Posted on 05/24/2016 6:49:46 AM PDT by Salvation
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.
Please consider subscribing to Our Sunday Visitor. I also write for the National Catholic Register. These are two great publications that deserve your support.
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.
Gotta love a person who is just plain aggressive!
Haven’t thin skinned people been WARNED by the RM over and over and over again?
I think I’ve read that before.
Probably a poorly worded answer..but Verga and even I am subject to error. I called the Pope and ha assured me that I am not infallible.
yeah, Catholicism had it wrong for 1,930 or so years until the Navigators sprang up to save Christianity......O.K.....
You may choose to practice some other “denomination” but your Catholic basis is still there...thankfully!!!
Luk_3:8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
Nope, the Catholic church is a 2,016 year old institution instituted by Christ to profess His message. There is no secret that the church is run by people who are just that...people....however, the Pope, the leader of Christianity, is the only one given the gift, from Christ, of infallibility. The church, as an institution, has made many mistakes, but NEVER in matters of faith and morals.
Why do you question that???
how would you ever learn anything except through these threads???
My induction into Catholicism was not a matter of genetics as either my or Mark’s gender is.
We were born what we are.
Catholicism was inflicted on us without out consent at an age when we could not give it.
No, I am no longer Catholic. That part of me died and was buried with Christ when I was born again. I am a NEW creature in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come.
All the old stuff is done away with by the blood of Jesus.
And THAT is something to be thankful for.
It's really not that big of a deal if you're reading the thread....but I see you decided to join after 697 posts. That's fine. Welcome to the discussion.
With the name calling already?? Goofy metmom??
Your prayers to "mary" will be in vain as she does not hear nor does she answer your prayers.
You would be better served praying as Jesus taught the disciples.
What are you? Twelve?
maybe a disney fan!
Gee...just like the Muslims!
You don’t think people should have free will to decide such a thing???
Good grief....some catholics are thinner skinned than Obama. I didn't think that was possible.
You use that phrase, but I don't think it means what you think it means ... since you miss applied it so boldly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.