On Trinity – a Mystery of the Divine Love to be Experienced and Embraced as the Center of Our Life

1+1+1=3.  We have learned this “truth” when we were in a first grade math class. This is also the kind of math we understand this world. However, this human thinking does not apply in regard to addressing God, who is a great mystery, called Trinity. In fact, this Triune God is what makes Christianity stands out, even among the Abrahamic monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Then, what is Trinity? This question is, in essence, asking who God really is.

Can anyone answer who God is?  Verbally, God revealed as “אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה”(ehyah aser ehyah) – “I am who I am”, to Moses (Exodus 3:14). This is why God is also known as Yahweh. Thus, asking who God is means asking who “I am who I am” is.

Throughout our history, many theologians have struggled and attempted to answer this question and brought their own unique theological concepts on God.  As they pursue their own answers on who God is, they have also developed their views on Trinity, who Triune God is. Who Trinity is, in essence, who “I am who I am” is.

In my view, while these theological concepts on who God is – who Triune God is – have certain merits in our pursuit of intimate and harmonious relationship with God to “understand” God, we must humble ourselves to remember God is far beyond our comprehension, because God is a mystery. Therefore, Trinity – the Triune God – is also a mystery.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 237, states:

The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the "mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God". To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to Israel's faith before the Incarnation of God's Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Trinity is a mystery of faith, and we, the Christians, center this mystery of faith in our lives (i.e. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 261).

God in Trinity is a mystery. Therefore, we can never fully comprehend Trinity and why God is Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Rather than struggling with our attempts to “understand” this mysterious Triune God – God in Trinity, it is better to experience and embrace the traces of God’s Trinitarian marks in our own daily lives. It is far more important than spending all life reading difficult theological books in our futile attempts to “understand” Trinity.

Trinity is not meant to be “understood” by us but to be experienced as we live a life of faith. In other words, we are to experience and embrace this immeasurable, incomprehensive nature of God, as much as we can, as we live a life of faith, centered on this mystery of our Triune God.

Given our empirical approach to Trinity, rather than rational one, perhaps, it is helpful to juxtapose Triune God to the Sacrament of Matrimony. Why? Because, both Trinity and the Sacrament of Matrimony are respectively mysteries.

In this juxtaposition, think of 1+1=2 in parallel to 1+1+1=3. According to what we have learned on the first day in our first grade math class, 1+1 has to be 2, just as 1+1+1 has to be 3. This is applicable to understand this world. However, when it comes to the Sacrament of Matrimony, which is a reflection of Genesis 2:24, 1+1=1! , as 1+1+1=1 in Trinity! Because it is a great mystery, 1+1=1 is “irrational”. However, in the eyes of God and in our Christian faith, it is what it is.

Why the Sacrament of Matrimony is so attractive for men and women in faith and in mutual love? It is because of this mystery- far beyond human rationality. Why God is so great? Likewise, God is a mystery, called Trinity.

Men and women who have tied their nuptial knot in the Sacrament of Matrimony continue to experience and enjoy mystery of their mutual love, centered in the Triune God. When they first kissed at God’s alter during their wedding ceremonies, they did not fully understand each other. Nevertheless, they already loved each other and desire to further experience the mystery in each other. And, their marriages continue to grow and bear the Fruits of the Holy Spirit! Perhaps, experiencing traces of Triune God in our daily lives is like this – like experiencing each other’s mystery in love in the Sacrament of Matrimony. After all, God is love (1 John 4:8), and King Solomon has poetically reflected God’s love to us analogous to a mystery of passionate love between a young man and a young woman through the Song of Songs. 

The mysterious nature of the Triune God does not mean God is unreachable to us. If so, God would not have incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus, the Son, the first Parakletos and another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, would not have descended upon us on Pentecost, either. Not to mention, Jesus would not have instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist as his own Body and Blood, at the Last Supper, either.

Remember, as God is love, the incomprehensive and immeasurable nature of Trinity reflects how great God’s love for us is. Through John 14 through 16, Jesus himself explains who he is in relation to the Father and the Holy Spirit. These three Johannine chapters also reflect the mystery of God’s love and God’s desire to unite us to Trinity. For this reason, God the Father has sent the Son and the Holy Spirit in Son’s name.

Trinity Sunday is a humble reminder, as well as a joyful and awesome invitation to experience as many traces of Trinity mystery, our God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in our daily lives. And, as we experience the mystery of Trinity, while our faith, which is our trust and intimacy with God, continues to grow, we become more united not only with each other in love but with Trinity.

If to insert some theological insight to experience and embrace Trinity, perhaps, David Tracy’s concepts of “analogical imagination” and “mutually critical correlation” can be applied. Certainly, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other great theologians have addressed Trinity with their own unique applications of David Tracy’s these concepts. After all, according to James Fowler’s “Stages of Faith Development”, which is based on Erik Erikson’s life-span identity development theory, imagination is the foundation of our faith development. Given that experiencing Trinity leads to the growth of faith, as indicated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it makes sense to approach this mystery of Triune God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the hypostatic union – with imagination.

Just as Christian husbands and wives united in the Sacrament of Matrimony have great imaginations to thrive, we, who are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, shall apply our sense of imagination to experience and embrace Trinity, whose nature is love – ἀγάπη (agape), חֶ֫סֶד (chesed), and רַחֲמִים (rachamim). Perhaps, applying Tracy's "analogous imagination" and "mutually critical correlation" upon passages in John 14 through 16 and 1 John 4 may give us a focus on the mystery of love, in experiencing and embracing Trinity. 

To make this imagination analogous and mutually critically correlated to applicable scripture passages in John 14 through 16 and 1 John 4 may help us experiencing Trinity with a focus on love. 

Christian Pentecost: the Consummation of Paschaltide with the Birth of the Apostoliki Ekklesia as the Soma Christou through the Nephesh-Ruah-Pneuma Hagion-Parakletos

The 8^th Sunday from the Resurrection Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, the day to commemorate the descending of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in Jerusalem, as described in Acts 2:1-13 and reflected upon the 3^rd glorious mystery of the Holy Rosary. Pentecost Sunday concludes the Paschaltide or Paschal Season.

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos, to be sent upon his disciples during the Lasts Supper (John 14:16, 26, 16:7) so that they will not be left like orphans, even after his Ascension (John 14:18). So, Jesus ascended to heaven, after appearing to his disciples, speaking of the Kingdom of God for 40 days upon his Resurrection (Acts 1:3), to return to the Father (John 14:28, 16:28). On the evening of the very day of his Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the fear-stricken disciples in the rocked Upper Room and poured his breath, saying, “Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:19-23). Given that this Johannine Gospel narrative of the risen Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the very first day of the Resurrection (John 20:19-23) is read for Pentecost Sunday, we can understand the breath of the risen Jesus (John 20:22) is the Holy Spirit, as a prototype for the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

On the very first day of the Paschaltide, the risen Jesus poured his breath as the Holy Spirit on his disciples, and it was to prepare them to be sent out on mission (John 20:21). Then, on the concluding day of the Paschaltide, after his Ascension, in Jesus’ name, the Father poured out the mighty Holy Spirit upon them to be sent out on their apostolic missions. The rest of the Acts from Acts 2:14 describe how the Holy Spirit had transformed the disciples into the Apostles, which means those who are sent. Given that 1 Corinthians 1 COR 12:3B-7, 12-13 are read for Pentecost Sunday, Pentecost is also the birthday of the Ekklesia (Church), transforming the disciples not only into the Apostles but also the Ekklesia as the one Body of Christ with many parts.  When the powerful Holy Spirit was sent upon and filled the disciples, they were turned into the αποστολική εκκλησία (apostoliki ekklesia) – the Apostolic Church.

The ἐκκλησία (ekklesia) as the σῶμα Χριστοῦ (soma Christou) (1 Corinthians 12:27) was born out of the assembly of the disciples in Jerusalem to be αποστολική (apostoliki), to be sent out, to be mission-oriented. To put in Pope Francis’ ecclesiological vision, as well as St. John XXIII’s ecclesiological view, the Church is meant to be deployed to function as the “field hospital” to “dispense the medicine of mercy” by virtue of Pentecost. As we are constant battle with Satanic forces until Christ the King returns to claim his victory (Revelation 19), we need the “field hospital” to ensure our apostolic missions, which has been passed on from the Apostles, will successfully completed. And this “dispenser of the medicine of mercy” is not only apostoliki ekklesia but also soma Christou.

Though the physical body of Christ has been invisible ever since his Ascension, there has been one Body of Christ ever since Pentecost, thanks to the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos, sent by the Father in Jesus’ name. Because Jesus is Parakletos (1 John 2:1), the Holy Spirit sent upon us on Pentecost, is truly him in hypostasis. Thus, there is a parallel hypostatic union as Parakletos, between Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This way, Jesus is always with us (Matthew 28:20) as Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14), in a way of being in us, as he is in the Father, and we are in him (John 14:20).  Therefore, receiving the Holy Spirit, first as the breath of risen Christ on the Resurrection Sunday, then as another Parakletos with power to set us on fire of the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost Sunday prepares us to celebrate the Trinity Sunday, which follows the Pentecost Sunday.

Upon Pentecost, receiving the Holy Spirit, we have become one Body of Christ. As St. Teresa of Avila said in her prayer, Christ has no body but ours. As we have become the Church, one Body of Christ, we are now the Body of Christ, functioning as the “field hospital “ to dispense the “medicine of mercy”, as we are sent on our respective apostolic mission not only to proclaim the Gospel of Christ but also to heal our wounded world with the “medicine of mercy”, which is the Divine Mercy.

The Body of Christ conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:35), and he is Parakletos (1 John 2:1), which means “called”(kaleo) to be “besides”(para) us. So, Logos, who is Theos (John 1:1), was made the human flesh of Jesus Christ to dwell among us (John 1:14).  He died as Korban Pesach, as well as Agnus Dei, on the Preparation Day for Passover and Resurrected on the following day of the Passover Sabbath. From that day on, for 40 days, the risen Body of Christ was with us, until his Ascension. However, as he promised his constant presence with us, as Parakletos, as well as Immanuel, the Holy Spirit, as another Parakletos, was sent to us on the 50^th day of the Paschaltide so that we are transformed into the one Body of Christ, the Apostoliki Ekklesia, to serve as the “field hospital” and the dispenser of the “medicine of mercy”.  Being “Ekklesia”, we are called (kaleo) out of (ek) the world by Christ the Parakletos and continued to be called (kaleo) by another Parakletos, the Holy Spirit.

We, the Apostoliki Ekklesia is now one Body of Living Christ, because the Holy Spirit as the breath of risen Christ (John 20:22) is, in essence, the God’s breath of life, nephesh. On the day of Pentecost, we have received nephesh as ruah, as the life-giving breath of God descended upon us like the rush of mighty wind (Acts 2:1). The rumbling sound of this ruah-nephesh – Pneuma Hagion – Parakletos on Pentecost was, indeed, crying voice of the birth of the Apostoliki Ekklesia as the soma Christou in this post-Ascension age.

Indeed, just as the Holy Spirit sent by the Father brought the Body of Christ through Mary, the Holy Spirit has given birth to the post-Ascension Body of Christ through us.

Laying Down Own Life for Others in Observing Jesus' Mandatum Novum : Paschaltide Conclusion for These Nine Days between Ascension and Pentecost

Called to Love One Another– Called to Bear Suffering Long for One Another – Called to Lay Down Our Own Lives for One Another on Our Apostolic Mission, upon Understanding Christ through the Paschaltide Johannine Sunday Gospel Narratives.

We are in this Ascension-Pentecost "inbetween" time of 9 days. During this critical novena days to conclude the Paschaltide, it is helpful to review the Paschaltide Sunday Gospel readings and discern what we are called for on our apostolic mission, which will begin on Pentecost.

While the Synopitic Gospels have Ascension narratives, which are read for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, John’s Gospel has no Ascension story. However, the kerygma of Jesus during the Last Supper in John’s Gospel (13:31-17:26) has a significant implication to prepare us for the Ascension of the Lord and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on Pentecost.  Therefore, it makes sense to draw Gospel readings for the last three Sundays (V, VI, and VII) of Paschalae from John 13:31-17:26.

During the Paschaltide, the Gospel readings for the first three Sundays (from the Resurrection Sunday to the 3^rd Sunday) reflect Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to the disciples and how they reacted to the tangible presence of the risen Jesus. Then, the Paschaltide Sunday Gospel readings make a thematic shift on Dominica IV in Paschalae, a. k. a. Good Shepherd Sunday (Dominical Bonus Pastor), moving from the Resurrection theme into the Christological theme. In other words, the Gospel readings for the first three Sundays of the Paschaltide are on the Resurrection and the Gospel readings for the last four Sundays of the Paschaltide are on Christology.

Through the Gospel readings on the Resurrection for the first three Sundays of the Paschaltide, we reflected how difficult it was for the Apostles to come to terms with the Resurrection and how their grief, fear and doubt were replaced with joy. Then, through the Johannine Gospel readings on Christological themes for the last four Paschaltide Sundays (IV, V, VI, and VII) we first reflect not only who Christ is but also how his relationship with us in juxtaposition to his relationship with the Father. In fact, it is out of this Christological context in the Gospel readings from the Fourth Sunday (Good Shepherd Sunday) to the Sixth Sunday of the Paschaltide, the pre-Ascension Paschal Season Sundays, we can find the Holy Trinity, as Jesus mentions all the three beings in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We learn how these three are related to each other and to us. Then, the Gospel readings for the last Sunday of the Paschaltide, the Seventh Sunday, taken from John 17, we appreciate how much Christ, the Son, loves us, in his intense prayer to the Father.

Basically, Paschalae (Paschaltide or Paschal Season) is to prepare us for Pentecost, and Ascension is an absolutely necessary condition for us to receive the Holy Spirit, descending with the power from the Father in heaven in Jesus’ name.  Jesus explained that one reason for him to Ascend is to let the Holy Spirit as another Parakletos (Advocate, Comforter) to be sent out for us (John 14:26; 16:7). This suggests that the Ascension of the Lord is a necessary condition for us to be empowered by Parakletos in the Holy Spirit (Penuma Hagion), and Jesus commissioned the Apostles to be sent out for their Apostolic missions before his Ascension and they began their Apostolic mission on Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, according to the Gospel readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Matthew 28:16-20(A); Mark 16:15-20(B); Luke 24:46-53(C)) and Acts 1. And, we are also to be sent out on our respective apostolic missions, upon receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, at the conclusion of the Paschaltide.  For this reason, we must be ready to be commissioned by the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – so that we can spend 9 days between Ascension and Pentecost prayerfully as a novena, remembering how the Apostle gather together as one to receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost upon Ascension.

Now, we are amidst these nine days between Ascension and Pentecost.  Are we getting ready to be sent out on our apostolic missions, empowered by the Holy Spirit, for evangelization with the Gospel, bringing healing to where there is affliction, and making disciples by baptizing in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit? This is to reflect the Gospel readings for the Solemnity of Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20(A); Mark 16:15-20(B); Luke 24:46-53(C)).  For us to conduct our apostolic missions, teaching and making disciples in all nations, Jesus wants us to be witnesses of his Paschal Mystery and his teaching, including what he has commanded (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47-48).

Here are two things to highlight on the bottom line in our apostolic commissioning on the Solemnity of Ascension to be sent out on our apostolic missions on Pentecost: being witnesses and what Jesus has commanded (Luke 24:48; Matthew 28:20).  Being a witness to testify who Jesus is, including his Paschal Mystery, and his teaching, including what he has commanded, can make us martyrs for greater glory of God (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam), as “witnesses” (Luke 24:48) in the original Greek text is μάρτυρες (martyres) . From this Greek word, meaning “witnesses” (pl), the English word, “martyrs” are derived. Therefore, there is an implication for us to be ready to die for the sake of Christ, who is commissioning us on the Solemnity of his Ascension and in whose name the Holy Spirit is being sent to us on Pentecost. And, it is Jesus’ expectation on us to teach what he has commanded (Matthew 28:20).  For us to be qualified to teach what Jesus has commanded, including his Mandatum Novum to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:34), first and foremost, we ourselves must faithfully observe what he has commanded. Certainly, observing what Jesus has commanded, especially his Mandatum Novum as witnesses to the Paschal Mystery and his teaching can make us martyrs.

Remember how the Gospel readings for Dominica V in Paschalae (John 15:1-8) and for Dominica VI Paschalae (John 15: 9-17) progress thematically, upon the Gospel reading for Dominica IV in Paschalae (Dominica Bonus Pastor) (John 10:11-18) on Cycle B?

In John 10:11-18 , Jesus relates himself to us as the Good Shepherd and the Father’s sheep that he is entrusted to care for. In this narrative, Jesus also indicates a unity of us as one herd with him, the Good Shepherd as we know him, and he knows us. Then, Jesus reminds us that he, as the Good Shepherd, has laid down his own life to save us.

In John 15:1-8, Jesus explains his relationship with us in another way, as we are in union with him just as the branches are so to the vine. In this metaphor, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, while the Father is the vine grower, who has pruned the vine and has saved us, the branches.  Reflecting John 10:11, we were saved in the vine grower’s pruning, because Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, has laid down his life for us. Being so grateful to have been saved and being attached to the vine, we are now called to be fruitful.  It means that we are to bear multiphasic fruit of the Holy Spirit : love (ἀγάπη/agape), joy (χαρά/chara), peace (εἰρήνη/eirene), forbearance/patience (μακροθυμία/ makrothymia), kindness (χρηστότης/chrestotes), goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη/agathosyne), faithfulness (πίστις/pistis), gentleness (πραΰτης/prautes) and self-control (ἐγκράτεια/enkrateia) (Galatians 5:22-23), and this means to glorify the Father.  At this point, not only the Father and the Son but also the Holy Spirit is indicated.

In John 15:9-17, Jesus focuses on love. In this narrative, the union of the branches with the vine in John 15:1-8, is defined remaining in his love.  And his love for us is like the Father’s love for him. Then, Jesus reminds us that keeping his commandments means to remain (abide – μείνατε (mainate)) in his love, in juxtaposition to himself remaining in the Father’s love for keeping His commandments.  This is also for his joy to be in us so that our joy may be complete. Now, out of his union with us in his love and joy, the first two of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Jesus reiterate his Mandatum Novum: to love one another (John 13:34) in light of John 10:11, as the greatest way to love one another. It is to lay down our own lives for one another, as Jesus has laid own his own life for us. And, this indicates friendship – friendship with Christ and one another.

Laying down our own lives for one another, as friends, is the ultimate way to observe the most important commandment of Jesus. Because Jesus calls us his friends, we are also called to lay down our own lives for him as witnesses (martyres) – as martyrs. This is the greatest of all in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, love, leading to another one – joy in its complete form – complete joy. And, this is what we are ultimately commissioned for as the risen Christ is about to Ascend in order to bring down the Holy Spirit for us to be sent out on our apostolic mission to be fruitful with love and joy, along with peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

A prospect of losing our own lives is frightening. However, upon receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we can grow in our abilities for self-control.  As fruit of the Holy Spirit, self- control can help us overcome fear of losing life, filling us with peace to replace fear. It is an indication of increased faith, enabling us to be more generous, kind, and patience. Then, we are ready to lay down our own lives for our friends, including our best friend, Jesus, who has called us his friends, to keep his commandments. This is the ultimate mark of our apostolic identity: the greatest love of all – the greatest fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It is not easy to be apostles – to be sent on mission to ultimately lay down our own lives, in observing Jesus’ commandments.  Understanding this, Fr. Lac Pham, C.PP.S., suggested that we bear one another’s burdens, as a starter to strive toward laying down our own lives for one another and for Christ. Because love (ἀγάπη/agape) is patient (μακροθυμεῖ/ makrothymei ) and kind (χρηστεύεται/ chresteuetai) (1 Corinthians 13:4), it bears (στέγει/ stegei), believes (πιστεύει/ pisteuei), hopes (ἐλπίζει/ elpizei), and endures (ὑπομένει/ hypomenei) all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). This means that love enables us to bear each other’s suffering, because it is μακροθυμεῖ/ makrothymei, literally meaning, “being able to suffer long”. Our ability to be patient or to suffer long (μακροθυμεῖ/ makrothymei ), especially for one another, (1 Corinthians 13:4), is linked to forbearance/patience (μακροθυμία/ makrothymia), an element of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:22).

We are called to bearing one another in love as our efforts to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit, with humility, gentleness, and patience (Ephesians 4:1-3) – to suffer long for each other as it is love (1 Corinthians 13:4) , which is first factor of the  fruit of the Holy Spirit. With the power of the Holy Spirit, as we continue to strive for bearing each other’s suffering for long, we will eventually become able to lay down our own lives for one another and for Christ, ascertaining the oneness with each other, with Christ the Son, and in the unity with the Father and in the unity with the Holy Spirit.  Knowing this, the risen Christ can Ascend and ask the Father to send down the Holy Spirit upon us on Pentecost.

As we engage in the Pentecost Novena, let us once again to reflect on Jesus’ Mandatum Novum as our way to bear one another’s suffering long so that we may be able to lay down our own lives for one another and for Christ, as we testify our union with Christ to all over the world.