Most Holy Trinity Sunday (“B”)
Q. 531: Trinity: another enormous mystery. How can I understand it better? (Return to INDEX page of "Didja Know?" series)
June 7, 2009
A. 531: Here we are, fragile and needy persons, “little specks of life” on this huge planet called Earth. So what does our creator God do? He “limits” himself, and becomes one of us! As St. Paul puts it, Jesus “emptied himself” of his divine glory and power, and became human like us in all things except sin (Philippians 2:7). He “comes down” from his mighty throne in heaven, and “sits down” with his little children, teaching us his truths. Who sent him? Our heavenly Father, who loves all his children and calls us to holiness, to imitate Jesus.
True love always involves others. It is a relationship that almost “demands” three people! For example, my wife Patricia and I love each other deeply. And that love between us produced still more love, as children were born to us from our shared love relationship. Love is never selfish, but is giving, cooperative and creative.
As St. John would say, we can only love because God first loved us! So in that love relationship between our Heavenly Father and His only begotten Son, we find Love Itself: the Holy Spirit. As our Creed says, the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son; love produces love. This very same Holy Spirit empowers us at our baptism and confirmation to carry out the will of the Father – to make known his love for his children, and his desire for their eternal salvation.
In our Liturgy we hear stories about how God’s people struggled to be faithful to the Covenant with God. It is our story! So we need to approach the altar at communion time with great humility – our God desires to give himself to us in still another special way, the gifts of consecrated bread and wine, his very Body and Blood! This is Love! This is Trinity!
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! The mystery of the Trinity in itself is inaccessible to the human mind, and is the object of faith only because it was revealed by Jesus Christ, the divine Son of the eternal Father. The faith of all Christians rests on the Trinity (CCC #232, 237, and especially 253-56).
Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha
(Go back to Deacon Paul's HOME PAGE)
