Trinity Sunday is a mystery to most folks.  Who or what is the Trinity?  To say that I believe in One God of Three Entities would be the Catholic belief of Trinity–God the Father , the Son, and the Spirit. It is sort of like a tree with three parts but the same roots and trunk. Each One has its own personality to me: The Never-Ending Creator, the Human and Divine Son, and the Ever-Present Spirit.

I was reading my former pastor’s teaching on this topic and found myself smiling at his thoughts. A true Jesuit, he believed God present in everything, finding God whenever he took the time to look. As Father, Son and Spirit, God is to be experienced in a thousand  different ways in our lives and we will in turn relate to this God in many varied and different fashions, Fr. Brian Massie said in a homily once. We don’t have ONE image of God … God is different things at different times … at one time a close friend and confidante, at another a healer and consoler, at yet another a source of courage and stick-to-it-iveness. Yes! I affirm these thoughts. God is diverse, both One and Many at the same time. The Trinity is all about diversity and this brings me joy.

When I talk to retreatants who undertake the preparation for the long retreat, I ask them which of the Trinity they most connect with. I love the variety of the answers. Some see God as a gentle, loving Father. Very few hold to the old school image of a grey-haired Male who metes out punishment harshly. Many see God as the Creator, marking out the foundations of the earth and seas and establishing the skies above and fields below and all that live within these  as seen in the First Reading today from Proverbs 8 and Psalm 8. The Spirit or Wisdom accompanies God here, created at the beginning, when the earth was still a concept. Wisdom blowing through the world, playing alongside the Divine One, delighting in the human race.

Jesus who has come and walked among us, delivers peace to our troubled hearts. Christ understands intimately our trials and sufferings because he has faced them himself. The Son is our model of Hope, of Trust and of Love. When we cannot bear to hear the news, he assures us that Hope will not disappoint us (Romans 5). When we are faced with the challenges of life, we can easily forget that we have a God who can be whatever we need at the moment–a healer, a comforter, a solid rock, a shield, a gentle breeze, a teary-eyed friend, a warm embrace. This Triune God can be for us more than we can ask or imagine.

Jesus will tell us what we need to know in an as needed time line. This Triune God who delights in the children created rejoices with us and for us. These Three from the same Trunk pour out Love into our hearts and grant us peace when the unthinkable arrives. We will have strength to survive our sufferings, endurance that surpasses our limits, and a hope that will not disappoint.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

How do you understand the Trinity?

What do you seek from this Triune God in times of tribulation?

Prayer

Holy Three-in-One, You are everything to me, more than I can ask or imagine. Come now and pour Your love into me as You delight in us. Fill us with hope, trust and endurance so that we might run the good race. Amen.