Children of God (Feast of All Saints)

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In St. John’s epistle, he speaks of how believers become children of God. We become children of God by being adopted into God’s family, as explained in the Gospel of John, which states that “to all who received him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

Being a child of God means that one has all the privileges of being a part of His divine family, which includes not only forgiveness of sins, but access to heaven, where Christ prepares a place for all His disciples (John 14:2-3). There we will behold God face to face, and we will be granted rest from all our trials.

Most significantly, St. John states that when we go to see God, we will be like Him, for we see Him as He is (v. 3). This echoes the words of St. Peter, who states that believers eventually come to partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Christian theology has come to refer to this as “Theosis,” and is captured by the words of St. Athanasius, which are quoted in the Catechism: “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God” (CCC 460). This does not mean we become identical to God, but that we are perfected in our humanity so as to reflect His glory.

This becoming like God is what we are called to be as Christians. The saints in heaven have already achieved this, and we are running a race to attain it as well. Although the road is narrow and difficult, the infinite joy of joining the chorus of saints who behold God is worth all the sacrifices we have to make.

J. Luis Dizon