THE FATHER'S DISPOSITION


THURSDAY, TWENTY SEEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME  

Mal 3:13-20; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:5-13

Exploring the Father’s Disposition

We are bred and nurtured in human families. So, we draw our knowledge and idea of a father from our imperfect human fathers. The effects of sins, both original and actual, enter our lives and influence the roles we play within the family and our relationships with one another. It is unfortunate that we look to God as our Father with the sin-affected images of our fathers on earth. The wrong image or model of a father we have influences our reception of God’s communication of Himself as Father. Another factor contributing to our ignorance of God as Father is our physical perception of reality, compared to God’s encompassing knowledge of all things. God is love and expresses his love for us in every dealing with us. His infinite knowledge informs his loving relationship and dealings with us. Because we are deficient on these two counts: a poor image of a father, and limited knowledge of things, we thrive in ignorance of God. Our spiritual journey involves cleansing and opening our minds and hearts to God’s self-communication.

The problem caused by our ignorance of God and misunderstanding of his loving providence led Yahweh to speak out through the prophet Malachi. “You say harsh things about me, says the Lord. You ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ You say, ‘It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping his commands or of walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? Now we have reached the point when we call the arrogant blessed; yes, they prosper, these evildoers; they try God’s patience and yet go free.’” Among all the infinite attributes of God, two stand out in his dealings with us. These are his infinite justice and mercy. As a just father, he punishes us and also shows us mercy. Because He understands our sinful condition and how it affects us in our relationship with him, he treats us with compassion. While he guides and guards those who are on the right path, he supports those who are straying or falling away and brings them back to repentance. The delight God takes in us when we obey his word and keep to his ways is not shown in any gift of material goods or delight, but in the gift of his word to us. Thus, the Psalmist calls them happy who delight in the word of God. “Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.” Thus, the greatest reward of a just soul who fears God is the word of God, for it contains the divine presence and will.

Based on this understanding, Jesus instructs us to call God our Father. A true understanding of God’s fatherhood will become clearer as we meditate on his word or focus on Jesus Christ, who is the Father’s gift to us. Thus, in addition to calling God our Father, he instructs us to ask, search, and knock. “So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.” The concept of Father is divinely loaded, and only in God can we really understand it. As we noted yesterday, prayer is our sacrifice to God, which becomes better as we deepen our knowledge and love of God. We start by asking for what we need, like any servant. We progress to searching the depth of God’s gift to us in Jesus Christ as we receive more illumination on his identity. Then, we arrive at the door of our communion with God. We knock on the heavenly communion in our total self-sacrifice in imitation of Jesus Christ, who becomes present in us when we are fully illuminated by the light of his Gospel. Our setting out on the path of interior prayer passes through deep spiritual search and longing to the door of union with God. These correspond to our Lord’s revelation of himself as the way, the truth, and the life. Through Jesus Christ, we come to communion with the Father.

Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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