The Most Holy Trinity

Today we celebrate one of the most fundamental beliefs of Christianity: the Most Holy Trinity – three distinct, coequal Persons in one God. For the Church, the Trinity is considered a mystery. There are aspects of the Trinity that we will never fully grasp while we are this side of Heaven. But it is something we hold as revealed truth. We may never comprehend its totality, but we experience its presence and accept its reality. Today’s Scripture Readings touch on the distinctions, as well as the linkages, between and among the Persons of the Trinity.

There are references to the Holy Trinity in the Old Testament, but their meaning was mostly hidden. When Jesus became man through the Incarnation, he revealed the three Persons of the Trinity more fully. The Baptism of Jesus is one such “Trinitarian moment” when all three Persons are explicitly mentioned in the Bible – Jesus is being Baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the Father’s voice is heard from Heaven saying “This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased,” (Matthew 3:13-17) and the Holy Spirit is descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity has been an official and universal celebration in the Catholic Church since the 1300’s. It is even celebrated by many Protestant denominations as it is a fundamental belied shared by all Christians. During today’s Mass, special prayers honor each of the Persons of the Trinity, but every Mass is full of references to the Trinity and prayers showing our devotion. This is evident in the most simple of prayers – the Sign of the Cross. We make this action upon entering and leaving the Church, and at the beginning and end of Mass, and even sometimes during the Mass. The words that accompany the action express our belief in the Holy Trinity – “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Even when done silently, the action itself becomes a prayer!

The next time that you attend Mass, make a point to notice how many times we make the Sign of the Cross. Think about the words. Listen, too, for other prayers throughout the Mass that honor the Holy Trinity. Of course, the Creed (Profession of Faith) is probably the most obvious, but you will find others that express our belief in the Holy Trinity - three Divine Persons in one God.