The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life” (CCC 234).
It is a mystery of Christian faith because “it is the mystery of God in Himself” (CCC 234), that is, His inmost Being. “[It is] hidden in God which can never be known unless [it is] revealed by God” (CCC237). Therefore to comprehend it is beyond our capability but by it, Christianity is different from other monotheistic religions for we believe “one God in three persons” who “do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire……..i.e., by nature one God” (CCC 253).
It is a mystery of Christian life because from it, we know that God is not solitary. He is both a personal and relational God, like a family, involving mutual love and interaction. His divine love goes outward and spills over to include us in His creation. He made us not only in His image and likeness but also as a reflection of His Trinitarian life. Therefore Christian life is not a natural life from its first birth, but a supernatural life from a spiritual birth made possible when a person is baptized in the name of the Trinity---the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
From this second birth, things start to change. I am a sinner yet I am a child of God and an heir of the heavenly inheritance (Rom 8:15-17; Gal 4:7). I begin to see and do things differently: I see life as full of meaning and purpose, a wonderment of God’s love. I see God as present among all peoples, reaching out and calling them to Himself. I no longer take things for granted but gratefully appreciate the grace and blessing behind everything. I no longer dwell on my own suffering and misfortune for I now see in others the same problem and I want to share theirs. I no longer only pray for myself or for my loved ones but also for those who hurt me and forgive them. I feel peace in the midst of turmoil and struggle for I know I am watched over by one who intimately and passionately loves me. I experience something new and marvelous------the foretaste of the transcendent life of the Trinity-------a life of love, communion, self giving, joy and peace.
When asked why I believe something that I don’t understand, I don’t know either but I know that from the moment I bear the seal of the Trinity I have been changed. I am gradually becoming more pleasant and pleasing to others and I thank God for it.
“O most holy Trinity, undivided Unity
Holy God, Mighty God
God Immortal, be adored” *
*taken from hymn O God, Almighty Father in the Catholic Book of Worship III.