What is God's Name: Reflections on the 'Faces' of God

In his prayer of the last supper, recounted by the evangelist John (Jn. 17:3), Jesus says to God the Father, "Now this is eternal life: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Again in John’s gospel we hear the question: " What must we do to do the work of God?" And Jesus replies:" This is the work of God: To believe in him whom God has sent." (Jn.6:29)

In Scripture, to "know" implies a profound relationship, like that of husband and wife. To "believe" is to have knowledge given by God's Spirit, beyond reason but not unreasonable!

This writing arises from the deep joy of knowing God and the desire that everybody may know God more intimately and more expansively and so love God more. The many descriptive names we give to God and address to God in prayer can help us know God better as we live our earth-bound lives toward our breakthrough into the eternal life when we shall actually see God whom we have desired to love.

In the beginning of the book of Genesis, we read the story of creation. In the story, God simply speaks a Word, and the event happens. The Spirit of God hovers over the whole process. And the story says all the creatures were brought before the first human to name. That’s “participation.” Naming implies knowing what you are naming. All of this creating and naming needs words.

God is in conversation with us then from the beginning. It is for us to listen and reply with our whole being: Here I am! For you called my name. And this is prayer.

By Mary Alban Bouchard CSJ
Photo by Mary Doreen Smith CSJ