2794. This biblical expression does not mean a place (“space”), but a way of being; it does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father is not “elsewhere”: he transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness. It is precisely because he is thrice holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart.
“Our Father who art in heaven” is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them.54
“Heaven” could also be those who bear the image of the heavenly world, and in whom God dwells and tarries.55
Aprofunde seus conhecimentos
303. What are the acts of the penitent?
338. For what ends has God instituted Matrimony?
104. What does the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth teach us?
460. What are the duties of parents toward their children?
205. What happens to our body and our soul after death?
300. What is interior penance?
457. What place does the family occupy in society?
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
What is the image of God as shepherd in Ezekiel 34?
What is Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem described in Mark 11:1-11?
How can we flee the appearances of evil, as described in 1 Thessalonians 5:22?
What is the church’s role in promoting reconciliation according to Philemon 1:6?
What is the lesson taught in Philippians 4:10-13 about finding contentment in all circumstances?
