Personalizing the Trinity
Holy Trinity and Virgin Mary Austrian altar painting by Christoph Rausch von Taubenberg 1772 (Creative Commons)
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, explains the Trinity in a way that personalizes it uniquely. Fr. Alar celebrated the Mass opening the Catholic Marketing Network Momentum online conference on July 15, 2020. During his homily, he focused on the Gospel Scripture Matthew 11:27, when Jesus says, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.”
Fr. Alor:
“Jesus salts that He and the Father are one.
“How do you explain the Trinity?
“An analogy St Bonaventure used, is to think of the Trinity as yourself. Through the sacrifice of Christ, you now share in the divine life of God, the Trinity.
“When God the Father thinks, he speaks. What comes forth is the Word, and that Word is the second person of the Trinity. Coming forth is the Word of the Son.
“But that Word cannot come forth without a breath. You cannot speak a single word without a breath. That breath is the power behind your word, and that breath is like the Holy Spirit.
“When you are a human person, you consist of thinking, like God the Father, the Origin. When you think, out comes the Word from you, powered by your breath, which all happens simultaneously.
“Jesus says, ‘No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.’ (Mt 11:27)
“How does all this relate? We all came from God the Father. We attribute creation to the first person of Trinity, God the Father.
“How do we know God the Father?
“God the Father is revealed to us fully and most completely through the Son. Jesus says, “No one knows the Father except the Son.”
“How do we know the Son? We can only know the Son by the power of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus had said, ‘I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.’ (Jn 16:7)
Fr. Alar added, “How do we know the Holy Spirit?
“One of the most powerful ways we know the Holy Spirit is through his spouse, the Virgin Mary.”
Saint Bonaventure, Italian San Bonaventura, original name Giovanni Di Fidanza, (born c. 1217, Bagnoregio, Papal States—died July 15, 1274, Lyon; canonized April 14, 1482; feast day July 15), leading medieval theologian, minister general of the Franciscan order, and cardinal bishop of Albano. He wrote several works on the spiritual life and recodified the constitution of his order (1260). He was declared a doctor (teacher) of the church in 1587.
Father Chris Alar, MIC, is a priest with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Father Chris wrote and produced the popular “Divine Mercy 101” and “Explaining the Faith” DVD series and is the author of the bestselling book After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You. He is a regular host and guest on EWTN, and he also hosts the online “Divine Mercy Matters” series at DivineMercyMatters.org. He serves as “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” the director of the Association of Marian Helpers and is the head of Marian Press, located on the grounds of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
