God is one in three persons

Sunday readings in brief: Holy Trinity Feast

Exodus 34:4-6,8-9; Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:52-56; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

God is one in three persons

Dear friends, today is the Feast of the Holy Trinity, which occurs on the Sunday after the Pentecost. Next Sunday will be the feast of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ). Trinity from the Latin word “Trinitas” means threefold.  As Christians, through the revelation in the Holy Scriptures, we experience God in threefold manifestations, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The feast of the Trinity celebrates the closeness of God to us.

In the Old Testament, God is presented as the one who creates, protects, revives, and sustains his people but also scolds those who deviate from his ways. When man and woman sinned against God and lost their friendship with him, they were no longer able to opt for good by themselves. In Egypt, they were enslaved and as slaves, they had to do the will of their masters without choice. When the people of Israel left Egypt under the guidance of God through the hand of Moses, they were not able to opt for good because the scar of sin was still in them. In theology, this scar is referred to as concupiscence. God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai tablets that contained commandments that would be a guide for the people. Therefore, God’s commandments are not a burden but a guide for us who by ourselves are unable to choose good from evil.

St. Paul often uses the Trinitarian greeting at the beginning or the end of his letters to different Christian communities: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”. St. Paul always emphasized that the Trinitarian God was always present in the mission of the apostles in the early Church. God’s love is bestowed upon us through the grace obtained by Christ. The Holy Spirit is the symbol of unity because he proceeds from the Father and the Son as we recite in the creed. The salvific presence of the Son of God in the world is sustained in the Church by the Holy Spirit sent to the Apostles on Pentecost.

In our creed, each of the three persons of the Holy Trinity is defined and his role stated.  “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible”. Through the Old Testament, God reveals himself as the Creator and sustainer of all things visible and invisible.

“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him, all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven”. Christ is the visible manifestation of God who came to dwell with us in order to bring the Trinity closer to us.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets”. The Holy Spirit is the fabric that unites the Holy Trinity and the Church with the Trinity.

Every time God acts, he acts as one because he is one. However, we experience him in this mysterious threefold manner. During Creation, God said, “Let us create man in our own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). We read that the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface before anything was created. God also created heaven and earth through his Word, God the Son. In Mt. 3:16-17, at the baptism of Jesus, The Spirit of God descended upon him in the image of a dove and the voice of the Father confirmed that he was the beloved Son of God. The time of the Church is the time of the Holy Spirit who inspires Christians to imitate Christ in their lives and bring God’s love on earth. “But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to complete truth” (Jn 16:13).  

What God means by revealing himself to us as Trinity? I believe that God intended us to share in his overflowing love within himself. It is such an intense love that enables Him to manifest himself in a threefold manner yet remain one. God created man and woman and blessed them to be productive and bring children on earth as the fruits of the love and unity between them. God wanted human beings to continue the work of creation and experience and share in his love. Love cannot be introverted but always outgoing. Love manifests itself by overflowing outside its source and in the process creating a new being. True and godly love is always positive and selfless. If someone says they love you yet they want to possess and curtail your freedom of determination, run.  

Our communities are supposed to be united in love and bring forth positive development to the members and the world around them. Love leaves no gap or space for the evil that brings division, hatred, selfishness, corruption, and the like. Love heals all brokenness and reconciles all conflicts. In the world today, the institution of the Family that is crafted to imitate trinitarian love is under attack from all angles. Religious communities have been invaded by selfishness and individualism. It is very urgent for us Christians and everyone else to start salvaging what is left of the human community.

Dear friends, as we reflect on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, let us learn unity in diversity and build families and communities overflowing with love and positive energy.

Happy Feast.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD