Introduction to Christianity is the first book of Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI that I have attempted to read. I started out writting a synopsis of my daily readings in order to implant them in my mind. So, here they are...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Somewhere Around page 200

Okay, so I have ditched my intention of reading the book straight through.  But I can highly recommend pages 198 -206 to anyone, especially anyone with an atheist in their life that they want to reach out to.

 Here we find Benedict opening up the phrase "Christ Jesus".  And to my good old atheist friend (who I love dearly) why am I so excited by what I am reading here?....by a man who becomes the Catholic Pope of all things?....because my soul responds to every word, as though they were engraved in my heart from the moment of my conception. Indeed I have written much the same thing as he is saying here into an icon, and not realized what I was saying.

Because Christ, the title cannot be separated from Jesus, the man. Look at these others who we admire....great writers or doers of great deeds.  You will always find in them some aspect of self which is separate from that which we admire.  They speak words or they do deeds.  But Christ Jesus is so identified with his words and actions that He has no self apart from them.  He is his word and when he acts, it is Himself that he gives.

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