O TRINITY OF LOVE! O FOUNT OF LIFE!!

(Homily for the Holy Trinity Sunday Year B)

     After we have celebrated in Advent and Christmas the merciful love of the Father who sent his Son to, in and for the world; in lent and Easter we celebrated the infinite goodness of the Son, who gave his life for us, and also after celebrating the feast of the Pentecoste, the coming of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, in order to bring to fulfilment the wonderful works of our salvation, in today’s liturgy we celebrate the three divine Persons together (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Indeed, the reality of the three divine persons is not a fairy tale, rather a certainty of what has been revealed to us. Even though it has been revealed, it still remains a mystery. The revelation of our God who in essence is one, and manifests Himself in three Persons is beyond human logic and calculations. The Holy Trinity is the mystery that distinquinshes our religion from others (the jews adored only one God: Jahvè, the pagans adore many divinities, without unity), but in ours there is unity in distintion. The Holy Trinity is not just the perception in three aspects (Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier) that we sometimes have of God, more than that, the Trinity does not only refer to human viewing, but to God himself, to His ways of being God. The Holy Bible actually made us to understand that the Father is God (Phil.1:2), the Son is God (Titus 2:13) and that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).

     In the bid, I would like to introduce the Holy Trinity in this reflection in two broad terms: immanent Trinity and transcendent Trinity. Immanent is how God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And many a times when we talk about the Holy Trinity, we tend to do so, limiting ourselves to the immanent Trinity, as revealed to us. But more than that the Holy Trinity is also to be considered from the point of view of how God is in himself, God in his essence is One but manifests himself in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that is transcendent Trinity. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a mystery beyond and above us (transcendent) and at the same time it is a mystery that has been revealed to us and it is our way of knowing that God is present in Human history (immanent). Be that as it may, it behooves us to underscore that this doctrine does not explain God because as St. Augustine opined "si comprehendis non est Deus". In another writing of his St. Augustine exclaimed "if you see love, you have seen the Trinity". Whether considered from the dimension of transcendency or immanency, the central word that dovetails into God’s essence and manifestation is LOVE. The Trinity is therefore a sign of a harmonious unity existent in God, which should equally be existent among God's children. The central message of today's doctrine is that of Love (Father-Lover, Son-Loved and Holy Spirit-Love).

     The word Trinity (tri-unity) was coined by Tertullian about the third century in the bid to establish the distinct persons in one God.  The Scriptures in no small way, buttress the reality of the Trinity with some biblical quotations: In Genesis 18: 1-2: God appeared to Abraham at the sacred tree of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the entrance during the hottest part of the day, he looked up and saw three men. God came to Abraham in the Trinitarian form. In Isaiah 6:8: “Whom shall I send and who will go for US?” Here we can discover God the Father making a representational request on behalf of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Likewise in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus Christ, the Son undoubtedly is God: John 1:1: “In the beginning was the WORD, the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. The Holy Spirit is equally God: Genesis 1:2: “The Spirit of God was brought over the waters” This was before God began active creation. The Holy Spirit has been with the Godhead from eternity. Hence the Holy Spirit is God. In John 14:26: “The Counsellor whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything”. 

     Similarly, no matter how hard we try, we remain limited in the endeavor to understand this mystery in toto, what is important for us is not even to understand Him, rather to recognize how he manifests Himself, what are the signs of his presence and action, for God is experienced as going out of himself, in revelation and and redemption actions. And it is on this no doubt that the three readings of today try to give us some indications:

     The first reading (Deut 4:32-34.39-40) speaks of God “in heaven above and on earth beneath”. Thus, of his trascendence (heaven above) and immanence (on earth beneath). It equally speaks of God, going forth out of himself in his acts of revelation and redemption. However, at that time, it seems to have been a general belief that if God appeared to men, it was for the purpose of destroying them; and indeed most of the extraordinary manifestations of God were in the way of jugdement, but in this passage it was quite different. For God did appear in a sovereign and extraordinary manner, but it was for the delivereance of the people. They heard his voice speaking with them in a distinct manner. They saw the fire, the symbol of his presence. In this appearance no person was destroyed rather he came to save. God saved his people through seven means: temptations, signs, wonders, war, mighty hand, outreched arm, great terrors. The writer further opined that this “he showed you, so that you might know that Yahweh is the only TRUE God and that there is no other” (4:35). This affirmation was repeated twice in this passage “Yahweh is the true God, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other” (4:39). And the pericope ends with an existential invitation “keep his laws and commandments…so that you may prosper and live”.

     In the second reading (Rm 8:14-17), St. Paul affirms that none can claim to be the child of God who are not led or guided by the Spirit. And the Spirit in question is not a spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, we are made members of God’s family by adoption, and the Holy Spirit is the agent that brought us into God’s family. Owing to the nature of this adoption we can cry “Abba Father”. To reveal the strongness of this divine family ties St. Paul says that “the Spirit joins with our Spirit in bearing witness that we are children of God” (v.16). If children, then we are also heirs of God, and heirs with Christ, and I would add in the Spirit. God the Father has made us His children in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our sonship bears a Trinitarian mark, and as such the christian existence is called to be a trinitarian existence. Above all, in this passage as in Galatians (4:6-7), St. Paul maintains that the divine sonship is an eschatological gift and not a natural gift of human existence.

     In today’s gospel (Mt 28:16-20) Jesus manifested himself to the apostles in the fullness of his divine powers, as he declares “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…and behold I am with you always, to close of the age”. With and in these words, Jesus condenses the Mission he is entrusting to the apostles and to the Church. It is a mission that begins and to be exercised in the sign and in the power of the Trinity: “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It is a mission that has as it’s ultimate end the encounter of man with the Blessed Trinity. The emphasis here lies on the baptismal command, the most glaring example of the New Testament triadic formula, which later formed the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.

     Be that as it may, we have a number of virtues to learn and imbibe: Unity in diversity, a call, therefore, to recognize all as brothers, despite our differences, and to live in love and communion as children of the same Father.  The revelation of God as Trinity is a revelation of love. We can as well reconsider the Holy Trinity in three dimensinos: the Trinity of faith (of the past, that revealed himself), the Trinity of Love (of the present, that lives and works in us), there is also the Trinity of Hope (of the future, we are on our journey towards the return to the Father). It is of a Hope that is certain (cf. Rm 5:5). The Trinity is ocean of Peace and communion; the Father always works with the Son and the Holy Spirit “let us” (cf Gen 1 & 2).

     The mystery of the Holy Trnity is a reality hidden in the heart of God. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is neither the work or the fruit of theological thoughts nor of mysticism. The Trinity is not a fruit of human invention, is not an idea, rather it is a reality, the most sublime reality; that the Father revealed through the Son. The mystery of Trinity was immensely revealed to us through the action and manifestations of God in human history. God revealed himself as Father by sending the Son. And Jesus Christ revealed himself to us in his perfect obedience to the Father, through his death and redentive resurrection. And the Holy Spirit revealed himself to us as the “cement” of the love of the Father and the Son, as a gift of communion to man, so that they will live in the trinitarian image.

     What should be the attitude of man before this mystery? First, there is need for the attitude of adoration and submission to the Father that so much loves us, to our Brother Jesus who gave his life for us, and to the Holy Spirit who accompanies and sustains us in the course of our earthly existence. More important to reflecting, thinking and pondering on the mystery is to worship and render all adoration to the Triune God. Second, is the attitude of thanksgiving, thanking God for the fact that He is a mystery and continues to be a mystery even after the revelation. But not a mysterious and complicated mystery, for we are constatntly involved in the life of the Blessed Trinity. Being a mystery, as such it cannot be manipulated or instrumentalized by man. Third, is the attitude of humble acceptance of the mystery, avoiding a rationalistic postion and an irrationalistic position, that seeks to exclude it (because it does not comprehend it) or that seeks to succumb to its weight (because it is perceived to be cumbersome), respectively.

     In the mystery of the Holy Trinity, there is love amongst the three Divine Persons (ad intra), but in the same vein the trinitarian love is manifested externally (ad extra), love towards humanity, towards us. This trinitarian love extended to us should be a prerogative for the extension of that same love to our fellow human beings. The Trinity is therefore a sign of a harmonious unity existent in God, which should equally be existent among God's children. The central message of today's doctrine is that of Love. The Holy Trinity is a mystery of interpersonal communion of love. It is a sign of communion and of love. As those called to live a trinitarian life, is our life a sign of communion and of love, a reflex of the trinitarian life? Above all else, however, drawing the issue further, we see that the Holy Trinity is a mystery of Mission: the Father sends the Son, and both send the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Church is sent by Christ to “go and make disciples of all nations”. You too, you are sent to be heralds of love, unity and communion.

Oratio: Oh our Trinitarian God, enable us to recognize you in us and in our world, so that we may be capable of living the trinitarian existence of communion, love and a harmonious unity. Amen!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)