GOD, GOD,

OUR OUR FATHERFATHER

SOME SOME PEOPLE PEOPLE CLAIM THAT CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO THERE IS NO GODGOD

THEY POINT OUT THEY POINT OUT THAT SCIENTIST THAT SCIENTIST CANNOT PROVE CANNOT PROVE GOD’S EXISTENCEGOD’S EXISTENCE

POINTING OUT THE EVIL IN THE WORLD POINTING OUT THE EVIL IN THE WORLD THEY ASK:THEY ASK:

HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD?HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD?

HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD?HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD?

WE CAN NOT PROVE GOD’ S EXISTENCE IN A SCIENTIFIC WE CAN NOT PROVE GOD’ S EXISTENCE IN A SCIENTIFIC WAYWAY

WE BELIEVE THAT HE HAS CHOSEN TO REVEAL HIMSELF, WE BELIEVE THAT HE HAS CHOSEN TO REVEAL HIMSELF, AND THAT THIS REVELATION TELL US WHAT GOD IS NOTAND THAT THIS REVELATION TELL US WHAT GOD IS NOT

GOD IS NOT A CREATURE LIKE USGOD IS NOT A CREATURE LIKE US

GOD HAS NOT BEGINNING OR NO ENDGOD HAS NOT BEGINNING OR NO END

IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS OF IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS OF SPACE OR TIMESPACE OR TIME

GOD IS A MISTERY BEYOND WORDSGOD IS A MISTERY BEYOND WORDS

GOD HAS NO GENDERGOD HAS NO GENDER

WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER THOSE WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS LATERQUESTIONS LATER

WHAT CAN WE SAY, WHAT CAN WE SAY, AS CHRISTIANS AS CHRISTIANS CATHOLICS ABOUT CATHOLICS ABOUT GOD?GOD?

SINCE WE CAN NOT SEE, HEAR OR TOUCH GOD WE USE SINCE WE CAN NOT SEE, HEAR OR TOUCH GOD WE USE IMAGES AND STORIES TO UNDERSTAND HIMIMAGES AND STORIES TO UNDERSTAND HIM

AS CATHOLICS WE BELIEVE AS CATHOLICS WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONE GOD IN THAT THERE IS ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONSTHREE PERSONS

WE CALL WE CALL “TRINITY” “TRINITY” TO THIS CENTRAL TO THIS CENTRAL MISTERY OF THE MISTERY OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITHCHRISTIAN FAITH

THE FATHERTHE FATHER

THE SONTHE SON

AND THE HOLY AND THE HOLY SPIRITSPIRIT

OUR CONCEPT OF “TRINITY” DISTINGUISHES OUR CONCEPT OF “TRINITY” DISTINGUISHES CHRISTIANISM FROM OTHER MONOTHEISTIC CHRISTIANISM FROM OTHER MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONSRELIGIONS

JUDAISMJUDAISM ISLAMISLAM

THEY DON’T BELIEVE, AS WE DO, THAT THERE ARE THEY DON’T BELIEVE, AS WE DO, THAT THERE ARE THREE PERSONS IN GODTHREE PERSONS IN GOD

LIKELIKE

““I BELIEVE IN ONE I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, THE GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND HEAVEN AND EARTH”EARTH”

FIRST STATEMENT OF THE APOSTLES’ CREEDFIRST STATEMENT OF THE APOSTLES’ CREED

GOD IS OUR FAHERGOD IS OUR FAHER

BUT, DID GOD BUT, DID GOD REVEALED REVEALED HIMSELF AS HIMSELF AS THE FATHER THE FATHER FROM THE FROM THE BEGINNING?BEGINNING?

NO, THIS NO, THIS REVELATION REVELATION CAME TO US CAME TO US FROM JESUS. FROM JESUS. JESUS ALSO JESUS ALSO TOLD US ABUT TOLD US ABUT THE THIRD THE THIRD PERSON OF THE PERSON OF THE TRINITY: THE TRINITY: THE HOLY SPIRITHOLY SPIRIT

THIS DECLARATION EXPRESSES FOUR THIS DECLARATION EXPRESSES FOUR IDEAS ABOUT THE FIRST PERSON OF THE IDEAS ABOUT THE FIRST PERSON OF THE TRINITYTRINITY

IS ONE GOD WITH THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS ONE GOD WITH THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOT A DIFFERENT ONENOT A DIFFERENT ONE

IS THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, IS THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,

CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTHCREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

THE BELIEF OF ONE GOD COMES TO US FROM OUR THE BELIEF OF ONE GOD COMES TO US FROM OUR JEWS ANCESTRYJEWS ANCESTRY

LET US READ DT 6: 4-5LET US READ DT 6: 4-5

THE TRINITY OF GOD WAS REVEALED TO US BY THE TRINITY OF GOD WAS REVEALED TO US BY JESUSJESUS

READ JOHN 1: 18READ JOHN 1: 18

JOHN 15: 26JOHN 15: 26

MATTHEW 11: MATTHEW 11: 27 27

EXODUS 3EXODUS 3

JESUS MANTAINS WITH GOD, HIS FATHER, OUR JESUS MANTAINS WITH GOD, HIS FATHER, OUR FATHER, A DEEP AND AFFECTIONATE RELATIONSHIPFATHER, A DEEP AND AFFECTIONATE RELATIONSHIP

JESUS CALL GOD JESUS CALL GOD WITH AN HEBREW WITH AN HEBREW WORDWORD

ABBAABBA

A WORD THAT A WORD THAT DENOTES INTIMACY: DENOTES INTIMACY: DEAR DAD, DADDYDEAR DAD, DADDY

AND INVITE US TO GO AND INVITE US TO GO TOWARDS GOD WITH THE TOWARDS GOD WITH THE SAME TRUST AND FAITHSAME TRUST AND FAITH

JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY TO GODJESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY TO GOD

TO MAINTAIN INTIMACY WITH GOD TO MAINTAIN INTIMACY WITH GOD FROM OUR HEARTFROM OUR HEART

TO REST IN GOD, TRUSTING IN HIMTO REST IN GOD, TRUSTING IN HIM

TO LET GOD’S LIFE TOUCH OURSTO LET GOD’S LIFE TOUCH OURS

TO CALL HIM TO CALL HIM FATHER FATHER AND LIVE IN AND LIVE IN CONSECUENCECONSECUENCE

BROTHERS BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND SISTERS FROM EACH FROM EACH OTHEROTHER

GOD, THE GOD, THE CREATOR OF CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND HEAVEN AND EARTH WISHES EARTH WISHES TO SHARE HIS TO SHARE HIS LOVE AND LOVE AND GOODNESS GOODNESS WITH USWITH US

WHEN WE ACEPT GOD’S LOVE, OUR HEART IS WHEN WE ACEPT GOD’S LOVE, OUR HEART IS FILLED WITH THE COMPASSION, TENDERNESS FILLED WITH THE COMPASSION, TENDERNESS AND PEACE WHICH PROCEDE FROM GODAND PEACE WHICH PROCEDE FROM GOD

AND WE ARE ABLE TO SHARE SUCH LOVE, COMPASSION AND WE ARE ABLE TO SHARE SUCH LOVE, COMPASSION AND PEACE WITH OTHERSAND PEACE WITH OTHERS

JESUS INVITES US TO PRAY AS A WAY TO JESUS INVITES US TO PRAY AS A WAY TO GET AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD’S LOVEGET AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD’S LOVE

FOR LOVE, TO BE TRULY LOVE, IT MUST BE FOR LOVE, TO BE TRULY LOVE, IT MUST BE FREELY GIVEN AND FREELY RECEIVEDFREELY GIVEN AND FREELY RECEIVED

AND GOD CREATE US WITH THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE LOVE AND GOODNESS

THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMS OF PRAYER:THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMS OF PRAYER:

……BLESSINGBLESSING

THIS FORM HAS THIS FORM HAS TWO TWO MOVEMENTS: MOVEMENTS: GOD GIVE US A GOD GIVE US A GIFT AND WE GIFT AND WE RESPOND WITH RESPOND WITH JOY AND JOY AND GRATITUDEGRATITUDE

……ADORATIONADORATION

WHEN YOU ADORE, YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE A WHEN YOU ADORE, YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE A CREATURE BEFORE THE ONE WHO CREATE YOUCREATURE BEFORE THE ONE WHO CREATE YOU

……PETITIONPETITION

THIS IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF PRAYERTHIS IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF PRAYER

IS ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING YOU NEEDIS ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING YOU NEED

MATTHEW 7: 9-11MATTHEW 7: 9-11

OUR CHURCH TEACHES THAT OUR CHURCH TEACHES THAT OUR FIRST PETITION IS ASKING OUR FIRST PETITION IS ASKING FORGIVENESSFORGIVENESS

““NOVENAS” ARE AN EXAMPLE NOVENAS” ARE AN EXAMPLE OF PERSEVERANCEOF PERSEVERANCE

……INTERCESSIONINTERCESSION

IS A PRAYER OF PETITION, ASKING GOD’S HELP FOR IS A PRAYER OF PETITION, ASKING GOD’S HELP FOR ANOTHER PERSONANOTHER PERSON

……PRAISEPRAISE

CHURCH TEACH US THAT THIS FROM OF PRAY EMBRACES CHURCH TEACH US THAT THIS FROM OF PRAY EMBRACES ALL OTHER FORMS OF PRAYER AND CARRIES THEM TO ALL OTHER FORMS OF PRAYER AND CARRIES THEM TO GODGOD

IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INSPIRES US TO GLORIFY INSPIRES US TO GLORIFY GODGOD

DOXOLOGY IS A WORD FOR DOXOLOGY IS A WORD FOR THE CHRISTIAN PRAYERS OF THE CHRISTIAN PRAYERS OF PRAISE DIRECTED TO THE PRAISE DIRECTED TO THE TRINITYTRINITY

PRINCE OF PEACE PARISHPRINCE OF PEACE PARISH

LAS VEGAS, NVLAS VEGAS, NV

TEACHER: Miguel TorresTEACHER: Miguel Torres