The Incarnational Sense of God’s Mercy
Jakub Józef Woźniak
Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernikahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3994-619X
Sławomir Śledziewski
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9357-2152
Abstract
The mercy of God who comes towards man is often equated with the event of the Passover, of Jesus’s suffering and death, where his love of man reaches its fullness. As a result, we often seem to forget about the beginning of God’s presence amongst men, the beginning which makes this presence tangible. His Incarnation is a manifestation of God’s love and mercy for us, a coming forward of the Other towards man, towards his sin. This paper undertakes to portray the sense and the need of the Incarnation. It discusses the terminological meaning of the word “incarnation” and outlines its Biblical references. Furthermore, it explores the meaning of God’s “self-abasement,” the motives and effects of the Incarnation and the connection between the Incarnation and the Passover.
Keywords:
mercy, love, Incarnation, the Word, self-abasement, gift, understanding, meeting, PassoverReferences
Balthasar Hans Urs von, 1979, Heart of the World, transl. Erasmo S. Leiva, Ignatius Press, San Francisco.
Balthasar Hans Urs von, 2000, Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter, transl. Aidan Nichols, Ignatius Press, San Francisco.
Balthasar Hans Urs von (ed.), 2001, Origen: Spirit and Fire, transl. Robert J. Daly, The Catholic University of America Press, Washington D.C.
Balthasar Hans Urs von, 2004, Theo-Logic, Volume II: Truth of God, transl. Adrian J. Walker, Ignatius Press, San Francisco.
Bartnik Czesław S., 1987, Chrystus jako sens historii, Wydawnictwo Wrocławskiej Księgarni Archidiecezjalnej, Wrocław.
Benedict XVI, 2005, Deus caritas est [Encyclical letter], retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est.html [December 25, 2005].
Benedict XVI, 2011, Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas 2011, retrieved from https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/urbi/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20111225_urbi.html [December 25, 2011].
Benedict XVI, 2012, Angelus, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/angelus/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20120108_battesimo.html [January 8, 2012].
Buxakowski Jerzy, 2000, Jezus Chrystus-Osoba i czyn. Teologia prawd wiary, vol. V, Bernardinum, Pelplin.
Dąbrowska Elżbieta, 2004, Ekumeniczny wymiar Wcielenia jako początku paschalnego misterium Jezusa Chrystusa, Communio, no. 1, pp. 64–76.
Francis, 2015a, Address of His Holiness Pope Francis, retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/december/documents/papa-francesco_20151221_curia-romana.html, [December 21, 2015].
Francis, 2015b, Misericordiae Vultus: Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.html [April 11, 2015].
Francis, 2016, Homily of his Holiness Pope Francis, Solemnity of Mary, Most Holy Mother of God, retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20160101_omelia-giornata-mondiale-pace.html [January 1, 2016].
Gądecki Stanisław, 2001, Mysterium incarnationis według pism Janowych, Collectanea Theologica, no. 3, pp. 31–49.
Haas Alois Maria, 2004, Mistyka Wcielenia, transl. Barbara Floriańczyk and Lucjan Balter, Communio, no. 1, pp. 3–14.
Hentschel Georg, 2001, Tajemnica Wcielenia w perspektywie Starego Testamentu, transl. Stanisław Pisarek, Collectanea Theologica, no. 3, pp. 17–29.
John Paul II, 1979, Redemptor hominis [Encyclical letter], retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_04031979_redemptor-hominis.html [March 4, 1979].
John Paul II, 1980, Dives in misericordia [Encyclical letter], retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-in-misericordia.html [November 30, 1980].
John Paul II, 1984, Salvifici doloris [Apostolic letter], retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris.html [February 11, 1984].
John Paul II, 1986, Dominum et Vivificantem [Encyclical letter], retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_18051986_dominum-et-vivificantem.html [May 18, 1986].
John Paul II, 2001, Novo millennio ineunte [Apostolic Letter], retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20010106_novo-millennio-ineunte.html [January 6, 2001].
Jüngel Eberhard, 1992, Trójjedyny Bóg jako tajemnica świata, transl. Juliusz Zychowicz, Znak, no. 441, pp. 57–71.
Laurentin René, 1999, Prawdziwe życie Jezusa Chrystusa, transl. Tadeusz Jania, Wydawnictwo M, Kraków.
O’Donnell John, 2005, Klucz do teologii Hansa Ursa von Balthasara, transl. Andrzej Wałęcki, WAM, Kraków.
Price Richard and Gaddis Michael (eds.), 2005, The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, transl. Richard Price and Michael Gaddis, Liverpool University Press, Liverpool.
Pyc Marek, 2002, Chrystus. Piękno-dobro-prawda. Studium chrystologii Hansa Ursa von Balthasara w jej trylogicznym układzie, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza (Wydział Teologiczny), Poznań.
Ratzinger Joseph, 1986, Behold the Pierced One: An Approach to a Spiritual Christology, transl. Graham Harrison, Ignatius Press, San Francisco.
Ratzinger Joseph, 1999, Nowa pieśń dla Pana. Wiara w Chrystusa a liturgia dzisiaj, transl. Juliusz Zychowicz, Znak, Kraków.
Ratzinger Joseph, 2002, God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald, transl. Henry Taylor, San Francisco, Ignatius Press.
Ratzinger Joseph, 2011, Dogma and Preaching: Applying Christian Doctrine to Daily Life, transl. Michael J. Miller, Ignatius Press, San Franscisco.
Ratzinger Joseph, 2012, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, transl. Philip J. Whitmore, Image, New York.
Ratzinger Joseph, 2013, Kościół-znak wśród narodów. Pisma eklezjologiczne i ekumeniczne, transl. Wiesław Szymona, in: Krzysztof Góźdź and Marzena Górecka (eds.), Joseph Ratzinger, Opera Omnia, vol. 8/2, Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin.
Sawa Przemysław, 2009, Misterium Wcielenia-rzeczywistość, inspiracje, nadzieje, Wydawnictwo Emmanuel, Katowice.
Schönborn Christoph, 2010, God Sent His Son, Ignatius Press, San Francisco.
Smuniewski Cezary, 2013, Wspólnota łaski, Charytologiczno-trynitarna eklezjogeneza, WAM, Kraków.
St. Augustine, 1959, Saint Augustine: Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons (The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation, Vol. 38), Roy Joseph Deferrari et al. (eds.), transl. Mary Sarah Muldowney, Fathers Of The Church Inc., New York.
St. Leo the Great, St. Leo the Great: Sermons (The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation, Vol. 93), Thomas P. Halton et al. (eds.), transl. Jane Patricia Freeland and Agnes Josephine Conway, CUA Press, Washington D.C.
Swinburne Richard, 2008, Was Jesus God?, Oxford University Press, New York.
Szymik Jerzy, 2004, W światłach Wcielenia. Chrystologia kultury, Apostolicum, Katowice-Ząbki.
Szymik Jerzy, 2010, Theologia benedicta, vol. I, Księgarnia św. Jacka, Katowice.
Szymik Jerzy, 2016, Theologia benedicta, vol. III, Księgarnia św. Jacka, Katowice.
Vanier Jean, 2002, Kochać aż do końca. Sakrament umywania nóg, transl. Katarzyna Wierzchosławska and Piotr Wierzchosławski, Znak, Kraków.
Wejman Henryk, 1999, Zbawcza wartość duchowości miłosierdzia, Wydawnictwo św. Wojciecha, Poznań.
Zabielski Józef, 2007, Miłosierdzie jako kres zła. Teologiczno-moralny wymiar „wyobraźni miłosierdzia”, in: Paweł Borto et al (eds.), Wyobraźnia miłosierdzia, Wydawnictwo UNUM, Kraków, pp. 105–120.