HOPE: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES AND HOLY WRITINGS
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CHAPTER TWO: I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
At some point, we are all faced with these questions: Is there a God? Who is God? What is God like? What does God mean to me? Whether it be because of an inquisitive mind, from a searching heart, or in the face of life’s tragedy, we all have to confront the difficult questions about God.
We pray, “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty.” God is one. This was a very profound revelation to the people of the Old Testament. In the many cultures of the time, the mystical forces of life and death and the unpredictable forces of nature were explained by many deities, little gods and goddesses. The people of the Old Testament era were just beginning to receive revelation of Who God is. The concept of one single God was very new to them. The Catholic Catechism states,
The confession of God's oneness, which has its roots in the divine revelation of the old covenant, is inseparable from the profession of God's existence. God is unique; there is only one God.
USCCB, Catechism, number 200. https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/file/flipbooks/catechism/
This came from the mouth of God himself through Moses: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” ( Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
We pray, “Maker of Heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible.” He is the Creator. He is the answer to that timeless question: How did this all get here? If God does not exist, then creation must have just magically appeared out of nowhere. In spite of anyone’s opinion of the origin of the universe, this all had to start with matter. So who made the matter?
St. Augustine writes about the glory of all creation being a reflection of the beauty of the Creator:
Whatever marvel happens in this world, it is certainly less marvellous than this whole world itself — I mean the sky and earth, and all that is in them — and these God certainly made. But, as the Creator Himself is hidden and incomprehensible to man, so also is the manner of creation. Although, therefore, the standing miracle of this visible world is little thought of, because always before us, yet, when we arouse ourselves to contemplate it, it is a greater miracle than the rarest and most unheard-of marvels.
St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God, City of God, accessed 8-24-2023.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/church-fathers
In the Catechism, the Church proclaims,
Our profession of Faith begins with God, for God is the first and the last, the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first Divine Person of the Most Holy Trinity. Our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works.
USCCB Catechism. Number 198. https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/file/flipbooks/catechism/
We believe in the Great I AM, the Eternal One–and yet He constantly reminds us that He is our Father, and we are His children. We have only to reach out and He will reach down from Heaven to take our hand.
Reflections for journaling:
God is The One and Only God. What does this mean to you?
What are the things in our lives that we treat as gods?
What other things distract or take me away from God.
What distracts you personally away from God?
How does the image of God as Father help you to have a better relationship with Him?
Loreen Marie Derry is a Roman Catholic who worshiped in Charismatic Roman Catholic communities as a teen and in college. She earned a Bachelor's degree double major in Theology and Psychology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and Master's in Clinical Psychology from Slippery Rock University. For a time, she lived a life of wandering in faith, and then she and her husband found spiritual renewal in a Charismatic Protestant church that was very Spirit-filled and focused on the Word of God. In 2018, Loreen and her husband found a home at Ascension Catholic Community in Melbourne, FL. In 2020, Loreen walked beside her husband as a sponsor in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Being so inspired by this process and returning to the Church of her youth, she has continued reading theology and inspirational writings. As a result of this journey of faith, Loreen now writes devotionals, articles about faith, and poetry reflections. The focus of her works are spiritual reading for for new and renewed Catholic followers of Jesus Christ.
