The Trinity's Embrace: Our Salvation History

History and time - the fabric from which human life is woven. The stage of history is an interplay of darkness and light, of dialogue and silence, of movement and stillness. On the one hand, humanity strives for the infinite and the eternal, but on the other, it is firmly planted on earth, within the coordinates of time and space. The Holy Father reminds us in this catechesis that the Incarnation, the wedding of earth and heaven, is not a flash of light dispelling the darkness for a moment, but a seed of divine life sown in the world and in human hearts forever. Developing the theme of history, Pope John Paul II sets before us his vision for humanity: to image the Divine Communion of Love. He sees history as the gradual unfolding of God's saving plan, which finds its center and purpose in Jesus Christ. History is woven into time - God's gift. Human beings need time to become like God: to be God's divine providence in the world. To illuminate the drama of contemporary history, Pope John Paul II gradually turns the spotlight on revelation, highlighting the many faces of revealed truth - Father, Son, Holy Spirit - Trinity; Jesus, Mary, humanity - salvation history; Reconciliation, Eucharist, divine-human communion - eschaton. The life of Christ and of the Church is enfolded in the Father and the Holy Spirit even as it is unfolded in the mystery of time.