Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Mk 4, 10-13 The mystery of the kingdom of God

(Mk 4, 10-13) The mystery of the kingdom of God
[10] And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. [11] He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, [12] so that 'they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'" [13] Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
(CCC 2088) The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith: Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness. (CCC 2089) Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. "Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him" (CIC, can. 751: emphasis added). (CCC 2090) When God reveals Himself and calls him, man cannot fully respond to the divine love by his own powers. He must hope that God will give him the capacity to love Him in return and to act in conformity with the commandments of charity. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God's love and of incurring punishment.

No comments: