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NASB | John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 4:24 "God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
Subject: How God feels about praise |
Bible Note: Makarios and Searcher, Following your conversation it is interesting to note how the Catechism draws together your thread in five brief paragraphs. "II. "HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE" 2095 The theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity inform and give life to the moral virtues. Thus charity leads us to render to God what we as creatures owe him in all justice. The virtue of religion disposes us to have this attitude Adoration 2096 Adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion. To adore God is to acknowledge him as God, as the Creator and Savior, the Lord and Master of everything that exists, as infinite and merciful Love. "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve," says Jesus, citing Deuteronomy.[13] 2097 To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name.[14] The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world. Prayer 2098 The acts of faith, hope, and charity enjoined by the first commandment are accomplished in prayer. Lifting up the mind toward God is an expression of our adoration of God: prayer of praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petition. Prayer is an indispensable condition for being able to obey God's commandments. "[We] ought always to pray and not lose heart."[15] Sacrifice 2099 It is right to offer sacrifice to God as a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion: "Every action done so as to cling to God in communion of holiness, and thus achieve blessedness, is a true sacrifice."[16] 2100 Outward sacrifice, to be genuine, must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit...."[17] The prophets of the Old Covenant often denounced sacrifices that were not from the heart or not coupled with love of neighbor.[18] Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."[19] The only perfect sacrifice is the one that Christ offered on the cross as a total offering to the Father's love and for our salvation.[20] By uniting ourselves with his sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God." 13 Lk 4:8; Cf. Deut 6:13. 14 Cf. Lk 1:46-49. 15 Lk 18:1. 16 St. Augustine, De civ Dei 10, 6 PL 41, 283. 17 PS 51:17. 18 Cf. Am 5:21-25; Isa 1:10-20. 19 Mt 9:13; 12:7; Cf. Hos 6:6. 20 Cf. Heb 9:13-14. Emmaus |