Friday, September 26, 2008

Eph 3, 1-7 The Gentiles are members of the same body

Ephesians 3
(Eph 3, 1-7) The Gentiles are members of the same body
[1] Because of this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ (Jesus) for you Gentiles – [2] if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, [3] (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. [4] When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, [6] that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [7] Of this I became a minister by the gift of God's grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.
(CCC 1066) In the Symbol of the faith the Church confesses the mystery of the Holy Trinity and of the plan of God's "good pleasure" for all creation: the Father accomplishes the "mystery of his will" by giving his beloved Son and his Holy Spirit for the salvation of the world and for the glory of his name (Eph 1:9). Such is the mystery of Christ, revealed and fulfilled in history according to the wisely ordered plan that St. Paul calls the "plan of the mystery" (Eph 3:9; cf. 3:4) and the patristic tradition will call the "economy of the Word incarnate" or the "economy of salvation." (CCC 1067) "The wonderful works of God among the people of the Old Testament were but a prelude to the work of Christ the Lord in redeeming mankind and giving perfect glory to God. He accomplished this work principally by the Paschal mystery of his blessed Passion, Resurrection from the dead, and glorious Ascension, whereby 'dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life.' For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth 'the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church"'(SC 5 § 2; cf. St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 138, 2: PL 37, 1784-1785). For this reason, the Church celebrates in the liturgy above all the Paschal mystery by which Christ accomplished the work of our salvation.

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