DIVINE FILIATION:
WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.

Through Baptism it we are born to a life of grace. We are “given power to become children of God … born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (Jn 1:13).” We are children of God, through Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit.

• Our life as Christians is a development of that seed of grace. We are to grow in holiness until we attain to the “fullness of mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).”
• However, this process of development involves what seems to be a paradox, since in order to reach supernatural maturity, we need to become like little children. We must be adult Christians, who strive to behave as children before God.

It is easy to see ourselves as very small before God’s immense power. However, we need to be aware not only of how small we are, but also of the fact that we are children of God.

• “Before God, who is eternal, you are a smaller child than, in your sight, a two-year old toddler. And besides being a child, you are a child of God. Don’t forget it (St. Josemaria).”
• We treat God as a father; and we approach him trustingly, without being daunted by his immense power. In fact it makes us feel proud to know we have a father who is so strong.

Since we are God’s children, we have recourse to him whenever we make mistakes. In him we find only reasons for love and trust. The only fear we must have is that of a child who suffers for having disappointed his father. That is the only way we fear our Father God. This is what Jesus teaches us in the parable of the prodigal son.

• “We should feel that we are very much God’s children. Then we will return to him with gratitude, certain of being received by our heavenly Father …”
• “Divine filiation. If we are convinced of this marvellous truth, we will never lose our serenity. We will feel secure. And should we ever go astray, even seriously astray, as a result of one of the skirmishes of our daily struggle (since through frailty we can and in fact do go astray), we will return to him (St. Josemaria).”

And so we will always go forward and reach the holiness to which God is calling us.