Ongoing Education
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Any time we try to think about the Holy Trinity, we can feel stumped. This doctrine of our faith tells us that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons. But how can God be both one and three at the same time?
While our understanding of the Trinity has advanced and deepened over the centuries, this dogma of our faith will always remain a mystery. We believe that God is one - one in substance, one in essence, and one in nature. We also believe that the three Persons of the Trinity are consubstantial, that each of them is God, whole and entire.
At the same time, we also believe that God is three "Persons." This doesn't mean that God is three distinct, independent individuals, as human beings are separate persons. No, the distinction between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit doesn't rest in their autonomy, but in the "relationship of each Person to the others" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 252). In other words, God exists in a relationship of love - a love that He invites us to share.
Finally, we believe that God created us in His image and likeness. This means that He created us to be relational as well. Jesus' command to love God and one another means that He wants us to strive to be united with each other. He wants us to be at one so that the world can have countless witnesses to the love of God.
So on this great day of celebration, let God's love become your love. Let it move you to forgive those who have hurt you. Let it move you to speak a kind word, offer a blessing, and care for those in need. Let it move you to put aside divisions in your family. Let it move you to become a brighter light shining the love of God in a world darkened by sin and division.
Source: The Word Among Us
June 11, 2017 Mass Meditation
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