Plenary Conference in 1991. They exhorted the people as laity to awaken to the realities of politics in the country and to be actively involved in renewing politics as a citizen’s duty to God and country. But the laity, composed of nominal Catholics, failed to respond.
As a matter of comparative interest, a trend in secularization is causing Christ and God to be dropped from schools and workplaces in the United States. This trend is considered a threat to family solidarity. If the American faithful fails to respond to this trend, time will come when that American families will have a Christian faith with a pagan culture.
Perhaps at this stage of our national development, renewal of the faith by way of education is a call of the times. A deeper understanding of family issues is needed to deal with situations such as overseas work that separates parents and family members, declining school work and teaching quality, going to church and praying together as family, upholding family life, and, facing threats squarely such as pre-marital sex, drug abuse, early marriages, abortion, media entertainment, same sex marriage, live-ins, and so forth.
Nourishing family relationships and values is an area for renewal of faith, and this requires the devotion of personal time to learn the bible, join in community activities, encourage companionship and relationships by which we endure suffering and loneliness, understand sorrow and pain, and experience love and joy, as we go through different stages of family life. When we experience the whole gamut of our emotions and feelings as we go through life in pursuit of our faith, in the end, we learn to love God.
Contributed by Christian Family Movement, Unit 7, jose b. pilar
posted by montalut @ 12:59 AM
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