A Sign of Contradiction

"Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign of contradiction." For the 1976 Lenten retreat to St. Paul VI and the Roman curia, Karol Wojty¿a set this prophecy of Simeon to the Holy Family at the heart of his preaching. Over the course of twenty-two meditations, Wojty¿a examines and tests the apparent contradictions in the words and deeds of Jesus Christ-all of which are occasions for profound encounters with God himself. Indeed, the "words a sign of contradiction sum up most felicitously the whole truth about Jesus Christ, his mission, and his Church." Jesus Christ, the sign of contradiction, was above all the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world..." [T]hat is what he is in the life of the People of God. The Lamb of God, the paschal sacrifice, a reminder of past deliverance and a promise of deliverance to come. (Karol Wojty¿a) In this newly revised and updated translation, A Sign of Contradiction shows Wojty¿a's prowess as theologian, philosopher, and preacher, and witnesses to his zeal for the Gospel and his love of Jesus Christ-"who meets the man of every age, including our own, with the same words: You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."