Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Youcat commented through CCC. Question n. 37 – Part V.
(Youcat answer - repeated) We revere God as Father first
of all because he is the Creator and cares lovingly for his creatures. Jesus,
the Son of God, has taught us, furthermore, to regard his Father as our Father
and to address him as “our Father”.
A deepening through
CCC
(CCC 524) When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient
expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the
Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second
coming (Cf. Rev 22:17). By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the
Church unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must
decrease” (Jn 3:30). (CCC 525) Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor
family (Cf. Lk 2:61). Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event.
In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest (Cf. Lk 2:8-20). The Church
never tires of singing the glory of this night: The Virgin today brings into
the world the Eternal and the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible. The
angels and shepherds praise him and the magi advance with the star, For you are
born for us, Little Child, God eternal! (Kontakion
of Romanos the Melodist).
Reflecting and
meditating
(Youcat comment)
Several pre-Christian religions had the
divine title “Father”. Even before Jesus, the Israelites addressed God as their
Father (Deut 32:6; Mal 2:10), realizing that he is also like a mother (Is
66:13). In human experience, father and mother stand for origin and authority,
for what is protective and supportive. Jesus Christ shows us what God the
Father is really like: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). In
the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus addresses the most profound human longings
for a merciful father.
(CCC Comment)
(CCC 526) To become a child in relation to God is the
condition for entering the kingdom (Cf. Mt 18:3-4). For this, we must humble
ourselves and become little. Even more: to become "children of God"
we must be "born from above" or "born of God" (Jn 3: 7;
1:13; 1:12; cf. Mt 23:12). Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of
Christmas be fulfilled in us (Cf. Gal 4:19). Christmas is the mystery of this
"marvellous exchange": O marvellous exchange! Man's Creator has
become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of
Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity (LH, Antiphon I of Evening Prayer for January 1st). (CCC 527)
Jesus' circumcision, on the eighth
day after his birth (Cf. Lk 2:21), is
the sign of his incorporation into Abraham's descendants, into the people of
the covenant. It is the sign of his submission to the Law (Cf. Gal 4:4) and his deputation to Israel's
worship, in which he will participate throughout his life. This sign prefigures
that "circumcision of Christ" which is Baptism (Cf. Col 2:11-13).
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