Posted on 05/30/2010 4:04:41 AM PDT by markomalley
A Mystery for Eternity | A Scripture Reflection on The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | Carl E. Olson | May 30, 2010 Readings: The apologist and novelist Dorothy Sayers dryly noted, in her essay, The Dogma is the Drama, that for many peopleeven some Christiansthe doctrine of the Trinity is, The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the whole thing incomprehensible. There are likely a few Catholics who would candidly admit, Well, the Church teaches that the Trinity is a mysteryand its certainly a mystery to me!
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life (CCC, 234). It goes on to explain that this great mystery is the most fundamental, essential teaching in the hierarchy of the truths of faith and that it is a mystery of faith in the strict senseit cannot be known except it has been revealed by God (CCC, 237). A theological mystery such as the Trinity is a truth about God known only through divine revelation, not by reason or philosophy. It is like a well with no bottom from which we can drink endlessly, our minds and souls never going away thirsty.
Belief in the Trinityone God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spiritis a distinctive mark of the Christian Faith. The first few centuries of the Church were filled with controversies and careful definitions regarding the one nature of God, the three Persons of the Trinity, and their relationship with each other. Yet the dogma of the Trinity cannot be proven in the usual sense of proven and proof. But this does not mean that the dogma of the Trinity is contrary to reason or that reason cannot be applied to understanding it to some degree (cf. CCC, 154); it means that the Triune reality of God is ultimately beyond human reasoning.
Todays readings do not use the term Trinity, of course, because it doesnt appear in Scripture. But they are some of the many texts the Church has looked to as either foreshadowing the reality of the Trinity or giving explicit witness to it.
While the Old Testament contains hints and suggestions, the mystery of the Trinity was revealed with the Incarnationfirst at Jesus baptism in the Jordan River, and then in His teachings. Jesus spoke of the intimate communion between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, including in todays reading from the Gospel of John. Everything that the Father has is mine, Jesus tells the Apostles, for this reason I told you that hethe Holy Spiritwill taken from what is mine and declare it to you. The Father sends forth the Son so that, as St. Paul wrote to the Romans, we might have peace with God, while the Holy Spirit pours out Gods love, all so we might be justified and made right with God.
In his great work The Trinity, St. Augustine summed up the heart of the Churchs belief in the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by simply stating, If you see charity, you see the Trinity. God is One and three Persons; He offers His divine life and love to those who believe in Him (CCC 257). The Trinity is not just a mystery to us, but also for us. |
Wonderful. As St. Augustine said, If you see charity, that’s the Trinity. Things to ponder, and thank You, God, for that.
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