Inside the Vatican Special supplement April 1995 [antikvár]

THE GOSPEL OF LIFE Introduction 1 THE GOSPEL OF LIFE isat the heartof Jesus' -L message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is. Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:10-11). The source of this "great joy" is the Birth of the Saviour; but Christmas also reveáis the full mean-ing of every human birth, and the joy which accom-panies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfillment of joy at every child born into the world (cf. Jn 16:21). When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" {Jn 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that "new" and "eternai" life which con-sists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this "life" that ali the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance. 1 The expression "Gospel of life" is not found as such in Sacred Scripture. But it does correspond to an essential dimension of the biblical message. The incomparable worth of the human person 2 Man is called to a fullness of life which far ex-ceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveáis the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase. Life in time, in fact, is the fundamental condition, the initial stage and an integral part of the entire unifîed process of human existence. It is a process which, unexpectedly and undeservedly, is enlightened by the promise and renewed by the gift of divine life, which will reach its full realization in eternity (cf. 1 Jn 3:1-2). At the same time, it is precisely this supernatural calling which highlights the relative character of each individuali earthly life. After all, life on earth is not an "ultimate" but a "penultimate" reality; even so, it remains a sacred reality entrasted to us, to be preserved with a sense of responsibility and brought to perfection in love and in the gift of ourselves to God and to our brothers and sisters The Church knows that this Gospel oflife, which she has received from her Lord,1 has a profound and persuasive echo in the heart of every person — be-liever and non-believer alike — because it marvel-ously fulfils ali the hearťs expectations while INSIDE THE VATICAN/APRIL 1995