Knowing the Father

“No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Matthew 11:27

When asked “Why did God make you,” the Baltimore Catechism teaches, “to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” Before we can serve Him or love Him, we need to know God. But how? Through prayer. Not just the prayers we learned to memorize, but rather conversing with God. Speaking with Him, sitting with Him, sharing with Him everything that is on your heart, and listening to Him. It is only in conversation and in spending time with the Lord will you come to know Him, and in knowing Him and how much He loves you, you will come to love Him. And this “belovedness” or being loved by the Father will only increase in you the desire to love Him more so that everything that is important to Him is important to you. This then moves us to service.

When we come to know God we will come to love Him and serve Him. And in knowing, loving, and serving the Father, we know, love, and serve the Son for the Father and the Son are one. With this relationship of love there is no hardship or suffering in this life that we will not be able to overcome. May we come to know the Father today and by doing so be known by Him, our peace and our joy.

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!


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