Trinity Sunday — May 30, 2010

"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you until the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20. (Words of Jesus, concluding the Gospel.)

The first Sunday after Pentecost  is celebrated as Trinity Sunday in many Christian denominations. Although the word "Trinity" does not appear in the New Testament, the belief in a distinct Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is clearly attested to in the above passage. The phrase which I have highlighted indicates an equality among the three. But the intended audience would also have known and accepted the Old Testament word that, "The Lord our God, the Lord is one." Deuteronomy 6:4. It took several centuries for the Christian Church to clarify the questions which arise from the juxtaposition of these texts. And the answers by no means exhaust the reality. God is greater that our understanding, and the fact that the word or wisdom of God, and the love of God are somehow persons distinct from, equal to, and united with the Creator in a single deity is something we would never guess on our own without scripture to indicate it.

But for us, apart from mind-boggling speculation, there is the point that God is in relationship, indeed, God is relationship, or, as John says, "God is love," — not some remote, uncaring, and solitary being. And we, as God's image, are to be in loving relationship with God and one another. And just as God's wisdom and love bring forth creation, so our love should be creative.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is quoted as saying that the Father and he will come to us and make their dwelling with us, and they they will send the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth and be our advocate with God. In other words, God invites us into relationship not only with one another but with him, to share his life, which means to share his eternal joy.

So the doctrine of the Trinity is not merely a theological abstraction which, like all talk about God, can only partially express the full reality. It is also a practical reminder of how we are to live as images of God, and a promise of fullness of life with and in God.

Note: For further thoughts about what the Trinity means theologically and personally, you might check out this post, a homily for Trinity Sunday, by Fr. Tom Washburn, on A Friar's Blog.)