Feast of the Holy Trinity

A Both Independent and United Life

First Reading (Ex 34:4-6, 8-9): God is merciful and gracious
Second Reading (2 Cor 13:11-13): Greet each other in the Trinity
Gospel (Jn 3:16-18): Out of Love God sent His only Son
ChineseClassics:
-「Father is loving and son is filial, elder brother is friendly and younger brother is polite」(1)

「For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.」 (Jn 3:16) St. Paul the Apostle greeted the Corinthian church in this way, 「the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.」 (2 Cor 13:13) The Church uses the following opening verse in the mass, 「May the kindness and love of the Father, the grace of the Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit be with you.」 This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity we celebrate today.

The Holy Trinity is a 「mystery」. If you simply think of one in three or three in one, then this is not only a mystery but is also a contradiction. We really do not understand what we are saying. It is as if we are speaking about a group of mathematic symbols.

However, we are not talking about mathematics. We are talking about God, the highest and true Spirit. We are saying the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is also God, but there are not three Gods, there is only one supreme Deity.

Our faith is monotheistic; we believe there is only one supreme Spirit. However, this God has three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Catholic religion and all other Christian denominations call this the 「Holy Trinity」.

Traditionally, some people use a triangle to present the concept of the Trinity. One triangle has three angles, but there is only one figure. Others may use a candle to explain it. A candle has light, shape and heat; light is not shape, shape is not heat and heat is not light, but all are one candle.

But the Trinity does not mean any of this.

Scripture tells us clearly: God is love. Let us think about the internal life of the Holy Trinity, and let that be our reference in life.
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The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Yet they are one God. This is unity in diversity, an independent but unified life.

Actually this 「mystery」 appears in our daily life. The father is not the mother, the mother is not the child, the child is not the father, but it is one family. Parents do not need to duplicate themselves when raising their children; children have their own lives, talents, graces from God and also their own future. We support, appreciate and encourage the differences between our children and ourselves. Although family members have different characteristics, still it is a loving family. In the family, 「the father is loving, the son filial, elder brother is friendly and younger brother is polite.」 (1).

Education is the same. Teachers do not need to mold themselves into another self. They must guide their students to develop strength of life, help them to discover and develop their own potential so they can become themselves.

A parish is the same. The Blessed Sacrament Sodality is not the Children of Mary, nor are the latter the same as the Altar Boys' Society, yet all belong to the same parish or diocese or church. In the church there are different people with different ideas. This is a good thing. It indicates difference within unity and that there can be independent members within a community.

If I am a conservative person I should thank God there are progressive persons in the church who push and motivate me. Otherwise, I will sit still and not move. If I am a liberal person, I should thank God there are some conservative people in the church who draw me back so that I do not go too fast or too far.

We should always be grateful to God and accept all the different gifts.

We like those who share the same opinion as ourselves. We hope everyone has the same way of thinking and doing things. But within the Holy Trinity the differences are united, difference means appreciating each other and love is the foundation of everything.

When we say God is love, we do not say God 「has」 love; we say all that is God 「is」 love.
We 『have』 love but we also have hatred. God is love because God is love internally and externally. There is not a moment that God is not loving. God is always forgiving, accepting and loving.

God loves us so much that He even sent His only Son into this world to sacrifice his life for us. That is God, the Holy Trinity.

There is a further relationship between the Holy Trinity and our lives. We believe that the Father creates, the Son saves, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. This is closely related to our daily life.

The Father creates—He has created the world and given this world to us as a gift. We should be full of gratitude and accept and treasure it. We should not pollute it or misuse it. If God is our Father then we are all brothers and sisters. This goes beyond religion, culture, race and social status. We are all children in the Father』s family; we are all brothers and sisters.

The Son saves—He sacrificed his life for us, therefore our life is very precious. St. Paul the Apostle says we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Therefore we should respect our own lives and the lives of others.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies—the Holy Spirit is within us, the motivation of our life. The Spirit motivates, inspires, stimulates and nourishes our lives, so that we can follow Christ』s insights and inspirations to live a divine life.

If we believe in the Holy Trinity, we will lead the life of the Holy Trinity, always respecting the Father, treating others as brothers and sisters and loving our own and others』 lives. Under the ongoing inspiration of the Holy Spirit we will be able to change ourselves, sanctify ourselves and live a more fruitful life.

(1)父慈子孝、兄友弟恭。