MY FRIEND, Fr. Gerald, was ordained priest on Trinity Sunday, 15th June 1957. That was just over 50 years ago. The Faith is the same but there have been some changes. In those days he celebrated the Mass in Latin with his back to the people, in strange vestments called ‘fiddleback’ vestments. Whenever he sat down during the Mass he covered his head with an odd little black hat called a ‘biretta’.
He loves Trinity Sunday because that was the day he celebrated his very first Mass. Trinity Sunday, however, was instituted in 828 by Pope Gregory IX.
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IMAGES of the Holy Trinity (of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) depict the three elements of the one God. The Holy Trinity is sometimes symbolized by a triangular shape formed by three overlapping oval rings or loops, each featuring the one of the following images:
the Crown (Father) within the top loop;
the Cross or Lamb (Son) within the second loop (anti-clockwise);
and the Dove (Spirit) within the third loop (anti-clockwise).
It is one of the few feasts that is celebrated as a DOCTRINE instead of an event. It reflects the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and falls on the Sunday following Pentecost each year.
The belief of one God in three elements is a distinctive tenet of the Christian faith although I have to admit that the early church was plagued by heretical, contrary views. But by around the 14th century Trinity Sunday (which belief affirms the doctrine of the Three Persons in One God) had spread throughout the western church.
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A SIMPLE SOLUTION to the problem of presenting an image of The Three Persons in One God to ordinary, simple folk was solved by St.Patrick. He showed them the beloved Irish Shamrock. It was One flower with Three equal petals, one stem. God, he said, is TRINITY – God is Three but God is One.
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At first sight this does seems to be puzzling. But we are quite familiar with many types of trinity. The two best-known examples of trinity are: WATER, which is ice, liquid or steam: and,course, we HUMANS, who are body, mind and spirit. Many things are three in one.
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A man is ‘Robert‘ to his wife. He is ‘Tiger Bob’ to his workmates. He is ‘Daddy’ to his children. A trinity of titles – but only one person. We are quite used to trinities.
You will think of some other ‘trinities’:–
What about the trinity within colour? Even white, the purest colour of all, is a combination of red, green and blue.
What about the trinity of Time? Past, present and future are dimensions which only exist in the present universe.
What about the trinity of Matter? Which is controlled by electromagnetism, gravitation and nuclear reaction.
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There are many other demonstrations of the principle of ‘trinity’, but perhaps the ‘Atom’ is the most profound..
THE WORD ‘ATOM’ comes from the Greek word for “indivisible” representing the purest essence of a single element, and yet it is made up of three. The proton, with the neutron at its centre, and of course the negatively-charged electron which acts as a balance with other elements.
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Jesus spoke of the 3 persons in one God: “The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said.” (John Ch 14 v26)
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IT IS AMAZING that God cared for us imperfect humans so much as to become a perfect human person – Jesus, who died and rose again and is now back in heaven preparing a place for all those who trust in Him. He even sends us his Holy Spirit so that he can be with us for ever, in all circumstances.
What a wonderful God we have!
God bless your own Body, Mind and Spirit.
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