“There is no other one

There’s only something less,
Because the King of…”

These words from an old commercial jingle came to my mind as I reflected on today’s first reading. To be sure, as catchy as that jingle was, no secular verses can compare to the grandeur of the following words, from today's first reading, that begin the Letter to the Hebrews (even in this new, politically correct translation):

In times past,
God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days,
he spoke to us through the Son,
whom he made heir of all things
and through whom
he created the universe,

who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things
by his mighty word.

When he had accomplished
purification from sins,
he took his seat
at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited
is more excellent than theirs.

Sometimes we Christians can get squeamish in talking about the uniqueness of Christ in God’s plan for universal salvation. We don’t want to offend our friends and neighbors who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, however, is very upfront about it: God spoke through the prophets, but now God has spoken through One who is unsurpassable – greater even than angels.

We must respect all people and we cannot close our minds to how God may be at work beyond the ordinary ways of what we understand as Christendom, but there is no escaping the unique and central role of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in God's salvation nor our obligation to spread the Gospel of Christ.

These truths were reinforced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's August 6, 2000 Declaration "Dominus Jesus." Here are a few excerpts:

"The Lord Jesus, before ascending into heaven, commanded his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world and to baptize all nations: 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.' "

.....

"Saint Paul's words are now more relevant than ever: 'Preaching the Gospel is not a reason for me to boast; it is a necessity laid on me: woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!' (1 Cor 9:16). This explains the Magisterium's particular attention to giving reasons for and supporting the evangelizing mission of the Church, above all in connection with the religious traditions of the world."

.....

"'The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. She has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and teachings, which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men.' "

.....

"Inter-religious dialogue, which is part of the Church's evangelizing mission, requires an attitude of understanding and a relationship of mutual knowledge and reciprocal enrichment, in obedience to the truth and with respect for freedom."

.....

"It must be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith that the universal salvific will of the One and Triune God is offered and accomplished once for all in the mystery of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son of God."

.....

"The Second Vatican Council, in fact, has stated that: 'the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude, but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a participation in this one source.'

"The content of this participated mediation should be explored more deeply, but must remain always consistent with the principle of Christ's unique mediation: 'Although participated forms of mediation of different kinds and degrees are not excluded, they acquire meaning and value only from Christ's own mediation, and they cannot be understood as parallel or complementary to his.' "

.....

"With respect to the way in which the salvific grace of God — which is always given by means of Christ in the Spirit and has a mysterious relationship to the Church — comes to individual non-Christians, the Second Vatican Council limited itself to the statement that God bestows it 'in ways known to himself.' "

.....

"Certainly, the various religious traditions contain and offer religious elements which come from God, and which are part of what 'the Spirit brings about in human hearts and in the history of peoples, in cultures, and religions.' Indeed, some prayers and rituals of the other religions may assume a role of preparation for the Gospel, in that they are occasions or pedagogical helps in which the human heart is prompted to be open to the action of God. One cannot attribute to these, however, a divine origin or an ex opere operato salvific efficacy that is proper to the Christian sacraments. Furthermore, it cannot be overlooked that other rituals, insofar as they depend on superstitions or other errors (cf. 1 Cor 10:20-21), constitute an obstacle to salvation."

.....

"This truth of faith does not lessen the sincere respect which the Church has for the religions of the world, but at the same time, it rules out, in a radical way, that mentality of indifferentism 'characterized by a religious relativism which leads to the belief that "one religion is as good as another."'"

.....

"However, 'all the children of the Church should nevertheless remember that their exalted condition results, not from their own merits, but from the grace of Christ. If they fail to respond in thought, word, and deed to that grace, not only shall they not be saved, but they shall be more severely judged.'"


Again, we must respect all people and we cannot close our minds to how God may be at work beyond the ordinary ways of what we understand as Christendom, but there is no escaping the unique and central role of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in God's salvation nor our obligation to spread the Gospel of Christ.