Tit 2, 14-15 Who gave himself for us to deliver us

(Tit 2, 14-15) Who gave himself for us to deliver us

[14] who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. [15] Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you.

(CCC 802) Christ Jesus "gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own" (Titus 2:14). (CCC 811) "This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic" (LG 8). These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other (Cf. DS 2888), indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities. (CCC 805) The Church is the Body of Christ. Through the Spirit and his action in the sacraments, above all the Eucharist, Christ, who once was dead and is now risen, establishes the community of believers as his own Body. (CCC 806) In the unity of this Body, there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted. (CCC 807) The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head: she lives from him, in him, and for him; he lives with her and in her. (CCC 808) The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God's children. (CCC 809) The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms. (CCC 812) Only faith can recognize that the Church possesses these properties from her divine source. But their historical manifestations are signs that also speak clearly to human reason. As the First Vatican Council noted, the "Church herself, with her marvellous propagation, eminent holiness, and inexhaustible fruitfulness in everything good, her catholic unity and invincible stability, is a great and perpetual motive of credibility and an irrefutable witness of her divine mission" (Vatican Council I, Dei Filius 3: DS 3013).

Tit 2, 13 The appearance of the glory of the great God

(Tit 2, 13) The appearance of the glory of the great God

[13] as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ,

(CCC 2857) In the Our Father, the object of the first three petitions is the glory of the Father: the sanctification of his name, the coming of the kingdom, and the fulfillment of his will. The four others present our wants to him: they ask that our lives be nourished, healed of sin, and made victorious in the struggle of good over evil. (CCC 2858) By asking "hallowed be thy name" we enter into God's plan, the sanctification of his name - revealed first to Moses and then in Jesus - by us and in us, in every nation and in each man. (CCC 2859) By the second petition, the Church looks first to Christ's return and the final coming of the Reign of God. It also prays for the growth of the Kingdom of God in the "today" of our own lives. (CCC 2860) In the third petition, we ask our Father to unite our will to that of his Son, so as to fulfill his plan of salvation in the life of the world. (CCC 2861) In the fourth petition, by saying "give us," we express in communion with our brethren our filial trust in our heavenly Father. "Our daily bread" refers to the earthly nourishment necessary to everyone for subsistence, and also to the Bread of Life: the Word of God and the Body of Christ. It is received in God's "today," as the indispensable, (super-) essential nourishment of the feast of the coming Kingdom anticipated in the Eucharist. (CCC 2865) By the final "Amen," we express our "fiat" concerning the seven petitions: "So be it". (CCC 2856) "Then, after the prayer is over you say 'Amen,' which means 'So be it,' thus ratifying with our 'Amen' what is contained in the prayer that God has taught us" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. myst. 5,18: PG 33, 1124; cf. Lk 1:38). (CCC 2760) Very early on, liturgical usage concluded the Lord's Prayer with a doxology. In the Didache, we find, "For yours are the power and the glory for ever" (Didache 8, 2: SCh 248, 174). The Apostolic Constitutions add to the beginning: "the kingdom," and this is the formula retained to our day in ecumenical prayer (Apostolic Constitutions, 7, 24, 1: PG 1, 1016). The Byzantine tradition adds after "the glory" the words "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." the Roman Missal develops the last petition in the explicit perspective of "awaiting our blessed hope" and of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13; cf. Roman Missal 22, Embolism after the Lord's Prayer). Then comes the assembly's acclamation or the repetition of the doxology from the Apostolic Constitutions.

Tit 2, 12 To live temperately, justly, and devoutly

(Tit 2, 12) To live temperately, justly, and devoutly

[12] and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,

(CCC 774) The Greek word mysterion was translated into Latin by two terms: mysterium and sacramentum. In later usage the term sacramentum emphasizes the visible sign of the hidden reality of salvation which was indicated by the term mysterium. In this sense, Christ himself is the mystery of salvation: "For there is no other mystery of God, except Christ" (St. Augustine, Ep 187,11, 34: PL 33, 846). The saving work of his holy and sanctifying humanity is the sacrament of salvation, which is revealed and active in the Church's sacraments (which the Eastern Churches also call "the holy mysteries"). The seven sacraments are the signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the head throughout the Church which is his Body. The Church, then, both contains and communicates the invisible grace she signifies. It is in this analogical sense, that the Church is called a "sacrament." (CCC 776) As sacrament, the Church is Christ's instrument. "She is taken up by him also as the instrument for the salvation of all," "the universal sacrament of salvation," by which Christ is "at once manifesting and actualizing the mystery of God's love for men" (LG 9 § 2, 48 § 2; GS 45 § 1) The Church "is the visible plan of God's love for humanity," because God desires "that the whole human race may become one People of God, form one Body of Christ, and be built up into one temple of the Holy Spirit" (Paul VI, June 22, 1973; AG 7 § 2; cf. LG 17). (CCC 777) The word "Church" means "convocation." It designates the assembly of those whom God's Word "convokes," i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ. (CCC 779) The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can accept. (CCC 780) The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men. (CCC 784) On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people's unique, priestly vocation: “Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people ‘a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.’ The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood” (LG 10; Cf. Heb 5:1-5; Rev 1:6). (CCC 785) “The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office,” above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it “unfailingly adheres to this faith… once for all delivered to the saints” (LG 12; Cf. Jude 3), and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ's witness in the midst of this world.

Tit 2, 11 The grace of God has appeared

(Tit 2, 11) The grace of God has appeared
[11] For the grace of God has appeared, saving all

(CCC 759) "The eternal Father, in accordance with the utterly gratuitous and mysterious design of his wisdom and goodness, created the whole universe and chose to raise up men to share in his own divine life" (LG 2), to which he calls all men in his Son. "The Father… determined to call together in a holy Church those who should believe in Christ" (LG 2). This "family of God" is gradually formed and takes shape during the stages of human history, in keeping with the Father's plan. In fact, "already present in figure at the beginning of the world, this Church was prepared in marvellous fashion in the history of the people of Israel and the old Alliance. Established in this last age of the world and made manifest in the outpouring of the Spirit, it will be brought to glorious completion at the end of time" (LG 2). (CCC 760) Christians of the first centuries said, "The world was created for the sake of the Church" (Pastor Hermae, Vision 2, 4, 1: PG 2, 899; cf. Aristides, Apol. 16, 6; St. Justin, Apol. 2, 7: PG 6, 456; Tertullian, Apol. 31, 3; 32, 1: PL 1, 508-509). God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. The Church is the goal of all things (Cf. St. Epiphanius, Panarion 1, 1, 5: PG 41, 181C), and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels' fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world: Just as God's will is creation and is called "the world," so his intention is the salvation of men, and it is called "the Church" (Clement of Alex., Paed. 1, 6, 27: PG 8, 281). (CCC 766) The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus" (LG 3; cf. Jn 19:34). "For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church" (SC 5). As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross (Cf. St. Ambrose, In Luc. 2, 85-89: PL 15,1666-1668). (CCC 767) "When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church" (LG 4; Cf. Jn 17:4). Then "the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun" (AG 4). As the "convocation" of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them (Cf. Mt 28:19-20; AG 2; 5-6).

Tit 2, 9-10 Adorn the doctrine of God in every way

(Tit 2, 9-10) Adorn the doctrine of God in every way

[9] Slaves are to be under the control of their masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them [10] or stealing from them, but exhibiting complete good faith, so as to adorn the doctrine of God our savior in every way.

(CCC 2455) The moral law forbids acts which, for commercial or totalitarian purposes, lead to the enslavement of human beings, or to their being bought, sold or exchanged like merchandise. (CCC 2460) The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and beneficiary. By means of his labor man participates in the work of creation. Work united to Christ can be redemptive. (CCC 2461) True development concerns the whole man. It is concerned with increasing each person's ability to respond to his vocation and hence to God's call (cf. CA 29). (CCC 2450) "You shall not steal" (Ex 20:15; Deut 5:19). "Neither thieves, nor the greedy, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God" 1 Cor 6:10). (CCC 2451) The seventh commandment enjoins the practice of justice and charity in the administration of earthly goods and the fruits of men's labor. (CCC 2452) The goods of creation are destined for the entire human race. The right to private property does not abolish the universal destination of goods. (CCC 2453) The seventh commandment forbids theft. Theft is the usurpation of another's goods against the reasonable will of the owner. (CCC 2454) Every manner of taking and using another's property unjustly is contrary to the seventh commandment. The injustice committed requires reparation. Commutative justice requires the restitution of stolen goods. (CCC 2456) The dominion granted by the Creator over the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be separated from respect for moral obligations, including those toward generations to come. (CCC 2457) Animals are entrusted to man's stewardship; he must show them kindness. They may be used to serve the just satisfaction of man's needs. (CCC 2458) The Church makes a judgment about economic and social matters when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it. She is concerned with the temporal common good of men because they are ordered to the sovereign Good, their ultimate end. (CCC 2459) Man is himself the author, center, and goal of all economic and social life. The decisive point of the social question is that goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity.

Tit 2, 6-8 Showing yourself as a model of good deeds

(Tit 2, 6-8) Showing yourself as a model of good deeds

[6] Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves, [7] showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, [8] and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us.

(CCC 1700) The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God; it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude. It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment. By his deliberate actions, the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral conscience. Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth. With the help of grace they grow in virtue, avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32) to the mercy of our Father in. In this way they attain to the perfection of charity. (CCC 1702) The divine image is present in every man. It shines forth in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the union of the divine persons among themselves. (CCC 1703) Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul (GS 14 § 2), the human person is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake" (GS 24 § 3). From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude. (CCC 1704) The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection "in seeking and loving what is true and good" (GS 15 § 2). (CCC 1705) By virtue of his soul and his spiritual powers of intellect and will, man is endowed with freedom, an "outstanding manifestation of the divine image" (GS 17). (CCC 1706) By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him "to do what is good and avoid what is evil" (GS 16). Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the dignity of the person. (CCC 1714) Man, having been wounded in his nature by original sin, is subject to error and inclined to evil in exercising his freedom. (CCC 1715) He who believes in Christ has new life in the Holy Spirit. The moral life, increased and brought to maturity in grace, is to reach its fulfillment in the glory of heaven. (CCC 1639) The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself (Cf. Mk 10:9). From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law,… even in the eyes of society" (GS 48 § 1). The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love" (GS 48 § 2).

Tit 2, 2-5 Be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers

(Tit 2, 2-5) Be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers

[2] namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance. [3] Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good, [4] so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children, [5] to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

(CCC 2340) Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to God's commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer. "Indeed it is through chastity that we are gathered together and led back to the unity from which we were fragmented into multiplicity" (St. Augustine, Conf. 10, 29, 40: PL 32, 796). (CCC 2341) The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason. (CCC 2339) Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom. The alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy (Cf. Sir 1:22). "Man's dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external constraint. Man gains such dignity when, ridding himself of all slavery to the passions, he presses forward to his goal by freely choosing what is good and, by his diligence and skill, effectively secures for himself the means suited to this end" (GS 17). (CCC 2350) Those who are engaged to marry are called to live chastity in continence. They should see in this time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in fidelity, and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married love. They will help each other grow in chastity. (CCC 2342) Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life (Cf. Titus 2:1-6). The effort required can be more intense in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during childhood and adolescence.