CFAM VOLCATS CLOSING ASSEMBLY

Volunteer Catechists from Archdiocese of Manila, Diocese of Cubao, Diocese of Kalookan, 
Diocese of Novaliches, Diocese of Parañaque and Diocese of Pasig

By: Odette leon

To bring to a close the School Year 2013-2014, the Volunteer Catechists Commission held its last CFAM Volunteer Catechists Assembly on March 24, 2014 at San Fernando de Dilao Parish Church, Paco, Manila.

REV. FR. AMADO 'BONG' GINO

As a culmination  of the school year’s formation  theme on Scriptures Appreciation,   Volunteer Catechists Commission Director Fr.  Bong Gino  focused on  the   New Testament  specifically  on   “The Faces of Jesus in the Gospels” according to the four Evangelists as follows:  

• Mark --  written  sometime in the years  65-70 AD,  in very fast phase for the Jews who were then suffering persecutions to comfort them that their sufferings will soon come to an end upon the return of Jesus.  It  portrays Jesus as most human, maka-masa at  malapit sa tao.

• Matthew --  written sometime in the year 80 AD for the Jews who are already know Yahweh  and familiar with the law  as received by Moses at Mt. Sinai and contained in the Pentateuch.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is  portrayed as a  teacher and a law giver in contrast to Moses who only received the law from God while Jesus, because He is God, gave the law.

• Luke – portrays Jesus as the compassionate and forgiving Jesus through its diverse themes on women, the Holy Spirit, universal salvation and  mercy and forgiveness.

• John – written sometime after year 100AD portrays Jesus as noble, majestic and divine through its themes as follows:  Jesus is God from the start;  oneness with the Father; resurrection; aware of others thoughts and plans and proclamation of His divinity.

Through the help of the learnings from this topic on the New Testament, Fr. Bong is hopeful that volunteer catechists will be able to easily identify appropriate scriptural passages when assigned a topic for a module or lesson plan to be prepared.