The Holy Trinity by Guido Reni.
This magnificent painting is found at SS. Trinita dei Pellegrini, in Rome.
On this great feast, we might note, in the first place, the great commission of Our Lord, Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20):
"28:18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Going therefore, teach all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."
Second, the profound collect of the feast:
"O Almighty and everlasting God, who hast enabled Thy servants, in confessing the true Faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore its Unity: we beseech Thee, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against all adversity..."
Next, from the text of the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas (+1274AD), from the Prima Pars, Question 30, Article 2, a reflection on the nature of the Holy Trinity, and the necessity of three persons:
"I answer that, As was explained above, there can be only three persons in God. For it was shown above that the several persons are the several subsisting relations really distinct from each other. But a real distinction between the divine relations can come only from relative opposition. Therefore two opposite relations must needs refer to two persons: and if any relations are not opposite they must needs belong to the same person. Since then paternity and filiation are opposite relations, they belong necessarily to two persons. Therefore the subsisting paternity is the person of the Father; and the subsisting filiation is the person of the Son. The other two relations are not opposed to either of these, but are opposed to each other; therefore these two cannot belong to one person: hence either one of them must belong to both of the aforesaid persons; or one must belong to one person, and the other to the other. Now, procession cannot belong to the Father and the Son, or to either of them; for thus it would follows that the procession of the intellect, which in God is generation, wherefrom paternity and filiation are derived, would issue from the procession of love, whence spiration and procession are derived, if the person generating and the person generated proceeded from the person spirating; and this is against what was laid down above (27, 3 and 4). We must frequently admit that spiration belongs to the person of the Father, and to the person of the Son, forasmuch as it has no relative opposition either to paternity or to filiation; and consequently that procession belongs to the other person who is called the person of the Holy Ghost, who proceeds by way of love, as above explained. Therefore only three persons exist in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
New Advent: Summa I, Q. 39, A. 2
Of course, while St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, attempts to explain some aspects of the Holy Trinity, it remains a mystery beyond the created intellect of man! There have been many analogies, of course, to try to express the mystery of the Trinity, such as St. Patrick's clover. One of my favorite analogies for the Trinity is from arithmetic: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.
You might consult these links for more information on the doctrine and the feast:
Catechism of the Catholic Church: On the Trinity, #232-267
Old Catholic Encyclopedia: Trinity
Old Catholic Encyclopedia: Trinity Sunday
Fisheaters: Trinity Sunday
Traditionally, at the hour of Prime on this day, the Symbolum Athanasium was said, which is, as follows:
""Whosoever willeth to be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith.
Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish eternally.
Now the Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.
Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is one, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father Uncreated, the Son Uncreated, and the Holy Ghost Uncreated.
The Father Infinite, the Son Infinite, and the Holy Ghost Infinite. The Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal.
And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal.
As also they are not three Uncreated, nor three Infinites, but One Uncreated, and One Infinite.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but One Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but One God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet they are not three Lords, but One Lord.
For, like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and the Son: not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is One Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity is nothing afore or after, nothing is greater or less; but the whole three Persons are Co-Eternal together, and Co-Equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that willeth to be safe, let him thus think of the Trinity.
But it is necessary to eternal salvation, that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The right Faith therefore is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
God, of the Substance of the Father, Begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the substance of His mother, born in the world.
Perfect God, Perfect Man, of a reasoning soul and human flesh subsisting.
Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood.
Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but One Christ.
One, however, not by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God.
One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by Unity of Person.
For as the reasoning soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is One Christ.
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life eternal, but they that have done evil into eternal fire.
Finally, a selection, the Credo, from the Trinity Mass of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (+1796AD), written for this very Sunday:
Blessed be the Holy Trinity, and undivided Unity! We will give glory to Him, because He hath shown His mercy to us! (Introit of Trinity Sunday)
Live well!
No comments:
Post a Comment