One of the gravest dangers in theology can be a one-sided emphasis which results in a distortion of the whole. We must admit that the splendid and marvellous nature of our Catholic religion invites us to a deeper understanding in faith and charity of the Sacred Mysteries revealed virtually. One could never tell enough the glories of the Incarnation and Redemption, the ineffable procession of the Son from the Father and the spiration of the Holy Ghost, yet at times it would be hazardous to describe any further. Often it is more in keeping with due reverence to fall silent at the Mystery. However, this truth can never be a pretense for laxity in theology.
I heard in a homily on Sunday that it is a current tendency to neglect the Person of the Father in favour of the Son and/or the Holy Ghost. Sadly, without the Person of the Father, Christ is reduced to a teacher and the Holy Ghost to a impersonal force which has a certain proclivity to conform to liberal opinion.
Let us deal in this short article with the ''Fatherless Son'':
Although Christ is true God, fully possessing the divine nature and the perfections eminently and formally, He can never be considered apart from the Father. He is 'God from God' and 'consubstantial with the Father', the perfect image of the Unbegotten and His Word. The Father of Orthodoxy, Saint Athanasius and the Fathers of the Council of Nicea fought for this truth and interrelatedness of the First and Second Divine Persons and would not compromise on the term, 'homoousios' which caused outrage to heretics. We do not have a case of three Gods existing side by side or apart in anyway. There is only a very minor, virtual distinction between the Persons and the divine nature which Each fully possesses.
Man has labelled Christ many things, a teacher, a radical, a socialist, a feminist, a good and kind soul. However, no one who claims to be equal to the Father and sent by Him can be reduced to these categories. One must confess Jesus Christ as God or a lunatic. There is no middle ground. Our Divine Lord is at pains to express in the Sacred Gospels that He has come forth from the Father and to the Same He will return. His message and preaching is not His own but belongs to the One Who sent Him to bear the sins of many. The souls that are drawn to the Christ are drawn by the Father and whoever sees Him, sees His Father.
If we refuse to acknowledge this essential element of our Lord's Person and His redemptive mission, we reduce Him to the same level as Socrates, Buddha or any one of the legion of self-proclaimed enlightened figures of our fickle generation. Such a person could not save. He would remain on our level not through setting aside glory, but as one who belongs to us by nature.
Our God wills something greater for mankind. It is only in the One Sent that man can approach the Father. It is only through the Body that sinners may receive life. In the end, the Kingdom will be turned over to the Father and all will be subject to His dominion. Christ uniqueness stems from His deriving His hypostasis from the Father which makes the Incarnation possible and fruitful for the salvation of many. We can only come to be sons of the Father by grace and participation through Him Who is Son by nature and according to essence.
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