Choose a topic from Part 3a:
1. Christ as man suffered voluntarily to redeem mankind.He suffered for justice, and therefore grace came to him asmerited, and this merited grace overflows into the members ofChrist, the children of his Church, and indeed all men. Thus Christby his Passion merited salvation for his members.
2. Because he suffered willingly, out of love andobedience towards God, our Lord gave back to God more than enoughto compensate for the offenses of the whole human race. Hence, thePassion is a superabundant atonement for the sins ofmankind. Scripture says (I John 2:2): "He is the propitiationfor our sins; and not for ours only, but for those of the wholeworld."
3. A sacrifice is something acceptable to God, offered toappease him and to manifest his supreme dominion over all things.The sacrifice offered by our Lord in the Passion was the mostperfect sacrifice possible.
4. And the Passion was our redemption. To redeem a man isto secure his release from captivity. Man was a captive of sin,which is the bondage of the devil; man lay also under the bondageof God'soffended justice. Now, the Passion of Christdissolved both bonds, releasing man from the thrall of sin andSatan, and atoning to God for man's rebellion against him.Therefore, the Passion is truly a work of redemption.
5. God in Trinity is the first cause of our redemption.But the immediate cause is Christ. The life of Christ (or hisblood, which makes life possible), is the price paid to redeem us.Our Lord voluntarily paid this price. Hence, in the sense ofimmediate action and payment, our redemption was accomplished byour Lord alone. Thus Christ alone is our Redeemer.
6. The principal effecting cause of man's salvation isGod. And the humanity of Christ is the instrument of the Godhead inworking out man's salvation. All that Christ as man does andsuffers for us, is truly done by him instrumentally; that is, ascarrying out the effectiveness rooted in, and proceeding from, theGodhead. Now, what Christ does and suffers for us is called hisPassion. Therefore, the Passion of Christ is the effecting cause ofman's salvation.
"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens.
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St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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"If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel."
Thomas á Kempis
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"The one thing necessary which Jesus spoke of to Martha and Mary consists in hearing the word of God and living by it."
R. Garrigou-Lagrange, OP
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