Folia Theologica et Canonica 7. 29/21 (2018)
Recensions
RECENSIONS 333 family are unique sign in the world, which is capable to receive that particular, stable and perfect love which was offered freely through his crucifixion as salvation of mankind. Within this matrimonial love is a strong emphasis on reciprocity, which expresses the relation between Christ and mankind, but also the reciprocity in the bond of matrimony among the family members as unity in love. The family and matrimony therefore have not only special function - which cannot exchange with any other function - in the secular society and also in the Church, but they have an exclusive mission in the promotion of the salvation of souls and to express during the earthly life the redeemed human life, representing the love of God among the people. Luis de Prada García, in the systematic part of his volume, discusses the better understanding the particular love and its characters in the bond of matrimony (pp. 155-294). Within this analysis takes place a precise anthropological basis (pp. 157-210); the description of the individual characteristics of love and personal friendship (pp. 211-256); then - as compared with the previous chapter - the detailed explanation of unique characteristics of matrimonial love (pp. 257-294). The importance of the Second Title is that particular distinction which is shown by the Author, compared the special value of the earthly and most pure friendship - which is ready even for the self-sacrifice -, holding that unique virtue which always looking for the good of his/her friend (pp. 211-237) with the unique contents and value - based on its special anthropological fundament - which can be found in the matrimonial love (pp. 264-269). In this last idea - beside the fulfillment of the pure and most perfect earthly friendship - appears - as a new value - the supernatural nature of this relation through the perfect love of Jesus Christ. It is able to enlighten that value which is expressed by the two persons represents in incomparable form God’s merciful love and realizes an essential new, only within a marriage working life form, which creates the place for a new human life’s - the child' - birth, education, and expressing a special love toward him/her through Christ (pp. 285-294). The last - third - part of this volume is dedicated to the role of pastoral service within the matrimonial spirituality (pp. 295-408). Luis de Prada García speaks here the so called “Church of home” expression, which means the family activity in the daily active life of the Church, the sacramental life, acquirement of the Catholic faith and growing in it. Moreover, it also expresses the external appearance of the faithful life of the Catholic family within the society and transmitting this value to their neighbors: in the small and wide community. The smallest community for the love of Christ - experienced in the marriage - is the Catholic family itself in close relation with the local Church (pp. 297-311). Here takes place the recognition of a particular vocation, and the growing in it - including to help to discover it through the parental love and the pure friendship. Nevertheless, here must be emphasized that particular love which are among the family members, in order to make it more perfect, educating it before Jesus Christ
