For those who still don’t know why the Bible is such a treasure, I need to offer only one verse from Romans 12:1 to convince them of its divine supremacy.
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
The term “spiritual worship” in its original rendering in Greek means “word-like” (logike latreia), worshiping God in the manner of the Word. Commenting on this verse, the Holy Father Benedict XVI explains that this verse is the existential dimension of the Cross. In other words, its exhortation is for us to bring the Cross into our lives and live it. How?
According to BXVI, the mystery of the Cross “draws us in and gives a new value to our life,” urging us to practise the “incarnate obedience” of Christ. The significance of the term "incarnate obedience" is meant to point us to the need of obeying God by “offering one’s whole existence to God…the whole person becomes ‘Word-like’, ‘God-like.’” Our physical existence - our body - is penetrated by the Word and becomes a gift to God. This, in a word, is the priestly charism of a Christian's baptismal grace: offering up one's body as a living sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God - a religious practice faithfully followed by the Levitical priests in Old Testament times using animal bodies, which was but a transitory sign pointing to the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice of his own body on the Cross for all mankind.
According to BXVI, the mystery of the Cross “draws us in and gives a new value to our life,” urging us to practise the “incarnate obedience” of Christ. The significance of the term "incarnate obedience" is meant to point us to the need of obeying God by “offering one’s whole existence to God…the whole person becomes ‘Word-like’, ‘God-like.’” Our physical existence - our body - is penetrated by the Word and becomes a gift to God. This, in a word, is the priestly charism of a Christian's baptismal grace: offering up one's body as a living sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God - a religious practice faithfully followed by the Levitical priests in Old Testament times using animal bodies, which was but a transitory sign pointing to the eternal High Priest Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice of his own body on the Cross for all mankind.
What a meaningful way to live! Are you prepared to live this way? The Bible - not only does it offer us ideals loftier than we can ever dream of; it also challenges us to put them into practice, following "the man" (John 19:5) who was able to practise them all in a perfect way!
(Ref: Jesus of Nazareth II, p. 236.)
(Ref: Jesus of Nazareth II, p. 236.)
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