Copyright © 2006 By Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.
Catechism Of The Catholic Church Reprinted With Permission.
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God’s Truth From The Catechism Of The Catholic Church – cont.
The apostle John says likewise: "We shall. . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts
condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
17
209 Out of respect for the holiness of God, the people of Israel do not pronounce his name. In the
reading of Sacred Scripture, the revealed name (YHWH) is replaced by the divine title "LORD" (in
Hebrew Adonai, in Greek Kyrios). It is under this title that the divinity of Jesus will be acclaimed:
"Jesus is LORD."
"A God merciful and gracious"
210 After Israel's sin, when the people had turned away from God to worship the golden calf, God
hears Moses' prayer of intercession and agrees to walk in the midst of an unfaithful people, thus
demonstrating his love.
18
When Moses asks to see his glory, God responds "I will make all my
goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name 'the LORD' [YHWH]."
19
Then the
LORD passes before Moses and proclaims, "YHWH, YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to
anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness"; Moses then confesses that the LORD is a
forgiving God.
20
211 The divine name, "I Am" or "He Is", expresses God's faithfulness: despite the faithlessness of
men's sin and the punishment it deserves, he keeps "steadfast love for thousands".
21
By going so
far as to give up his own Son for us, God reveals that he is "rich in mercy".
22
By giving his life to
free us from sin, Jesus reveals that he himself bears the divine name: "When you have lifted up the
Son of man, then you will realize that "I AM"."
23
God alone IS
212 Over the centuries, Israel's faith was able to manifest and deepen realization of the riches
contained in the revelation of the divine name. God is unique; there are no other gods besides
him.
24
He transcends the world and history. He made heaven and earth: "They will perish, but you
endure; they will all wear out like a garment. . . .but you are the same, and your years have no
end."
25
In God "there is no variation or shadow due to change."
26
God is "HE WHO IS", from
everlasting to everlasting, and as such remains ever faithful to himself and to his promises.
213 The revelation of the ineffable name "I AM WHO AM" contains then the truth that God alone
IS. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and following it the Church's
Tradition, understood the divine name in this sense: God is the fullness of Being and of every
perfection, without origin and without end. All creatures receive all that they are and have from him;
but he alone is his very being, and he is of himself everything that he is.
III. GOD, "HE WHO IS", IS TRUTH AND LOVE
214 God, "HE WHO IS", revealed himself to Israel as the one "abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness".
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These two terms express summarily the riches of the divine name. In all his works
God displays, not only his kindness, goodness, grace and steadfast love, but also his
trustworthiness, constancy, faithfulness and truth. "I give thanks to your name for your steadfast
love and your faithfulness."
28
He is the Truth, for "God is light and in him there is no darkness";
"God is love", as the apostle John teaches.
29
God is Truth
215 "The sum of your word is truth; and every one of your righteous ordinances endures
forever."
30
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