Essay: (30 points)
1. There are rules or guidelines in your own home. These were formulated for good reasons.
Could these reasons also be related when Pope Francis said, “Faith is a relationship, not
a set of rules”? What do you say? (10 points)
Our home has no straightforward rules or guidelines, but it is more like unsaid or unspoken
rules. These rules are general and familiar for those in a relationship of trust and respect,
such as 'close the lights when not in use' or 'message when you're late in going home'. If
you're in a relationship of trust with your family, you can make specific rules since you
have no doubts that they would keep them and would respect your reasons for
implementing those. An individual follows the rules set by someone because we love
them, so we would want to maintain that faith. Just like Pope Francis hoped to convey,
the so-called 'set of rules' should not be considered restricting at all. If we trust and love
God, we will be able to involve ourselves in His will and avoid doing acts He doesn't like.
Just like we don't do things that bring disappointment to our family, we don't want to
disappoint Him and our connection with Him to be severed.
2. The meaning of the Bible requires proper assistance. Who are two (2) people in your life
that can best assist you to understand the Bible, and why? (10 points)
The bible indeed requires proper assistance for a person to understand and practice what
it truly teaches. I can say that the two people in my life that can best aid me with this aspect
are my mother and my sister. First, my mother is a keeper of her faith. She has been here
in this world more than I have, so it is practical for me to learn things from her. She also
has the kind of belief that is to be considered old-fashioned. In contrast, my sister is only
a year older than me. It means we are both growing together as individuals and as children
of God. We have varied interpretations of things because of our differences, and we can
share those to fully understand the stories’ message and morale. Having these two in my
journey with God will help me understand things much better than when alone.
3. Who among the prophets can you personally relate yourself to? Cite the prophet and
explain why? Use an example to support your claim. (10 points)
I can relate to Elijah and Jonah the most among all the prophets. But since I am to
elaborate on only one, I would choose Jonah. The story of the prophet Jonah is somewhat
weird or even comedic. However, when his reasoning was revealed to be his dislike of
God’s forgiving nature, I can relate to it. As an individual afraid of making mistakes, my
first instinct would be to turn away and run as far as I could if possible - which Jonah did,
albeit for a different reason. There's also the fact that I am big for delivering justice. This
is why I understand why Jonah is so frustrated with God's benevolence and compassion
towards the people of Nineveh. I sometimes hold a grudge against some people,
especially if I don't have closure between the people involved. That is why it is hard for me
to forgive and forget. So, knowing how God can do that in a blink also astounds me. I
realized that that makes God, almighty, and I human.