OTHCC Chapter 93: items 1841

The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church < > All Chapters

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Abram was called by God

a.   beyond the reality he knew.
b.   in place of the reality he knew.
c.   to reject the reality he knew.

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The Catechism teaches [CCC 59] that God called Abraham

a.   because of his anger at humanity's sins.
b.   to create a nation more powerful than the rest.
c.   to gather together scattered humanity.

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Read Gen 17: 1-14. In [CCC 59], the Holy Father and the bishops teach that God makes a covenant with Abram, and makes him Abraham, that is,

a.   ''the father of a multitude of nations.''
b.   ''the father of the one and only nation.''
c.   ''the glory and victory of the nations.''

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Read Gen 12:3 and note that in Abraham, all the nations of the earth

a.   shall be blessed.
b.   shall be doomed.
c.   shall be Jewish.

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In Gen 12:3 God promises that in Abraham's progeny (Abraham's descendant or descendants) all the nations of the earth will be blessed. In CCC 706, the Holy Father and bishops profess that ''This progeny will be Christ himself.''

Just as the Catholic Church sees the Word of God there when ''In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,'' [Gen 1:1] she sees God's promise to Abraham fulfilled in Jesus, whom the Church professes as the Christ, the Messiah of Israel, for in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. <<

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The Catholic Church sees [CCC 53] that God communicates himself to man

a.   all at once.
b.   gradually.
c.   never.

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As he more and more reveals himself and his plan for man, God

a.   completely reveals himself in his Son.
b.   never reveals himself completely.
c.   remains hidden from us until the end.

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God first makes himself known

a.   after the Fall.
b.   in the beginning.
c.   to Adam and Eve.

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God begins to reveal himself in the very act of creation. He is the Creator. All created realities reveal his presence. <<

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God reveals himself to man

a.   but only in his deeds.
b.   but only in his words.
c.   in his words and deeds.

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God manifested himself to our first parents

a.   from the very beginning.
b.   only after their Fall.
c.   sometime before their Fall.

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After the Fall, God

a.   abandoned man to his dreadful sins by speaking words of eternal doom.
b.   buoyed our first parents up with the hope of salvation by promising redemption.
c.   was hidden and silent so that man could not find him for a very long time.

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Read Gen 3:15. The Church sees in this verse God's promise to our first parents. God immediately continues to reveal himself to them even after their Fall. God promises that the ''seed'' of the woman (mankind descended from Eve) will eventually gain the victory over the powers of evil.

A further and the fullest meaning in this passage is typological and thus relates to Christ. In fact this passage is called the ''Protoevangelium'' (''first gospel''). [CCC 410] Christ is the new man, the New Adam, who by his obedience will superabundantly make up for Adam's disobedience and thus decisively and forever defeat the powers of evil. Just as the Church sees Christ present ''in the beginning,'' she sees God promise Adam and Eve, immediately after the Fall, that Christ will come to deliver mankind from death and all the other powers of evil.

Also, many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary. [CCC 411] Christ is the ''seed'' of Mary, the new Eve. (Thus, there are many pictures and statues of Mary crushing the head of a serpent under her heel). <<

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There is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is called ''Father''

a.   by many religions.
b.   only by Christians.
c.   only by Jews.

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Read Deuteronomy, Deut 32:6. The Jewish people call God ''Father'' in part because he is

a.   eternally with his Son, Jesus.
b.   holy above all things.
c.   the Creator of the world.

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Read Ex 4:21-23. By his revelation of himself to Israel in his covenant and his gift of the law, God is called Father by the Jewish people because

a.   by these he makes Israel his first-born son.
b.   he reveals himself even more as the Creator.
c.   in this way Israel trembles before him.

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Read 2 Sam 7:8-15. God is also called the Father of

a.   the king of Israel.
b.   the patriarchs.
c.   the prophets.

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In ancient Jewish society, widows and orphans were impoverished. In general a woman could not work outside the home. Thus, widows had few ways to generate income and were usually entirely dependent on the mercy of others. Therefore, fatherless children might go hungry very frequently. Moreover, unless a widow were able to come under the protection of some relative, she lived with a definite increased risk of physical or sexual harm from evil men. Read Ps 68:1-6. ''Most especially'' [CCC 238] God is called Father by the Jewish people

a.   as the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
b.   because the poor are under his loving protection.
c.   in his support of the house of David.

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The Holy Father and bishops in communion with him teach [CCC 239] that calling God Father in part indicates that God

a.   is a man.
b.   is a woman.
c.   is the Creator.

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The Holy Father and bishops in communion with him teach [CCC 239] that calling God Father in part indicates that God

a.   has spoken through the prophets.
b.   is goodness and loving care for all his children.
c.   will come to judge the living and the dead.

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