Spirituality
Divine Filiation
quick ideas about divine filiation. Children of God. Degrees in divine filiation. Consequences.
Español1. What is filiation?
Here filiation is understood as the quality of children that defines their relationship with respect to their parents.
2. When does filiation exist?
For filiation to exist, two requirements must be met:
- The child must come from its parent.
- Both must be of the same nature.
3. An example?
A kitten is said to be the child of a mother cat when it comes from her and is a cat like her. In contrast, a clock comes from the watchmaker who made it, but is not human like him.
4. When does divine filiation exist?
Divine filiation exists when one proceeds from God and possesses the divine nature. In this there can be several degrees.
5. What degrees exist in divine filiation?
The entire universe proceeds from its Creator. The degrees arise according to whether there is greater or lesser resemblance to Him:
- Material beings such as rocks, mountains, or planets can be called children of God in a very broad sense, because they come from Him. However, they resemble Him little.
- Animals and plants resemble Him more because they are living beings.
- Man, in addition to being material, is a spiritual being, with intelligence and will. And he resembles God more. He was created in His image and likeness.
- The baptized have received a mark called character that unites them more closely to Christ, the Son of God.
- The man who lives in grace resembles God even more, for in his interior the Holy Spirit dwells and divinizes him with His presence.
- The saints in heaven are the final degree of this divine filiation. Heaven is the kingdom of the children of God.
6. Can divinity be granted to another?
There are divine gifts that cannot be granted to any creature, for they are exclusive to God. For example, eternity, omnipotence, and divinity. No one can have infinite qualities, since creatures are by definition limited. Only God is infinite.
7. So, can we be gods?
No, we cannot be gods.
8. And can we be children of God?
It seems not, because we are not gods. Yet it can be said that we are both, when the Holy Spirit dwells in our interior. Then He divinizes us with His presence.
9. So, is it important to live in grace?
It is very important. If one has committed a mortal sin, it is best to go to confession as soon as possible. When one confesses, many things happen simultaneously:
- The Holy Spirit returns to the soul with His divinizing grace.
- Divine filiation in the precise sense is revived.
- Love for God is recovered and with it, the key to enter heaven.
10. Consequences of divine filiation?
The reality that we are children of God has several consequences:
- Peace and serenity increase. In the midst of life's difficulties, one's good spirits are maintained when one remembers that one is a child of God.
- There is more trust in relating to God, in prayer.
- The way of acting changes. It is a child of God who prays, who works.
- Human acts are revalued, becoming actions of a child of God.
11. How does one acquire the condition of being a child of God?
In the precise sense, divine filiation is a gift of God obtained through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the soul. To achieve this, the first step is baptism. Afterward, if there has been a mortal sin, confession will be necessary.
12. Can divine filiation increase?
Yes, to the extent that resemblance and union with God grows — holiness.
13. But are children not children, full stop?
Such is the filiation of Jesus Christ. Ours is an adoptive filiation, which increases as our resemblance to Christ grows. This is why one speaks of degrees in divine filiation.
14. What powers does a child of God have?
It is a bad thing to crave powers and pride. Better to seek love and humility. The most wonderful gift that children of God have is that God loves them.