News Item: : Wishing a Blessed Christmas To All Our Friends and Readers!
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Thursday 24 December 2009 - 11:53:20
As we begin the Holy Season of Christmas 2009 let us reflect on a key aspect of its true meaning.
Why did the Son of God become man?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains;
CCC 457
The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins: the Father has sent His Son as the Saviour of the world... and He was revealed to take away sins (1 John 4:10; 4:14; 3:5).
CCC 458
The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love... For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
CCC 459
The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness...I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by me (Matthew 11:29; John 14:6).
Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12). This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after His example.
CCC 460
The Word became flesh to make us 'partakers of the Divine Nature' (2 Peter 1:4): 'For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving Divine sonship, might become a son of God (St. Irenaeus)... 'The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in His Divinity, assumed our nature, so that He, made man, might make men gods' (St. Thomas Aquinas).
If we stop and think about it this means that Jesus Christ, God made man, is inviting us to share in His Divine Life. As Holman Hunt's famous painting here depicts; Christ the Light of the World knocks at the door of our hearts. There is no handle on the outside. We have to open up to Him from within our hearts.
To sum up: He has become man, lived and died for us.
Why?
In order to save us; show us God's love; give us both a model of holiness and the Way to become holy so that we may go with Him to the Father; and that we might ultimately share in the Divine Life of God in Heaven!
Isn't that worth converting to Jesus Christ for by opening the door of our hearts to Him?
You could do this at Christmas by simply spending a few moments alone in silence and just saying to God that you wish to open your heart to Jesus Christ and the Truth He has Revealed about God in His Catholic Church. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into the fullness of Truth. Any Catholic priest can help you to find out about becoming a Catholic and how to be able to receive the life-giving Sacraments of the Church. (Plus we can accept e-mailed questions at this website).
If you are already a practicing Catholic why not renew your faith in Jesus Christ in deeper prayer this Christmas?
If you have fallen away from the practice of the Faith this could be the time to make a good confession and come home to the Church to receive Jesus Christ; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communuion.
We wish a Merry Christmas to you all!
This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.229 )
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Thursday 24 December 2009 - 11:53:20
As we begin the Holy Season of Christmas 2009 let us reflect on a key aspect of its true meaning.
Why did the Son of God become man?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains;
CCC 457
The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins: the Father has sent His Son as the Saviour of the world... and He was revealed to take away sins (1 John 4:10; 4:14; 3:5).
CCC 458
The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love... For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
CCC 459
The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness...I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by me (Matthew 11:29; John 14:6).
Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12). This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after His example.
CCC 460
The Word became flesh to make us 'partakers of the Divine Nature' (2 Peter 1:4): 'For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving Divine sonship, might become a son of God (St. Irenaeus)... 'The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in His Divinity, assumed our nature, so that He, made man, might make men gods' (St. Thomas Aquinas).
If we stop and think about it this means that Jesus Christ, God made man, is inviting us to share in His Divine Life. As Holman Hunt's famous painting here depicts; Christ the Light of the World knocks at the door of our hearts. There is no handle on the outside. We have to open up to Him from within our hearts.
To sum up: He has become man, lived and died for us.
Why?
In order to save us; show us God's love; give us both a model of holiness and the Way to become holy so that we may go with Him to the Father; and that we might ultimately share in the Divine Life of God in Heaven!
Isn't that worth converting to Jesus Christ for by opening the door of our hearts to Him?
You could do this at Christmas by simply spending a few moments alone in silence and just saying to God that you wish to open your heart to Jesus Christ and the Truth He has Revealed about God in His Catholic Church. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into the fullness of Truth. Any Catholic priest can help you to find out about becoming a Catholic and how to be able to receive the life-giving Sacraments of the Church. (Plus we can accept e-mailed questions at this website).
If you are already a practicing Catholic why not renew your faith in Jesus Christ in deeper prayer this Christmas?
If you have fallen away from the practice of the Faith this could be the time to make a good confession and come home to the Church to receive Jesus Christ; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communuion.
We wish a Merry Christmas to you all!
This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.229 )