On the kids-only edition of Catholic Answers Live, Fr. Hugh Barbour explains how God is made, and how “made” means something different with God than it does with everything else.
Host: Okay, let’s hear it.
Caller: How was God made?
Fr. Hugh: “How” or “why?” Which one?
Caller: “How.”
Fr. Hugh: Okay, “how.” That’s an easier question than “why,” so I like that you asked how “how.”
How was God made? Because God is good. That is, if there’s anything at all that is, that is “there,” you know, in front of you, or around you, or above you or below you or wherever it is, it’s because it’s good. And God is the one who is the best of all–you might say the “goodest” of all, if I could use English in a bad way.
Host: “Goodest” is fine in Southern California.
Fr. Hugh: Right, it’s okay. But the point there is that: how has God made? Because God is supremely good. And goodness means giving good things to others. And so we all know, and you know, Shane, that in this world we are always getting good things from those who love us, all the time. Your parents, your friends; and even you, then, want to give good things to the people around you by talking, by working, by playing, by doing whatever you do.
So let’s just say: how was God made? Because He’s good. He’s just very good, and he constantly gives good things to everybody else. So that’s my simple answer. If you want more, I’ll let you know.
Host: But Father, we don’t want to leave Shane with this understanding of “made” that He was…
Fr. Hugh: Right, exactly, God is not “made” in the sense that we’re made. He’s not dependent on any other being. No one else made God. God is the original maker, you know. That is, if there’s anything good or holy or happy or powerful or intelligent or generous or whatever it might be, it’s because it came from Him.
So yeah, that’s a good point that Chris points out, that God doesn’t make Himself, because he doesn’t need to make Himself; He’s just completely good, and so he just bestows or gives Himself to others.
Host: How’s that, Shane? Does that help?
Caller: Yeah.
Host: All right, well thanks for calling Catholic Answers Live. It’s a deep question, by the way.
Fr. Hugh: Yeah, we have a philosopher on our hands there.