LSVI

• Characteristics of the Filipino Catholic


  • Family-oriented
  • Meal-oriented
  • “Kundiman”-oriented
  • “Bayani”-oriented
  • Spirit-oriented
• We Filipinos draw our sense of self-identity from our families
• Our families provide us with a sense of security, stability, and belongingness
• Unknown: '“Hindi siya iba sa atin.”'
• Christ

  Our “kapatid”
• God

  Ama Namin
• Our Lady

  Mahal na Ina
• For us Filipinos, our “salo-salo” is more than just nourishment of the body
• We strengthen our relationships by sharing a meal
• The Filipino “handaan”

  An expression of our good will
• The Eucharist


  Our “salo-salo”, our family reunion
• Christ

  Our “tinapay ng buhay”
• “Piging”

  A sign of Christ's gracious love
• The “Kundiman”

  A sad love song
• We are naturally attracted to those who are “kawawa” or “kinakawawa”
• We are very patient and forgiving “alang-alang sa pinagsamahan”
• We are willing to suffer for the sake of others
• Christ is the God who keeps on loving us to the point of suffering and death
• Unknown: '“Pinagmalasakitan tayo.”'
• In him we find someone who understands our struggles and heartaches
• We look up to heroes
• We admire people who give up their lives for our sake
• We do not want sad endings to our stories
• Perhaps we endure suffering because there is someone who is willing to sacrifice on our behalf
• Jesus

  Our “Cristo Rey”, the king who is “tagapagtanggol ng inaapi”, “kampeon ng masa”
• Jesus

  The defender of the poor and the oppressed
• As king, he assures us that things will go well since he has already triumphed over evil
• For us Filipinos, the “supernatural” is natural
• We are likely to believe in the existence of the invisible and the mysterious
• It is easy for us to accept Jesus as miracle-worker
• Jesus

  The “mapaghimala”, the “makapangyarihan sa lahat”
• Images of Christ preferred by Filipinos

  • The Christ Child (SANTO NIÑO)
  • The Suffering and Dead Christ (JESUS NAZARENO, SANTO ENTIERRO)
• The image of the Santo Niño is the oldest religious image in the Philippines
• The wooden image was brought to the island by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521
• Magellan gave the image Santo Niño to Queen Juana as a baptismal gift
• In 1565, Cebu was for a big part destroyed by a fire
• The fire was set on purpose by the Spaniards as a punishment for hostile activities of the Cebuanos
• A Spanish soldier found the image of Santo Niño remarkably unscratched in one of the burned houses
• Since then, the miraculous image has been treated by the Cebuanos as their patron saint
• The miraculous image is kept in the Parish convent