The Adoption of Sons

Inasmuch as God, in his infinite goodness, permits mento inherit heaven, he is said to adopt them as children orsons.

It is the whole Trinity, not the Father alone, thatadopts us as children. We often use the term Father in anessential and not a personal sense when we apply it to God; thatis, we use the term Father for the “Tri-une” God, not forthe First Person of the Trinity. We do this, for example, when wesay the Our Father, in which we address God in unity, andnot the Father as distinct from the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Triune God is the Father of us all, and adopts us as brethren of Christ for the inheritance of heaven.

Only rational creatures (that is, men and angels) canbe adopted as children of God.

Our Lord himself is not an adopted child or son of God;he is the true Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity,eternally begotten of the Father.