Saturday, October 30, 2010

II. RELATIVE CHRONOLOGY



No student of the life of Jesus will question the chronological order of its principal divisions: infancy, hidden life, public life, passion, glory. But the order of events in the single divisions is not always clear
beyond dispute.

A. The Infancy of Jesus

The history of the infancy, for instance, is recorded only in the First Gospel and in the Third. Each Evangelist contents himself with five pictures:

·                     St. Matthew describes the birth of Jesus, the adoration of the Magi, the flight into Egypt, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, and the return to Nazareth.
·                     St. Luke gives a sketch of the birth, of the adoration of the shepherds, of the circumcision, of the purification of the Virgin, and of the return to Nazareth.

The two Evangelists agree in the first and the last of these two series of incidents (moreover, all scholars place the birth, adoration of the shepherds, and the circumcision before the Magi), but how are we to arrange the intervening three events related by St. Matthew with the order of St. Luke? We indicate a few of the many ways in which the chronogical sequence of these facts has been arranged.

1. The birth, the adoration of the shepherds, the circumcision, the adoration of the Magi, the flight into Egypt, the slaughter of the Innocents, the purification, the return to Nazareth. This order implies that either the purification was delayed beyond the fortieth day, which seems to contradict Luke, ii, 22 sqq., or that Jesus was born shortly before Herod's death. so that the Holy Family could return from Egypt within forty days after the birth of Jesus. Tradition does not seem to favour this speedy return.

2. The birth, the adoration of the shepherds, the circumcision, the adoration of the Magi, the purification, the flight into Egypt, the slaughter of the Innocents, the return to Nazareth. According to this order the Magi either arrived a few days before the purification or they came on 6 January; but in neither case can we understand why the Holy Family should have offered the sacrifice of the poor, after receiving the offeings of the Magi. Moreover, the firsr Evangelist intimates that the angel appeared to St. Joseph soon after the departure of the Magi, and it is not at all probable that Herod should have waited long before inquiring concerning the whereabouts of the new born king. The difficulties are not overcome by placing the adoration of the Magi on the day before the purification; it would be more unlikely in that case that the Holy Family should offer the sacrifice of the poor.

3. As Luke 2:39 appears to exclude the possibility of placing the adoration of the Magi between the presentation and return to Nazareth, there are interpreters who have located the advent of the wise men, the flight to Egypt, the slaughter of the Innocents, and the return from Egypt after the events as told in St. Luke. They agree in the opinion that the Holy Family returned to Nazareth after the purification, and then left Nazareth in order to make their home in Bethlehem. Eusebius, Epiphanius, and some other ancient writers are willing to place the adoration of the Magi about two years after Christ's birth; Paperbroch and his followers allow about a year and thirteen days between the birth and the advent of the Magi; while Patrizi agrees with those who fix the advent of the Magi at about two weeks after the purification . The text of Matt., ii, 1, 2, hardly permits an interval of more than a year between the purification and the coming of the wise men; Patrizi's opinion appears to satisfy all the data furnished by the gospels, while it does not contradict the particulars added by tradition.

B. The Hidden Life of Jesus

It was in the seclusion of Nazareth that Jesus spent the greatest part of His earthly life. The inspired records are very reticent about this period: Luke, 2:40-52; Mark 6:3; John 6:42; 7:15, are about the only passages which refer to the hidden life. Some of them give us a general view of Christ's life: "The child grew, and grew in strength and wisdom; and the grace of God was in him" is the brief summary of the years following the return of the Holy Family after the ceremonial purification in the Temple. "Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men", and He "was subject to them" form the inspired outline of Christ's life in Nazareth after He had attained the age of twelve. "When he was twelve years old" Jesus accompanied His parents to Jerusalem, 'according to the custom of the feast'; When they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not." After three days, they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions." It was on this occasion that Jesus spoke the only words that have come down from the period of His hidden life: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know, that I must be about my Father's business [or, "in my father's house"]?" The Jews tell us that Jesus had not passed through the training of he Rabbinic schools: "How doth this man know letters, having never learned?". The same question is asked by the people of Nazareth, who add, "Is not this the carpenter?" St. Justin is authority for the statement that Jesus specially made "ploughs and yokes' (Contra Tryph., 88). Though it is not certain that at the time of Jesus elementary schools existed in the Jewish villlages, it may be inferred from the Gospels that Jesus knew how to read (Luke 4:16) and write (John 8:6). At an early age He must have learned the so called Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), and the Hallel, or Psalms 113-118 (Hebr.); He must have been familiar with the other parts of the Scriptures too, especially the Psalms and the Prophetic Books, as He constantly refers to them in His public life. It is also asserted that Palestine at the time of Jesus Christ was practically bilingual, so that Christ must have spoken Aramaic and Greek; the indications that He was acquainted with Hebrew and Latin are rather slight. The public teaching of Jesus shows that He was a close observer of the sights and sounds of nature, and of the habits of all classes of men. For these are the usual sources of His illustrations. To conclude the hidden life of Jesus extending through thirty years is far different from what one should have expected in the case of a Person Who is adored by His followers as their God and revered as their Saviour; this is an indirect proof for the credibility of the Gospel story.

THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 20



PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION
OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
Why the liturgy?
1066 In the Symbol of the faith the Church confesses the mystery of the Holy Trinity
and of the plan of God's "good pleasure" for all creation: the Father accomplishes the
"mystery of his will" by giving his beloved Son and his Holy Spirit for the salvation of
the world and for the glory of his name.[1]
Such is the mystery of Christ, revealed and fulfilled in history according to the wisely
ordered plan that St. Paul calls the "plan of the mystery"[2] and the patristic tradition will
call the "economy of the Word incarnate" or the "economy of salvation."
1067 "The wonderful works of God among the people of the Old Testament were but a
prelude to the work of Christ the Lord in redeeming mankind and giving perfect glory to
God. He accomplished this work principally by the Paschal mystery of his blessed
Passion, Resurrection from the dead, and glorious Ascension, whereby 'dying he
destroyed our death, rising he restored our life.' 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."'[3]
For this reason, the Church celebrates in the liturgy above all the Paschal mystery by
which Christ accomplished the work of our salvation.
1068 It is this mystery of Christ that the Church proclaims and celebrates in her liturgy
so that the faithful may live from it and bear witness to it in the world:
For it is in the liturgy, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, that "the work
of our redemption is accomplished," and it is through the liturgy especially that the
faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ
and the real nature of the true Church.[4]
What does the word liturgy mean?
1069 The word "liturgy" originally meant a "public work" or a "service in the name
of/on behalf of the people."
In Christian tradition it means the participation of the People of God in "the work of
God."[5]
Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our
redemption in, with, and through his Church.
1070 In the New Testament the word "liturgy" refers not only to the celebration of
divine worship but also to the proclamation of the Gospel and to active charity.[6] In all
of these situations it is a question of the service of God and neighbor.
In a liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one
"leitourgos";[7] she shares in Christ's priesthood (worship), which is both prophetic
(proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):
The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ.
It involves the presentation of man's sanctification under the guise of signs perceptible
by the senses and its accomplishment in ways appropriate to each of these signs.
In it full public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by
the Head and his members.
From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the
priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others.
No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same
degree.[8]
Liturgy as source of life
1071 As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action of his Church. It makes the Church
present and manifests her as the visible sign of the communion in Christ between God
and men. It engages the faithful in the new life of the community and involves the
"conscious, active, and fruitful participation" of everyone.[9]
1072 "The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church":[10] it must
be preceded by evangelization, faith, and conversion. It can then produce its fruits in the
lives of the faithful: new life in the Spirit, involvement in the mission of the Church, and
service to her unity.
Prayer and liturgy
1073 The liturgy is also a participation in Christ's own prayer addressed to the Father in
the Holy Spirit. In the liturgy, all Christian prayer finds its source and goal. Through the
liturgy the inner man is rooted and grounded in "the great love with which [the Father]
loved us" in his beloved Son.[11] It is the same "marvelous work of God" that is lived
and internalized by all prayer, "at all times in the Spirit."[12]
Catechesis and liturgy
1074 "The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is
also the font from which all her power flows."[13]
It is therefore the privileged place for catechizing the People of God.
"Catechesis is intrinsically linked with the whole of liturgical and sacramental activity,
for it is in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, that Christ Jesus works in fullness
for the transformation of men."[14]
1075 Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ ( It is
"mystagogy." ) by proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing
signified, from the "sacraments" to the "mysteries." Such catechesis is to be presented by
local and regional catechisms. This Catechism, which aims to serve the whole Church in
all the diversity of her rites and cultures,[15] will present what is fundamental and
common to the whole Church in the liturgy as mystery and as celebration (Section One),
and then the seven sacraments and the sacramentals (Section Two).
ENDNOTES
1 Eph 1:9.
2 Eph 3:9; cf. 3:4.
3 SC 5 # 2; cf. St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 138, 2: PL 37, 1784-1785.
4 SC 2.
5 Cf. Jn 17:4.
6 Cf. Lk 1:23; Acts 13:2; Rom 15:16, 27; 2 Cor 9:12; Phil 2:14-17, 25, 30.
7 Cf. Heb 8:2, 6.
8 SC 7 # 2-3.
9 SC 11.
10 SC 9.
11 Eph 2:4; 3:16-17.
12 Eph 6:18.
13 SC 10.
14 John Paul II, CT 23.
15 Cf. SC 3-4.
SECTION ONE - THE SACRAMENTAL
ECONOMY
1076 The Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.[1] The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era in the
"dispensation of the mystery" the age of the Church, during which Christ manifests,
makes present, and communicates his work of salvation through the liturgy of his
Church, "until he comes."[2] In this age of the Church Christ now lives and acts in and
with his Church, in a new way appropriate to this new age. He acts through the
sacraments in what the common Tradition of the East and the West calls "the
sacramental economy"; this is the communication (or "dispensation") of the fruits of
Christ's Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church's "sacramental" liturgy.
It is therefore important first to explain this "sacramental dispensation" (chapter one).
The nature and essential features of liturgical celebration will then appear more clearly
(chapter two).
CHAPTER ONE - THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN
THE AGE OF THE CHURCH
ARTICLE 1 - THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE
HOLY TRINITY
I. THE FATHER-SOURCE AND GOAL OF THE
LITURGY
1077 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
He destined us before him in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the
purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in
the Beloved."[3]
1078 Blessing is a divine and life-giving action, the source of which is the Father; his
blessing is both word and gift.[4] When applied to man, the word "blessing" means
adoration and surrender to his Creator in thanksgiving.
1079 From the beginning until the end of time the whole of God's work is a blessing.
From the liturgical poem of the first creation to the canticles of the heavenly Jerusalem,
the inspired authors proclaim the plan of salvation as one vast divine blessing.
1080 From the very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and woman.
The covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing of fruitfulness
despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But with Abraham, the
divine blessing entered into human history which was moving toward death, to redirect
it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of "the father of all believers," who
embraced the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated.
1081 The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the
birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised
land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and
return of a "small remnant." The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in the
liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond
to them with blessings of praise and thanksgiving.
1082 In the Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated. The
Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the blessings of
creation and salvation. In his Word who became incarnate, died, and rose for us, he fills
us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours into our hearts the Gift that contains
all gifts, the Holy Spirit.
1083 The dual dimension of the Christian liturgy as a response of faith and love to the
spiritual blessings the Father bestows on us is thus evident. On the one hand, the
Church, united with her Lord and "in the Holy Spirit,"[5] blesses the Father "for his
inexpressible gift[6] in her adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. On the other hand, until
the consummation of God's plan, the Church never ceases to present to the Father the
offering of his own gifts and to beg him to send the Holy Spirit upon that offering, upon
herself, upon the faithful, and upon the whole world, so that through communion in the
death and resurrection of Christ the Priest, and by the power of the Spirit, these divine
blessings will bring forth the fruits of life "to the praise of his glorious grace."[7]


II. CHRIST'S WORK IN THE LITURGY
Christ glorified . . .
1084 "Seated at the right hand of the Father" and pouring out the Holy Spirit on his
Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to
communicate his grace. The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions)
accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit
they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.
1085 In the liturgy of the Church, it is principally his own Paschal mystery that Christ
signifies and makes present. During his earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal mystery
by his teaching and anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the
unique event of history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the
dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father "once for all."[8] His Paschal mystery
is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events
happen once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The Paschal mystery of
Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed
death, and all that Christ is - all that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the
divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all. The
event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.
. . . from the time of the Church of the Apostles . . .
1086 "Accordingly, just as Christ was sent by the Father so also he sent the apostles,
filled with the Holy Spirit. This he did so that they might preach the Gospel to every
creature and proclaim that the Son of God by his death and resurrection had freed us
from the power of Satan and from death and brought us into the Kingdom of his
Father. But he also willed that the work of salvation which they preached should be set
in train through the sacrifice and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life
revolves."[9]
1087 Thus the risen Christ, by giving the Holy Spirit to the apostles, entrusted to them
his power of sanctifying:[10] they became sacramental signs of Christ. By the power of
the same Holy Spirit they entrusted this power to their successors. This
"apostolic succession" structures the whole liturgical life of the Church
and is itself sacramental, handed on by the sacrament of Holy Orders.
. . . is present in the earthly liturgy . . .
1088 "To accomplish so great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work
of salvation - "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical
celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his
minister, 'the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered
himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present
in the sacraments so that when anybody baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes.
He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are
read in the Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has
promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst
of them."'[11]
1089 "Christ, indeed, always associates the Church with himself in this great work in
which God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is his beloved Bride
who calls to her Lord and through him offers worship to the eternal Father."[12]
. . . which participates in the liturgy of heaven
1090 "In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is
celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the sanctuary and of the true
tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the
Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with
them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear
and we too will appear with him in glory."[13]
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH IN
THE LITURGY
1091 In the liturgy the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and
artisan of "God's masterpieces," the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and
work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen
Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith which he has aroused in
us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy becomes the common
work of the Holy Spirit and the Church.
1092 In this sacramental dispensation of Christ's mystery the Holy Spirit acts in the same
way as at other times in the economy of salvation: he prepares the Church to encounter
her Lord; he recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By his
transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now. Finally the
Spirit of communion unites the Church to the life and mission of Christ.
The Holy Spirit prepares for the reception of Christ
1093 In the sacramental economy the Holy Spirit fulfills what was prefigured in the Old
Covenant. Since Christ's Church was "prepared in marvellous fashion in the history of
the people of Israel and in the Old Covenant,"[14] the Church's liturgy has retained
certain elements of the worship of the Old Covenant as integral and irreplaceable,
adopting them as her own:
-notably, reading the Old Testament;
-praying the Psalms;
-above all, recalling the saving events and significant realities which have found their
fulfillment in the mystery of Christ (promise and covenant, Exodus and Passover,
kingdom and temple, exile and return).
1094 It is on this harmony of the two Testaments that the Paschal catechesis of the Lord
is built,[15] and then, that of the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. This catechesis
unveils what lay hidden under the letter of the Old Testament: the mystery of Christ. It
is called "typological" because it reveals the newness of Christ on the basis of the
"figures" (types) which announce him in the deeds, words, and symbols of the first
covenant. By this re-reading in the Spirit of Truth, starting from Christ, the figures are
unveiled.[16] Thus the flood and Noah's ark prefigured salvation by Baptism,[17] as did
the cloud and the crossing of the Red Sea. Water from the rock was the figure of the
spiritual gifts of Christ, and manna in the desert prefigured the Eucharist, "the true
bread from heaven."[18]
1095 For this reason the Church, especially during Advent and Lent and above all at the
Easter Vigil, re-reads and re-lives the great events of salvation history in the "today" of
her liturgy. But this also demands that catechesis help the faithful to open themselves to
this spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it
and enables us to live it.
1096 Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy. A better knowledge of the Jewish people's faith
and religious life as professed and lived even now can help our better understanding of
certain aspects of Christian liturgy. For both Jews and Christians Sacred Scripture is an
essential part of their respective liturgies: in the proclamation of the Word of God, the
response to this word, prayer of praise and intercession for the living and the dead,
invocation of God's mercy. In its characteristic structure the Liturgy of the Word
originates in Jewish prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical texts and
formularies, as well as those of our most venerable prayers, including the Lord's Prayer,
have parallels in Jewish prayer. The Eucharistic Prayers also draw their inspiration from
the Jewish tradition. The relationship between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but
also their differences in content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the
liturgical year, such as Passover. Christians and Jews both celebrate the Passover. For
Jews, it is the Passover of history, tending toward the future; for Christians, it is the
Passover fulfilled in the death and Resurrection of Christ, though always in expectation
of its definitive consummation.
1097 In the liturgy of the New Covenant every liturgical action, especially the celebration
of the Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church.
The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the "communion of the Holy Spirit" who
gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends
racial, cultural, social - indeed, all human affinities.
1098 The assembly should prepare itself to encounter its Lord and to become "a people
well disposed." The preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the
assembly, especially of its ministers. The grace of the Holy Spirit seeks to awaken faith,
conversion of heart, and adherence to the Father's will. These dispositions are the
precondition both for the reception of other graces conferred in the celebration itself
and the fruits of new life which the celebration is intended to produce afterward.
The Holy Spirit recalls the mystery of Christ
1099 The Spirit and the Church cooperate to manifest Christ and his work of salvation
in the liturgy. Primarily in the Eucharist, and by analogy in the other sacraments, the
liturgy is the memorial of the mystery of salvation. The Holy Spirit is the Church's living
memory.[19]
1100 The Word of God. The Holy Spirit first recalls the meaning of the salvation event
to the liturgical assembly by giving life to the Word of God, which is proclaimed so that
it may be received and lived:
In the celebration of the liturgy, Sacred Scripture is extremely important. From it come
the lessons that are read and explained in the homily and the psalms that are sung. It is
from the Scriptures that the prayers, collects, and hymns draw their inspiration and
their force, and that actions and signs derive their meaning.[20]
1101 The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual understanding of the Word of God to those who
read or hear it, according to the dispositions of their hearts. By means of the words,
actions, and symbols that form the structure of a celebration, the Spirit puts both the
faithful and the ministers into a living relationship with Christ, the Word and Image of
the Father, so that they can live out the meaning of what they hear, contemplate, and do
in the celebration.
1102 "By the saving word of God, faith . . . is nourished in the hearts of believers. By
this faith then the congregation of the faithful begins and grows."[21] The proclamation
does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and
commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people. Once again it is the
Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the
community. The liturgical assembly is first of all a communion in faith.
1103 Anamnesis. The liturgical celebration always refers to God's saving interventions in
history. "The economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words which are
intrinsically bound up with each other.... [T]he words for their part proclaim the works
and bring to light the mystery they contain."[22] In the Liturgy of the Word the Holy
Spirit "recalls" to the assembly all that Christ has done for us. In keeping with the nature
of liturgical actions and the ritual traditions of the churches, the celebration "makes a
remembrance" of the marvelous works of God in an anamnesis which may be more or
less developed. The Holy Spirit who thus awakens the memory of the Church then
inspires thanksgiving and praise (doxology).
The Holy Spirit makes present the mystery of Christ
1104 Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them,
makes them present. The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the
celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy
Spirit that makes the unique mystery present.
1105 The Epiclesis ("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the priest begs the
Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the body
and blood of Christ and that the faithful by receiving them, may themselves become a
living offering to God.[23]
1106 Together with the anamnesis, the epiclesis is at the heart of each sacramental
celebration, most especially of the Eucharist:
You ask how the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of
Christ I shall tell you: the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what
surpasses every word and thought . . . Let it be enough for you to understand that it is
by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord,
through and in himself, took flesh.[24]
1107 The Holy Spirit's transforming power in the liturgy hastens the coming of the
kingdom and the consummation of the mystery of salvation. While we wait in hope he
causes us really to anticipate the fullness of communion with the Holy Trinity. Sent by
the Father who hears the epiclesis of the Church, the Spirit gives life to those who
accept him and is, even now, the "guarantee" of their inheritance.[25]
The communion of the Holy Spirit
1108 In every liturgical action the Holy Spirit is sent in order to bring us into
communion with Christ and so to form his Body. The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the
Father's vine which bears fruit on its branches.[26] The most intimate cooperation of the
Holy Spirit and the Church is achieved in the liturgy. The Spirit who is the Spirit of
communion, abides indefectibly in the Church. For this reason the Church is the great
sacrament of divine communion which gathers God's scattered children together.
Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are inseparably the fruit of
the Spirit in the liturgy.[27]
1109 The epiclesis is also a prayer for the full effect of the assembly's communion with
the mystery of Christ. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit"[28] have to remain with us always and bear fruit beyond
the Eucharistic celebration. The Church therefore asks the Father to send the Holy
Spirit to make the lives of the faithful a living sacrifice to God by their spiritual
transformation into the image of Christ, by concern for the Church's unity, and by
taking part in her mission through the witness and service of charity.
IN BRIEF
1110 In the liturgy of the Church, God the Father is blessed and adored as the source of
all the blessings of creation and salvation with which he has blessed us in his Son, in
order to give us the Spirit of filial adoption.
1111 Christ's work in the liturgy is sacramental: because his mystery of salvation is made
present there by the power of his Holy Spirit; because his Body, which is the Church, is
like a sacrament (sign and instrument) in which the Holy Spirit dispenses the mystery of
salvation; and because through her liturgical actions the pilgrim Church already
participates, as by a foretaste, in the heavenly liturgy.
1112 The mission of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy of the Church is to prepare the
assembly to encounter Christ; to recall and manifest Christ to the faith of the assembly;
to make the saving work of Christ present and active by his transforming power; and to
make the gift of communion bear fruit in the Church.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 19


ARTICLE 12 - "I BELIEVE IN LIFE
EVERLASTING"
1020 The Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus views it as a step towards
him and an entrance into everlasting life. When the Church for the last time speaks
Christ's words of pardon and absolution over the dying Christian, seals him for the last
time with a strengthening anointing, and gives him Christ in viaticum as nourishment for
the journey, she speaks with gentle assurance:
Go forth, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God the almighty Father, who
created you, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for
you, in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon you. Go forth, faithful
Christian!
May you live in peace this day, may your home be with God in Zion, with Mary, the
virgin Mother of God, with Joseph, and all the angels and saints....
May you return to [your Creator] who formed you from the dust of the earth. May holy
Mary, the angels, and all the saints come to meet you as you go forth from this life....
May you see your Redeemer face to face. 589
I. THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT
1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting
the divine grace manifested in Christ.[590] The New Testament speaks of judgment
primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also
repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with
his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on
the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny
of the soul-a destiny which can be different for some and for others.[591]
1022 Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment
of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the
blessedness of heaven-through a purification[592] or immediately,[593]-or immediate
and everlasting damnation.[594]
At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.[595]
II. HEAVEN
1023 Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever
with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face:[596] By
virtue of our apostolic authority, we define the following: According to the general
disposition of God, the souls of all the saints . . . and other faithful who died after
receiving Christ's holy Baptism (provided they were not in need of purification when
they died, . . . or, if they then did need or will need some purification, when they have
been purified after death, . . .) already before they take up their bodies again and before
the general judgment - and this since the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
into heaven - have been, are and will be in heaven, in the heavenly Kingdom and
celestial paradise with Christ, joined to the company of the holy angels. Since the
Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, these souls have seen and do see the divine
essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any
creature.[597]
1024 This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with
the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven."
Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of
supreme, definitive happiness.
1025 To live in heaven is "to be with Christ." The elect live "in Christ,"[598] but they
retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name.[599] For life is to be with
Christ; where Christ is, there is life, there is the kingdom.[600]
1026 By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has "opened" heaven to us. The life of
the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption
accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have
believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all
who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.
1027 This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond
all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace,
wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem,
paradise: "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has
prepared for those who love him."[601]
1028 Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself
opens up his mystery to man's immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for
it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory "the beatific
vision": How great will your glory and happiness be, to be allowed to see God, to be
honored with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light with Christ your Lord and
God, . . . to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven with the
righteous and God's friends.[602]
1029 In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God's will in relation
to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him "they shall
reign for ever and ever."[603]
III. THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR
PURGATORY
1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed
assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to
achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which
is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.[604] The Church formulated
her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The
tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing
fire:[605] As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment,
there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this
sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain
others in the age to come.[606]
1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already
mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the
dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."[607] From the beginning the Church
has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all
the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of
God.[608] The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance
undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons
were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the
dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and
to offer our prayers for them.[609]

IV. HELL
1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot
love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He
who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and
you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."[610] Our Lord warns us that
we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the
little ones who are his brethren.[611] To die in mortal sin without repenting and
accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own
free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the
blessed is called "hell."
1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those
who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and
body can be lost.[612] Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they
will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"[613] and that he
will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal
fire!"[614]
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity.
Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into
hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."[615] The chief
punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the
life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.
1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the
subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his
freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to
conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads
to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is
hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."[616] Since we know neither the
day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that,
when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him
into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked
and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness
where "men will weep and gnash their teeth."[617]
1037 God predestines no one to go to hell;[618] for this, a willful turning away from
God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic
liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God,
who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":[619] Father, accept
this offering from your whole family. Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final
damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.[620]
V. THE LAST JUDGMENT
1038 The resurrection of all the dead, "of both the just and the unjust,"[621] will precede
the Last Judgment. This will be "the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the
Son of man's] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."[622] Then Christ
will come "in his glory, and all the angels with him .... Before him will be gathered all the
nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left....
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."[623]
1039 In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man's relationship
with God will be laid bare.[624] The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest
consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life: All
that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When "our God comes, he does
not keep silence.". . . he will turn towards those at his left hand: . . . "I placed my poor
little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated in heaven at the right hand of my
Father - but on earth my members were suffering, my members on earth were in need. If
you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that
you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you
and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you
have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my
presence."[625]
1040 The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows
the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his
Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the
ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation
and understand the marvellous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its
final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the
injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.[626]
1041 The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving
them "the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation."[627] It inspires a holy fear of God
and commits them to the justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the "blessed
hope" of the Lord's return, when he will come "to be glorified in his saints, and to be
marvelled at in all who have believed."[628]
VI. THE HOPE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND
THE NEW EARTH
1042 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the
universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and
soul. The universe itself will be renewed:
The Church . . . will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come
the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the
universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through
him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ.[629]
1043 Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and
the world, "new heavens and a new earth."[630] It will be the definitive realization of
God's plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things in heaven and
things on earth."[631]
1044 In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among
men.[632] "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have
passed away."[633]
1045 For man, this consummation will be the final realization of the unity of the human
race, which God willed from creation and of which the pilgrim Church has been "in the
nature of sacrament."[634] Those who are united with Christ will form the community
of the redeemed, "the holy city" of God, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."[635] She will
not be wounded any longer by sin, stains, self-love, that destroy or wound the earthly
community.[636] The beatific vision, in which God opens himself in an inexhaustible
way to the elect, will be the ever-flowing well-spring of happiness, peace, and mutual
communion.
1046 For the cosmos, Revelation affirms the profound common destiny of the material
world and man:
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God . . . in
hope because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay.... We know
that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the
creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.[637]
1047 The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, "so that the world
itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of
the just," sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ.[638]
1048 "We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man, nor
the way in which the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by
sin, is passing away, and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new
earth in which righteousness dwells, in which happiness will fill and surpass all the
desires of peace arising in the hearts of men."[639]
1049 "Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new
earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows,
foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be
careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ,
such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to
the better ordering of human society."[640]
1050 "When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise . . .
according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again,
cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illuminated and transfigured, when Christ
presents to his Father an eternal and universal kingdom."[641] God will then be "all in
all" in eternal life:[642]
True and subsistent life consists in this: the Father, through the Son and in the Holy
Spirit, pouring out his heavenly gifts on all things without exception. Thanks to his
mercy, we too, men that we are, have received the inalienable promise of eternal
life.[643]
IN BRIEF
1051 Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment
of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead.
1052 "We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ's grace . . . are the People of God
beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when
these souls will be reunited with their bodies" (Paul VI, CPG # 28).
1053 "We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in
Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is
and where they are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine
governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness
by their fraternal concern" (Paul VI, CPG # 29).
1054 Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they
are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve
the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.
1055 By virtue of the "communion of saints," the Church commends the dead to God's
mercy and offers her prayers, especially the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist, on their
behalf.
1056 Following the example of Christ, the Church warns the faithful of the "sad and
lamentable reality of eternal death" (GCD 69), also called "hell."
1057 Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom
alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he
longs.
1058 The Church prays that no one should be lost: "Lord, let me never be parted from
you." If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God "desires all men to
be saved" (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him "all things are possible" (Mt 19:26).
1059 "The holy Roman Church firmly believes and confesses that on the Day of
Judgment all men will appear in their own bodies before Christ's tribunal to render an
account of their own deeds" (Council of Lyons II [1274]: DS 859; cf. DS 1549).
1060 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just
will reign with Christ for ever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself
will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life.
"AMEN"
1061 The Creed, like the last book of the Bible,[644] ends with the Hebrew word amen.
This word frequently concludes prayers in the New Testament. The Church likewise
ends her prayers with "Amen."
1062 In Hebrew, amen comes from the same root as the word "believe." This root
expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness. And so we can understand why "Amen"
may express both God's faithfulness towards us and our trust in him.
1063 In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we find the expression "God of truth" (literally
"God of the Amen"), that is, the God who is faithful to his promises: "He who blesses
himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [amen]."[645] Our Lord often
used the word "Amen," sometimes repeated,[646] to emphasize the trustworthiness of
his teaching, his authority founded on God's truth.
1064 Thus the Creed's final "Amen" repeats and confirms its first words: "I believe." To
believe is to say "Amen" to God's words, promises and commandments; to entrust
oneself completely to him who is the "Amen" of infinite love and perfect faithfulness.
The Christian's everyday life will then be the "Amen" to the "I believe" of our baptismal
profession of faith:
May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe
everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day.[647]
1065 Jesus Christ himself is the "Amen."[648] He is the definitive "Amen" of the
Father's love for us. He takes up and completes our "Amen" to the Father: "For all the
promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to
the glory of God":[649]
Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory
and honor is yours, almighty Father, God, for ever and ever. AMEN.