Reflection
The Holy Trinity: A Meaningful Relationship (The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)
We all know that the Mystery of Trinity is: One God and three persons-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
We get to know the Mystery of Trinity from the book of Genesis. “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).”
What is the meaning of ‘OUR’? We know that our is plural. If there is plural persons, we conclude that there was a community in creation work. So, we, as, Christian understand that the Mystery of Trinity was present in creation work. There are many references to the Trinity in the scripture: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
A scripture scholar, who conducts the class on the Trinity, says after 45 hours of class, the Mystery of Trinity is Mystery. We cannot understand or grasp what is the Mystery of Trinity.
I would like to describe the Mystery of Trinity with an example. The example is simple, practical and at the same time without any complex idea. Still I caution you that it is only an example.
We use rice flour for various purpose. Mainly, rice flour is used to prepare sada dosa, masala dosa, rava dosa, onion dosa, ghee dosa, idli and so on. What is the common thing that is used in all these?It is rice flour. Rice flour is the substance.
Likewise, we can identify the characteristics of the Mystery of Trinity. They are:
Mutual Love,
Connectedness,
Communion, &
Meaningful Relationship.
In other words, I can say that One God and three persons have mutual love, connectedness, communion, and meaningful relationship as common characteristics.
The characteristics of the Trinity witnesses that there is:
Uniqueness of each and everyone, &
Principle of Subsidiarity in their mission.
Here, I would like to point out that the Mystery of Trinity is the idol for our own religious communities and families. To make our community/family vibrant, we need to have the characteristics of the Trinity in our own community/family. Let us reflect on one-by-one how the characteristics of the Mystery of Trinity can guide our life in our families and in our communities.
1. Mutual Love:
All three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, are in deep love. They are in mutual love each other, respect and treat them equal and do not overpower each other. God created the earth and the heaven out of His own love, the same God sent His only Son out of love for creation, again God sent the Spirit out of love for His mission. a. Love: Love is the basic and foundation for our families and communities. We, as, family or community need to possess love, a mutual love for each other, respect and treat equally in spite of their position and possessions. Love further directs us to connectedness.
2. Connectedness:
The Trinity is connected with each other. God, the Father is connected with God, the Son. God, the Son is connected with God, the Spirit. And God, the Spirit is Connected with God, the Father and the Son. We can observe that there is connectedness in the Trinity. So, we understand that there is a connectedness in our family and community. This connectedness is practiced in our in family/community by a. supporting each other (I stand by/support my brother or my sister or my family member, my friend or my near and dear ones whoever they may be and what they are. We need to support each other in our family or in our community to accomplish the common mission, the mission of love in and through connectedness. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. “He said, “abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want” (Matthew 14: 36)”. “Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength” (Luke 22: 43). God strengthened Jesus by sending an angel.), b. cooperating with each others in our responsibilities (Husband can share equal work at home where woman and man go for work. Cooperation is for a purpose, the purpose is connectedness. We need to cooperate with each other to fulfil our human dependence.), c. encouraging each other when we fail, when we are discouraged, when we are disappointed (Jesus was discouraged when his own village people said we knew him, he was the carpenter Joseph’s son but he was encouraged when God spoke to him in various occasions assuring him.), d. appreciating for the good works, creative works, small works, insignificant works in public, not personal (Jesus appreciated many people publicly in many occasions.). Connectedness further guides us to communion.
3. Communion:
The dictionary defines communion as sharing the intimate thoughts and feelings with each other. God expresses His intimate thoughts and feelings to His Son and His Spirit the intimate thought of/feeling of sending His only Son to this world to crucify him on the Cross to reconcile the world and to make us all His own sons and daughters. It was a thought. It was a feeling. We need to share the intimate thoughts and feelings with each other in our family and community. It is need of the hour. To have a very communion of family or community we need constructive criticism. 1. Constructive Criticism: We know the meaning of criticism. What is the meaning of constructive? Constructive means positive, useful, helpful, encouraging, productive, practical, valuable, profitable, worthwhile, effective, beneficial, advantageous. Constructive criticism builds up communion among the family members and among the community members. We make mistake. We sometimes are not able to do our responsibility with our lack of knowledge. We need constructive criticism from others and even from us. We need accompaniment. We need positive criticism not negative criticism. Constructive criticism builds up our intimate relationship to grow in all aspects and to have a meaningful relationship in our family and in our community.
4. Meaningful Relationship:
Relationship is mutual. It has two way process. The Holy Trinity is in meaningful relationship each other. Relationship gives meaning to our life as the relationship gives meaning to the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit in their Trinitarian relationship. To have a meaningful relationship, we need to have positive changes in our attitude, behaviour and in our personal life, in turn it can give meaning to our family life and community life. a. Positive Change: Jesus was not disappointed that God did nothing when he prayed to God to remove the cup of suffering from him. But, Jesus had positive change in him. He endured his suffering to make a meaning to his coming. He was a changed man when Jesus realised the meaningful relationship with God, the Father on the Cross. He said on the Cross: “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34),” a positive change. In another incident, we read when Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection, Jesus said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19), again “Peace be with you” (John 20:21). Jesus’ meaningful relationship with his disciples was not changed into negative but positive even though they betrayed him, denied him, doubted him, ran away from him when he needed them the most in his life. Meaningful relationship does not keep the past wounds, lives and creates meaning to our relationship with positive change. It gives peace of mind.
Positive change identities uniqueness of each and everyone in our family and in our community and share our responsibility according to our strength and weakness keeping in mind the principle of subsidiarity.
Uniqueness calls us that we all are unique in our own way. we are masterpiece. We are blessed. We are favoured one. At the same time, understanding that there are no similarities. There is no comparison.
The Principle of Subsidiarity calls us to divide our work or responsibilities to do it efficiently so that our mission of love may flourish and grow wherever we are placed.
We celebrate the creation of mutual love, we proclaim the resurrection in connectedness and communion, and we participate in the mission of building the Kingdom of God in meaningful relationship.
Let us possess love for God, neighbours, and oneself, support and cooperate with each other, encourage when people fail, appreciate when people do something even insignificant, accept constructive criticism to grow, have positive change understanding the Mystery of Trinity.
Question for reflection: How is the Trinity the perfect example of a good, loving, healthy relationship in our community and family?
