"The mystery of the human person becomes truly clear only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word." Taken from the Constitution Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council, this phrase is the foundation of Christian anthropology, an area very often neglected in theological studies. Mgr Jean Laffitte offers us a wealth of reflections on a wide range of themes including the family, love, life, suffering and death, the moral conscience, society, Christian action, forgiveness and the Heart of Christ. What is striking on reading these pages is the great unity that emerges, making this work a decisive contribution to Christian reflection on the nature of the human person, their place in society, aspirations and choices, origin and destiny.
The light of Revelation illuminates every dimension of existence and of those fundamental human experiences so often evoked by Pope St John Paul II. At a time when, one by one, the pillars that support the complex nature of the human being are crumbling, and in particular when the bonds of paternity and sonship are being eroded, the author traces the contours of a true filial anthropology-the expression is destined to become a milestone-the only one capable of giving human persons an understanding of the meaning of their life, as well as an answer to the questions and concerns in their mind and heart. The eternal Son reveals to us the secret of our created being: we are sons in the Son, chosen and loved.
