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Revelation: deeds and words
38. God, in his greatness,
uses a pedagogy (82) to reveal himself to the human person: he uses
human events and words to communicate his plan; he does so progressively and in
stages,(83) so as to draw even closer to man. God, in fact, operates in
such a manner that man comes to knowledge of his salvific plan by means of the
events of salvation history and the inspired words which accompany and explain
them.
"This economy of Revelation is realized
by deeds and words, which are intrinsically bound up with each other. As a
result,
– the works performed by God in the history
of Salvation show forth and bear out the doctrine and realities signified by
the words,
– the words, for their part, proclaim the
works, and bring to light the mystery they contain".(84)
39. Evangelization too which
transmits Revelation to the world, is also brought about in words and deeds. It
is at once testimony and proclamation, word and sacrament, teaching and task.
Catechesis, for its part, transmits the words and deeds of Revelation; it is
obliged to proclaim and narrate them and, at the same time, to make clear the
profound mysteries they contain. Moreover, since Revelation is a source of
light for the human person, catechesis not only recalls the marvels worked by
God in the past, but also, in the light of the same Revelation, it interprets
the signs of the times and the present life of man, since it is in these that
the plan of God for the salvation of the world is realized.(85)
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