-- For seventeen years of my life (from 1992-1998 and 2004-2014), I lived and ministered at the Parish of Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary in Brooklyn, New York. The feast of the Most Holy Trinity has a special place in my heart!
Today the Church celebrates the great feast of the Most Holy Trinity! And so, on this “Trinity Sunday” we hear Jesus’ Gospel proclamation to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit . . .” (see Matthew 28:19). As evidenced by the words of Jesus in this passage, the “Trinitarian formula” has been used by Christians since the very first days of the early church. Even so, for many it’s difficult to grasp the concept of a “Trinity–or three persons in one God.”
As I personally reflect on it, I like to recall the words of that ancient and well known Latin hymn “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.” The modern English rendition of this song reads “where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found.” I also very much like the Spanish version which reads “donde hay amor y caridad, se encuentra Dios.” In each of these languages, the words of the song speak to me, and I believe they give me some insight into the nature of the Trinity; I imagine the three persons of the Most Holy Trinity, “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” as existing in a kind of “perfect relationship” of charity and love.
The Church teaches us that the “three persons” of the Trinity “subsist in one nature” (that’s to say, there is just One God – “One God in three persons”). As we try to contemplate the meaning of this, we might recall that the actual word “Trinity” isn’t found anywhere in the Bible (and as a side point here, we might note that the word “Bible” isn’t found in the Bible either!). However, we believe Christians have pondered the concept of the Trinity from the earliest days of the Church. The word “Trinity” has been specifically used by theologians since at least the fourth century, and has been used in order to explain a basic Christian understanding of who God is (i.e., "One God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”). Based on this, and if we can then say that “the Trinity is a harmonious, charitable and loving community of persons,” how might this effect the way in which we live our daily Christian lives?
Is there no better way to live out our Trinitarian faith than for one another to be a reflection of the Trinity’s perfect example of charity and love? I believe the one answer to both of these questions is that we are called to follow the example of the Trinity, this relationship, this “community” of charity and love, in the way that we relate to other human beings, especially those with whom we come in contact every day (i.e., our family members, our classmates, our co-workers, our clients, our neighbors, our fellow travelers on the road, and so on). If we effectively live in harmony with others, and demonstrate charity and love in the way that we live our lives, then I believe we can very truly reflect the love of God and the “community of charity and love” that is the Trinity.
As Christian men and women, and in fellowship with one another, we are made in the image and likeness of our Trinitarian God! We need one another in order to lead faith filled lives that are complete, life-giving and joyful (and that are characterized by the way we demonstrate charity and love for one another). And so, on this Trinity Sunday, let us recommit ourselves to the God of charity and love, and to all of our brothers and sisters.
May we always remember our obligation to live in harmonious relationships with others and to form a perfect community of relational charity and love that truly reflects our Trinitarian God!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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