Pat Arensberg: God's loving care

“By calling God ‘Father,’ the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children.”  -CCC # 239

Yesterday, we looked at the fact that God is the source and origin of all things.  Today, I would like to focus on the loving care he has for his children.  The Old Testament refers to God as Father in many ways, but each of them seem a little less intimate than what Jesus teaches.  In Deuteronomy 32:6 God is referred to as “father” because he is the creator.  In Exodus 4:22 it speaks of Israel (the nation) as being the son of God.  These are not exactly intimate titles.  The fatherhood as understood in the Old Testament is corporate, but not really personal.  

Jesus, on the contrary, tells us to call God our daddy.  It seems to me that in many ways Jesus is attempting to remind us of the relationship we had with the Father in the Garden of Eden.  God walked with Adam and Eve.  They knew God as a loving and intimate Father.  Sin caused humanity to forget that.  Jesus comes to make things new, and perhaps the most important teaching he brought with him is the reminder of who we were in the beginning.  We were in a unique loving relationship with our Creator.

Jesus comes to remind us, but he also comes to bring the grace of restoration.  We could not mend the gap created by our sin.  Jesus could.  He teaches us to call God our Father and then he dies on the cross and leaves the sacrament of Baptism with the power to accomplish of divine adoption.  He teaches it, and then provides the means to accomplish it!

About Pat Arensberg Patrick Arensberg is the Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Mobile. Previously, he taught for 17 years at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, where he served as Chairman of the Theology Department. He attended the Gregorian University in Rome and holds an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He is married to Connie and they live in Mobile with their 5 children.