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973 By pronouncing her ‘fiat’ at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Saviour and head of the Mystical Body. 974 The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course
of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and
soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in
the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the
resurrection of all members of his Body.
Church, continues in heaven to exercise her
maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ’ (Paul
VI, CPG § 15). ‘I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS’ 976 The Apostles’ Creed associates faith in the forgiveness of sins not only with faith in the Holy Spirit, but also with faith in the Church and in the communion of saints. It was when he gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles that the risen Christ conferred on them his own divine power to forgive sins: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’~’8 (Part Two of the Catechism will deal explicitly with the forgiveness of sins through Baptism, the sacrament of Penance and the other sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Here it will suffice to suggest some basic facts briefly.)
977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins
to faith and Baptism: ‘Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved.’519
Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of
sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins
and rose for our justification, so that ‘we too might
walk in newness of life’.520 978
‘When we made our first profession of faith while
receiving the holy Baptism that cleansed us, the forgiveness
we received then was so full and complete that there
remained in us absolutely nothing left to efface, neither
original sin nor offences committed |
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