Day 28: The Nature of God

Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last. The beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works. CCC 198

Today's reading starts with the first part of the Apostolic Creed: "I believe in God the Father". The mystery of the Holy Trinity is spoken about, in that God is One but also Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all Divine Persons who are all the One God. I like how the Catechism describes God in part as being "ineffable", that is so great that mere words cannot fully describe Him. To Muslims and others, the concept of God being truly One yet also Three seems contradictory and impossible. The Church has defined some elements of who God is, or perhaps who God is not, but for a layman such as myself, much of this seems difficult to grasp even that much. God is God, my mortal brain can only go so far in understanding Him. It makes His response in Job 38 understandable. My attempts to describe God completely are but "words of ignorance". God being "ineffable" to me, which I accept as a logical truth, means that all things are possible for Him and God being One but also Three is beyond my full understanding. Others may wish to delve deeper into this as much as they can, but I'm satisfied with the answer St. Augustine received when pondering this: "[Y]ou could never possibly understand the Holy Trinity." Or as the Catechism Companion, Vol I puts it:

The Trinity is a mystery. God's identity is the deepest mystery that any of us could ever even begin to ponder. (p. 60)

We are truly blessed to have this truth about God revealed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, even if our complete understanding is lacking.

Three figures representing the Trinity on the Dogmatic Sarcophagus (300s)