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.

Saint Joseph, A Man of God

Many of us remember writing "J-M-J" at the top of our papers in parochial school, picturing the members of the Holy Family as we did our work. As we look to honor our fathers next Sunday on Father’s Day, we look at the man God chose as the guardian of Mary and foster father to His Only Begotten Son, Jesus. That man was Joseph, and very little is known about him.

The earliest Christian writings, which are the letters of St. Paul, make no reference to Joseph; nor does the Gospel of Mark, the oldest of the Gospels. The first appearance of Joseph is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, both of which trace Joseph's family tree back to King David. Matthew and Luke are also the only Gospels to include the infancy narratives, the stories of Jesus’ birth, though with some differences.

In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph lives in Nazareth and travels to Bethlehem, the city of David, for the census. Subsequently, Jesus was born there.

In Matthew, there is no mention of where Joseph lived before Jesus' birth, and there is no mention of Joseph and Mary travelling to Bethlehem because of the census, though it does mention that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Following Jesus’ birth, Joseph stayed in Bethlehem for an unspecified period until forced to take refuge in Egypt when Herod ordered the execution of all male children in the village of Bethlehem. When Herod dies, Joseph brings his family back to Israel, and settles in Nazareth. After this point there is no further mention of Joseph by name, although the story of Jesus in the Temple at age twelve includes a reference to "both his parents." Christian tradition represents Mary as a widow during the adult ministry of her son.

The gospels describe Joseph as a "tekton," which is where we get the word technology. Traditionally, the word has been taken to mean "carpenter,” though the Greek term is more accurately translated as “general contractor.” Very little other information on Joseph is given in the Gospels, in which he never speaks.

Joseph is venerated as the patron saint of workers, and the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th, is also Father's Day in some Catholic countries, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

In a month when many couples choose to get married, we remember that Mary and Joseph were a couple, and with a husband's love, he cherished Mary. And so we honor Saint Joseph as father, husband, and servant of God.

Sacraments & Grace

In the past couple of months, our parish has celebrated many Baptisms, Confirmations, and weddings. Weekly, we celebrate Eucharist, Reconciliation, and anointings of those who are sick or dying. We truly are a sacramental people.

Growing up, many of us learned that a sacrament is "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." The Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1994, updated that definition, saying, “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.” The definition definitely got a little more complicated, so let’s break it down!

Efficacious means effective or successful in producing the desired outcome. In everyday life, we see signs everywhere. However, when we approach, for example, a stop sign, there is no power in the red metal octagon that makes us put on the brakes; it is our own effort that makes us stop. Most of the time, our efforts are effective!

Sacramental signs are different in that God is the one doing the action, transmittting His unseen grace into our souls through material symbols. These objects, words, and gestures, including water, oil, and laying on of hands, are perceptible to our five senses, and through them we are given God’s life and grace.

We know that no human power could attach an inward grace to an outward sign: only God can do that, which brings us to the next part of the definition: "instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church." While Christ the one who instituted the seven sacraments, it has historically been the Church who was given the responsibility of identifying them and specifying how they are celebrated. Jesus did choose the matter and form of some of the sacraments, like Baptism and the Eucharist, which is documented in Scripture. But for other sacraments, like Confirmation, He left it to His Church, the keeper of His sacraments, to specify how.

Coming now to the final element in the definition of a sacrament, we have its essential purpose: to give us divine life or grace. Theologians speak about sacramental celebrations as “encounters with Christ.” This is grace, and it strengthens us to live as disciples of Christ. The sacraments allow us to become aware of a great gift: the creative, sustaining, loving presence of God. This is why the Church encourages us to receive the sacraments as often as we can, and why so many Catholics who leave the Faith for whatever reason often return – because this is where they feel the sacramental presence of our loving God who sustains us.

Sister Matriarchs: Leah and Rachel

Our series on Biblical Matriarchs concludes with not one but two women, sisters Rachel and Leah, both of whom married Jacob. After deceiving Isaac into giving him Esau’s birthright blessing, Jacob travels to the homeland of his mother Rebekah, to escape his twin brother Esau’s justifiable rage, and also to find a suitable wife.

Jacob soon finds a well and the woman of his dreams, Rachel. It turns out that Rachel, the daughter of Jacob’s uncle, Laban, has an older sister named Leah, but Jacob has no interest in her. He agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for marrying Rachel. Seven years later, Laban plans the wedding and brings his veiled daughter to Jacob as his bride. The book of Genesis says, “And it came to pass that in the morning, behold, it was Leah…” Laban has deceived Jacob into marrying his older daughter!

When confronted by Jacob, Laban explains that he is simply following custom, saying, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn." There is irony here that seems to escape Jacob. Remember that this is the man who, with his mother’s help, stole the birthright of his older brother, by concealing his true identity from his father.

The words of the Midrash, which is Jewish commentary, provide an explanation for why Leah went along with her father’s deception. Upon discovering that he has been tricked, Jacob says to Leah: "You are a deceiver and the daughter of a deceiver!" She retorts, "Did not your father call you Esau, and you answered him! So did you too call me and I answered you!" In other words, Leah responds that her actions were no different than Jacob's.

Laban proceeds to offer Rachel as a bride to Jacob – if Jacob agrees to another seven years of servitude. In his love for Rachel, Jacob agrees to this arrangement, and they are wed right away.

Later in Genesis, Jacob, who along with Abraham and Isaac is one of the patriarchs of the faith, is given the new name “Israel” after wrestling with an angel of God. The twelve sons Jacob fathers with Leah and Rachel and their handmaids become the Twelve Tribes of Israel. While Rachel may have been the love of Jacob’s life, Leah left as her own legacy half of the twelve tribes. This includes her sons Levi, father of the priesthood, and Judah, father of the monarchy. While Rachel is buried in a tomb en route to Bethlehem, where she died giving birth to Benjamin, Leah is buried with Jacob in the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

The Making of Another Matriarch, Rebekah

After Sarah’s death, Abraham decides to find a wife for his son Isaac from among his kin. So he sends his most trusted servant outside of Canaan to find a suitable mate. In his search, the servant looks for a sign from God, which leads him to Rebekah, a niece of Abraham. The servant follows Rebekah to her house, where he receives permission from her family to take Rebekah to Canaan as a wife for Isaac. However, before the servant can leave with Rebekah, her family makes it clear that he must secure permission from Rebekah herself, which he does. So while Isaac did not get a voice in choosing his mate, Rebekah did! Isaac was not disappointed, however: according to Genesis, “in his love for her, Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.”

Rebekah remained childless for twenty years before becoming the first woman in the Bible to give birth to twins. The name Rebekah means “a young cow,” which may seem insulting, but was actually a compliment, since a cow was a symbol of fertility. While pregnant, it seemed to Rebekah that a fierce battle was being waged inside her body. She asked the Lord why this was happening, to which He replied, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples are quarreling while still within you; but one shall surpass the other and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23). This takes us back to the sibling rivalries of brothers Cain and Abel, and Ishmael and Isaac.

According to rabbinic tradition, Rebecca did not share this prophecy with her husband Isaac. She named the older, red-headed twin Esau, which means “red,” and the younger she named Jacob, which means “he who grabs for something” since he grabbed Esau's heel at birth and will later grab something even more valuable.

Rebekah, as a mother, had her faults. Scripture tells us that she preferred Jacob over Esau, perhaps because of God’s prophecy. Regardless of why, our modern-day sensibilities are offended by the preferential treatment of one child over another! Isaac, on the other hand, showers attention on Esau. When Isaac is blind and nearing death, he decides to give his firstborn son his deathbed blessing, a special blessing believed to be extremely powerful. Rebekah overhears her husband speaking to Esau and instigates a plan to help Jacob “grab” the birthright blessing, a plan which is successful.

While it may seem unfair, Rebekah, another of our matriarchs in faith, was cooperating in salvation history, in God’s plan for Jacob, who ultimately becomes Israel, the father of a nation.

Sarah, Our First Matriarch

There are many women in the Hebrew Scriptures who inspire us with their faith. Eve, for example, was more than just Adam’s wife: she was a good mother who taught her children to call upon the name of God and to offer sacrifices to Him.

Another good example is found in Sarah. As the wife of Abraham, the first Patriarch, she is the first Matriarch. At the end of Genesis Chapter 11, we learn that Abram and Sarai, the original names of this famous couple, are unable to have children.

In the next chapter, the Lord tells Abram to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would show him. Imagine that conversation between husband and wife! While it may have been easy for Abram to trust in God because he had actually heard the Lord, Sarai was in the position of having to trust her husband – which she apparently does, since they travel to Canaan.

Sarah's life continued to be one of obedience and sacrifice, filled with ongoing trials. As she proved herself to be faithful and obedient, the result was blessings from God.

Arriving in the land of Canaan during a time of famine, Abram and Sarai must travel to Egypt, where she catches the eye of Pharaoh. Abram asks his beautiful wife to pretend to be his “sister” to save him from death. Being blessed for her obedience, Sarai, with her virtue intact and her husband alive, leaves Egypt with riches received from Pharaoh himself.

At the age of seventy-five, knowing that her childbearing years had passed, Sarai put her heart on the altar and offered her handmaid Hagar to Abraham, to fulfill God’s promise of an heir. After the birth of Ishmael, God establishes a covenant with Abram, and because of her willingness to cooperate with the Lord, Sarah is given a new name and is blessed with the miracle birth of Isaac.

We are assured of her motherly skills as we come to know Isaac more fully through the experience he has with his father. Abraham is asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. Isaac’s submission to the will of both his earthly father and his Heavenly Father confirms that Sarah had taught him the ways of the Lord, and the importance of sacrifice, of which she had given great example.

There is a saying that “Behind every good man is a good woman.” Sarah’s devotion to Abraham and to God entitles her to be called a Matriarch, one of our mothers in faith.

Eve, Our First Mother

The first three chapters of Genesis record God’s creation of the world, and Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit. That first sin resulted in the loss of Paradise for all of humanity, but even in the face of rebellion and tragedy, God provided a way for humans to escape the prison of sin and death.

Before being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Eve was given a very special promise. God said to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." This statement is God’s pronounced judgment of the eventual defeat of the serpent.

This verse is considered the first annunciation of the gospel, the first promise of a savior, one who would defeat the power of sin by crushing the head of the serpent, a symbol of sin. The rest of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is the gradual unfolding of salvation history to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who conquered sin with His death and resurrection. Since St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that the “wages of sin is death,” then to destroy sin is to destroy death itself.

How did this come about? God ensures salvation through a descendant of Eve, with the cooperation of another woman, Mary. As Paul tells us in Galatians, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman.”

What do we know about Eve as mother? The name Eve is from a Hebrew word that means “living.” The man – Adam, who isn’t mentioned by name until the next chapter – “called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.”

Like mothers today, Eve experienced both sorrow and joy from being blessed with children. She felt the heartache of loss as she suffered the death of one child, Abel, and estrangement from another, Cain. But she also knew the happiness of knowing her descendants would continue in righteousness with the blessing of an obedient child in Seth. As her children are born, Eve blesses the Lord for them. This tells us that, in spite of their sin and separation from God, in spite of their expulsion from Eden, our first parents continued to worship God and taught their children about their heavenly Father and the offering of sacrifices.

And so the example was set and passed down to us today: families together in worship, forming their children in God’s ways. This is the legacy of Eve, our first mother in faith.