Teaching · 27 September 2026
God the Father
The first article of the Creed — the Father in the Holy Trinity, Creator, merciful — and what believing in Him asks of the way we live.
“I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” The Christian Creed begins with faith in God the Father. The Church professes one God, not three gods: “The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity teaches that the one God exists eternally as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct Persons sharing one divine nature (CCC 253–256).
1. The Father in the Holy Trinity
God is eternally Father, because, from all eternity, he has the Son. The Son is “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father”, as the Council of Nicaea (325) teaches. The Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son, according to the Latin tradition of the Creed. Although the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, they are one God, equal in divinity, glory and majesty (CCC 249–256). Jesus Christ reveals the Father to us. He declares, “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Mt 11:27). His whole life is directed towards doing the Father’s will, and he teaches his disciples to pray: “Our Father in heaven” (Mt 6:9).
2. The Father, Almighty Creator
The Creed calls the Father “almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.” God freely created all things in wisdom and love; everything that exists apart from God receives its being from him (CCC 279–301). Creation is therefore a gift, and human beings are stewards rather than absolute owners. God also continually sustains and guides creation through Divine Providence. Jesus assures us, “Your heavenly Father knows what you need” (Mt 6:8). Providence does not remove human freedom or responsibility, but assures us that God remains faithful and can bring good even from difficult circumstances (cf. Rom 8:28).
3. The Father of Mercy and Salvation
The Father’s love is most fully revealed in his sending of the Son: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son” (Jn. 3:16). In Christ, God reveals himself not as a distant ruler but as a loving Father, who seeks the salvation of his children. The Parable of the Merciful Father (Lk 15:11–32) shows the Father’s readiness to welcome the repentant sinner. His mercy does not excuse sin; rather, it calls us to conversion and restores us to communion. Through Baptism, we become adopted children of God. Saint Paul teaches that “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’” (Gal 4:6). Jesus is Son by nature; we become children of God by grace and adoption (CCC 1265, 2782–2784).
4. What Faith in the Father Means for Christian Life
To believe in God the Father must transform the way we live. First, it calls us to trust in God rather than surrender to fear and anxiety (Mt 6:25–34). Secondly, because God is our Father, other people are our brothers and sisters. Christian faith therefore demands reconciliation, forgiveness, justice and practical concern for the poor and vulnerable. Calling God “Father” also commits us to prayer and obedience. The Our Father teaches us to seek God’s kingdom, forgive others, resist temptation and depend upon God’s providence (Mt 6:9–13). Genuine devotion to the Father must therefore be visible in our families, parish communities, schools and wider society.
5. Our Destiny in the Father’s House
The Christian journey comes from God and leads back to God. Jesus promises: “In my Father’s house there are many places to live in” (Jn. 14:2). Our ultimate hope is eternal communion with the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. St. John writes: “See what love the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children” (1 Jn. 3:1).
Conclusion
To profess, “I believe in God the Father,” is to believe in the one God who creates, sustains, forgives and saves us; the Father who has revealed himself through Jesus Christ and made us his adopted children in the Holy Spirit. This faith should become a way of life: we trust the Father, imitate his mercy, respect his creation, serve our brothers and sisters, and live as his beloved children.
Key references: CCC 198–231; 232–267; 268–278; 279–324; 1265; 2782–2793; Deut. 6:4; Mt 6:9–13, 25–34; Lk 15:11–32; Jn. 3:16; 14:1–3; Rom 8:14–17; Gal 4:4–7; 1 Jn. 3:1.