“God says: ‘I am Father, husband, family, food, clothing, root, foundation… everything you want, I am for you! I will also be your servant, for I did not come to be served, but to serve. I am also your friend, member, head, brother, sister, and mother; I am everything. You only need to trust in me.’” (St. John Chrysostom)
In our Father we find all possible expressions of true love, so that He is everything and can become our everything. St. Teresa of Avila expresses it in a few words: “God alone suffices.”
This is also what our Father desires—because in this way, we come to know His love more deeply in all its many forms. God leaves nothing out so that mankind may perceive the fullness of His loving presence.
If we accept His invitation, He will also lead us to greater freedom, because His love endures forever, while created realities are subject to change and decay.
In fact, we can only assign them their rightful place when we are firmly grounded in God. Therefore, a bond with Him means freedom, since any fulfillment sought outside of God is incapable of giving us the peace and happiness that only He can offer. However, if our foundation is firmly established in God, and our house is built upon Him, then we learn to handle all the beautiful and wonderful things He has placed in His creation in such a way that we can delight in them rightly and give thanks to the Lord.
So what does Saint John Chrysostom advise us to do in order to receive this great gift from God? Simply, to trust in our Father – that’s how He is!