The Family of God

The language of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit permeates our religious life. We were baptized “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Daily we make the sign of the cross in the name of the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We honor the Most Holy Trinity in our hymns: “Most Holy Trinity, Undivided Unity, Holy God, Mighty God, God Immortal be adored.”

Jesus spoke freely of his Father and the Holy Spirit. He spoke of the love the Father had for him and the Holy Spirit coming from both of them, as the Spirit of Love and Unity. While God is one, God is also three. What that says to us is that God is family; God lives in relationship. The one Triune God is the foundation and source of family life, of community. God created us in his own image and likeness, and so our hearts yearn for love, friendship and community. Human beings yearn to belong, to be loved and appreciated. God has not only imprinted His image in us, but He calls us to be part of the Church, the body of Christ. In that family, God shares with us in a special way the life and love of the Trinity. In baptism, we become children of God. We call God our Father, Jesus our Brother, and the Holy Spirit our friend and consoler. Baptism initiates us into the life of God, and makes us part of God’s family. God is not watching from a distance, but working in our lives to make us a “royal priesthood; a holy nation, a people set apart from the praise and glory of God, our Father.” (1 Peter 2:9)

All this says loud and clear is that God is a sharing God, a loving God. We experience that love in a special way when we are loved and appreciated by our families and friends. In a special way, parents mediate the love of God to us. One writer put it in these words:

“My parents did two things for me: They gave me a sense of my own importance and they let me know that I was loved. I think that a lot of parents don’t want to give children a sense of their own importance in case it becomes over inflated; but we were always told that we were absolutely marvelous, and that if anybody said otherwise, they were wrong. That gives you tremendous confidence and it lasts. If your parents have given you these two things: a sense of self-worth and love, you have them all your life. If not, you are looking for them all your life. I don’t think anything else matters.” (Clare Boylan)

We are all children of the One God, and love is the essential element for our spiritual growth. We are all called upon to bring God’s love to our families and communities, and that love shapes what happens in them. God’s love will never fail us. Like Saint Paul, we are challenged to “live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for us.” (Galatians 2:20) While we live and thrive knowing that our Heavenly Father loves us, we have the great responsibility of sharing that love with others.

Quote:

“Love is the essential atmosphere for every child to grow in, and when that love is sure any hardship can be faced. We are all children of the One God and love is the essential atmosphere for our continued growth. But we are all responsible for playing our own part: none of us can retire from the task of helping to make our family and community a place where God’s love gives shape to what happens. This is why Paul encourages the divided church in Corinth: “Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

(Season of the Word: Denis McBride)