“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 that I have commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20
(Year B Gospel)
Of all the great feasts we celebrate within the Church throughout
the year, today’s Solemnity presents us with a Mystery that is so
deep and transcendent that our eternity will be spent in perpetual
contemplation. The Trinity, the life of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, will never get old, never be fully understood, and will be
the cause of our everlasting adoration and joy. Though the Church
has used philosophical concepts to explain the Trinity, no human
concept or description will ever fully explain Who God is. Though
we can point to some general truths about God, we will never be
able to fully depict the inner essence, depth, beauty and
omnipotence of the Trinity.
As we consider that fact, it’s important to understand that the
Trinity is not first a theological mystery we try to define.
Rather, the Trinity is first a communion of Persons we are
invited to know. We do not primarily come to know God through
intellectual deduction. We come to know God through prayerful union
with Him. Though theology is exceptionally useful and important,
the essence of God is beyond any and every philosophical concept we
can define.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are Persons. And as Persons, they
want to be known. And they want to be known primarily through a
life of deep and intimate prayer. Praying to One Person, of course,
is praying to all, since they are One God. But we are, nonetheless,
called to a relationship of love with the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. And though our feeble minds may not be able to fully
comprehend the essence of God, He will draw us deeper and deeper
into a knowledge of Him if we let Him.
Prayer often begins by saying prayers, by meditating upon
Scripture, and by listening. But true prayer is something much
deeper. True prayer is contemplative prayer that ultimately leads
to divine union. Only God can initiate this form of prayer in our
lives, and only God, through this deep form of prayer, can
communicate Himself to us as He is. Some of the greatest mystics of
our Church, such as Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of
Ávila, explain in their mystical theology that the deepest
knowledge of God does not come through concepts or images. In fact,
if we wish to obtain a knowledge of God in His essence, we must
allow Him to purge every concept of Who He is so that the pure
light of His essence can be poured forth upon our minds. This
knowledge, they say, is beyond knowing “about” God. It’s the
beginning of a knowledge “of” God.
Reflect, today, upon the Most Holy Trinity. As you do, say a prayer
to God asking for a deeper and more intimate knowledge of Him. Ask
Him to communicate to you His divine love and to open your mind and
heart to a deeper understanding of Who He is. Try to humble
yourself before the great Mystery of the inner life of God.
Humility before the Mystery of God means that we know how little we
know about Him and how little we know of Him. But that humble truth
will help you move closer to the deeper relationship of love to
which you are called.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, please draw me
into a relationship of love with You Who are one God and three
divine Persons. May the mystery and beauty of Your life become more
known and loved by me each day through the gift of transforming
mystical prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured images above: Holy Trinity By Hendrick van Balen,
via Web Gallery of Art
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