{"id":2207,"date":"2011-06-28T11:51:11","date_gmt":"2011-06-28T17:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/?p=2207"},"modified":"2011-07-29T10:38:32","modified_gmt":"2011-07-29T16:38:32","slug":"christ-and-the-other-central-mystery-of-christian-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/28\/christ-and-the-other-central-mystery-of-christian-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Christ and the Other Central Mystery of Christian Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[This is a part of the\u00a0Fundamentals of Effective Catechesis<\/a> series]<\/p>\n

When is the Christian religion not centered on Christ?<\/p>\n

Is that possible?<\/p>\n

In the last several posts, you’ve seen that the mystery of Christ<\/a> is the central, organizing theme<\/a> of catechesis.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0central mystery<\/a>, which comes from St. Paul himself, connects all of the Catholic Faith into a unified whole.<\/p>\n

But, there’s one more aspect you need to understand about really making this central theme work.<\/p>\n

Christ is not the only one at the center of the mystery. There is another.
\n<\/p>\n

The revelation of the Father<\/h2>\n

Jesus Christ is the center of the\u00a0Christian mystery because he’s the one that came and talked to us. But his very message leads us to someone else.<\/p>\n

Jesus continually referred to\u00a0his Father, who sent him, and to\u00a0the Holy Spirit, who\u00a0would come after him.<\/p>\n

Jesus is like the messenger. <\/strong>He came to reveal the inner life and love of the Father that was completely unknown.\u00a0He’s also our leader. <\/strong>He forged a path for mankind to journey back to\u00a0the Father and made it possible for us to follow.<\/p>\n

Christ is\u00a0the “Way” <\/strong>who reveals and leads us into the innermost union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit–the Blessed Trinity.<\/p>\n

The central mystery of the Faith<\/h2>\n

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #234 says, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith<\/strong> and life. It is\u00a0the mystery of\u00a0God in himself. It is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith<\/strong>…” (emphasis added).<\/p>\n

It goes on to say, “The whole history of salvation is identical\u00a0with the history of the way and the means by which\u00a0the one true\u00a0God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men ‘and reconciles and unites\u00a0with himself those who turn away from sin.'”<\/p>\n

The mystery of Christ is the history of salvation\u00a0with Christ at it’s center. However, the essence of\u00a0Christ’s teaching is the revelation of his own union in\u00a0the Trinity. <\/strong><\/p>\n

When you see Christ, you see the Father. Essentially, all of\u00a0Christ’s actions are the actions of the Blessed Trinity in human form. Jesus, in his own life and catechesis, reveals the intimate inner life of God.<\/p>\n

But actually, all of salvation history reveals the inner life of\u00a0God as well<\/strong>. What\u00a0God does reveals who he is in his innermost being. Persons reveal who they are by their actions. If you’re a generous person, that will come out over time. If you’re a selfish person, your friends\u00a0will come to know that\u00a0about you if they spend enough time\u00a0with you.<\/p>\n

So, we come to\u00a0understand\u00a0God completely by looking at what he’s done in human history. And, with God\u00a0what you see is what you get because he doesn’t hold anything back. So, the mystery of Christ, as revealed in the Bible,\u00a0is like the personal diary of\u00a0God. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Trinitarian Christocentricity<\/h2>\n

So, you can see how a Christ-centered message, by it’s very nature leads to faith in the Trinity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesus speaks of he and\u00a0the Father as\u00a0the two poles of\u00a0Christian faith in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life,\u00a0that they know you the only true God, and Jesus\u00a0Christ whom you have sent.”<\/p>\n

Our message must be both Trinity-centered and Christ-centered–a Trinitarian Christocentricity.<\/strong> It is centered in Christ as the way to communion with the Trinity.<\/p>\n

Catechetical takeaway<\/h2>\n

In essence our faith is about being inserted into the Trinity. But\u00a0Christ is like our gateway into Trinitarian union. He is the insertion point. We can’t get there unless we are united to him.<\/p>\n

You see this reflected in the liturgy as well. Every prayer is offered to the Father, through\u00a0Christ, in the Holy Spirit. That is the Christians movement toward God.<\/p>\n

By understanding this Trinitarian Christocentricity, you can clearly see the essential aspects the Catholic Faith and what needs to be taught. Also, this is what you\u00a0should go back to again and again as\u00a0the core beliefs to ingrain in your students.<\/p>\n