Why Does Jesus Call the Father Greater If We Teach That the Members of the Trinity Are Equal?

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 05-23-16 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Why Does Jesus Call the Father Greater If We Teach That the Members of the Trinity Are Equal?

Msgr. Charles Pope • May 23, 2016 •

Many of you know that I write the Question and Answer column for Our Sunday Visitor. Given the celebration of Trinity Sunday this past Sunday, I thought I might reproduce here on the blog a question/answer regarding the Trinity. It is a fairly common question; perhaps you have it, too. Remember that my answers in the column are required to be brief.

We read in a recent Sunday Gospel (May 1, 2016) that Jesus says that the Father is greater than He (Jn 14:28). Since we are all taught that each Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity fully possesses the nature of God, equally to be adored and glorified, what did Jesus mean by such a statement?” – Dick Smith, Carrolton, TX.

Theologically, Jesus means that the Father is the eternal source in the Trinity. All three persons of the Trinity are co-eternal, co-equal, and equally divine. But the Father is the Principium Deitatis (the Source in the Deity).

Hence, Jesus proceeds from the Father from all eternity. He is eternally begotten of the Father. In effect, Jesus is saying, “I delight that the Father is the eternal principle or source of my being, even though I have no origin in time.”

Devotionally, Jesus is saying that He always does what pleases His Father. Jesus loves His Father; He’s crazy about Him. He is always talking about Him and pointing to Him. By calling the Father greater, He says (in effect), “I look to my Father for everything. I do what I see Him doing (Jn 5:19) and what I know pleases Him (Jn 5:30). His will and mine are one. What I will to do proceeds from Him. I do what I know accords with His will.”

So although the members of the Trinity are all equal in dignity, there are processions in the Trinity, such that the Father is the source, the Son eternally proceeds from Him (Jn 8:42), and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principal (Jn 15:26).

St Thomas speaks poetically of the Trinity as follows:

Genitori, Genitoque … Procedenti ab utroque … compar sit laudautio

(To the One Who Begets, and to the Begotton One, and to the One who proceeds from them both, be equal praise.)

The Athanasian Creed says the following regarding these processions:

The Father is made by none, neither created nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone, neither made nor created, but begotten.

The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, not made, nor created, nor begotten, but he proceeds from them.

So although equal, processions do have an order. The Father is “greater” (as source), but is equal in dignity to Son and Holy Spirit.

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And while I am pointing out my “extra-blogical” activities, I also ask you to consider coming to the Holy Land in March of 2017 with me and Patrick Coffin of Catholic Answers.

[Elsie]

What is the Greek word for cousin?

 

There are two words for cousin in Greek; ksádelfos is Greek for a male cousin and ksádelfi is Greek for a female cousin.

 

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Greek_word_for_cousin

[knarf]

I'M a former Catholic and I like to think I'm educated with the ability to read, write and understand the English language.

I've read a LOT of catholic commentary here in FR and many are very loquacious and seemingly "educated" except they come to the wrong conclusions.

I just don't get how one can read and accept (at least they say they do .. ); "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." ...

...and then go and add sacraments and Mary and communion and baptism and ... most of all ... the "Catholic Church" to the simple explanation for salvation.

There's a period at the end of;
""Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

The King James translators were, if nothing else ... masters of the English language and they transcribed grammatically correct.

[metmom]

Ever?

[metmom]

Nope..she certainly may have had step children by Joseph's first marriage

Of which there is no record in Scripture of Joseph being married before.

That's a fairy tale concocted by the Catholic church to explain that Mary had other children without her doing the dirty *s* word.

[Mark17]

I wonder; after the penitent is done ‘confessing’ if the priest EVER says, “Go and sin no more.”?

instead of fifty Hail Mary’s and 300 candles need to be lit.

It's been eons since I went to confession to a Catholic priest. If I ever went to confession again, I would have to say, bless me father, for I have sinned. My last confession was in a different millennium. How do you think that would grab him?
I don't remember if he ever told me to light candles, but I always got our fathers and Hail Marys to say. I was such a grievous sinner, that one day, the priest almost didn't forgive my sins. I was scared. He must have thought I was the king of mortal sins.
I didn't mind committing mortal sins, but I didn't mess with the big M (mortal sin of sacrilege) Finally he gave in, and forgave my sins. After that, I was never very honest, when confessing my sins to the priest. I think the guy was getting his jollies, listening to my sins, so when he asked me about my sins, I just lied to him. It got easier to lie to the priest, but he DID say my sins were forgiven, so I thought it was ok to lie to him in the confessional. I began to think it was ok to fool the priest, because he would forgive my sins anyway. I figured I could do whatever I pleased, because the priest would always forgive me anyway.
I don't think he ever told me sin no more, just go in peace. Oh well, I don't go to confession any more. More than likely, I never will. 😀

[MHGinTN]

That is so succinct and accurate that I'm bookmarking it for use. Thanks for putting that together so well. Sadly, even such a succinct explanation can be unintelligible to catholics who are trained to reject anything contradicting catholiciism ‘as they strive for salvation.’

[metmom]

Feel free to use it whenever and where ever.

God makes salvation easy.

Man makes it hard.

[Elsie]

...I would have to say, bless me father, for I have sinned.

You; me and thousands of other publicans; too!

[Mark17]

Blinded by the 'glories' of Rome.

Hey, didn't Tony Bennett say that in his song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco?" People who are older than dirt should remember that one. 😀😃😆😎

[Elsie]

Lyrics

The loveliness of Paris seems somehow sadly gay
The glory that was Rome is of another day
I've been terribly alone and forgotten in Manhattan
I'm going home to my city by the Bay

I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care

My love waits there in San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you, San Francisco
Your golden sun will shine for me

[Mark17]

I said people older than dirt would remember that one. Why did you remember it? 😀😄😂

[Elsie]

I did NOT remember; so I merely looked it up!

Thanks; Al Gore; for inventing the Internet!!

[Elsie]

I left my car; at Sam’s Clam Disco...

[Mark17]

I did NOT remember; so I merely looked it up

OK, if you didn't remember it outright, I guess that means you are NOT older than dirt. 😀

I left my car; at Sam’s Clam Disco...

Is that on Lombard street, the crookedest street in America? I didn't realize Lombard street runs all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Embarcadero. I guess that starts near the San Francisco Giants baseball stadium, and heads north to the famous tourist traps of Pier 39 and Ghiradelli Square, home of Ghiradelli chocolate.
San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but has been ruined by liberals, and others.
I was in San Franciso 5 or 6 times in March/April. I actually heard English being spoken on occasion. It didn't happen often, but occasionally.
On the other hand, I left my heart in Davao City, so I went home, to my city by the bay, the Davao Gulf that is. Davao City is God's country. 😀😄