The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Letter this week which has been addressed to all the Bishops of the world. This Letter outlines some clarifications about some aspects of Christian salvation that can be difficult for the modern world to understand. I have tried to synthesize this document and to incorporate its wisdom in the homily prepared for this weekend's Eucharistic celebrations.
Earlier this week, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, the Vatican’s Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released the text of a letter which has recently been sent to all the Bishops of the world. In this letter, Archbishop Ladaria considers some aspects of Christian salvation that can be difficult for the modern world to understand.
He recognizes the fact that all human beings have a deep-seated desire for salvation. Our thirst to live in relationship with God traces its roots back to the Old Testament times. The first reading for today’s liturgy recounts the words that God spoke to Moses when he gave us the Ten Commandments (cf Ex 20:1-17). These ten signposts outline the rules of life by which we still seek to live today. It has always been God’s hope that we should live in relationship with Him, and on many occasions throughout the Old Testament, God has renewed his covenant and planted within our hearts the desire for our relationship with him flourish.
Even today, God’s deepest desire is that our relationship with Him should thrive, but the reality is that there are some current cultural changes in our understanding of the meaning of Christian salvation. Archbishop Ladaria explains that individualism ... tends to see the human person as a being whose sole fulfillment depends only on his or her own strength whereas the Church has always taught that we are all created and loved by God and that even though we may spend our lives seeking a sense of fulfillment, our hearts will always be restless as we continue this search until we rest in God (Saint Augustine of Hippo).
There is also a prevailing tendency to believe in a merely interior vision of salvation: a vision that is marked by a strong personal conviction or feeling of being united to God ... but which does not recognize our need to accept, heal and renew our relationships with others and with the created world.
It would appear that, at least to some extent, we have lost sight of the relationship that God has always sought to cultivate with us: a relationship of mutual love and respect. Jesus recognized this danger too when he went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and entered the temple. There, instead of finding people praying and worshiping God, he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and money changers seated at their tables (Jn 2:14). In response, he made a whip out of cords and drove all of them out (Jn 2:15). When they asked him to explain his actions, he simply replied: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (Jn 2:19). We know that he was referring to the temple of his body, and we know that he fulfilled this promise by rising from the dead. That’s the reason why we are all here today.
Still, the message of salvation that was made clear by Christ’s self-giving death on the cross and by his resurrection appears as foolishness (1 Cor 1:18) to those who refuse to believe the truth of Jesus’ words. Yet, for more than two thousand years, the Church has consistently communicated our faith in God and our expectation that Jesus, our Saviour, will come again at the end of time. Our world is thirsting for this message. Are we willing to share it with those we meet?
Rebuild the temple
Earlier this week, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, the Vatican’s Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released the text of a letter which has recently been sent to all the Bishops of the world. In this letter, Archbishop Ladaria considers some aspects of Christian salvation that can be difficult for the modern world to understand.
He recognizes the fact that all human beings have a deep-seated desire for salvation. Our thirst to live in relationship with God traces its roots back to the Old Testament times. The first reading for today’s liturgy recounts the words that God spoke to Moses when he gave us the Ten Commandments (cf Ex 20:1-17). These ten signposts outline the rules of life by which we still seek to live today. It has always been God’s hope that we should live in relationship with Him, and on many occasions throughout the Old Testament, God has renewed his covenant and planted within our hearts the desire for our relationship with him flourish.
Even today, God’s deepest desire is that our relationship with Him should thrive, but the reality is that there are some current cultural changes in our understanding of the meaning of Christian salvation. Archbishop Ladaria explains that individualism ... tends to see the human person as a being whose sole fulfillment depends only on his or her own strength whereas the Church has always taught that we are all created and loved by God and that even though we may spend our lives seeking a sense of fulfillment, our hearts will always be restless as we continue this search until we rest in God (Saint Augustine of Hippo).
There is also a prevailing tendency to believe in a merely interior vision of salvation: a vision that is marked by a strong personal conviction or feeling of being united to God ... but which does not recognize our need to accept, heal and renew our relationships with others and with the created world.
It would appear that, at least to some extent, we have lost sight of the relationship that God has always sought to cultivate with us: a relationship of mutual love and respect. Jesus recognized this danger too when he went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and entered the temple. There, instead of finding people praying and worshiping God, he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and money changers seated at their tables (Jn 2:14). In response, he made a whip out of cords and drove all of them out (Jn 2:15). When they asked him to explain his actions, he simply replied: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (Jn 2:19). We know that he was referring to the temple of his body, and we know that he fulfilled this promise by rising from the dead. That’s the reason why we are all here today.
Still, the message of salvation that was made clear by Christ’s self-giving death on the cross and by his resurrection appears as foolishness (1 Cor 1:18) to those who refuse to believe the truth of Jesus’ words. Yet, for more than two thousand years, the Church has consistently communicated our faith in God and our expectation that Jesus, our Saviour, will come again at the end of time. Our world is thirsting for this message. Are we willing to share it with those we meet?
Reconstruire le temple
Plus tôt cette semaine, S.E. Mgr Luis Ladaria, SJ, Préfet de la Congrégation pour la Doctrine de la Foi, a publié une lettre qui a été envoyée récemment à tous les évêques du monde. Dans cet important document, Son Excellence examine certains aspects du salut chrétien qui peuvent être difficiles à comprendre pour le monde moderne.
Il reconnaît le fait que tous les êtres humains ont un profond désir d’être sauvés. Notre désir de vivre en relation avec Dieu est exprimé déjà à l’époque de l'Ancien Testament. La première lecture de la liturgie d'aujourd'hui raconte comment Dieu s’est adressé à Moïse lorsqu'il nous a donné les Dix Commandements (cf. Ex 20: 1-17). Ces dix tableaux indiquent les règles de vie par lesquelles nous cherchons encore à vivre aujourd'hui. Cela a toujours été l'espoir de Dieu: que nous vivions en relation avec Lui. À maintes reprises dans l'Ancien Testament, Dieu a renouvelé son alliance et a implanté dans nos coeurs le désir que notre relation avec lui s'épanouisse.
Même de nos jours, le désir le plus profond de Dieu est que notre relation avec Lui devrait prospérer, mais il y a des changements culturels qui jouent un rôle dans notre compréhension de la signification du salut chrétien. Son Excellence explique que l'individualisme ... tend à voir la personne humaine comme un être dont la seule réalisation ne dépend que de ses propres forces alors que l'Église a toujours enseigné que nous sommes tous créés et aimés par Dieu et que même si nous dépensons nos vies en cherchant un sentiment d'accomplissement, nos cœurs seront toujours agités alors que nous continuons cette recherche jusqu'à ce que nous nous reposions en Dieu (Saint Augustin d'Hippone).
Il y a aussi une tendance dominante à croire en la vision d’un salut purement intérieur, qui suscite peut-être une forte conviction personnelle ou le sentiment intense d’être uni à Dieu, mais sans que soient assumées, guéries et renouvelées nos relations avec les autres et avec le monde créé.
Il me semble que, au moins dans une certaine mesure, nous avons perdu de vue la relation que Dieu a toujours cherché à cultiver avec nous: une relation d'amour et de respect mutuels. Jésus a également reconnu ce danger lorsqu'il est allé à Jérusalem pour célébrer la Pâque et qu'il est entré dans le temple. Là, au lieu de trouver des gens en prière et en adorant Dieu, il trouva installés les marchands de boeufs, de brebis et de colombes, et les changeurs (Jn 2,14). En réponse, il fit un fouet avec des cordes et les chassa tous du Temple (Jn 2,15). Quand ils lui ont demandé d'expliquer ses actions, il a simplement répondu: Détruisez ce sanctuaire et dans trois jours je le relèverai (Jn 2,19). Nous savons qu'il faisait référence au temple de son corps, et nous savons qu'il a rempli cette promesse en ressuscitant. C'est la raison pour laquelle nous sommes tous ici aujourd'hui.
Pourtant, le message du salut qui a été rendu clair par la mort de soi-même du Christ sur la croix et par sa résurrection apparaît comme un scandale (cf 1 Cor 1,18) à ceux qui refusent de croire la vérité des paroles de Jésus. Pourtant, pendant plus de deux mille ans, l'Église a constamment communiqué notre foi en Dieu et notre attente que Jésus, notre Sauveur, revienne à la fin des temps. Notre monde a soif de ce message. Sommes-nous prêts à le partager avec ceux que nous rencontrons?
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