Most Holy Trinity Sunday
Three-in-One Love
When I was much younger, I used to think that God was totally invisible, not to be experienced as the people in the bible did. After all, they heard God’s voice in the fiery cloud; they saw the waters parted so they could pass through—all the things that Moses talks about in the first reading. But then I ask myself, do I want my faith to be based on special effects? Do I want to be like the people who believe in extra-terrestrials because they saw a light in the sky that they could not explain? Or do I want to trust Jesus, who told Thomas, “Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.” (Jn 20:29)
Jesus was referring to his resurrection appearances, but it also applies to the Holy Trinity. When we see a newborn child, she can remind us of God the Father creating the earth and all living things. When we see the cross, we recall Jesus saving death and resurrection. When we share our faith with someone, we know that it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the words to speak and the courage to speak them. Without seeing the pillar of fire that lead the Hebrew from Egyptian slavery, nor the wounds in Jesus’ hands after his resurrection, nor the tongues of flame over the apostles at Pentecost—we can still experience God in Three Persons.
The three are not just equal parts of God, one-third of God each. No, they each are totally God. That is why we say God is love: Three infinite Persons are united in one substance or being, so the love they have for each other is infinite. The actions that show each Person’s qualities are not done by that person alone. Everything God does is done by all three Persons. So you could say that everything the Trinity does, is done out of love.
Tom Schmidt
