Word to the Wise
Sunday, June 16, 2019 - Trinity Sunday - C
[Prov 8:22-31; Rom 5:1-5; John 16:12-15]"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming." [John]
Jesus speaks these words during the Last Supper. Although, in the short run, he was preparing the disciples for his death and resurrection, he was also preparing them and us for what the Spirit would ultimately teach and continue to teach the Church. This would be particularly true in regard to our understanding of the trinitarian nature of God - Three in One, One in Three. It would take a long time for the Church to arrive at what little understanding we have of this great mystery. St. Augustine's comment still holds true: "It's not a lie but a mystery!"
Each Sunday and Holy Day, we profess our faith in the Trinity when we say the Nicene Creed together. Each time we touch that holy water font at the door of the church and make the Sign of the Cross (and anytime we make the Sign of the Cross), we profess our faith in the Trinity. It is in the name of the Trinity that we are baptized.
When I was in Catholic grade school, the sisters who taught us catechism liked to cite the legend of St. Patrick using the three-leaved clover as a prop when teaching about the Holy Trinity. Catholic imagery also includes a triangle. Theologians like to talk about the "immanent" Trinity (it's interior nature) and the "economic Trinity" (what it does for the world). Others prefer to emphasize the community of love that it represents. What is clear to me is that the Holy Trinity gets into everything Catholic. That presence is sufficient for me and I don't mind if it is mysterious. AMEN