Image via WikipediaTrinity Sunday is my feast day. My religious name is Sister Faith in the Blessed Trinity. I love that name because people use it all the time, every time they pray, "In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Non-believers may ask, "I thought you believers believed in one God?" "We do."
Of course, this line of thought leads to an explanation of the Trinity. No explanation can do justice to the reality of God being three unique Persons, and at the same time One Person. One can try to explain the Trinity by referencing the Bible, but the word, Trinity, as such, is not mentioned in the Bible. There is no verse that says "God is a Trinity." But this doesn't prove anything. There are many words and phrases that Christians use, which are not found in the Bible. The word "Bible" is not found in the Bible. But the term "Holy Trinity," has been used for centuries by Christians to embody the concept of Trinity, which is presented as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Many have tried to explain the concept of Trinity. Sometimes they help to understand, but they all have their limitations. I have encountered "1x1x1=1." The Trinity is like "ice" also "water" and also "vapor," but all are H2O. And then there's the egg: shell, white, yolk. Another example is the Shamrock, i.e., three leaves but one flower. The triangle consists of three sides, yet one triangle. At the Quantum physics level, there are particles that are fundamentally three and one at the same time.
All explanations fall short, hence the Trinity is a mystery.
The Athanasian Creed from the fifth century states: "The Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. But there are not three gods, only one God." The concept is a Christian revelation -- a mystery. It's impossible to understand. That's why faith is called a "gift." Those that believe have the gift. And for those of us who have this gift -- this faith, are all the richer for it.
After all, we don't understand how our thoughts become words, or how gravity exactly works. These are physical manifestations that all humans experience, yet don't understand. Why would anyone expect to understand Divine mysteries? We accept the Trinity by faith.
Non-believers may ask, "I thought you believers believed in one God?" "We do."
Of course, this line of thought leads to an explanation of the Trinity. No explanation can do justice to the reality of God being three unique Persons, and at the same time One Person. One can try to explain the Trinity by referencing the Bible, but the word, Trinity, as such, is not mentioned in the Bible. There is no verse that says "God is a Trinity." But this doesn't prove anything. There are many words and phrases that Christians use, which are not found in the Bible. The word "Bible" is not found in the Bible. But the term "Holy Trinity," has been used for centuries by Christians to embody the concept of Trinity, which is presented as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Many have tried to explain the concept of Trinity. Sometimes they help to understand, but they all have their limitations. I have encountered "1x1x1=1." The Trinity is like "ice" also "water" and also "vapor," but all are H2O. And then there's the egg: shell, white, yolk. Another example is the Shamrock, i.e., three leaves but one flower. The triangle consists of three sides, yet one triangle. At the Quantum physics level, there are particles that are fundamentally three and one at the same time.
All explanations fall short, hence the Trinity is a mystery.
The Athanasian Creed from the fifth century states: "The Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. But there are not three gods, only one God." The concept is a Christian revelation -- a mystery. It's impossible to understand. That's why faith is called a "gift." Those that believe have the gift. And for those of us who have this gift -- this faith, are all the richer for it.
After all, we don't understand how our thoughts become words, or how gravity exactly works. These are physical manifestations that all humans experience, yet don't understand. Why would anyone expect to understand Divine mysteries? We accept the Trinity by faith.
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