Child

When Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before He died, he prayed, “Abba”.  And that word means more than Father, it means “Dad” or “Daddy”.

The Holy Trinity (Karel Škréta)

Perhaps because I was born into a Maronite Catholic family and lived as a Catholic all my life – attending a school that taught the Catholic faith and receiving all of the Sacraments – perhaps because it has all come so easily to me through the gift of my faith and family, I do not actually realise how blessed I am?

I am a CHILD of God.  God placed Himself into time and space – twenty centuries ago – not to make Himself less or because He was lacking in any way, but to make me MORE…

This is something so mind-blowing that I could easily spend the rest of eternity contemplating the great miracle that this is.  After all, a God who is so offended by my sin made Himself small enough to enter into the world where I live and allow murderous sinful souls like mine to torture Him.  And He did this – not because HE needs anything from me – but because I may need something from HIM…

Saint Josemaria wrote about this miracle in “The Forge” at 265-266, when he rejoiced that we are able to call ourselves children of God and said, “Give thanks often to Jesus, for through him, with him and in him you are able to call yourself a son of God…  If we feel we are beloved sons of our Heavenly Father, as indeed we are, how can we fail to be happy all the time? Think about it.”

There is a peace in knowing that I am a Child of God.  It really means that I am safe.  It is another way of saying that Someone else – and in this case that SOMEONE is GOD HIMSELF – is responsible for me.  I do not need to worry about anything because God will take the matter in hand.

Saint Therese of Lisieux wrote often of being a Child of God.  She would place herself entirely into God’s Hands.  She did not want to direct the course of her own life and was content to allow God to direct her where He Willed…

There is so much more for me to consider in this life than what I can see with my human eyes.  The world around me is what it is, but the true world around me is far greater than anything that I could ever see.

The world around me is far broader than I could ever imagine.  There are layers to it that I could never imagine – just as my children had no idea how to function alone in the world when they were toddlers, and even now they are still learning their way as adolescents, so too am I lost without my Eternal Parent.

And who is God to me?  Sure, He is my Father, but when Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before He died, he prayed, “Abba”.  And that word means more than Father, it means “Dad” or “Daddy”.

Christ did not pray as a distant Son.  He prayed as a beloved Child.

And He taught me – thought that prayer – to pray not to my Father, but to my Daddy.  So that I could be wrapped in His Holy Protection and never worry about anything ever again!

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.