78. Jesus does the work of his Father in heaven.

Jesus  does the work of his Father in heaven.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 78

Ave Maria series

78.  Why can we grasp Jesus only as a “mystery”?

Jesus extends into God; therefore we cannot understand him if we exclude the invisible divine reality.  [525-530, 536]

Christ healing the paralytic at Bethesda by Palma il Giovne. ….. 78

The visible side of Jesus points to the invisible.  We see in the life of Jesus numerous realities that are powerfully present but that we can only understand as a mystery.  Examples of such mysteries are the divine Sonship, the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Resurrection of Christ.

[525-530, 536]

The Christmas mystery

525 Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor family (compare Luke 2:16).²⁰² Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest (compare Luke 2:8-20).²⁰³ The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night:

“The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal
And the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible.
The angels and shepherds praise him
And the magi advance with the star,
For you are born for us,
Little Child, God eternal (Kontakion of Romanos the Melodist)!” --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

526 To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom (compare Matthew 18:3-4).²⁰⁵ For this, we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become "children of God" we must be "born from above" or "born of God" (John 3:7; Jn 1:13; Jn 1:12; compare Matthew 23:12).²⁰⁶ Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us (compare Galatians 4:19).²⁰⁷ Christmas is the mystery of this "marvelous exchange":

“O marvelous exchange! Man's Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity (Liturgy of the Hours, Antiphon I of Evening Prayer for Janyary 1st ).” --CCC

The mysteries of Jesus' infancy

527 Jesus' circumcision, on the eighth day after his birth (compare Luke 2:21),²⁰⁹ is the sign of his incorporation into Abraham's descendants, into the people of the covenant. It is the sign of his submission to the Law (compare Galatians 4:4) ²¹⁰ and his deputation to Israel's worship, in which he will participate throughout his life. This sign prefigures that "circumcision of Christ" which is Baptism (compare Colossians 2:11-13).²¹¹ —CCC

528 The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee (Matthew 2:1; compare Liturgy of the Hours, Epiphany, Evening Prayer II, Antiphon at the Canticle of Mary).²¹² In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The magi's coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations (compare Matthew 2:2; Nummbers 24:17-19; Revelation 22:16).²¹³ Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Savior of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament (compare John 4:22; Matthew 2:4-6 ⁾.²¹⁴ The Epiphany shows that "the full number of the nations" now takes its "place in the family of the patriarchs", and is made "worthy of the heritage of Israel" (St. Leo the Great, Sermo 3 in epiphania Domini 1-3, 5: Patrologia Latina 54, 242; Liturgy of the Hours, Epiphany, Office of Readings; Roman Missal, Easter Vigil 26, Prayer after the third reading.). ²¹⁵ –CCC

529 The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord (compare Luke 2:22-39; Exodus 13:2, 12-13).²¹⁶  With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior-the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the "light to the nations" and the "glory of Israel", but also "a sign that is spoken against". The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ's perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had "prepared in the presence of all peoples". —CCC

530 The flight into Egypt and the massacre of the innocents (compare Matthew 2:13-18) ²¹⁷ make manifest the opposition of darkness to the light: "He came to his own home, and his own people received him not (John 1:11). "²¹⁸  Christ's whole life was lived under the sign of persecution. His own share it with him (compare John 15:20).²¹⁹ Jesus' departure from Egypt recalls the exodus and presents him as the definitive liberator of God's people (compare Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1).²²⁰ --CCC