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Chapter 7. The Good News: God Has Sent His Son • 85
Trinity itself. The mission of the Catholic Church is the Lord’s plan to
unite all people in the love of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all. This unity
can never detract from the uniqueness of cultures that pluralism recog-
nizes and respects.
FOR DISCUSSION
1. Why is it important for you to appreciate the truth that the per-
son, words, and deeds of Jesus as seen in the Gospel accounts are
mysteries revealing to us the hidden plan of God for our salvation?
Conversely, what happens when this is forgotten?
2. The New Testament and the early Church Councils affirm in faith
that Jesus is true God and true man. What is the value for our faith
life in appreciating this truth of Revelation? What happens if we
forget any aspect of Christ’s identity?
3. What is your experience of cultural diversity? How has such diver-
sity influenced your sensitivity to others? Why is God’s plan for the
unity of all peoples through the love of Christ an even greater value?
DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS
• “The whole of Christ’s life was a continual teaching: his silences, his
miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affec-
tion for the lowly and the poor, his acceptance of the total sacrifice
of the Cross for the redemption of the world, and his Resurrection
are the actualization of his word and the fulfillment of Revelation”
(CCC, no. 561).
• The name
Jesus
means “God saves.” “There is no other name under
heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts
4:12). The title
Christ
means “anointed one” (
Messiah
).
• The title
Son of God
refers to the truth that Jesus Christ is the
unique and eternal Son of the Father. At Christ’s baptism and
Transfiguration, the Father says of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son”
(Mt 3:17; 17:5). To profess Jesus as
Lord
is to believe in his divinity.