At the outset of Chapter Five of the new catechism for adults, we encounter a reality we mention often but perhaps fail to comprehend fully: God is not just mystery, he is holy mystery. In this distinction there is a real difference we should not overlook.God, Timothy writes in his first letter in the Bible (1 Tim 6:16) "dwells in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen or can see." He is completely other. He is hidden, glorious and wondrous. Yet, he does not leave us without a way to know him: creation, prophets, Jesus Christ. Also through the Sacred Scriptures and the Church we are brought to meet God.
The catechism warns us not to confuse our understanding of the word mystery. It is not a Sudoko puzzle to be logically solved nor is it a grand mystery novel whose plot we try to unravel. "The mystery of God is not a puzzle to be solved. It is a truth to be reverenced." (Catechism, pg 51) Throughout the centuries the Church has taught us that the mystery of God is always present in our lives but it is beyond our comprehension. We cannot forget that God shows himself in different ways. First and foremost he shows himself through Jesus Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We come to know through our own experiences that this God, this unseen creator, is faithful to us, is forgiving and possesses a love for us which is also beyond our comprehension.
