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In the article, St. Thomas reflects on a second use of "Father" in terms of God. This distinct use is present throughout scripture, e.g., the distinction between saying "Our Father" and "in the name of the Father." In the former, we are praying to the entirety of the Godhead, in the latter we are being blessed in the name of the first person.
This distinction is the distinction between a personal name and an essential name. The former is in reference to the real relation of fatherhood that is founded on the act of begetting and terminates in the person of the Son. The latter is in reference to a relation of reason, i.e., on the real dependence that creation has on God.
Yet, a doubt arises. Which one of these has the priority? When we say "Father," do we first say it of the person or of the essence?