Manuel Garrido-Bonaño e-mail(Inicie sesión)

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Manuel Garrido-Bonaño e-mail(Inicie sesión)

Resumen

109
The liturgy of the Church offers us rich material to develop a complete Christology. It always has the advantage of translating doctrine into prayer and of using that doctrine to develop an authentic spiritual life. These two aspects are above mere theological knowledge. The present work has used only the Missal issued by Paul VI and highlights only that part which deals with the union of the two natures (divine and human) of Christ in one person.

In the introduction the author points out the difference between liturgical language and that which is strictly theological. Except for some uncommon expressions, technical terms of the Church's traditional theology are not used; but that does not prevent the faith of the Church being reflected in the liturgy. In fact the liturgy is an incomparable means of expressing the faith of the People of God. It has within it a teaching, even though it may be indirect, which gives it a priviledged place for the encounter of God with man and where, in a better and more profound way, our faith is fully realised. However the faith does not always coincide with the discussions and opinions of the theologians. Thus one should not try to direct the liturgy towards those goals with which it bears no relationship, but to the doctrine of the Church at its different levels.

The author divides the work into three parts:
I. Christ, Son of God in the misteries of this Childhood.
II. Pascal mysteries of Our Lord.
III. Other mysteries of the life of Our Lord.

In the first part, with refereence to the time of Advent and the Epiphany, the text of the Missal are arranged under five concepts: prayers which refer to the coming of the Son of God; the soteriological aspect of that coming; its realisation by the Incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary and the Nativity in Bethlehem; texts with more developed christological doctrine; and the references to the Epiphany or Manifestation of Our Lord. In all these he shows that these facts are attributed to the Son of God.

In the second part dedicated to the Pascal Mysteries of Our Lord, the liturgical texts are fewer; however, in the Liturgy, the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ are always considered as the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son of God, even though it is his human nature which undergoes these.

The same occurs in the third part, which refers to the other mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ and in the sanctoral cycle in which we find very useful evidence.

All this offers a very solid foundation to show how the faith of Chalcedon firmly follows the Magisterium of the Church, in its prayer and in its life.

The conclusion is clear: in theological exposition, this fact can only be forgotten or worse, contradicted under the penalty of placing oneself at a level which does not correspond with the faith of the Church.

The Council of Chalcedon did not try to close the door on the development of our knowledge of the mystery of Christ, but, on the contrary, promoted it by defending the truth and by not departing from christian doctrine. According to the formula of Chalcedon there are two natures in the one person of Christ, which is divine, and this forms part of the infallible doctrine of the Church. The Liturgy reminds us of it again and again. The new ways of getting to know Jesus Christ more fully will be authentic ways if they do not go against that doctrine. With that condition theological effort will be useful in throwing more light on the subject. And along these lines, the liturgy of the Missal of Paul VI, which speaks of the Incarnation as an event of salvation and transformation of human destiny, can be of great help, not only as locus theologicus, but also and principally as authentic life of the Church.

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