GOD IS LOVE: THE TRINITY

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Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.   

As I journey through the Foundations of Faith program*, the Lord led me this morning to the pages about the Trinity.  Today's feast will hold fresh meaning as I seek a deeper understanding of this great mystery.

Sharing some notes from the pages I read - quoting directly from the book and from the CCC.

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God is eternal blessedness, 
undying life, unfading light.  
God is love:  
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
(CCC 257)


 
THE CONCEPT OF THE TRINITY

The word "trinity" is not in the Bible.

But the New Testament constantly refers to three distinct Persons who are equally divine yet completely one (2 Cor 13:14).

From the earliest days, the Church's worship has been tri-personal - giving glory to the Father, through the Son ("through him, and with him and in him)... in the unity of the Holy Spirit."

In the second century, church Father Tertullian came up with the term "Trinity".



GOD IS LOVE

God has revealed himself to us.
God is Love (1 John 4:8)

This profound statement from Scripture serves as a window into God's inner life.

For love to exist, there must be
  • a lover
  • the beloved (one who receives the love)
  • and the love between the lover and the beloved.

God himself is an eternal exchange of love, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  And he has destined us to share in this exchange. (CCC 221)


GOD IS A COMMUNITY OF THREE ETERNAL PERSONS

The Father lovingly generates the Son eternally, without beginning or end.

And through the Son, the Father eternally "breathes" the Holy Spirit as a sign of total self-giving love, and this love is a distinct Person, equal to the Father and he Son.  

Our God is not a lonely monarch but a God who is a community of self-giving love.


WE CAN ONLY BE FULLY HUMAN BY GIVING OURSELVES AWAY IN LOVE

As creatures made in the image of the Triune God, we can never be truly happy living independent, isolate lives, holding back selfishly from our community.

We can only be fully human by giving ourselves away in love. 


MARVELING AT THIS GREAT MYSTERY

We can never ever fully comprehend this mystery.

But as we enter more fully into the life of grace, our insight into the Trinity will grow deeper and clearer.  

In the light of glory, we will marvel at this mystery and, rejoicing, we will celebrate it forever.

 

- END -


Please feel free to share these notes, but would appreciate no posting on social media apps please.

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*Foundations of Faith (A Journey through the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC]) is an Ascension Press program comprising 20 sessions of talks on video, written study and guided reflections covering all four pillars of the CCC.   Link to Ascension Press: Foundations of Faith

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