The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-04-22
1.-THE Divine Attributes" 10 the SUBJ
ject of the fifth sermon OF the series.
This sermon was prepared by the
Rev. Timothy Clifford of Lima. Mont.
THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES"

butes.
We ascribe to God various attri-
butes because the unity of the divine
perfection is reflected in different
ways in creatures. We do this to &C
commodate our own understanding;
in reality. there is no distinction be-
tween the attributes Of God and His
essence. In Him they are. one and
the same. His wisdom is the same
as His power, His power the same as
His eternity. The divine attributes
are identical with God. Hence we say,
God is wisdom. God is omnipotence.
His attributes are various manifesto
tons of His one and indivisible per-
lection; between them there is no
division or distinction. We make di-
visions and distinctions in order that
We may understand more clearly. Gre
ated things, however, possess differ
ent attributes or qualities that are
really distinct from each other.
The attributes of God may be di-.
vided into those that belong to His
essence: second, those that belong to
His understanding: third, those that
belong to His will. The attributes
ascribed to the Divine Essence are
eternity, omnipotence and immutabil-
ity: to the divine understanding, ON
niscience and perfect wisdom; to the
divine will. omnipotence, holiness, JUS
tice, truth and faithfulness. In this
instruction, we shall consider His
eternity, His omnipresence and immu-
liability.
Eternity.
God is eternal. When we say God
is eternal, we mean that there was
no time in which God did not exist;
there is no time in which He is not
existing; He never ceases to exist;
God always was, always is and ever
will be, His words to Moses express
His eternity: Il am who am" Exod:
III, IA. I'm the beginning, o Lord,
Thou foundedst the earth; and the
heavens are the work of thy hands;
but Thou are the self-same
and Thy years shall not fail Ps. CT,
1928 He therefore existed before
the world, as the architect or builder
of a house must exist before the house
that he plans or builds comes into be-
ing. He does not cease to exist as
men do; hence He is called the living
God. Thou are the Christ the Son
of the living God" Matt. XVI, 16.
For Him there is no past or future,
all is present with Him. Day does not.
succeed day, or year year as it does
with us. Zone day to Him is as
thousand years and a thousand years
as one day" II Pet. III, s. We cam
not form an adequate idea of Gods
eternity; countless ages in compari-
son with it are as nothing. If bird
were to take from the ocean a single
drop of water every thousand years,
the time would come when the ocean
would be dry; the time that it would
take to accomplish seems to us to be
an eternity in itself, and yet that inn
mense period. when compared with
the eternity of Gods existence, is but
as the shortest moment in our lives.
No Place Where He Is Not.
God is omnipresent. He is every
He is unfathomable, unreasonable, no
limits can be assigned to His presence,
and therefore He is present every
where throughout the entire universe.
Solomon said in his prayer at the ded-
ication of the temple, ''If heaven and
the heaven of heavens cannot contain
Thee, how much less this house which
I ho1
Since God has no limits, He can be
in every place at the same time. He
is not, however, scattered over the
whole universe, partly in heaven and
partly on earth. He is wholly in heay-
en-, wholly on earth; SO the soul of
man fills His entire body, but yet it is
in every separate part of His body.
heaven, in the Blessed Sacrament and
in the souls of the just. In heaven,
God is present to the gaze of the an
gels and saints to. whom He reveals
the full blaze of His glory; in the
- Blessed Sacrament, He is present as
the Goldman with His body, blood, soul
and divinity; in the souls of the just
he is pTOScuL lIIOuSh ILAC 1IOiS NAOot,
who is given to them. There is no
place where God is not. How beauti-
fully the Psalmist expresses this
thought for us: WHITTIER shall / go
from Thy spirit? Or whittier shall
flee from Thy face? If / ascend into
heaven, Thou art there; if descend
into hell, Thou art present. If | take
my wings early in the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea. even there also shall Thy hand
lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold
me- Ps. CXXxyIIT, I'll. He is pres
ent everywhere by reason of His
knowledge "All things are naked and
open TOLLS eyes, Heb. w, 1S. Ey-
erywhere by reason of His power
'She (meaning His power) reacheth
from end to end nightly and order
eth all things sweetly.' Wisd. VIII,
i. Everywhere by reason of His es-
sence. "They should seek God y '
although He be not far from any OF
us. for in Him we live and move and
are" Acts VXIII, 81.
His immutability.
God is immutable. He ever remains
the same. What He now is, He has
been from all eternity, and Will be
forever. The world and all 1t contains
are liable to change, and since crea'
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