Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - «O My God». The Creed is a compendium of Divine Revelation. God is One God in Three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity. «God is Love», we are told by St John the evangelist (1 John 4, 16b) and in fact out of Love the Most Holy Trinity redeemed sinful man through the Incarnation of the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity.
We note that «Deus caritas est» is the title of the first encyclical written by Pope Benedict XVI. Yes, God is Love and all Three Persons together undertake the redemption of sinful man. The Word does not hesitate to take on human flesh: «Though in the form of God he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather he emptied himself…he humbled himself, obediently accepting death, death on a cross » (Philippians 2, 6a, 7-8). This means that with the Son, also the Father and the Holy Spirit have come to dwell among us. The Word is in fact Emmanuel «God with us» announced by the prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 7, 14). Jesus himself tells his disciples: «anyone who has seen me has seen the Father» (John 14, 9b). To see Jesus is to see God the Father, Son and Spirit, the Most Holy Trinity. Many famous Christian artists when portraying Jesus on the Cross included also the Father and the Holy Spirit in the painting (cfr. For example a fresco at the Church of the Holy Trinity ai Monti, Rome, left transept).
We should never forget,
Although for us and out of Love for us and in order to redeem us the Son of God humiliated himself, taking on human flesh and dying on the Cross (see above) , we must never forget that He is God and it is our duty to honour and obey Him «God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every other name; so that at the same of Jesus every knee may bend in the heavens, on earth and under the earth; and every tongue proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God the Father» (Philippians 2, 9-11).
We must examine our conscience with regard to our attitude to God: do we pray frequently, do we keep His commandments, obey the rules He has established in the world; in God’s House in church do we acknowledge His special presence, do we truly participate at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, do we receive Holy Communion with due devotion. We are receiving God made man, veiled in the consecrated host. Can the significance of the Eucharistic Mystery ever be fully grasped? (to be continued) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/3/2007, righe 29, parole 483)
