What does the Church teach about the Father of Jesus Christ? Part Three

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

We have spoken about God as “one God”, and as “Father”.  Today we will focus on the word “almighty”.

The Catechism in #268 lists several different implications of saying that God is “almighty":

1)      God’s might is universal.   He created everything, so he rules everything.  The universe is subject to him and at his disposal.    He governs all of history.  Nothing is impossible for him.

2)      God’s power is loving.  He is Father.  His fatherhood and power shed light on each other.  His love reveals his power.  He shows his power by taking care of our needs, adopting us in his Son, and providing infinite mercy to us.  

3)      God’s power is mysterious.  It is made present in weakness, something only faith can reveal. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ( 1 Corinthians 1:24-25)  The Father revealed his power in the sufferings, and subsequent Resurrection of his Son, which he ordained, and through which evil was conquered.   The seeming powerlessness of God is what the world sees, but through faith, we see he is not powerless at all.  He has done something about evil.   If he can send his own Son to die for us, is there anything he cannot do?

In the world we live in, it is sometimes difficult to believe that there is an almighty God.   We often think if he was almighty, he would do more than he is.   Yet, as we addressed in our series on suffering, God has a purpose for everything, including allowing suffering.   We, because we are not almighty, may not understand it totally, but this is where faith comes in, and where we must accept that we do not understand his wisdom now, but one day, we will.

One final point needs to be made about God’s power.  The Catechism notes in #271: God's almighty power is in no way arbitrary: "In God, power, essence, will, intellect, wisdom, and justice are all identical. Nothing therefore can be in God's power which could not be in his just will or his wise intellect.   There is nothing about God that is not perfect.   His power is perfect: he is all powerful.  His will is perfect.   His intellect is perfect.  He is perfectly just.   God is almighty, and this perfection and power apply to everything about him.

So let us rejoice that the Father who created us, sustains us, and loves us is capable of doing anything for us.  He lacks nothing.   If we stay united with him, then neither shall we lack anything we need.

In the next post, we will begin to look at God the Father as creator.

Joseph most just, pray for us.