TheoPro2
CCC 1-3
God is the Supreme
Being which possess all perfections and all goodness in Himself. By this
principle, there is no necessity or debt or deserving for God to have granted
us existence and so creating us. Yet by His free love and grace He has created
man for one purpose alone, to “seek Him, to know Him, and to love Him will all
of his strength.” In short, union with God, which we Catholics call the
beatific vision, or literally what it means “Blessed Sight”. However, man has
fallen through sin, which is disobedience against God and now man is separated
from God and from each other. The solution is Christ Jesus and the family of
God which is the Church, the Holy Catholic Church. At all times God calls man
to the unity of the Church even from before Christ came. As such, no man can
excuse himself, but must give a proper account of their deeds before God when
they die. We are called to enter the family of God and be adopted children of
God, so we too may be heirs and inherit that blessed life of God.
Christ sent forth the
apostles, chosen out of grace, so that the call and invitation of God to the
unity of the Church may be proclaimed throughout all edges of the earth. He
commisssioned the apostles to proclaim the Gospel, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” As recorded in Matthew 28:19-20. The apostles
then went and preached, the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message
with various signs, as recorded in Mark 16:20.
It is an interesting
thing that Christ through the Catechism and Sacred Scripture quoted in the
Catechism providentially emphasizes the concept of preaching the Word of God
above all things. Yet this is precisely the message of the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ. As Christ has taught before, “Seek ye
therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall
be added unto you.” As recorded in
Matthew 6:33. As such the Kingdom of God is the communication of God through
the communication of Jesus Christ to all people so that they may believe, join
the life of the Church, and receive salvation. When we consider that this is
the Supreme Message of the Gospel, all other things fall into place. That all
of our material concerns and works are only for the support of the Kingdom of
God and not for their own. The world of matter is servant to the Kingdom of
God.
With the grace of God
freely given, there are those who are chosen and who accept that election to
respond to the call of Christ into the Church. These people have received a new
life and thus a new purpose, that is to proclaim the Good News, the literal
meaning of Gospel, to all people of the earth, by prayers, words, and deeds. The
treasure of the Gospel is received from the apostles after receiving it from
Christ Himself, and entrusted to the bishops as the successors of the apostles
as the guardians of the Word of God. Yet all Christians are also called to hand
this treasure down from generation to generation, either by profession, by
living, or by celebration.
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