Friars Corner: The Holy Trinity, a core belief of our Catholic faith
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Ps 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22; Ps 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22; Matthew 28:16-20
In the US this weekend we pause as a nation on this Memorial Day, to remember those brave men and women who have given their lives to keep us safe in our past wars. Let us also remember to pray for all those current brave men and women who put their lives in danger each day here at home and in other countries across the world to keep us safe from those who do not like us.
Trinity Sunday was placed on this first Sunday after Pentecost to explain this major element of our faith. It is a summary of the Passion, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost in the life of Jesus and his church.
It evolved from a Votive Office and Mass around the 8th century. Eventually this Sunday was picked for its celebration in the 12th century because St. Thomas Becket was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury, England, that Sunday. In the 14th century, this Solemn Feast was extended to the Universal Church.
Each year our Church celebrates these feasts to help us understand the various aspects of Christ’s Church, the new Kingdom of God on earth.
The dogma of the Holy Trinity
Some Catholics know there is a difference between dogmas of our faith and doctrines. Dogmas are undeniable major truths of our faith, which are found or inferred in the Bible. Doctrines are explanations of those truths to help us understand.
The dogma of the Holy Trinity means three persons in one God. This is unique to Christians. In God, there is only one nature, yet there are three distinct persons in that nature: the Father, the Son who proceeds from the Father by generation, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son by spiration. The three Divine Persons are coequal, coeternal and consubstantial. They deserve coequal glory and adoration. All our life begins in God, comes from God and is destined to end in the Trinity if we follow God’s plans. This is precise theological language, which all do not accept. Catholics call this a mystery which we can only partly understand here on earth.
Dogma in sacramental prayer
We find this dogma expressed in our various sacramental prayer life (public liturgical actions). Catholics begin Mass (our major liturgy) in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We end some prayers: “Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” We bring new members into the Church family by Baptism. The priest or deacon says: “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Apostle St. Matthew tells us at the end of his Gospel read at Mass this Sunday: 28:18-20: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Early Creeds
We also profess our faith in the Holy Trinity on Sundays and major solemnities in the Nicene Creed, from the Council of Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381, with a little information on God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Most of the Creed deals with the salvation work of God the Son in his assumed human nature. We also see this expression in the Apostles Creed, which also contains the basic teaching of the Apostles. It is mostly said at the beginning of the rosary.
There is a further beautiful expression of the Trinity in the Gloria. We worship, give thanks and praise the Trinity for their glory. These hymns give great and frequent expressions of our belief in the Holy Trinity.
Vatican II
As the church reflected, prayed and performed the various things Jesus said, did and commanded us to do, our understanding developed and expanded over the last two thousand years. We even had new understanding expressed with the last Ecumenical Council of Vatican II, as Pope St. John the 23rd wished to bring the church into modern times.
We have parishes and communities all over the world yet perhaps one half of the world still does not know and accept these things. In our times some Christians are still being crucified and beheaded for their Catholic faith. (I recently said to one Moslem PA student, “Do you think after 1400 years that beheadings ought to stop?)
May our faith in the Holy Trinity continue to grow. Have a safe Memorial Day.
Blessings,
- Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
