Ostalo
The Paschal Mystery and the Christian Family
Stjepan Kušar
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
A Christian family is a family imbued with belief in Jesus Christ, as professed within the fold of the Church. The actions, decisions and attitudes of such a family are based upon God's revelation, i.e. Jesus Christ and his paschal mystery. Through Jesus Christ, God entered the world of suffering. Sacrificing His Son on the cross, God proclaims Himself most compellingly. The cross is the symbol of God's historical gift of Himself to man and the expression of His unconditional commitment to the promise of man's salvation. God acts out of love, the free acceptance of love representing the most perfect form of freedom. God's suffering is therefore an expression of His freedom and love. God does not suffer due to some intrinsic imperfection, but freely allows suffering to touch Him for the sake of love. Suffering has its significance but it is love which imparts purpose and direction not only to suffering but to death. In a world permeated with egoism and the denial of divine love, there was no other choice but to appear in the likeness of a "man of sorrows". Love must pass through trial by fire in order to retain its essence. Since God is actus purus amoris, He can permit His Son to appear helpless without forfeiting His divine omnipotence.
In order to provide a background for understanding the consequences of the paschal mystery in Christian life, especially within the family, the author uses the articles of the Creed. He then presents seven assertions based on the actual condition of the Christian family as illuminated by the paschal mystery:
1) We humans do not gladly suffer the righteous among us. 2) God ultimately identifies with man, all the way to the extreme depths of suffering and absurdity. 3) Christ's cross conquers our intrinsic egoism as well as our ten¬dency to exalt ourselves at the expense of others; it provides the framework for genuine brotherly-sisterly life together. 4) Mutual human kindness, forgiveness and readiness for reconciliation derive from the cross as the "royal road" via which God "descended" into human history. 5) The death of Jesus negates all political claims of an absolutist nature. 6) He who believes in Jesus Christ does not die alone. 7) Happiness and joy in human life are signs and harbringers of the final bliss to which our Father calls us.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
53162
URI
Datum izdavanja:
20.12.1989.
Posjeta: 1.551 *