Category Archives: God

I Believe In God the Father Almighty

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I Believe in God the Father Almighty

 She excitedly thought to herself, “He is the One.” She had known him for a little more than six months and was now certain that she could see herself with him for the remainder of her life. Together with him she could create and raise a family, face and manage family issues, and overcome the obstacles that all families experience. She possessed a deep faith in her fiancé and his commitment to her and their mutual dreams and goals. This strong faith was developed over a relatively short time of six months. She is aware that her faith will be tested during her marriage to him, yet she is convinced that she will never lose her faith in him.

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” The initial sentence of the Apostles’ Creed – a simple, direct act of Faith – leaves room for no ambiguity about the nature of God. It is primarily an act of faith. Oh yes, as with the woman’s faith in her fiancé, so also one’s faith in God is bolstered by a degree of intellectual knowledge of God. For some this knowledge comes only after a long period of study and reflection, for others belief in God arrives early in life as it is passed on by family or through observation of the world. Regardless of whether one comes to faith in God through extensive study and research or through access to limited and basic information, the accumulated experience and wisdom of man from numerous millennia, starting with Adam and Eve, proceeding to the great Greek minds of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates and continuing with Augustine, Aquinas, Bellarmine, and many others, man simply knows “God exists.” Man finds the acquired knowledge and wisdom to be more than sufficient to have belief and faith in God. For most the faith in God increases as they travel through life, experiencing His presence in the world around them.

God is the Almighty; that is, without equal and without limitation. He is the creator of all things, including the human species. And He is our Father, a personal, loving, involved God. During the First Vatican Council, the fathers of the church summarized the church’s teachings about the existence of God and his nature as follows.

“The holy, Catholic, apostolic Roman Church believes and professes that there is one true and living God, the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth. He is almighty, eternal, beyond measure, incomprehensible, and infinite in intellect, will and in every perfection. Since he is one unique spiritual substance, entirely simple and unchangeable, he must be declared really and essentially distinct from the world, perfectly happy in himself and by his very nature, and inexpressibly exalted over all things that exist or can be conceived other than himself. “  Vatican 1

This declaration of belief necessarily leads the believer into searching for a greater understanding of what the Creator expects of us. The search for this expectation and its fulfillment is the essential aim of man’s existence.

With our own children we expect a certain type of behavior. As parents we created them and naturally have certain expectations of them as they grow and mature. Do we not expect that God also would have expectations of us? If He made us, why are we here? What should we be doing with our lives? It is inconceivable that God would not have a purpose for us – a plan for our lives. Otherwise why would He bother to create us?

With faith in God, the answer to this question should be abundantly clear to all. The earth is filled with knowledge of God; all man must do is open his mind and eyes to find and live it.

Suggested Reading

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom Edited by Fr. John Hardon, published Ignatius Press. Note the chapter on Thomas Aquinas, section on The Apostles’ Creed

See the Ball, Hit the Ball!

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See the Ball, Hit the Ball

The professional golfer was becoming upset and his frustration bordered on anger and depression, as his golf game continued to deteriorate; nothing he attempted to do to improve his game helped. Advice from fellow golfers varied from suggestions about specific techniques and fundamentals that he should practice to “go out and have a good drink.” Disconsolate and worried about his future, he began to think that his life as a professional golfer would soon come crashing to an end. Then one day he stumbled upon a derelict old man sleeping in the rough on one of the golf courses where he was practicing. Angered at being awakened so abruptly, the derelict yelled at the golfer as he pointed to the golfer’s ball, “See the ball, Hit the ball.” The command was obviously an attempt by the derelict to have the golfer quickly leave him alone so he could return to his sleep. Without hesitation the golfer hurried up to his ball and quickly struck it. As he walked after his ball, he realized that the shot he had just made was one of his best in some time. Then it hit him! He had been so concerned with all the details and techniques of the game that he had forgotten the most basic fundamental. See the ball, Hit the ball!  The golfer’s game began to improve almost immediately as he concentrated on seeing and hitting the ball.

A similar instance occurred with a baseball player, who was in a hitting slump. Having received all sorts of advice from coaches and friends, he was able to snap out of his slump only after a fellow teammate from another country suggested, in broken English, “See the ball, Hit the ball!”

Both the golfer and baseball player learned that, though there is value in learning and practicing certain fundamentals and techniques of the game, the most essential element cannot be overlooked or ignored. “See the ball, Hit the ball.” The same concentration on the basics is required in matters of religion. There is great value in the study of theology and philosophy so one can penetrate deeply into the understanding of God and man’s relationship to God. Unfortunately, individuals can enter into a slump of confusion and uncertainty as they forget to concentrate on the most important aspects of knowing and following God. One must be certain to concentrate on the essential elements of the religion.

For a Catholic, the “See the ball, Hit the ball” essentials can be summarized as follows.

  1. There is a God – a loving, personal god.
  2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God – Divine, yet human thus making all of us children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven.
  3. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and continues to nourish it.
  4. Jesus provided man with the means to know Him and the Father and to live according to His teachings. (The Church and the Sacraments)
  5. Love God and one’s neighbor.
  6. All humans are destined for an eternal life. The choices each human makes during his life on earth will determine the type of eternal life, heaven or hell, he will experience.

See the Ball. Hit the Ball.