Holy Trinity

Talking about the mystery of today’s Solemnity we have to have in our mind the fundamental truth: „God is God and I am not. I will never be able to understand God, because if I understand God I will be God.”

Tertullian, the theologian from the third century gives us a very interesting image of the Holy Trinity. He says: “Imagine high in the mountains a source, inaccessible and hidden high in the mountains. Nobody ever had seen it but we know that it exists because we see the streams, and the river coming out of this source. Finally the river finishes in the ocean. All three have the same nature, the source is the water, the river is the water and the ocean is the water. In the source we have the image of God the Father, in the river –which is revealing the source- we have the image of God the Son, and finally in the ocean -which comes from the source and the river- we have the image of God the Holy Spirit, the Ocean of God’s Love.

As we progress through the liturgical year we take in turn the wonderful sayings and miracles of Christ, we contemplate the great events of salvation, the birth of Christ, the Last Supper, his passion and death, his resurrection and ascension into heaven, the birth of the Church at Pentecost, the Eucharist on Corpus Christi.

But today we contemplate the greatest mystery of all, the Blessed Trinity, the source of all that was, is and is to come. Today we contemplate the inner mystery of God himself. And I use my words advisedly; we contemplate the mystery of God.

We contemplate —what else can we do in the face of God but contemplate. To contemplate is to turn our gaze on him, to empty our hearts and minds of all other thoughts. In contemplation we become aware of his majesty, his glory, and wonder at his greatness and the extraordinary depth of his love.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Simple, isn't it? We learned that prayer when we first began to come to Church. Perhaps our parents helped us put our fingers in the holy water font and bless ourselves as we said it. It's the prayer with which we begin and end all our prayers. It's the prayer with which we begin and end the Eucharist as well. What a great reminder it is!

God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always been in existence ... will always be in existence. It's a mystery that we cannot fully understand. Even though it cannot be fully understood, it can be lived and appreciated.

God is Father, the one who made all things and keeps them in existence. God created the world we live in and all the wonderful things we can enjoy. He created us and gave us dominion over the world. God calls us to take good care of the world as well, and pass it on in good shape to the generations that come after us. We can help God in his continuing work as well. We can respect the gift of our sexuality and be faithful to our vows. We can cooperate with God as he creates new life within us and charges us with the responsibility of raising our children as children of God. What a wonderful privilege. What a hard job!

God is Son. God love us so much that he gave us his son to reveal God's love for us. Jesus was the word of God made flesh. He lived the love of God for us and taught us to do so. He helped to open our minds to higher things and to accept our higher calling. He died and rose again that we might have life, forgiveness and the courage to live as God's children every day. We can receive Jesus, body, soul and divinity every time we go to Mass. We become what we eat, the very body of Christ here on earth. What greater love could God have for us than to give us his Son?

God is Spirit. The love of the Son for the Father and the Father for the Son was expressed in the Holy Spirit. That Spirit of God calls us to live as sisters and brothers to one another. We become one body in Christ and become indeed the body of Christ in the world we live in. The gifts of the Holy Spirit give us the courage and strength to do each day what we need to do as we strive to live as children of God. Those gifts are awesome indeed. If we cooperate with the Holy Spirit others will be amazed at the lives we live.

God as Trinity is too complicated for us to fully understand. It is described as a "mystery." Our minds are just not large enough to grasp it. But we can live that mystery each day, as we are thankful and responsible for creation, as we follow the example and light of Christ, as we draw upon God's strength to do good things in God's name.

This week we can reflect upon these truths and live as thankful children of God. We can open ourselves to receive God's gifts that we can build up the body of Christ. We can reject the kind of gossip and negative talk that can tear down others and weaken Christ body here on earth. Have a good week!

Rublev's Holy Trinity icon reveals the deepest meaning of the mystery of the church as the communion of life with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit around the Eucharistic table of love. The tree of Mamre by which the Lord appeared to Abraham and Sarah is in the background of the icon. It calls to mind the tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden, and also the tree of the cross -- the ultimate revelation of divine self-giving love made present for us in the Eucharist. The icon reveals the highest ideal and challenge of human existence. We are called to reflect in the church, in our families, and in our world the communion of love, which is the true nature of God. This is the glory and the joy for which we are created.

A story has it that the fifth century Augustine of Hippo was taking his summer holiday along the North African seashore.

Walking along the water's edge on a delightful day, he was pondering the mystery of the Trinity. All this genius was getting for his efforts was a severe headache. Finally he thought he was coming close to breaking the code of the mystery. He was about to shout, "Eureka!"

Suddenly at his feet was a boy of five The bishop asked him what he was doing. The youngster replied, "I am pouring the whole ocean into this small hole." Augustine said, "That's nonsense. No one can do that." Unintimidated by the towering giant above him, the child replied, "Well, neither can you, Bishop Augustine, unravel the mystery of the Trinity." Then he disappeared.