Most Holy Trinity Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Trinity is central to Christian belief and as Catholics we constantly call to mind the Trinity in our prayer. The Trinity is something which is difficult to wrap our minds around and thus can seem as a foreign entity.

Through the Trinity we profess One God in Three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). As we are told in the Gospel of Saint John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We are later told, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Concerning the Holy Spirit we were told last Sunday at Pentecost in the words of Saint John, “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me.”

Through these verses we can see the presence of the Trinity from the very beginning. As is stated in the Athanasian Creed, “ 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 Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, but proceeding.”

Here we see two words given to us which are important to understand, begotten and proceeding. To say begotten in reference to the Son is important because it implies that He is fully God and not a creation of God. To say proceeding in reference to the Holy Spirit implies that the Holy Spirit comes forth from the love that exists between Father and Son.

Thus we begin to see the Trinity in reference to relationship. The love of God is perfect and knows no end. It is a love which is flowing over and found to be creative. Therefore, the Father loves the Son and the Son the Father and thus another springs forth out of this love, the Holy Spirit.

We can thus say that from all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have poured themselves out into each other in an infinite act of love. As Christians we are called to enter into the love of the Trinity and to share this love with others. How would our world be different if we were moved by the perfect love of the Trinity in all that we say and do?

True love is able to look upon the other and care for them in their need. It is not about what we will get out of it. This is especially a love which must be pursued in Holy Matrimony. It is not about me, but is about our love for the other. We must learn to grow to love as God loves for this love will transform the world and ourself.

Let us be sent forth from here to enter more fully into the love that is found in the Trinity. Through this relationship of Persons we can see that the Trinity is not a foreign entity, but something that is very close and life giving. 

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.