Divine Revelation 1 Unit 2 Question 1 Question 2 How would you define the concept of divine revelation? What are a few examples from Sacred Scripture where God divinely revealed Himself to his people? Question 3 Question 4 Who is the definitive Word of Revelation? What is Sacred Tradition? Who is responsible for passing on the Sacred Tradition of the Church and where did their authority come from? Question 5 What is the relationship between Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition? Why is this relationship significant for the Catholic Church?
2 Divine Revelation Divine Revelation 2 Throughout history, God has chosen to make His identity known to people in varying ways. One of the most significant ways God discloses Himself to human beings is through divine revelation, God s decision to make his plan and will known to humanity. In key figures from Sacred Scripture, such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and St. John the Baptist, God chose to divinely share his hope of covenantal love with all humankind. In this subsection you will find articles addressing: Salvation History: God s revelation of self 00 Scripture: An Unfolding Story 00 00 The Living Tradition: Glimpses from History 00 The Evolving Truth 00 The definitive and most exquisite moment in the divine revelation of God took place when the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the fullness of God s revelation and salvation, forged a new path for humans to follow, a path that would be carried on by the Apostles, and their successors, the bishops. The Church is called to continually unravel the mysteries of Christ and transmit the truths of God to all Her people, which is referred to as the handing on of Sacred Tradition. Sacred Tradition informed by Sacred Scripture further opens up the message of Christ in a way that helps build the kingdom of God in new and innovative ways.
Salvation History: God s Revelation of Self 3 Salvation History: God s Revelation of Self One of the most difficult aspects of entering a new school or moving to a different neighborhood is the pain of losing some friendships and the challenge of meeting new people. Why do we find it so hard to make friends and develop new social circles? It s tough because we are starting over, and have to develop trusting and supportive friendships. In order to develop these types of friendships we have to be willing to share who we are, whether it be our hopes and dreams, our inadequacies and shortcomings, or our family history and past relationships. Our relationship with God is much the same! We constantly reveal who we are to God and God continually discloses Himself in many ways and at all times. Not only does God reveal Himself through creation informed by human reason, known as natural revelation, He also Unit 2 Revelation This word (from the Latin revelare, meaning to unveil or to disclose ) refers to the unveiling or selfmanifestation of God and God s divine plan of salvation through the prophets in the Old Testament and through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. (See CCC 50 53).
4 Divine Revelation Salvation History The pattern of events in human history that exemplify God s presence and saving actions. In Catholic thought, all of history is salvation history, even though God s presence may not be recognized. shares himself with us through divine revelation, sometimes called supernatural revelation. Divine revelation, God s free decision to share his plan of loving goodness and make known the mystery of his will with human beings, is our primary window into the wisdom and knowledge of God. Although divine revelation is gradual, it culminated and took form in the person and mission of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. Out of a desire to fully disclose himself and his plan God provides us access to [Him], through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, so that we can share in his divine nature. In the unfolding of salvation history, the record or story of God s self-revelation and saving action through the human history, God invites us into communion with the blessed Trinity; therefore, He communicates his own mystery in deeds and words. Salvation history tells a story of a God who heals, refreshes, transforms, reveals and ultimately saves! As both a friend and father, God divinely revealed himself to our ancestors in ways beyond the The Story of a Soul St. Therese of Lisieux, known to most people as the Little Flower of Jesus, was a young woman of deep and profound wisdom. Her life on this earth was very brief, but her impact on the Church s understanding of divine revelation was incredible. In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, she shares with men and women the many ways God revealed himself to her simple soul. She ascribe a path, called the little way, in which St. Therese explains how every little, charitable action performed for God is a manifestation of God s existence and self. Photo: John Doe, 124 Corp.
Salvation History: God s Revelation of Self 5 human imagination. From the parting and silencing of waters to angels heralding the news of God incarnate, from healings of the sick to an empty tomb, from visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to appearances of Mary, God provides answers to the most fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life. God reveals himself, especially in Jesus Christ, so that we may know and love him beyond our own natural capacity. God, who remains a mystery beyond words, stretches our hearts and minds so there is immeasurable space for divine knowledge and love. In the words of John Henry Cardinal Newman, As prayer is the voice of [human beings] to God, so revelation is the voice of God to man. Divine revelation is the shouting voice of God trying to get our attention and attract our souls. God sings a song of hope and expectation, a song that fills the empty spaces of disbelief and cynicism. God s resounding voice and song fill the heavens and the earth with divine truth and beauty. He wants us to know truth, beauty, goodness and peace, which can only be found in his revealed Word of Life, Jesus Christ! Divine revelation is ultimately about God s love for his most perfect creations, each and everyone of us. In Story of a Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), a Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church, spoke of God s care and concern for humanity in the following way: Just as the sun shines simultaneously on the tall cedars and on each little flower as though it were alone on the earth, so our Lord is occupied with each soul as though there were no others like it. Let it be said that, God, our intimate friend and companion on the journey, reveals himself because he is occupied with the salvation of our souls! Just as the sun shines simultaneously on the tall cedars and on each little flower as though it were alone on the earth, so our Lord is occupied with each soul as though there were no others like it. Unit 2
6 Divine Revelation Original Sin The sin by which the first humans disobeyed God and thereby lost their original holiness and became subject to death. Original Sin is transmitted to every person born into the world. Covenant A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being involving mutal commitments are recognized. Scripture: An Unfolding Story Sacred Scripture, the Old and New Testament, roots us in God s divine revelation to and saving action on behalf of those who have gone before us. Since the creation of the heavens and earth and all that is in them God has disclosed himself to humanity. Old Testament Unfolding Our story, as the people of God, begins with our first parents, Adam and Eve. Realizing there is constant evidence of himself in created realities, God wanted to further manifest himself to our first parents by inviting them to intimate communion with himself and [clothing them] with resplendent grace and justice. Even when Adam and Eve turned away from God in sin God remained faithful to his people, divinely revealing the promises of redemption and eternal life. The sin of Adam and Eve, original sin, led to further sin amongst God s people, thus, resulting in broken communities and families. God, who remains a mystery beyond words, even when he reveals himself, still heard the cries of his people and offered them the hope of salvation. In the story of Noah, God intends on destroying his creation through a great flood because they have fallen prey to lives of sin and transgression, but God gives Noah, a good and righteous man, instructions on how to build an ark which would save himself and his family from disaster. The instructions and rainbow that appears at the end of the flood symbolize his covenant with human beings a covenant fertilized and nourished by God s self-disclosure.
Scripture: An Unfolding Story 7 Scattered and divided by worship of false gods and sin at the Tower of Babel, God wishes to reconcile his people through a covenant with the patriarch Abraham. God appeared to Abraham in a vision promising him descendants more numerous than the stars, even though Abraham s wife Sarah was barren, and land if he would move to a place where God s self-revelation is realized in the attitudes and behaviors of the people. Because Abraham was a man of great faith and righteousness he obeyed God, which resulted in a bloodline of charismatic patriarchs, including Isaac and Jacob, and land yielding in abundance. Patriarch The father or leader of a tribe, clan, and tradition. Unit 2 And the story continues. God, as liberator of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, gives Moses a new law at Mount Sinai, taking form in the Ten Commandments. This new covenant gives the people an identity as the chosen, holy children of God. Through divine revelation, God promises to Telling our Story Telling one s story is a holy event! By sharing our personal history we are reflecting on the events and people who have shaped us. Whether or not we have known or experienced these people and events they are integral to our own sense of self and worth. When we open the book of our lives, both past and present, to self and others, there are several ways we can proclaim our story. Genealogies are family trees attempting to trace our ancestral line to its origin. A coat of arms or shield is an image bearing symbols, colors or words that reflect the history of a particular family. Many people will place these coat of arms or shields in the entry way of their homes to declare their family story to all who enter. Another important form of storytelling is the tales and myths grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents tell us regarding their childhood and understanding of the past.
8 Divine Revelation remain faithful to the covenant and never cease calling people to live the truths of this new law, even in the face of failure. Although, God reveals his will and plan to people like Adam and Eve, Abraham and Moses, humanities propensity toward sin stands in the way of truth and goodness. In light of human being s sinful choices, God divulges himself to the prophets, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, whom he calls to announce the radical redemption of the People of God, a purification from all their infidelities, a salvation which will include all nations. The Wisdom Prophets People chosen by God to speak his message of salvation. Literature speaks of God who intervenes and discloses self in the events of people s lives, whether it be restoration from famine and disease or destruction of enemies. Also, in the Wisdom literature, we find God s divine wisdom crying aloud in the streets trying to catch the attention of his beloved children. This same wisdom, as revealed by God, fanned by the flame of the covenants, and spoken by the prophets, is made visible in the words and actions of St. John the Baptist the Lord s immediate precursor or forerunner, sent to prepare his way. Drawing on God s selfrevelation in the past and in his own life, St. John the Baptist opens the doorways and windows of people s lives to Jesus Christ, the definitive or final Word of Revelation. Photo: John Doe, 124 Corp.
One Word of Hope 9 One Word of Hope One Word, the Logos, became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Because this One Word became flesh in Jesus Christ we have been invited into communion with the Blessed Trinity in a whole new way. Jesus Christ is God s one perfect, and unsurpassable Word revealed in the flesh and experience of humanity. The light shines All of salvation history, as contained in Sacred Scripture, speaks of one single Word, a transforming Word, which came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. The same Word that created the universe and revealed itself to the sacred writers of Scripture is the exact, same Word revealed in Jesus Christ. In light of this understanding, it can be said with great certainty that all of Scripture bears witness to Jesus Christ the first and last, the definitive Word of Revelation. Jesus Christ is God s Word of hope shining light in and through the created order. There is no greater Word and no greater Word can ever be conceived. Logos - This Greek word has a variety of meanings: word, reason, discourse, and so on. In the prologue to Saint John s Gospel, the word Logos refers to the second person of the Trinity becoming man in Jesus Christ. Unit 2 And we saw his glory! In the life of Jesus Christ we see the glory of God! The Word born in a lowly stable, the Word welcoming the sinner, the Word healing pain and naming demons, the Word washing the feet of friends, the Word hung on a cross, and the Word risen, reveals a God who chose to disclose himself in the brokenness of humanity so that we might know him and in return he would know us. God s Word, by revealing himself in the flesh, nursed our pain, bandaged our limitations, and counseled our souls. The Word cradled us so that we would be cradled in the glory of God. God s cradle of eternity was and is made possible by his deepest revelation in Jesus Christ.
10 Divine Revelation Full of grace and truth! Jesus Christ is our instructional manual as to how to interpret all of creation and its final end. In studying the life of Jesus Christ, our New Covenant, we come to know a Word that is filled with great meaning, a Word revealing the grace and truth of God s saving plan. This plan cannot be fully understood in this lifetime, but by pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ we come to know God s free offer of grace, which ultimately enlightens the human mind and heart. The Gospels use numerous images to convey the truth of Jesus identity, the culmination of God s revelation. Shepherd, friend, father, savior, doctor, bread, vine, gate and light all point to the fact that Jesus, the embodiment of God s revelation throughout salvation history, is the One Word who can free us from all that binds. What greater word has ever been spoken? None! Taken from the writings of St. Patrick of Ireland (387-493), let us bind ourselves to Christ God s most astounding and breathtaking revelation. A Prayer of Committment: St. Patrick s Breast-Plate I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with that of Baptism, The virtue of His Crucifixion with that of His Burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with that of His Ascension, The virtue of His Coming on the Judgment Day.
The Living Tradition: Glimpses from History 11 The Living Tradition: Glimpses from History Unit 2 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. Jesus Christ, the sum of Divine revelation, commanded the apostles to herald to all people and all nations what they had heard and seen regarding the salvation of God. The teachings of Jesus were to be transmitted from generation to generation, not only being proclaimed in word, but also in action. As they moved from town to town, village to village, the Apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, drew more and more people to the message of Jesus Christ. This handing on or transmission of the truths that Jesus Christ taught is known as the Tradition of the Christian Faith. Once the time had come to finish their work on this earth the Apostles chose the bishops as their successors, which is known as Apostolic Succession. By choosing the bishops as their successors they gave them the authority to teach and interpret the Tradition. Through Tradition, the bishops and the entire Church, in doctrine, life, and worship, exclaims the redemption found in Jesus Christ. As one, holy, Catholic What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. Tradition The handing on or transmission of the truths that Jesus Christ taught the original Apostles, and then as they, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, taught others.
12 Divine Revelation and Apostolic Church, we believe that the God who spoke to people of the past, continues to converse with men and women through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit ignites the hearts of believers with a fire enlivening and manifesting all that was revealed in the Word made flesh Jesus Christ. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, because He knew we would need a guide on the journey of life, a guide who would help us fully understand and comprehend all that God revealed in the wood of a cross and the stone of an empty tomb. Two Pillars What about Sacred Scripture? Scared Scripture and Sacred Tradition are intimately bound together! They are two pillars of strength, supporting and holding up the Church as a light for all to know the mystery of Christ. These two pillars, the written, inspired word of God and the living transmission of the Word of God, communicate effectively the whole of God s revelation. Neither pillar can be understood without the other; therefore, both must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence. Together, they reveal God who gradually communicates his own mystery in deeds and words. Mary, the Mother of God Within the Tradition of the Church, lies a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin celebrated in liturgical feasts and others prayers, such as the rosay. Because of the teachings of the Apostles we have come to realize the significant role Mary played in salvation. By saying yes to an angel Mary opened the doors to heaven. Even though she is referred to only a few times in the Gospels, the Tradition lifts up Mary as a model of humble faith and amazing courage,
The Living Tradition: Glimpses from History 13 The deposit of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, unites all the people of God with their religious leaders and the early Apostles. Consequently, there should be tremendous peace and harmony between God s holy shepherds, the bishops, and His sheep, the faithful. The bishops in communion with the Pope, entitled the Magisterium of the Church, are servants to the written words of Scripture and the transmission of the truth in Tradition. Because they are deemed servants, the Pope and bishops are charged by Christ with the authentic interpretation and teaching of all that has been handed down. The Magisterium, rooted in its teaching authority and moved by the Holy Spirit, defines the central teachings of the Catholic Church, known as dogma, with the goal of nurturing the faith of its daughters and sons. A person of profound faith and reverence will recognize the fundamental truth lying at the core of these dogmas. Photo: John Doe, 124 Corp. Magisterium of the Church The Church s living teaching office, which consists of all bishops in communion with the Pope. Unit 2 The Vocation of All Keep the talent of the Catholic faith inviolate and unimpaired. What has been faithfully entrusted, let it remain in your possession, let it be handed on. By nature of our baptism, we are all called to treasure our faith as a priceless gem, holding it in the treasure chest of our live, but we are also to share the gem with others, allowing it to sparkle and shine, bringing forth the light and radiance of Jesus revealed in the Catholic tradition. As a Church, we cannot err in matters of belief because the Holy Spirit guides it leaders and people in the ways of truth and righteousness. Gifted by Apostolic Succession and led by the universal call to holiness, the entire Church must speak what it has heard, in the light and from the housetops. Dogma - An authoritative teaching of the Church in regard to faith or morals that is considered to be a matter of Revelation.
14 Divine Revelation The Evolving Truth Together, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God which guides the Church and is the source of all of her [the Catholic Church] riches. It is not uncommon to hear the teachings of the Catholic Church challenged with a question such as Why do Catholics have beliefs and practices that are not in the Bible? In reality, all that is found in the Sacred Tradition is a manifestation of what was revealed in Jesus Christ. Nothing taught or proclaimed by the Church contradicts the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as written in the Bible. As Catholics we are very blessed to be a part of a religion that God chose to disclose the truths of Revelation not only in Sacred Scripture but also in Sacred Tradition the handing on and authentic interpretation of the teachings of Jesus Christ, beginning with the Apostles. Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are bound closely together, communicating the whole of God s redemptive and reconciling love. Together, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God which guides the Church and is the source of all of her [the Catholic Church] riches. Our God is a God of many faces! Although, essential to our understanding of God s culminating revelation in Jesus Christ, Sacred Scripture is not the only face of God. As true successors to the Apostles and guided by the Holy Spirit, the bishops in communion with the Pope, give witness and further understanding to God self-revelation in the Church s doctrine, life, and worship. In conversation with Sacred Scripture, Tradition unveils a God not limited by the human word and never fully understood in this lifetime; therefore, it is the role of the Magisterium of the Church to define and articulate meaningful
The Evolving Truth 15 dogma and liturgical practices that empower people to discover God s mulit-faceted personality and many faces. Again, all that is found in the Sacred Tradition is a manifestation of what was revealed in Jesus Christ. Nothing taught or proclaimed by the Church contradicts the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as written in the Bible. Endowed with the authority of the Apostles, also known as Apostolic Succession, the Church only seeks to let loose the glory of God s ultimate Revelation, Jesus Christ, in her lived reality and experience. What an amazing Church to be a part of! A Church not tied to limits, a Church centered in God s self-revelation in Jesus Christ, a Church that listens to the on-going revelation of the Holy Spirit, and a Church that seeks to live all of God s revelation in word and deed! Redemption People chosen by God to speak his message of salvation. Examples of Sacred Tradition Liturgy and Sacraments Primacy of Conscience Papal Infallibility Salvation in the Church of Christ Communion of Saints Unit 2 In the Words of St. John Chrysostom (347-407), Doctor of the Church Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions that you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter [2 Th. 2:15]. From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by letter, but there was much also that was not written. Like that which was written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief. So let us regard the tradition of the Church also as worthy of belief. Is it a tradition? Inquire no further.
16 Divine Revelation Five Things to Know 16 1 Even though human beings can know the truth of God s existence through natural reason, God chooses to freely share his plan of loving goodness with them through divine revelation. 2 3 4 Sacred Scripture spells out several instances in which God divinely revealed himself to holy men and women. God s divine revelation culminated in the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God s Word made flesh. The Bishops in communion with the Pope, otherwise known as the Magisterium of the Church, were granted the authority by the Apostles to transmit and authentically interpret the teachings of Jesus Christ. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this transmission and authentic interpretation of Jesus life and message is known as the 5 Sacred Tradition. Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture work together to uncover the ongoing message of salvation. Sacred Tradition does not contradict Sacred Scripture but helps uncover, in dogma and worship, the truths that were revealed by Jesus Christ to the early Apostles and disciples.