SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
(Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15)
The Holy Trinity is a mystery. It cannot be fully
understood. Yet each year we make “a raid into the inarticulate” when we
celebrate its feast on the Sunday after Pentecost. Whether a joy or a burden,
it seems that only on this day do we reflect on how God can be both three and
one.
Since ancient times, there have been two approaches to
understanding the Trinity. One is called “economic” and the other “immanent.”
To speak of “the economic Trinity” implies the study of God interacting with
creation. Of course, God acts with creation every moment. If He did not,
creation would cease to exist. However, the interactions traditionally
considered of the “economic Trinity” are creation, redemption, and the history
of salvation. We scrutinize the Bible to determine the role of the three
persons of the Divine Trinity in these and other matters.
The “immanent Trinity” refers to the relationships among the
three persons. The Bible does not help us much here. We must turn to philosophy
for clues for our investigation. 1,700 years ago, the Church accepted the idea
of Saint Athanasius and
other Church Fathers that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have the
same divine nature. This nature, which each possesses in its fullness, makes
possible the paradox that the three are the same in all respects except that
they differ in their relationship with one another. Instead of following this
philosophical line of investigation, we will focus on the economic approach
since today's Mass readings indicate the roles of the one God in our salvation.
The first reading from the Book of Proverbs personifies
wisdom as God's companion in creation. In fact, wisdom speaks as if she were a
person, saying that she has existed "at the first " and has been God’s
"craftsman." These qualifications make us think of the Son and also
the Spirit. Saint Paul even writes that Jesus Christ is "the wisdom of
God" (1 Cor 1:24). And we know that wisdom is the first gift of the Spirit
mentioned in the Book of the prophet Isaiah (Is 11:2-3). We may conclude that
absolute wisdom is an intellectual virtue possessed by God: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
The second reading also emphasizes the roles of the Son and
the Holy Spirit. It recounts that Jesus Christ (the Son) reconciled us with the
Father through his death on the cross. It also relates that the Holy Spirit has
renewed us in love so that even the suffering caused by our sins may merit
eternal life. We know that the Holy Spirit is associated with reconciliation,
as indicated when the priest says in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, “(The
Father) … sent the Holy Spirit for the remission of sins…” Likewise, the Son
effects love in our hearts, as Paul further attests in this same Letter to the
Romans: “…neither death nor life … nor any other creature will ever be able to
separate us from the love of God, manifested in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Gospel indicates how the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit cooperate with each other. It shows that all three have the same
knowledge by stating that the Spirit reveals the truth of the Son received from
the Father.
In the end, it can be dizzying for many to reflect on the
Holy Trinity. It is a mystery that admits no resolution because God is always
beyond understanding. However, we can contemplate it, appreciate it, and give
thanks for it. Considering the Trinity increases
our faith and nourishes our love.
