SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

30 MAY 2010. Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity--three persons in one God almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Although the feast of the Holy Trinity was only introduced in the ninth century and was not added to the General Roman Calendar until the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII, it is readily true that the mystery of the Holy Trinity is at the very core of our Christian catholic belief.

Today's readings can be found here. Consider God the Father, the God of the Old Testament, who is creator of all the universe. However, we know from Saint John that in the beginning, there was the Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (Jn 1, 1) Consider too our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, light from light, true God from true God--the Word incarnate in our world; poured out on us for our salvation because of the abundance of God's love. Finally, consider the Holy Spirit, begotten of the Father and the Son, our advocate in the world who continues to provide the abundance of God's love for us, and the blessings He bestows on us, until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again at the end of the world.

In the sacraments, to this day, the Church follows the great trinitarian commission given to her by Christ Himself: "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." (Mt 28, 19-20)

Go too and preach by your actions, by your lives, by your love, the love of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons in one triune God--the Holy Trinity.

NOVUS: Our parish priest, Father Will Ganci, today gave an outstanding homily around the theme of perichoresis--an early term of some Church fathers used to describe the internal life of the Most Holy Trinity. Saint John of Damascus explored the idea of perichoresis in depth and described it as the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling of the three persons of God. The Father is eternally giving life to the Son and penetrating the life of the Son as the Son penetrates the life of the Father, each indwelling one in the other, and, together, penetrating and dwelling in the Holy Spirit. And, as Father Will relayed today, perichoresis, literally translated means "to dance."

What a beautiful image of the three persons of the Most Holy Trinity--at one, each in the other, and each penetrating the other in love--as a dance. Not a dance of human origin with some carnal or other physical object, but a dance--an eternal and life-giving, poetic union--of the three persons of God, together for the love of God for Himself and for the bountiful love of humanity upon which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit pours out Himself without end.