BARTOLOMEO Fra The Adoration of the Christ Child

BARTOLOMEO, Fra The Adoration of the Christ Child c. 1499 Oil on canvas Galleria Borghese, Rome I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord 10 ©Fr. Mark Emman H. Sese

Compendium of the Catechism n n n 79. What is the Good News for humanity? 422 -424 It is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the “Son of the living God” (Matthew 16: 16), who died and rose from the dead. In the time of King Herod and the Emperor Caesar Augustus, God fulfilled the promises that he made to Abraham and his descendants. He sent “his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4: 4 -5).

Introduction n In order to save us, God sent his Son, who is Jesus, the Christ, Jesus Christ. As the faith of the Church states, Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Besides being our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ is the model for all mankind, and especially for Christians. BOECKHORST, Jan van Christ on the Cross c. 1640 Oil on panel, 106 x 75 cm Private collection

Main ideas ©Fr. Mark Emman H. Sese

1. In spite of sin, God did not abandon men n n In spite of sin, God continued to love our first parents and their descendants, and wanted to restore what their sin had destroyed. He promised that He would save men from sin, recovering the gift of grace: men would return to God and be His children and heirs of Heaven, although without recovering the preternatural gifts. MASTER FRANCKE Birth of Jesus 1424 Panel, 99 x 89 cm Kunsthalle, Hamburg

2. Throughout history, God remembers the promise made to Adam and Eve n So that men should not forget that God would send a Saviour into the world, God frequently renewed that promise through Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David, Isaiah, among others. These were the Prophets, especially those who spoke of the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah (7: 14) proclaims that the Messiah would be born of a “virgin”; Micah (5: 2) even indicates where He would be born: in “Bethlehem”. ALTDORFER, Albrecht Christ on the Cross between Mary and St John c. 1512 Limewood, 102 x 116 cm Staatliche Museen, Kassel

3. The Saviour or Messiah is Christ n n “God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son” (John 3: 16). The Lord is called Jesus, which means “saviour”. The Archangel St. Gabriel thus said to St. Joseph: The Virgin “shall give birth to a son, and His name will be Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Mat 1: 21). GIOTTO di Bondone No. 17 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 1. Nativity: Birth of Jesus (detail) 1304 -06 Fresco, width of detail 100 cm Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

4. Jesus Christ is truly God n n He told us so and He confirmed His words with deeds. He told us: “I and the Father are one; he who sees the Father sees me; nobody can know the Father except through the Son”. Jesus Christ heals the sick, the blind, the lepers…; He raises His friend Lazarus from the dead, as well as the son of the widow of Naim; He forgives the sins of the paralytic, and those of Mary Magdalene and of the adulterous woman…; and He did all these things with His own power, because He is God. GIOTTO di Bondone No. 23 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 7. Baptism of Christ 1304 -06 Fresco, 200 x 185 cm Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

5. Christ’s resurrection is the main proof of His divinity n n n Jesus Christ truly died and truly resurrected. After His resurrection, He showed Himself several times to His disciples, and they gave witness to these apparitions. Christ’s resurrection is the main proof of His divinity, because He rose from the dead by his own power. BELLINI, Giovanni Resurrection of Christ 1475 -79 Oil on panel, 148 x 128 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin

6. Jesus is truly man n Jesus Christ is a man like us, except in sin. He had a mother, like us; He worked with His hands helping St. Joseph; He felt hunger and thirst; He had friends and wept when His friend Lazarus died, He was cheerful with his disciples, with children… Jesus Christ was not only true God but also true man. BRAMANTE, Donato Christ at the Column c. 1490 Tempera on panel, 93 x 62 cm Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan

7. Jesus Christ is alive, and He is our model n n Jesus Christ overcame death, rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Since He is God, He is everywhere, He sees and hears everything. Jesus Christ is in Heaven and in the Eucharist. He listens and talks to us, not with words but in our hearts. He taught us what we must do in order to be saved. He Himself told us “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14: 6). GRECO, El Christ as Saviour c. 1600 Oil on canvas, 73 x 56, 5 cm National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

8. Getting to know Jesus, growing in His friendship n n We enjoy the company of our friends. As friends, we share each other’s thoughts and ideas, are interested in each other’s lives. The same is true of our friendship with Jesus. If we wish to get acquainted with Him we can find Him in the Gospel, in talking to Him in prayer, and visiting Him in the Tabernacle. GREBBER, Pieter de Christ and the Woman of Samaria 1635 Oil on canvas, 107 x 143

Resolutio ns for Christian life ©Fr. Mark Emman H. Sese

Resolutions to move forward n n Read the Gospel for a few minutes every day in order to become more familiar with the life of Christ and His teachings. Make a short visit to the Blessed Sacrament to be near Christ, truly present in the tabernacle.