The
Good News: God has sent his Son
422
'But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might
receive adoption as sons.'1 (Gal 4:4-5. ) This is 'the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God':2 ( Mk 1:1.) God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to
Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent
his own 'beloved Son'.3 (Mk 1:11; cf. ⇒ Lk 1:5, ⇒ 68. )
423
We believe and confess that Jesus of Nazareth, born a Jew of a daughter of
Israel at Bethlehem at the time of King Herod the Great and the emperor Caesar
Augustus, a carpenter by trade, who died crucified in Jerusalem under the
procurator Pontius Pilate during the reign of the emperor Tiberius, is the
eternal Son of God made man. He 'came from God',4 (Jn 13:3. ) 'descended from heaven',5 ( Jn 3:13; ⇒ 6:33.) and
'came in the flesh'.6 (1 Jn 4:2. ) For 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of
grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the
Father. . . and from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace.'7
424
Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in
Jesus and confess: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'8 (Mt 16:16. ) On the rock
of this faith confessed by St. Peter, Christ built his Church.9 (Mt 16:18; St. Leo the Great, Sermo 4 3: PL 54,150 - 152; 51,1: PL 54, 309B; 62, 2: PL 54, 350-351; 83, 3: PL 54, 431-432. ) "To
preach. . . the unsearchable riches of Christ"10
425
The transmission of the Christian faith consists primarily in proclaiming Jesus
Christ in order to lead others to faith in him. From the beginning, the first
disciples burned with the desire to proclaim Christ: "We cannot but speak
of what we have seen and heard."11 (Acts 4:20. ) It and they invite people of every era
to enter into the joy of their communion with Christ:
That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word
of life - the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and
proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made
manifest to us - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so
that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son Jesus Christ. and we are writing this that our joy may be
complete.12
At
the heart of catechesis: Christ
426
"At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of
Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for
us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever."13(CT 5. ) To catechize
is "to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design
reaching fulfilment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of
Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him."14 (CT 5. ) Catechesis
aims at putting "people . . . in communion . . . with Jesus Christ: only
he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the
life of the Holy Trinity."15
427
In catechesis "Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God,. . . is taught -
everything else is taught with reference to him - and it is Christ alone who
teaches - anyone else teaches to the extent that he is Christ's spokesman,
enabling Christ to teach with his lips. . . Every catechist should be able to
apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: 'My teaching is not mine, but his
who sent me.'"16
428
Whoever is called "to teach Christ" must first seek "the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus"; he must suffer "the loss
of all things. . ." in order to "gain Christ and be found in
him", and "to know him and the power of his resurrection, and (to)
share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible (he) may
attain the resurrection from the dead".17
429
From this loving knowledge of Christ springs the desire to proclaim him, to
"evangelize", and to lead others to the "yes" of faith in
Jesus Christ. But at the same time the need to know this faith better makes
itself felt. To this end, following the order of the Creed, Jesus' principal
titles - "Christ", "Son of God", and "Lord"
(article 2) - will be presented. the Creed next confesses the chief mysteries
of his life - those of his Incarnation (article 3), Paschal mystery (articles 4
and 5) and glorification (articles 6 and 7).
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