Day 84: The Claim of Savior

Jesus gave scandal above all when he identified his merciful conduct toward sinners with God's own attitude toward them. He went so far as to hint that by sharing the table of sinners he was admitting them to the messianic banquet. But it was most especially by forgiving sins that Jesus placed the religious authorities of Israel on the horns of a dilemma. Were they not entitled to demand in consternation, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" By forgiving sins Jesus either is blaspheming as a man who made himself God's equal, or is speaking the truth and his person really does make present and reveal God's name. CCC 589

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of the claims made by Jesus of being the Savior to Israel and the whole world. If there is anything that quickly becomes clear in reading the Gospels, it is that Jesus as the Messiah was not at all what the Jewish religious leaders, or indeed just about any Jew of that era, expected. He wasn't a wise political or mighty military leader who would free them from the Romans, but His mission was to call us to invite us to faith and belief in Him, thus restoring our relationship with God, freeing us from our slavery to sin, and giving us eternal life by His grace. Yet, "certain Jews, who did not recognize God made man, saw in him only a man who made himself God, and judged him as a blasphemer" (CCC 594). For this most grave of sins, as they saw it, Jesus would have to die. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it, they were left with only three choices about Jesus:

C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity explains that Jesus did not just claim to be a prophet or a holy person; he claimed to be God. There are only three explanations: either he was a liar, he was disconnected from reality (a lunatic), or he was truly who he said he was - the Lord. In asking the people to accept him as the Author of salvation and the Author of the universe, Jesus was asking them for an amazing amount of faith. (p. 172)

In many ways, they sadly chose only the first two options, and despite demonstrating to them that He Is Who He Says He Is, their hearts were too hardened and that third option was just too great of a stumbling block for them. Yet, in many other ways, it isn't bad news because the sacrifice He made on the cross proved to be our salvation. 

Disputation between Jesus and the Pharisees by Gustave Doré

Day 83: Jesus and the Temple

Like the prophets before him Jesus expressed the deepest respect for the Temple in Jerusalem. It was in the Temple that Joseph and Mary presented him forty days after his birth. At the age of twelve he decided to remain in the Temple to remind his parents that he must be about his Father's business. He went there each year during his hidden life at least for Passover. His public ministry itself was patterned by his pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the great Jewish feasts. CCC 583

In today's reading, the Catechism talks about Jesus and the Temple. As the above paragraph says, He had the "deepest respect for the Temple". It was the dwelling place of His Father on earth and, therefore, sacred to every faithful Jew. He taught there during His public ministry, and even the one time the Gospels tell us of a time when He grew angry, it was because of that "deepest respect for the Temple" that He reacted as He did (Matt 21:13). As the Catechism notes in paragraph 584, "After his resurrection, his apostles retained their reverence for the Temple" (cf Acts 2:46). Yet, the religious leaders of the time brought about the events of the Passion, and as a result the later destruction of the Temple as Christ had foretold (Matt 24:1-2). That horrible event recounted more fully in The Jewish War, "would manifest the dawning of a new age in the history of salvation" (CCC 586). I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol I speaks of the Eucharist in relation to this "new age in the history of salvation":

The night before Jesus died, he gave us the new and eternal covenant at the Last Supper, saying" "Take, eat; this is my body... Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28). "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). (p. 170)

Driving of the Merchants From the Temple by Scarsellino

 

Day 82: Jesus and the Law

The perfect fulfillment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son. In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but "upon the heart" of the Servant who becomes "a covenant to the people", because he will "faithfully bring forth justice". Jesus fulfills the Law to the point of taking upon himself "the curse of the Law" incurred by those who do not "abide by the things written in the book of the Law, and do them", for his death took place to redeem them "from the transgressions under the first covenant". CCC 580

In today's reading, the Catechism relates how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. He is its Author and the only One who could keep every part of it without error perfectly. Some aspects of the Law and the Old Covenant are "no longer applicable because the context for which they were enacted no longer exists." As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

Laws governing the worship in the Temple ended because the Temple itself ceased to exist. Laws for the governance of the people of Israel ended because the kingdom of Israel - as it existed in the Old Covenant - ceased to exist. (p. 168)

So we no longer should concern ourselves with things like tithing "mint and dill and cumin," like Christ's Pharisee critics, but instead focus on what He has placed on our hearts from the moral law, "mercy and fidelity" (Matt 23:23). Again from the Catechism Companion:

The moral laws are absolute. They are true and binding at all times in all places for all people... Jesus tells us the moral law must reach not only our actions but also our hearts. This moral law is still in effect. (p. 168)

Day 81: Christ's Paschal Mystery

The Paschal mystery of Christ's cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News that the apostles, and the Church following them, are to proclaim to the world. God's saving plan was accomplished "once for all" by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ. CCC 571

In today's reading, the Catechism begins by looking at the mystery of Christ's redemptive act on the cross. Being fully man and fully God, He is the only Lamb of God that could make such a perfect and loving sacrifice for our salvation (1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:19). Everything in His life on earth, including His teaching, is aimed toward that redemptive act. St. John's Gospel tells us that "salvation is from the Jews" (Jn 4:22) and as the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

The entire Old Testament is the story of how God lovingly and faithfully chose the Jewish people as his own, as his firstborn, and how he entered into a covenant with them in a powerful way. (p. 166)

Jesus as Lord and Messiah is the fulfillment of all their hopes and the promises made to them so long ago. Sadly though, the Jewish religious leaders of the time did not recognize Who Jesus Is, thinking instead that He was "possessed and out of his mind" (Jn 10:20). For this reason, while not all of them sought His blood (Lk 13:31), enough of them did, including the most important ones among the leadership (Mk 14:1).

The ending of today's reading gives us the reason why so many opposed Him:

In the eyes of many in Israel, Jesus seems to be acting against essential institutions of the Chosen People: - submission to the whole of the Law in its written commandments and, for the Pharisees, in the interpretation of oral tradition; - the centrality of the Temple at Jerusalem as the holy place where God's presence dwells in a special way; - faith in the one God whose glory no man can share. CCC 576

 

Wrapping Up St. Cyril of Jerusalem's "Catechetical Lectures"

Tonight was the last night with the ecumenical discussion group, run by Gospel Simplicity, on this work by St. Cyril of Jerusalem. We finished the reading the book and the discussion about it was good and lively as we wrapped up for the year.

Some final thoughts on this work:

1. Why haven't I ever read this before?!?
2. I was struck by just how Catholic/Orthodox this work truly is! Those of us in the group from these Churches had much to discuss in common about it. I don't know how any Protestant could read this and not see how their worship service/Lord's Supper lacks in comparison. There is clearly transubstantiation, or something like it, in this work, as well as the Mass being a "sacrifice of propitiation".
3. Whole parts of this work could be lifted and pasted into the Catechism! Seriously. The parts on baptism, the Eucharist, even the liturgy of the Mass was very close to how we still do it nearly 1,700 years later. The clear sacramentalism in this work from baptismal regeneration to the Real Presence in the Eucharist is striking.
4. I was pleased to see St. Cyril use "super-substantial bread" for "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer. Right away I was reminded how St. Jerome used the same in the Vulgate. Kenneth Bailey in his Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, that I just finished, mentions how the Old Syriac translates this as "never-ceasing bread".
5. I would highly recommend this writing for anyone who would like to learn more about what the early Church believed and practiced!

We used the SVS edition, but you can find an online version here. 

Day 80: Summary of the Mysteries of Christ's Life

"The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching: his silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affection for the little and the poor, his acceptance of the total sacrifice on the Cross for the redemption of the world, and his Resurrection are the actualization of his word and the fulfilment of Revelation"... Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them (cf Gal 4:19). "For this reason we, who have been made like to him, who have died with him and risen with him, are taken up into the mysteries of his life, until we reign together with him". CCC 561-562

Today's reading is short, another "In Brief" section summarizing what I've gone over the past few days. Besides the paragraphs quoted above, and those reminding us to be humble and obedient as our divine example Jesus was, I do like how the Catechism speaks about the Transfiguration here:

Christ's Transfiguration aims at strengthening the apostles' faith in anticipation of his Passion: the ascent on to the "high mountain" prepares for the ascent to Calvary. CCC 568

The Catechism Companion, Vol I also gives an interesting book recommendation, which I'll have to get soon:

In his book Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know, Dr. Michael Barber says that salvation is not merely being saved from hell, although it is that. But salvation is being saved from being un-Christlike. We are saved so that we can conform ourselves to the Lord. We do this through the grace of the sacraments. (p. 164)

Day 79: Jesus' Transfiguration and Messianic Acts

For a moment Jesus discloses his divine glory, confirming Peter's confession. He also reveals that he will have to go by the way of the cross at Jerusalem in order to "enter into his glory". Moses and Elijah had seen God's glory on the Mountain; the Law and the Prophets had announced the Messiah's sufferings. Christ's Passion is the will of the Father: the Son acts as God's servant; The cloud indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit. "The whole Trinity appeared: the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud." CCC 555

In today's reading, the Catechism brings us to the amazing Transfiguration of Jesus. In this, His divine glory is revealed to the Apostles with Him and the whole Trinity is present. Also appearing with Him during this miraculous event were two important figures of Jewish history: Moses and Elijah (Matt 17:1-8). Not having been there ourselves to witness this, it is difficult to fully comprehend the full majesty of it, but nevertheless it gives us a "gives us a foretaste of Christ's glorious coming, when he 'will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.'" (CCC 556). It is striking though that St. Peter would later deny Him three times (Lk 22:54-62) after being there to see with his own eyes just Who Jesus Is. But then, he is only human like the rest of us and as Jesus Himself says, "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26:41).

From the Transfiguration we see Christ's glorious entry into Jerusalem. The City of David and City of Peace, which mankind has spilled much blood over to control for centuries as well as killing prophets sent to them. Next it would see the greatest crime in history, as well as the greatest act of love by God: the Passion of Christ. I like what the Catechism Companion, Vol I says:

His ascent into Jerusalem is to fulfill the role of the king. Everything he does is to establish the kingdom and redeem us... As Jesus descends the mountain and enters into agony, brokenness, and suffering, he shares our path. He walked it before us, but he walks it with us now by giving his Holy Spirit so that we are never alone. (p. 162)

Transfiguration of Christ, Byzantine artwork, c. 1200

Day 78: Signs of the Kingdom

The signs worked by Jesus attest that the Father has sent him. They invite belief in him. To those who turn to him in faith, he grants what they ask. So miracles strengthen faith in the One who does his Father's works; they bear witness that he is the Son of God. But his miracles can also be occasions for "offence"; they are not intended to satisfy people's curiosity or desire for magic Despite his evident miracles some people reject Jesus; he is even accused of acting by the power of demons. CCC 548

In today's reading, the Catechism focuses on the "mighty works and wonders and signs" which reveal that He is the Messiah and that the promised kingdom of God is with Him. There are several remarkable miracles He did which witness to the truth about Him, invite sinners to believe and repent, and also strengthen the faith of those who already believe. Yet they are not "magic" or for show. Indeed, at one point He said in reply to demands for miracles, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah" (Matt 16:4). Miracles were important messianic signs, acts done out of love for us, but were not the reason He came into the world. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I explains:

Christ did not come to earth to preach, perform miracles, suffer, die, rise from the dead, ascend into heaven, and send us the Holy Spirit "to satisfy ... curiosity." He did those things so we could put our faith in him and trust in him. He came to save us from the slavery of sin so that we can live as God's sons and daughters in the power of the Holy Spirit. (p. 160)

Jesus also established His kingdom, which the Church is closely related to and the only means of receiving the fullness of God's graces. He is our king and the ultimate head of the Church. The Church is visible and doesn't just exist in our hearts. For this reason, Jesus gave structure to the Church with the pope and bishops who have authority to act as His spiritual vicars or viceroys here on earth. It is to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, that he entrusted  the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" with the power to "bind and loose" (Matt 16:19). As the Catechism notes:

The power to "bind and loose" connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgements, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom. CCC 553

Raising of Lazarus, 6th-century, mosaic, church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy

Day 77: The Kingdom of God

"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel.'" "To carry out the will of the Father Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth." Now the Father's will is "to raise up men to share in his own divine life". He does this by gathering men around his Son Jesus Christ. This gathering is the Church, "on earth the seed and beginning of that kingdoms". CCC 541

In today's reading, the Catechism goes into the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand and inviting all souls to repentance, believing the Gospel. This would be something of a theme throughout His time in the public eye. What was shocking to some was that He associated with and called on sinners to the kingdom, even the poorest and most unclean, burdened by their sins (Mk 2:17). We are all like that one lost sheep which Jesus seeks out and rejoices once we are found (Lk 15:1-7). In all this we see the establishment of Christ's Church. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

The kingdom of God is the Church on earth. When Jesus says, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2), he is saying that he is establishing a Church now. When we have a relationship with the King through the sacrament of Baptism, we are brought into the kingdom by being initiated in the Church... The kingdom in heaven is the Church triumphant. On earth, it is the Church militant. In purgatory, it is the Church suffering. Christ stands at the heart of the kingdom, his Church. (p. 158)

We are called to repentance, faith in and love of God, but also what the Catechism calls "a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything" (CCC 526). It is that last which requires the utmost trust and love of God, and one which I constantly struggle with. Am I truly giving everything? What exactly does that mean? There are no easy answers and this is something that I can only take to God for them.

19th century Russian icon of Kingdom of Heaven

Day 76: Jesus' Baptism and Temptation

The Gospels speak of a time of solitude for Jesus in the desert immediately after his baptism by John. Driven by the Spirit into the desert, Jesus remains there for forty days without eating; he lives among wild beasts, and angels minister to him. At the end of this time Satan tempts him three times, seeking to compromise his filial attitude toward God. Jesus rebuffs these attacks, which recapitulate the temptations of Adam in Paradise and of Israel in the desert, and the devil leaves him “until an opportune time.” CCC 538

In today's reading, the Catechism brings us the opening stages of Jesus' public ministry: His baptism and temptations in the desert. St. John the Baptist, who had been preaching about the Messiah and calling for people to repentance of their sins, must have been shocked when He who is without sin "allows himself to be numbered among sinners" by being baptized. This baptism of John's had roots in Jewish tradition, which had been used for converts "as a symbol of of 'washing away' one's former self and becoming new as part of the people of Israel." As the Catechism Companion, Vol I elaborates:

The baptism offered by John the Baptist, while not the sacramental Baptism that we receive as Christians, was more than an initiation ritual, however. Along with his preaching about the kingdom of God being at hand, John used baptism as a means of urging people to turn away from their sins, inviting them to be purified of their old way of living and to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. (p. 157)

He had no need to be "purified" or "turned away from sin" but he did this out of love for the Father and of us. He was recognized by St. John the Baptist as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29) just on sight. In reply to St. John the Baptist's protest, Jesus replied: "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt 3:14-15). And as the Catechism notes:

At his baptism “the heavens were opened”—the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed—and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation. CCC 536

We have a scene of an incredible theophany or epiphany. God the Father expresses His love for and acceptance of His Son, as the Holy Spirit comes down upon Him (Matt 3:16-17). 

It is after His baptism, we get the scene of the temptation of Jesus by the Great Deceiver, Satan. The unmitigating gall, which Satan seems to excel at unfortunately, of trying to thwart our redemption by tempting the Son of God into sin is interesting. He really thought he could turn the New Adam away from the will of the Father as he had done with the Old Adam before. He was flat wrong. I like this part because while the Jews had wrongly anticipated a military messiah of great power, Jesus shows an even stronger image, One who "is the devil’s conqueror" who "'binds the strong man' to take back his plunder." (CCC 539). We get a taste of the victory that Jesus will bring over Satan and sin on the Cross.

Temptations of Christ (Melisende Psalter, 1131-43, folio f.4r)

Day 75: Jesus' Infancy and Hidden Life

During the greater part of his life Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of human beings: a daily life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labor. His religious life was that of a Jew obedient to the law of God, a life in the community. From this whole period it is revealed to us that Jesus was "obedient" to his parents and that he "increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man." CCC 531

In today's reading, the Catechism focuses on the infancy and "hidden years" of Jesus. We see that He was circumcised in accordance with the Law of Moses (Lk 2:21), the Magi visit in the Epiphany (Matt 2:1), the Presentation in the Temple (Lk 2:22-39), flight of the Holy Family to Egypt (Matt 2:13-15), their return from Egypt to Nazareth (Matt 2:19-23), and except for what must have a scary time for Sts. Mary & Joseph in the Finding in the Temple (Lk 2:41-52), all we get about most of the rest of His life until His baptism is silence. These are the "hidden years" which we would love the details about, but are not as consequential as what has been revealed to us. I do like how the Catechism describes in the quote above. It shows that He really was like us in everything, except sin (Heb 4:15). The Catechism Companion, Vol I does a pretty good job on this as well and ties it to our own lives:

Jesus was not "off mission" when he lived thirty year in a "hidden life" - that is, before he began his public ministry. He was totally consecrated to the mission that flowed from his divine sonship. God has a mission for our lives, too, and we are called to be consecrated to it. Our mission flows from our relationship with God and identity as his sons and daughters through Baptism. (p. 154)

Christ Among the Doctors, c. 1560, by Paolo Veronese

We know very little about Jesus' early years. It is for this reason that sometimes we speak of his "hidden life". Here we see Jesus in the Temple among the teachers. Even from the young age of twelve, Jesus exhibited profound wisdom and understanding (see CCC 534). (p. 155)

Day 74: The Christmas Mystery

The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the "First Covenant". He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming. CCC 522

In today's reading, the Catechism delves into the mystery of Christmas: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As can be seen in the quote above, God prepared for this momentous event over a period of time. Through "the mouths of prophets" and stirrings "in the hearts of the pagans" the coming of His Son slowly was building up until that glorious day. The story of the visit of the Magi should really come as no surprise in light of this (Matt 2:1-12). In the Church, we prepare for the Christmas season with Advent. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

During the season of Advent, we celebrate Jesus' original coming at the first Christmas, prepare for his second coming at the end of time, and live out his moment-to-moment coming into our lives now - in prayer and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. (p. 152)

In immediate preparation for the first time was the ministry of St. John the Baptist, that "voice of one crying out in the desert" (Matt 3). As the Catechism notes, he "bears witness to Christ in his preaching, by his Baptism of conversion, and through his martyrdom" (CCC 523). We too can prepare for the coming of Christ, at least the second coming, by echoing him in saying "He must increase; I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30).

We ask the Lord to reign and be glorified in our lives. "Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us" (CCC 526). When Jesus is formed in us, we become more deeply and fully conformed to the mystery of his divinity within us. Becoming a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. (p. 152)

As far as the Christmas story itself from Scripture, the Catechism only briefly mentions that He "was born in a humble stable, into a poor family" and that shepherds were the first witnesses to this. I do like the line that "In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest" (CCC 525). A good book I just finished reading called Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes has some good insights on this I recommend reading (see pp. 25-37). Basically, there is good reason to believe that the manger he was born in was actually a guest room in a poor house. Jimmy Akin has something similar but slightly different on this.

Nativity of Christ icon

St. José Luis Sánchez del Rio: Young Martyr for the Faith!

The story of this young saint's martyrdom breaks my heart, but is encouraging nonetheless. I can see why the Cristeros nicknamed him Tarcisius, another young martyr for the faith. May we all learn from and follow his example in never being afraid to proclaim, even unto death:

¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva María Santísima de Guadalupe!

St. José Luis Sánchez del Rio, pray for us.

Day 73: Christ's Life Is Mystery

Christ's whole earthly life - his words and deeds, his silences and sufferings, indeed his manner of being and speaking - is Revelation of the Father. Jesus can say: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father", and the Father can say: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" Because our Lord became man in order to do his Father's will, even the least characteristics of his mysteries manifest "God's love. . . among us". CCC 516

In today's reading, the Catechism reflects on the mystery of Christ's life. We'd love to know more about the details of Christ's life which the Gospels unfortunately are silent on. Jesus is fully God and fully man. It is the latter on which most curiosity falls. Even seeming ordinary things like did he ever stub His toe or sprain an ankle? Did He play outside with the boys of Nazareth in whatever sport or activity was popular during His time on earth? Were His lips ever chapped and His skin burned from the harshness of too much sun? When adolescence came, did He have acne, go through a period where His voice would "break" when speaking, or even have the common cold? It is reasonable to assume He experienced most of these, but we just don't know. The Catechism Companion, Vol I speaks of this period:

The Bible - apart from discussing his birth and his dialogue in the Temple with the teachers of the law at age twelve (see Luke 2:41-52) - is largely silent about Jesus' life before his public ministry. So there are many things we would love to know! The Catechism, though, refers to the details of Jesus' childhood and young adulthood as things merely "of interest to human curiosity" (CCC 514). This period of Jesus' life, which constitutes most of his time on earth, is known as his "hidden life." Of course, we know that he lived in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, that he was a part of the life of his community, and that he loved as an observant Jewish man, obedient to God's law. (p. 151)

The details we do have about Jesus' life on earth is what is the most important part of Him: "Christ's whole life is a mystery of redemption" (CCC 517). It is the purpose of the Incarnation, His ministry, the Crucifixion and Resurrection. All of those point to what is at the heart of the Gospel message: Christ is Lord and He calls us to believe in Him and be redeemed (Jn 3:16). How many billions of humans have lived their lives and died in obscurity? We know nothing about what they thought, believed, loved, how they lived their day-to-day lives, or even in most cases that they existed at all. The life of Jesus is mysterious in some aspects, but the message He had for all of us isn't. He is the ultimate role model for us, living His life in loving, obedient service to the Father. Redemption is why He came, but also to "share in the divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4). As the Catechism Companion notes:

Jesus lived his life for us. He is our example. By his grace, he enables us to imitate him. "We are called only to become one with him, for he enables us as the members of his Body to share in what he lived for us in his flesh as our model" (CCC 521). Salvation is not just God redeeming us and giving us access to the Father, but also making us capable of living as Christ, to participate in the mysteries that Jesus won for us. (p. 150)  

Christ washes the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper in a model for us all of humility, service, and love (Jn 13:1-17)

Day 72: Mary's Motherhood

The eyes of faith can discover in the context of the whole of Revelation the mysterious reasons why God in his saving plan wanted his Son to be born of a virgin. These reasons touch both on the person of Christ and his redemptive mission, and on the welcome Mary gave that mission on behalf of all men. Mary's virginity manifests God's absolute initiative in the Incarnation. CCC 502-503

In today's reading, the Catechism focuses on the virginity and motherhood of Blessed Mary. Christ "is naturally Son of the Father as to his divinity and naturally son of his mother as to his humanity, but properly Son of the Father in both natures" (CCC 503). In her virginity, no human man could boast of helping to conceive Jesus, for He assumed flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. She was highly privileged by God to be "full of grace" (Lk 1:28) and give birth to His true Son. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

Whatever we believe about Mary are things we believe about Jesus. What we teach about Mary, illumines what we believe and teach about Jesus. Jesus is the new Adam, and "from 'his fullness' as the head of redeemed humanity 'we have all received, grace upon grace'" (CCC 504). (p. 148)

The Virgin Mary "is the symbol and the most perfect realization of the Church," the very model of motherhood for all of us, and by her virginity "keeps in its entirety and purity the faith she pledged to her spouse" (CCC 507).

Madonna and Child painting by Pompeo Batoni, c. 1742, Galleria Borghese, Rome

Here we see Mary with the Christ child. Because Jesus is the God, Mary is the Mother of God (see CCC 509). As Jesus is the new Adam, so Mary is the new Eve, joining herself in an unparalleled way to the saving mission of her Son. (p. 149)

Day 71: Mary's Virginity

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus", Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord". In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). CCC 495

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks about the virginal birth of Christ and the perpetual virginity of Blessed Mary.  The conception of Jesus in the Virgin Mary and His birth were supernatural acts of God. They are beliefs which brought ridicule upon the nascent Church by pagans, and scoffing by heretics who held to a more carnal view of how He was conceived inside the Virgin Mary. Yet the Gospels attest to this belief (e.g. Luke 1:26-38)  and the early Church strongly upheld it. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

This conception "surpasses all human understanding and possibility" (CCC 497). There has often been a misunderstanding of - and even opposition to - the miraculous conception of Jesus. Yet it was recounted by the apostles because it was true (see CCC 498). The three greatest events in the history of humanity were "worthy of proclamation" but "accomplished in God's silence": Mary's virginal conception of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, and Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. (p. 146)

The second part of this is Mary as Aeiparthenos or "Ever-virgin" (CCC 499). The perpetual virginity of the Theotokos is a belief strongly held since the early Church, confessed by the Church Fathers and is found in the Eucharistic liturgy both East and West. The Catechism notes:

Against this doctrine the objection is sometimes raised that the Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Church has always understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin Mary. In fact James and Joseph, "brothers of Jesus", are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ, whom St. Matthew significantly calls "the other Mary". They are close relations of Jesus, according to an Old Testament expression. CCC 500

In the East, some hold to these others as being half-siblings, that is children of St. Joseph from an earlier, previous marriage which seems to come from the early 2nd century apocryphal work the Protoevanglium of James.  Whichever is historically correct, belief in the perpetual virginity of the Theotokos is an early and strong belief in the Church. 

Finally, the Catechism speaks of Jesus entrusting Mary to all of us as our spiritual mother. As noted in CCC 501:

Jesus is Mary's only son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save: "The Son whom she brought forth is he whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, that is, the faithful in whose generation and formation she co-operates with a mother's love."

The Visitation of the Theotokos & St. Elizabeth Icon (see Luke 1:39-56). 

This is one of my favorite icons (click image) not only for the holy personages it portrays, but it strikes me as having a very pro-life message: St. John the Baptist in St. Elizabeth's womb "leaped for joy" when the Theotokos with Christ inside her came to visit. Even in the womb unborn children were leaping for the coming of Christ. I highly recommend this one!

Day 70: The Immaculate Conception

To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role." The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as "full of grace". In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace. CCC 490

In today's reading, the Catechism briefly covers the Immaculate Conception of Mary. She has been believed to be "free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature" (CCC 493). I accept this dogma, one which makes perfect sense to me reading Scripture and within Catholic theology. She is the Theotokos/Mater Dei, the one who carried and gave birth to the Son of God. Christ is the New Adam and by God's grace, Mary is the New Eve, the Ark of the New Covenant.  As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

The Church Fathers proclaimed that "the knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience" and that we have "death through Eve, life through Mary" (CCC 494). (p. 144)

Some Orthodox accept this dogma, but many don't I believe mainly because of their  objections to Catholic teaching on the papacy. Most Protestants reject it, some referring to passages from Scripture like Romans 3:23. The Catechism Companion explains:

Mary "was redeemed from the moment of her conception". In contemplating how Mary could have been sinless, we must remember that she needed a Savior, too. Due to the sin of Adam and Eve, every human being other than Mary is conceived with original sin. Without the grace that comes from being baptized into Jesus, the life of saving grace would remain closed to us. Whereas original sin is washed away from our souls in Baptism, Mary was preserved from original sin by the merits that Jesus would soon win on the cross... [She] remained free from any personal sin, to be a perfect dwelling place for the Son of God. (p. 145) 

Having said all of this, I do have to wonder at the wisdom of dogmatizing it as Blessed Pope Pius IX did in 1854. There clearly was a belief in this dogma, which became more understood as time went on, but the Church survived for over a millennium with it being held by many and in the liturgy. It just seems to me that dogmatizing it, a stumbling block for some, was unnecessary. Nevertheless, it was, as I said makes perfect sense to me, and is part of the Catholic faith.

The Immaculate Conception (1767–1769)

by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Day 69: Born of the Virgin Mary

The Father's only Son, conceived as man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, is "Christ", that is to say, anointed by the Holy Spirit, from the beginning of his human existence, though the manifestation of this fact takes place only progressively: to the shepherds, to the magi, to John the Baptist, to the disciples. Thus the whole life of Jesus Christ will make manifest "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power." CCC 486

In today's reading, the Catechism covers what must have been stunning to Mary of Nazareth: the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel of her being chosen to bear the true Son of God. How shocked she must have been by all this. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I notes:

Without Mary's yes, we would not have Christ Incarnate, the Messiah. God was not too proud to make salvation dependent upon the yes of a simple girl from Nazareth. We cannot be too proud to turn to her and learn from her. (p. 142)

For some Protestants, this all sounds perhaps a bit arrogant. As if God, the Supreme Being, was dependent upon the whims of a creation of His. Yet He is omniscient. He "created Mary for a particular mission and destination" and knew what her response would be to Archangel Gabriel. In that, her response, known as the Canticle of Mary, was undoubtedly inspired by the Holy Spirit:

 “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

     my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;

    behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

 The Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

 His mercy is from age to age

    to those who fear him.

 He has shown might with his arm,

    dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones

    but lifted up the lowly.

 The hungry he has filled with good things;

    the rich he has sent away empty.

 He has helped Israel his servant,

    remembering his mercy,

 according to his promise to our fathers,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

What some forget is that even though God knew what Mary's response would be, she had free will and could have spurned what she was predestined for by saying no to Him. Fortunately, she didn't as God knew she wouldn't. Mary is the New Eve, who unlike the Old Eve freely gave her consent and obedience to God. By doing so, she "gave birth to the Son, who brought freedom and redemption to the world." From the moment that Christ was conceived in Mary, "the person in the womb of the Virgin Mary was fully God and fully man" (p. 142). Blessed Mary was thus made Theotokos or Mater Dei.

Finally, the Catechism makes this important note about Mary in this:

What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ. CCC 487

Annunciation by Armenian manuscript illuminator Toros Roslin, 13th century

Day 68: The Mystery of the Incarnation

Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony and his Passion, and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God. . . loved me and gave himself for me." He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that. . . love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception. CCC 478

In today's reading, the Catechism focuses on the mystery of the Incarnation. The above quoted paragraph is the best from today, quite fitting for our faith and witnessed to in the Scriptures. Jesus is fully God but also fully man. His human will and intellect is "perfectly attuned and subject to his divine intellect and divine will" just as the latter "he has in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit". Yet that love He has for us all comes from a human heart, courtesy of the mystery of the Incarnation. 

Some Christians seem to forget the implications of this humanity of Jesus, confusing veneration of images of the Divine-Man with idolatry. In a sense, depicting Christ in an icon or statue is no different than a photograph today. Jesus in his humanity is real and can be depicted just as the rest of us can be. The misunderstanding wrought by the iconoclasm heresy of previous years, enflamed anew by some Protestants, is simply in error. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I states:

The iconoclast heresy claimed there could be no images. Yet, because God truly became man, the human face and body of Jesus can be depicted (see CCC 476). To answer the iconoclasts, the Second Council of Nicaea in the year 787 proclaimed that in venerating an icon, a person is venerating not the image but the one who is portrayed (see CCC 477). (p. 140) 

The Catechism probably covers images in another section so will save further comment until then.

Christ Pantocrator mosaic from the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

True God and True Man: This icon shows Christ as Pantocrator, as Lord and ruler of all. Often holy images of this kind will use colors like red to symbolize Christ's true humanity (and his Passion), and blue or gold to symbolize his divinity. (See CCC 477). (p. 141)

Day 67: The Humanity and Divinity of Christ

The Son of God assumed a body animated by a rational human soul. With his human intellect Jesus learned many things by way of experience; but also as man the Son of God had an intimate and immediate knowledge of God his Father. He likewise understood people’s secret thoughts and he knew fully the eternal plans which he had come to reveal. (CCC Compendium #90)

In today's reading, the Catechism talks about the natures and human soul of Christ. To be honest, I couldn't figure out how to shorten this to quote above so chose the summary provided by the CCC Compendium. It is a remarkable mystery, God taking on a human will and nature without the divine essence overwhelming them. While divine, He also was like us in all things except sin. So every temptation we face, He also faced and was able to resist. How extraordinary that One used to...well, everything as God, would have "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave" (Phil 2:7). By assuming a human nature, He truly became approachable one could say. I do like how the Catechism expresses this:

The Son of God... worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. CCC 470

I also like how the Catechism Companion says that "Jesus is what, in human terms, God's own life looks like." (p. 139)

Fully God and fully human. It is a mystery which boggles my finite mind, beyond my full understanding, so therefore I accept it in faith.

Day 66: True God and True Man

The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man, nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. During the first centuries, the Church had to defend and clarify this truth of faith against the heresies that falsified it. CCC 464

In today's reading, the Catechism takes us through the litany of heresies that rocked the early Church on the natures of Jesus. Was He truly God and truly man? The Church answers in the affirmative, yet Gnostic Docetism, Adoptionism, Arianism, Nestorianism, and others tried to argue against these core Christological teachings. 

As the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up our understanding:

The Church confesses that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, with two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, not confused with each other but united in the Person of the Word. Therefore, in the humanity of Jesus all things - his miracles, his suffering, and his death - must be attributed to his divine Person which acts by means of his assumed human nature.

“O Only-begotten Son and Word of God you who are immortal, you who deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and ever Virgin Mary (...) You who are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us!” (Byzantine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom) [#89]

What has been surprising to see, though perhaps should not be, are some Evangelical Protestants deny that Mary is Theotokos. Their confusion of honor and veneration with idolatry has led to a serious Christological error that was resolved all those centuries before. As the Catechism Companion, Vol I states:

The Council of Ephesus in AD 431 affirmed that Mary is Theotokos, meaning "God bearer" - she is the Mother of God. Mary is not just the mother of Jesus' human nature; one does not give birth to a "nature" but to a "person". She is rightly called "Mother of God" because Jesus, though possessing human and divine natures, is a divine Person, who became incarnate through Mary... The Son of God chose to become man and be born of a human mother, Mary, for the salvation of the world... Thus Jesus is biologically the son of Mary; he took human flesh from her. Jesus is truly the Son of God and the son of Mary. (p. 137)

Mary is nothing without Jesus, just like the rest of us. In affirming that she is Theotokos this is protecting orthodox Christology, not to honor her above or equal to God (as if this were even possible). Mary bore the whole Person of Jesus, God and man, not just His human nature. She also did not give birth to the Most Holy Trinity or the Persons of the Father and Holy Spirit. Yet to Jesus the Divine Man she did and thus is rightly called Theotokos or Mater Dei. 

Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, 1876 painting by Vasily Surikov