St. Louis Director of Faith Formation Jamie Hickman discusses the term Abba (Father) as a central Mystery within the greatest Mystery (the Trinity) as key to getting to know and love the Son (Jesus Christ).

Abba occurs 3 times in the RSV: https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=abba&t=RSV#s=s_primary_0_1

Ἀββᾶ (Chaldean / Aramaic: abba, ab-ah') means Father https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5/rsv/mgnt/0-1/

πατήρ (Greek: patēr, pat-ayr') means Father https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3962/rsv/mgnt/0-1/

Pater (Latin: patēr, pat-ayr') means Father

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasimodo

The Come and See class occurs on Sunday April 12, 2026, which is Divine Mercy Sunday, aka Low Sunday or Sunday in the Octave of Easter or Domenica in Albis or Quasimodo Sunday. The word Quasimodo was made more famous by Victor Hugo in his novel Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482, which was given a different name in English: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. According to Hugo, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame is found at the doorstep of the cathedral in Paris on Quasimodo Sunday (the First Sunday after Easter, now called the Second Sunday of Easter). Providentially, Victor Hugo establishes that Quasimodo was found on April 20 1466 with Easter on April 13, almost completely aligned with the current day 560 years later. The Latin term Quasimodo comes from the entrance antiphon or introit of the Mass for that day: The introit begins: "Quasi modo géniti infántes, allelúia". Based on 1 Peter 2:2, it translates to "As newborn babes, alleluia". This Gregorian chant marks the end of the Easter Octave. The chant continues: "...rationábile, sine dolo lac concupíscite, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia" (desire the rational milk without guile, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia). This is the calling of all Christians: to be like or according to the mode of (quasimodo) newborn infants -- to be childlike. Children seek to know and love their father; thus, Christians must seek to know their Father in heaven by being more and more like Christ who is the Word or Image of the Father. After the Last Supper, Christ tells his disciples incredibly an important message, which we hear or read in John 14:1-20. In verse 8 (the heart of the chapter), Jesus says: "Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also." The mysteries are meant to be seen, to be shared, to be lived. We can only love what and whom we know, so the Christian must seek to see the face of Christ in order to see the Father. When we see, we know, we "get" or "grasp" it -- we do not exhaust it, but we begin to understand. Over a lifetime and even into eternity, we shall understand better who the Father is by help Christ by becoming another Christ.

1 Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be. 4 And whither I go you know, and the way you know. 5 Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. 7 If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him. 8 Philip saith to him: Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us. 9 Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, shew us the Father? 10 Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I speak

We often hear the phrase "Be the best version of yourself," but through a Catholic lens, this means letting Jesus live through you fully.

Listen to Fr. O'Hare delve into this topic, and how it relates to the vertical and horizontal union we promote here at St. Louis Parish.