Pope's General Audience: Why we call God, Father





January 30, 2013. (Romereports.com) During Wednesday's general audience, Benedict XVI reflected on why God is called 'Father.' The Pope explained that the Gospel uses the term to reflect on the generosity, forgiveness and mercy of a parent.

The Pope also added that when parents find themselves having trouble caring and raising their children, they too, can seek the example of God, the Father, to overcome these challenges.

FULL CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our continuing catechesis during this Year of Faith, we now reflect on the Creed’s description of God as “the Father Almighty”.  Despite the crisis of fatherhood in many societies, the Scriptures show us clearly what it means to call God “Father”.

God is infinitely generous, faithful, and forgiving; he so loves the world that he has given us his only Son for our salvation.
As “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15), Jesus reveals God as a merciful Father who never abandons his children and whose loving concern for us embraces even the Cross.  In Christ, God has made us his adopted sons and daughters.  The Cross shows also us how God our Father is “almighty”.

His omnipotence transcends our limited human concepts of power; his might is that of a patient love expressed in the ultimate victory of goodness over evil, life over death, and freedom over the bondage of sin.  As we contemplate the Cross of Christ, let us turn to God the almighty Father and implore the grace to abandon ourselves with confidence and trust to his merciful love and his saving power.

I offer a warm welcome to the priests taking part in the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College.  Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from the Republic of Korea, Canada and the United States of America, I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.
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