THE TRINITY: ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS
The doctrine of the Trinity is a profound and mysterious aspect of Christian faith, asserting that there is one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This concept challenges human understanding, and throughout history, theologians have used various metaphors and analogies to explain it. However, no explanation can fully capture the nature of the Trinity because nothing in creation exactly corresponds to God’s triune existence. Our limited intellect pales in comparison to God’s omniscience.
Just as a children trust and follow their parents, we, as children of God, are called to trust Him and follow the teachings of Jesus. Throughout history, different interpretations and disputes regarding the Holy Trinity have led to various heresies. However, for believers, faith in the Most Holy Trinity is an essential article of faith rather than a subject of contention.
The Oneness of God
Central to Christian belief is the oneness of God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites, living among pagan cultures that worshipped many gods, were commanded by God through Moses: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Ex 20:3-5a).
Jesus affirmed the oneness of God while also revealing the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. He instructed His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). The use of the singular term “name” emphasizes the unity of the three Persons in one God.
The Loving Relationship with God
Our faith is rooted in a relationship with the one true God, who is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. The Shema, a central declaration of faith in Judaism, states: “Listen, O Israel: The LORD, our God, is the One LORD. And you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deut 6:4-5).
Love is a reciprocal relationship and commitment. God, who established a covenant with Israel, compares His relationship with them to a father’s love for his son, a mother’s love for her children, and a bridegroom’s love for his beloved. It is out of this immense love that He gave His only begotten Son for our redemption: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
John the Apostle succinctly concludes, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This divine love unites the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. God calls us to be in loving communion with Him and with one another, as we are all His beloved children.
The Trinity and the Temple
Though we speak distinctly of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are not separate. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9), and the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The altar in the Church’s sanctuary represents the Most Holy Trinity, serving as the throne of God.
In the sanctuary of the Jerusalem Temple, there was a symbolic representation of the Trinity. The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies represented the Seat of God the Father. In the Holy Place, the 12 showbreads symbolized Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and the menorah with its seven flames symbolized the Holy Spirit who came upon the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost. Saint Augustine insightfully noted, “The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”
REFLECTION
As Christians, our faith in the Trinity should inspire us to live in unity and love. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect harmony, we are called to reflect this divine unity in our relationships with one another. The love that binds the Trinity is the same love that God extends to us and that we should extend to others. Let us strive to deepen our understanding of this sacred mystery, not through intellectual debates, but through a living, loving relationship with God and with our fellow human beings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor 13:14).