Why We Call God "Father"

On this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, as we also celebrate Father’s Day, we pay special tribute to the first person of the Trinity, God the Father.

In the creeds, we profess our faith in God as “Father almighty.” His fatherhood and His power are evident in His care for us, by adopting us as sons and daughters in Baptism, and by being rich in mercy to forgive our sins. God is almighty and all-powerful, but His power is not oppressive; it is loving, for He is our Father.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “by calling God ‘Father,’ the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and … that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children. God's parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood, which emphasizes …the intimacy between Creator and creature. The language of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God for man.”

But we need to keep in mind that God “transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard: no one is father as God is Father.” (CCC, paragraphs 238-239)

So if God is not a man, why do we use masculine pronouns when referring to God and why do we call Him “Father”? Because Jesus, the Son-of-God-made-man, revealed Him as such, and through our Baptism, we are given the grace of an intimate relationship with God. As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, “As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ ” (Galatians 4:6). The term “Abba” is best translated as “Daddy.” Jesus implies that a relationship with God should be like that of a child: very close, personal, and dependent.

Many people think of and define God the Father according to their experiences or memories of their earthly fathers. If there are bad memories, or no memories, it is often difficult to understand the heart of the Heavenly Father. But Scripture assures us that God is "a father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:6), and the ideal Father. He provides, protects, and keeps His promises. If necessary, He disciplines and corrects, but then always reassures His children of His love. He never rejects or abandons them. He listens, and is gracious, merciful and forgiving. He is the perfect example of and to all fathers.