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Our Faith
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 GOD REVEALED (Part 1)
- By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
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We believe in the
mystery of the TRI-UNE GOD: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The mystery
exceeds human comprehension. By sound reasoning, we can come to know that
God exists, but not who and what He is in Himself. We may confirm what
God told Moses about Himself, “I AM WHO I AM; the One who is called I
AM” (Exodus 3:14). God is the ultimate source of all there is. How
could a finite, limited, poor human being by himself alone ever penetrate
into the infinite, transcendent reality of God? From His Name “I AM”,
we can say that He never came into existence, but always was, is and will
be. Eternal! We can know from His Name that human beings are subordinate
and must adore and obey Him. Saint Paul wrote, “Ever since God created
the world, His invisible qualities, both His eternal power and His divine
nature have been clearly known; they are perceived in the things that God
has made. So those unbelievers have no excuse at all! They know God, but
they do not give Him the honor that belongs to Him, no r
do they thank Him” (Romans 1:20-21).
However, that
knowledge does not disclose directly who He is within Himself. It made
Saint Paul write to Timothy that “God dwells in inapproachable light.
Nobody ever saw Him; indeed, man can not see Him” (1 Timothy 6:16).
And elsewhere he said, “What we see now is like a dim image in a
mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The universe we are part of, only
reflects His Glory and Wisdom. We pray that heaven and earth are full of
His glory. However, both do not more than indicate and point toward God.
I remember that a Belgian poet, Guido Gezelle, after watching those little
‘watertors’ (tiny winged aquatic insects) that were
zigzagging at high speed on the surface of the pond asked them what they
were writing. It may be known that those little beetles are called in
Belgian “schrijvertjes” (little writers). Their answer to the poet
was, that they were constantly writing the name of God.
Man, as a conscious
and reflecting being, comes to the existence of God and wants to break
through the darkness of his ignorance. It would be intolerably painful for
him and unreasonable, too, to deny that God is the real author and creator
of everything. He is not the invention of a feverish mind. From where
else would man’s profound desire to know Him come from, but God Himself?
However, the answers of mankind to the question “Who is God?” are far from
sufficient and unable to lead him towards an all-comprehensive, let alone
a self-surrendering, belief in God. That belief can only be the fruit of
God’s Word and gratuitous grace, and of the touch by His Spirit, who is at
work in man. In Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, it is said that, “God
has poured out His love in our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is
God’s gift to us” (Romans 5:5). If we ask people why they believe in
God, they never will answer that it is the fruit of a rational syllogism.
Instead, they will say, “I just do so! I love God!”
Genuine religious
belief exceeds or transcends merely human comprehension of God. Perhaps,
we remember the story about Saint Augustine. Once he was walking along the
beach, and reflecting on the mystery of God. There he met a little boy
playing in the sand. The kid had dug a little hole and now tried -as he
said - to pour in it all the water in the ocean. Then Augustine told him:
“How naïve you still are! How could it be possible to pour the seemingly
immense ocean into such a small hole?” He was silent for a few moments.
Then he added, “But even so, it will be easier to do that than try to
comprehend and include in your little mind the immense mystery of God’s
glory.”
Jesus has said,
“No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father
except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him”
(Matthew 11:27).
In our issue next
month, we will see how God wants to reveal Himself to those who listen to
His Word and open up themselves to His grace.
- TELL US LIKE IT IS!
- Has something
wonderful and unique happened in your life lately? Did God answer your
prayer in a very unexpected way? Did you, like Isaiah, meet God’s
whisper?
- Have you felt His
powerful hand working in your life recently?
- Everyday, people are
experiencing God’s mighty Word in their lives and it is a pity that very
few know about it. Do you have a story to tell? Some Good News to
share?
- E-mail us (genesis@catholic.org) or fax us
(021-6627384), and tell us about it. That’s right! You don’t have to be
a great writer to do this. We can help you write it – just tell us like
it is!
- Don’t forget to write
the subject: “Let Me Tell You A
Story”
For comments, suggestions or
ideas:
E-mail us: genesis@catholic.org
Write us: Jl. Bacang No. 20 Kebayoran Baru,
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Call us: (6221) 720-3824
Fax us: (6221) 662-7384
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Community - All Rights Reserved 2003
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This site has been awarded
IN THIS ISSUE:
HIS Servant
by Bro. Pete Lapid
Our Faith
By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
Surabaya Corner
By Ramon Martillano
Place of Refuge
By Philip Yuson
The G Kidspace*
By Louise Escuban
Here's the Latest
By Pinky Torres
Viewpoint
Straight from the heart
By Carolle Bautista
God Answers Prayers
In Focus
by Sansu Garin
Compiled by Armand Sol
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