Thursday, December 15, 2011

Thursday of the 3rd week in Advent

The Dogmatic Constitution "Dei Verbum"
Christ fulfills all prophecies
 
God, who creates and maintains all things by his Word, provides men with constant evidence of himself in created realities. And furthermore, wishing to open up the way to heavenly salvation, he manifested himself to our first parents from the very beginning. After the fall, he buoyed them up with the hope of salvation, by promising redemption; and he has never ceased to take care of the human race. For he wishes to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-doing. In his own time God called Abraham, and made him into a great nation. After the era of the patriarchs, he taught this nation, by Moses and the prophets, to recognize him as the only living and true God, as a provident Father and just judge. He taught them, too, to look for the promised Saviour. And so, throughout the ages, he prepared the way for the Gospel.
  After God had spoken many times and in various ways through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. For he sent his Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all men, to dwell among men and to tell them about the inner life of God. Hence, Jesus Christ, sent as a man among men, speaks the words of God, and accomplishes the saving work which the Father gave him to do. As a result, he himself— to see whom is to see the Father— completed and perfected Revelation and confirmed it with divine guarantees. He did this by the total fact of his presence and self-manifestation— by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by his death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life.
  The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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