“I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE CLOSE OF THE AGE” (Matt 28:20)
⏰SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
📕Deut 4:32-34, 30-40; Ps 33:4-5, 6 and 9, 18-19, 20 and 22 (R.v12b); Rom 8:14-17; Matt 28:16-20
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen (2Cor 13:14).
The theology of the Holy Trinity remains a mystery which is beyond full human understandithree persons in one God spreads through the entire scriptures but it is more obvious in the New Testament.
The first instance is at creation right at the beginning of the book of Genesis. God is mentioned as the creator (Gen 1:1), the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Gen 1:2), but God created with the word (Gen 1:3). Compare that with John 1:1-3. Again, God said, “Let us make man in ‘our’ own image…” (Gen 1:26-27). God could not have been talking to the angels since he would not have been sharing the same nature with the angels (cf. Heb 1:1-5). For other places where God speaks of himself in the plural form, see Gen 3:22. In Gen 18:1-22, God appeared to Abraham in the form of three men.
The Prophets also portray this idea. For instance, when Isaiah beheld the throne of God in his call, God spoke of himself in both singular and plural, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? (Isa 6:8) But before then, the seraphs praised God in tripartite form, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:3).
The New Testament is more obvious in this teaching of the Holy Trinity and we cannot exhaust it here. But take a look at these passages: Matt 28:19, 11:27, Mark 1:10-11, Luke 11:13, John 1:1-18, Gal 4e 11:13, John 1:1-18, Gal 4:4-7, etc. We equally got a new understanding of the equality between them (see John 10:30, 38, 14:8-11, 17:5).
Despite the obvious union, they were at times mentioned distinctly as we could also see in many of the passages mentioned above and others yet unmentioned. For instance, listen to 1 Pet 1:2-3, “…to those whom God the Father has called, according to his plan, and made holy by the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ…” They equally sometimes manifest distinctly. For instance, the Father creates, the Son is born of the Virgin Mary and dies on the cross and the Spirit descends on the disciples.
So we are talking about the union of three distinct persons in one unified divine nature. That means, even though they are sometimes seen differently, AT NO TIME DOES ONE ACT WITHOUT THE OTHER. This union is without confusion since it is made of love.
Today, we are reminded by St. Paul in the Second Reading (Rom 8:14-17) that when we posses the Spirit of God, we shall have the privilege of living as children of God and no longer as slaves. In that way, we have free access to all of God’s favours. For Moses, in the First Reading, this is a rare privilege which must be guarded jealously by keeping the statutes and commandments of God. Doing that attracts the blessings of God. But more than that, it would guarantee us a place by the side of Jesus who has promised to be with us till the end of time.
As we strive to do the will of God, may the Holy Trinity ever help us to remain faithful in the unity of all the children of God in love. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
Happy Trinity Sunday. Peace be with you.
