Today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is tailor-made for preachers who like homilies with three points! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, what more could I ask?
Someone once said, “If you deny the Trinity, you will lose your soul. If you try understanding the Trinity, you will lose your mind.” For example, have you ever heard of "Trinitarian math"? 1+1+1=1. The actual math would be closer to 0 + 0 + 0 = 0. Or, infinity + infinity + infinity does not equal 3 infinities, but infinity. So too God the Father + God the Son + God the Holy Spirit = God
As the Nicene Creed begins, “I believe in one God.” In this one God, there are three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is God, yet there is still only one God. We say “In the name (singular), not plural “the names” of the F, S, and HS.
1). The first point about the Trinity, as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity writes ‘‘God dwells within you, do not leave Him so often,’ she advised. To another she wrote, ‘It is wonderful to recall that, except for the vision of seeing God, we possess God as all the Saints in Heaven do. We can surely be with Him always and no one can take us away from Him. He dwells in our souls!’ She often referred to the Blessed Trinity as “The Three” or “my Three.”
We can say of a neighbor, “She loves dogs and has three adorable ones.” Well, one theologian calls the Trinity “this existence of the Three adorable Ones in One unique Adorable.” 1
With the Trinity, God is not an empty void or a nirvana.2
2). Second, to make the Trinity practical for preaching, many talk about the Social Trinity, a concept reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that, “The divine image is present in every man. It shines forth in the communion of persons, in the likeness of the union of divine persons among themselves." #1702
This statement does encourage a social Trinity which, however, entails reading into the doctrine of Trinity, contemporary talk about persons and relationships.
E.g. mental health professionals know that the feeling or perception of isolation is one of the greatest causes of psychological suffering. Human beings are relational by nature, created in the image of a Triune God who has loved us into existence. Ideally, the Trinity lived out means that love offered will be returned and more than returned, that in giving being is replenished and not diminished or exhausted. In Latin: Esse deus dare: to be God is to give.
There is also the Rogerian Triad, which is taught is every school for psychotherapists. The Triad for healthy personal relationships consists of unconditional positive regard by the counselor—no matter what you share, it won’t affect my deep respect for you as a human being. Why? Because to change our behavior for the better, we can’t be taught directly; another person can only facilitate our learning. The second part is empathy- “I hear what you are saying. Creating security in a relationship enables communication. The third part is congruence- “You know, quiet honestly, I‘m concerned about …. Once you accept reality, change comes about spontaneously. Personal growth precedes productivity increase.3
3. Thirdly, in the Holy Trinity, the Father eternally speaks the Word and the Spirit is the dialogue between the two- a “Trialogue.: When one is younger, one is usually more social, but later in life with work and business, it is important to have a prayer life and hang out with just you and the Three Adorable one’s, which has the implication that we need two other close friends in our life so one can have a Trialogue.
American culture prioritizes romance, but people who have friends and close confidants are more satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression.4
They’re also less likely to die from all causes, including heart problems and a range of chronic diseases.5
Fortunately, research also suggests that friendships can be made and maintained at any age, relationships with friends can strengthen or stand in for [Godly] romantic relationships, and even minimal social interactions can be powerful and beneficial.6
In conclusion, like the Saints, personalize the Most Holy Trinity: Call them your three Adorables and protect their presence in you by staying saved in the state of grace so the Holy Trinity dwells in you, which is why we bless ourselves, in the Name of the F, S, and HS.
Second, it’s not good to be alone. Seek out two close friends, a Trialogue, Lastly, allow others to share, show empathy, and only then can you be honest if you are concerned about something because you want you and them to be genuine and show up honestly in conversations.
Our model: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: 3 persons, 1 great relationship.7
1. Yves Congar, A Theology of the Third Person of the Trinity, Church Life Journal, McGrath Institute, University of Notre Dame, 05/30/2023
2. Balthasar, “The Exalted Lord’s Care for the World,” in You Crown the Year with Your Goodness (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), 124.
3. Rogerian Triad, MITM Heath, m-i-t-m.com
4. Choi, K. W., et al., The American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 177, No. 10, 2020
5. Holt-Lunstad, J., et al., PLOS Medicine, Vol. 7, No. 7, 2010; Steptoe, A., et al., PNAS, Vol. 110, No. 15, 2013
6. Zara Abrams, American Psychological Association, The science of why friendships keep us healthy, Vol. 54 No. 4, 06/01/2023; this article is the source for endnotes 4 and 5
7. Cecily Paterson, Father, Son, Holy Spirit: 3 persons, 1 great relationship, fervr.net
