"Justification by Faith
"The Catholic Church proclaims that, just as the Bible indicates, justification and redemption come through the grace given by God because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Human beings cannot earn redemption or salvation. Neither is it won through good works. Good works are done though God's grace in response to God's redemptive work in Christ. Accordingly, Christ is the unique mediator between God and human beings.
"[Sun]day's second reading from St. Paul's letter to the Romans (3:21-25, 28) provides a clear statement of Paul's 'gospel,' i.e., the principle of justification by faith in Christ. God has found a means of rescuing humanity from its desperate plight: Paul's general term for this divine initiative is the righteousness of God (Romans 3:21).
"Divine mercy declares the guilty innocent and makes them so. God does this not as a result of the law but apart from it, and not because of any merit in human beings but through forgiveness of their sins (3:24), in virtue of the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus for all who believe (3:22, 24-25). God has manifested his righteousness in the coming of Jesus Christ, whose saving activity inaugurates a new era in human history." (end quotation)
This year, the archdiocesan Celebration of Sacred Scripture explores this very theme: Living in the New Creation. All are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is required by March 25. Click here for details.
To access Fr. Rosica's reflections in Zenit on this past week's Sunday readings, click here.
