Commentary on Catechism of the Catholic Church The Stages of Revelation
To our first parents, God manifested Himself. While they were indeed capable to reason to God, God still manifested Himself to them out of mercy. There He first communicated revelation to man and clothed man with resplendent grace and justice. However, man fell and God revealed to them the hope of salvation by the promise of redemption and always shows that He cares for man. He desires to give eternal life to those who seek it by patience in good works. God did not abandon man to death, but continually He offered man various covenants.
As sin enters the world, the unity of man was broken and so God had to save man part by part. In the Noahide covenant, God expressed the principle of divine economy toward the nations. This international division is cosmic, social, and religious, intended to limit the pride of fallen man, united only in their own pride as in Babel. However, due to sin, both polytheism and idolatry, which are really synonymous, threatens the divine economy due to paganistic perversion. The Noahide covenant remains in force with the Gentiles until the universal proclamation of the Gospel. Among the Gentiles there is Abel, Melchizedek, Noah, Daniel, and Job. Thus the Noahide covenant can elevate man into great levels of sanctity, waiting for Christ to unite everyone into the Church.
For the purpose of reunion, God calls Abram and makes him Abraham, the father of nations. The people descended from Abraham would be trusted with God’s promise, this is the chosen people of Israel, which would prepare for the day of Christ where God gathers His children into the Church. Israel is the root onto which the Gentiles would be grafted once they came to faith. After the patriarchs, God formed Israel as His people by liberating them from slavery in Egypt. The Israelite covenant is through Moses on Sinai who gave Israel the law of God so they would serve Him and hope in Christ the savior.
The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of Israel, that God shall purify them from all their sins, and save them with all the nations. Above all, the poor and humble of the Lord shall bear this hope. Holy women such as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Judith, and Esther kept alive the hope of Israel’s salvation. The holiest figure of the women is of course Mary, the Theotokos, Mother of God, Mother of Christ, and also the Mother of the Church, thus our own Mother.
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