Salvation History: Kerygma
Trinity Sunday
“Glory and praise for ever!”Daniel 3
God created us with divine dignity, as His most precious creature, and the human creature lived happily in paradise, dwelling with God in harmony. The rebellious angels hated God and His creation; therefore, the devil sought to deceive the human creature and lead humanity to rebel against God as he had done, disobeying God.
This was the dramatic rupture that turned the cosmos (order) into chaos (disorder), and as a consequence came all the other ruptures: between man and creation, with the earth, with the animals, and with other human beings. Through sin came sickness, death, natural disorders, the inclination toward sin, dullness of mind, and almost complete ignorance, etc.
This is where God intervenes in His divine mercy and compassion, deciding to love us even while we were sinners and rebels, in order to rescue us from the tyranny in which the devil held us as slaves subjected to sin and death. God gradually revealed Himself in order to show us the moral values we must follow to please Him, and to reveal to us the true meaning and purpose of our life, vocation, and mission: to be Love as He is Love.
And in the fullness of time, He sent His Son, born of the Virgin Mary, as it was written, to rescue us from the hands of the tyrant devil who wants us rebellious against God and subjected to him as slaves of sin in darkness (Ephesians 2:1-9). Christ came to be the light, the Good Shepherd who guides us toward eternal salvation, teaching us to live with the dignity of God’s adopted children in Him, redeeming us and rescuing us from slavery.
Just as the people of God, after being freed from slavery in Egypt, did not go directly into the Promised Land, but instead spent 40 years being guided through the desert, so too we, having been liberated by Christ and raised with Him through faith, still continue crossing this desert of the world until we arrive at the heaven promised by Christ in the Father’s house for eternal salvation.
This means that we have not yet reached our final destination. We are still in the struggle against temptations, the deceptions of the evil one and of the world, in this body affected by the consequences of sin, with tendencies toward the seven deadly sins, and in the short-sightedness and darkness of our fallen nature. But we have Christ and the Spirit, who continue accompanying and guiding us in this pilgrimage, helping us to take up the cross each day in order to be His disciples and follow in His footsteps. We also count on the companionship and maternal love of Mary, who daily encourages us to say “yes” to God and to follow Jesus closely.
“I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:12.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6
Sacramental Seal
Question:
What is a sacramental seal and where did it come from?
Answer:
Leaving more than just a memory, there are some events in our life that are truly transforming, making us different people. The same thing can be said of spiritual things, especially sacraments.
A sacramental seal or character is a theological concept to describe the life-changing and permanent effect of three sacraments on the person: baptism, confirmation, and holy orders.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that these sacraments confer a seal “by which the Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible” (#1121).
Once we receive these sacraments, we are forever changed. It’s a spiritual “point of no return” whereby we take a step forward in our faith journey. We are marked as people of faith, as those who have received the Spirit and as those called to serve in ordained ministry. That is why these sacraments are received only once. The direction is set, the choice is made, and we are called by God to be his people. Nothing can change that, not even our own sinfulness.
Readings of the Week
Sunday: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9/Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56/2 Corinthians 13:11-13/John 3:16-18
Monday: 2 Peter 1:2-7/Psalm 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16/Mark 12:1-12
Tuesday: 2 Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18/Psalm 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16/Mark 12:13-17
Wednesday: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12/Psalm 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef/Mark 12:18-27
Thursday: 2 Timothy 2:8-15/Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14/Mark 12:28-34
Friday: 2 Timothy 3:10-17/Psalm 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168/Mark 12:35-37
Saturday: 2 Timothy 4:1-8/Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22/Mark 12:38-44
Next Sunday: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a/Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20/1 Corinthians 10:16-17/John 6:51-58
Celebrations of the Week
Sunday: Trinity Sunday
Monday: Saint Justin, Martyr
Tuesday: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs
Wednesday: Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Friday: Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Saturday: Saint Norbert, Bishop
Next Sunday: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
