THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF GOD
The Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of our Christian faith that demonstrates to us the unity and diversity of god. It is a community of three distinct persons in personality, yet one in nature and glory.
The famous saying: “he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god” by Aristotle does not apply to our Trinitarian God.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is not just the central mystery of the Christian faith, but also the demonstration of three persons of the Divine Trinity as God of communion and communication.
In this Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the Church celebrates our belief that God is One and yet Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in majesty and glory, One in Three and Three in One.
The readings of this solemnity invite us to be conscious of the creating, saving and sanctifying presence and power of God in our lives. They create in us the awareness that the Trinitarian God is a close Presence to us.
HISTORY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY IN THE CHURCH
Today, the universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity was first developed out of the Scriptures and the communal prayer of the early church. The doctrine was officially developed at the Councils of Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381).
The Trinity is the affirmation of God’s intimate communion with us through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that God intervenes in our lives and is involved in human history. From the beginning of creation, God tried to communicate and relate to all creatures.
In the Old Testament God did so through events and the prophets. Additionally, in the fullness of time, God became one with humanity in
Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God continues to be altogether present to us, seeking everlasting communion with all creatures.
SAINT AUGUSTINE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
There is this ancient story of St. Augustine one of the greatest theologians of the Church. He wanted to solve or understand fully the sacred mystery of the Godhead: of three distinctive Persons in One God – yet One in Nature, One in Glory and One in Majesty.
So, he went to the seashore to think and reflect on it. Meanwhile, observed a little boy who made a little hole on the seashore and continually fetched the seawater into the little hole. Augustine became curious about the little boy and asked him what trying to do. The boy responded I want to empty the whole sea water into the tiny hole I have made.
Augustine laughed at the boy and told him, it is impossible! And the little boy responded in the same way, so too, you cannot comprehend the mystery of the Godhead. An immense mystery of the Faith.
Our Faith is reason seeking understanding, yet the how? Or why? Scratching the mysteries of Faith is essential.
OUR THEME
The readings of the Sunday of the Most Holy Trinity explicitly or implicitly reveal to us the nature and character of God. They also invite us to embrace this mystery of the Most Holy Trinity with a sense of awe and adoration.
Equally, in this great mystery where the Church celebrates our belief that God is One and yet Three distinct Persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in divine nature and equal in majesty and glory, but different in character as distinct Persons. The mystery of One in Three and Three in One.
Hence, in this mystery of the Divine Godhead, we also identify ourselves in our adoptive sonship in Christ Jesus as children of God the Father through the action of the Holy Spirit. That is, our Christian identity is through or in the Trinitarian God and the work of salvation.
The reading also presents that the Christian and the Church´s mission are commissioned in the name of the Trinitarian God.
FIRST READING: EXODUS 34:4-6, 8-9
The first reading of today, Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 is the theophany of God to Moses on the mountain of Sinai. This theophany revelation has an indirect Trinitarian presence; “the Lord descended in the form of a cloud”, the cloud is the one form of the Holy Spirit; “The Lord” is one of Jesus´ titles in the God and of course, this divine encounter was the Father´s will.
SECOND READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 13:11-13
In the second reading of 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, St. Paul uses the Trinitarian greetings “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”, to demonstrate the divinity, the unity, the diversity and the correspondence of the Godhead as the model of Christian unity and fraternity.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 3:16-18
The gospel of John 3:16-18 has an indirect reference to the Trinitarian salvific work of redemption. God the Father´s love sent the Son to give grace and mercy to the world, and mankind through the eternal life-giving action of the Holy Spirit, the giver of life who will proceed from the Father and the Son.
THE THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRINITARIAN GOD WE CELEBRATE TODAY ARE
1. In God, there is a living community or family of love, sharing and cooperating to bring about the creation, salvation and sanctification of the universe and humans.
2. There is an indivisible Unity; a bond of love among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God in the community of persons distinct, unique and singular. Yet bound together in eternal and inseparable love.
3. There is equality of nature in the diversity of Trinitarian beingness. God the Father is not greater or superior to God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. Though, distinct in Persons, they share equally in divinity, glory and majesty. This is why this mystery is the centre of the Christian faith and life.
4. The unity in diversity of the Holy and Blessed Trinity is all-inclusive with exceptions. The mystery and doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity stand against any form of egoism, individualism or narcissism in the Christian community perpetuated in the name of God or religion.
5. There is NO hierarchical structure in the Trinitarian God. The three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal in nature and existence.
6. There is unity in diversity and not uniformity in the Trinitarian Godhead. God the Father, not the Son or Spirit, nor the Son is the Father and Spirit. Equally, the Spirit is not the Son or the Father.
7. The three Persons are distinctive in character but equally in nature and substance. There is individuality but not individualism is the Godhead.
In a nutshell, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a mystery of the inner relationship of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God: united in nature: Divinity and distinct in character: Personality.
THE PRACTICAL/SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRINITARIAN GOD ARE THAT:
1. God does not exist in solitary individualism but in a community of love, cooperation, unity, responsibility and sharing. Hence, the Christian faith and life is not an isolated life, but a concrete communitarian living.
2. The Gospel and its evangelization is a teamwork of witnessing to the Trinitarian God.
3. The Christian formation and spirituality have no room for individualism or isolationism.
4. There is a nearness of the Godhead to our human nature and structure. The Trinitarian God of grace, mercy and love like the human family of father, mother and child live in concord, harmony, and peace.
OUR PRAYER
God, Three in One, today’s readings attest to a living, near, merciful and considerable God, Ex. 34: 4-6, 8-9. A God of love, peace and grace, 2 Cor. 13:11-13. The Salvific God whose self-donation or giving demonstrated love above all to the human race. Jn. 3:16-18. Help to live with one accord in grace a unitary and communitarian life of witness to the Divine Godhead: of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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