In his new book, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 3, the Holy Father gives us a great observation about God that flies in the face of modernist thought.
Here is a comment about the virgin birth of the Lord. Is it historical? Is it true?
Thus, Benedict:
Naturally we may not ascribe to God anything nonsensical or irrational, or anything that contradicts his creation. But here we are not dealing with the irrational or contradictory, but precisely with the positive—with God’s creative power, embracing the whole of being. In that sense these two moments—the virgin birth and the real resurrection from the tomb—are the cornerstones of faith. If God does not also have power over matter, then he simply is not God. But he does have this power, and through the conception and resurrection of Jesus Christ he has ushered in a new creation. (p. 57)
Classic Ratzinger.
US hardcover HERE. Kindle HERE. Unabridged audio HERE. Large print HERE.
UK hardcover HERE. Kindle HERE. Large print HERE.
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Indeed, he’s preaching about the witness of the apostles and he knows the Scriptures. These things are no secret to bible-readers. Jesus regularly performed nature miracles, healings and exorcisms in Scripture.
Which should also serve as a reminder for those who wish to argue the mechanism and/or the details of the Ressurection or Virgin Birth. Those discussions have a nasty habit of becoming distasteful – to put it mildly – very rapidly. Some things are better left to God.
Father, I ordered the book through your site as well as some other things on my ‘wish list’!
I have the second book of this series as well as its study guide and still have yet to find time to read it though…..
Similar to Joseph-Mary, I ordered the Kindle version through your link, have the other books in the series but have yet to read the second. Perhaps next year leading up to Holy Week. Going to try to read this one during Advent.
Hi, does anyone know where I can get Vol 2 in Spanish? Getting Spanish editions of any authentically Catholic material is so difficult! Gifts for Spanish reading Priests would be more abundant IF we could find them! Thanks for any help.
Fern
“Dopo il grande Papa Giovanni Paolo II” HOW BLESSED we all are to have such a Beautiful Teacher as This HOLY FATHER. I remember His First Words as Pontiff, “dopo….”
How richly GOD has blessed the Faithful, What a Great gift we have all been Given…..
Viva Il PAPA!!!!
Fern, try amazon.es
Ordered the Kindle one and a hardcover copy for a gift to give through Fr. Z’s links.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
115 “According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.”
116 “The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: “All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.”
The literal sense always comes first. The literal sense is never to be disregarded for an interpretation that only relies on the spiritual senses. To do so is to deny the unrepeatability of the Incarnation, and to deny that the story of salvation has played out in history and continues to do so.
Footnotes from
Footnotes from St. Thomas Aquinas.
Fern, Ignatius press advised the following for purchase of Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth” books in Spanish. They do not know if they have a US distributor or not but you could email them.
http://www.ediciones-encuentro.es/libro/jesus-de-nazaret-067000002.html
Blessing, acardnal, I will try your latest suggestion. I knew amazon didn’t have it.
Fern
You might also try http://www.casadellibro.com. They seem to have the largest selection (126 books under “joseph benedicto xvi ratzinger”).