Discovering God

Can you describe God? Can you distinguish between your own personal understanding of God and a Catholic understanding? Most of us can cobble an explanation together concerning God from a wide variety of sources, bearing little resemblance to the wonder and reality. This is a problem, for often our explanations of God make little sense to those who hear us talk. Our attempts tend to be simplistic and childish. Does it matter?

When it comes to God it is as well to realise that there are more questions than there are answers. Anyone who tells you that they’ve got God sorted out is to be avoided at all costs. Suicide bombers believe they know who God is and they know with no hesitation what God wants. When confronted by such certainty I suggest you run far and run fast.

The feast of the Holy Trinity (May 31) is a testimony to the mystery of God. God defies our trite explanations. This feast reminds us that Catholics don’t believe in God in the way most people do. We believe in the Blessed Trinity. God has revealed himself to be a community of persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the community at the heart of all that exists: calling it into being, knowing it and loving it. As the image of God, you and I are the image of Trinity: we create, we know and we love. You will spend eternity discovering who God is, and discovering the implications of who God is for who you are.