Saturday, May 17, 2008

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (A)

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

When the world-famous Episcopal theologian was on the lecture circuit, giving talks on very obtuse theological issues, he ordinarily traveled in a chauffeur-driven car. One day, while on the road, the theologian’s chauffeur, a priest, said to him, “Bishop, I have heard you deliver that lecture on the Trinity dozens and dozens of times. I’ve even memorized it, and I bet I could deliver it myself.” The bishop replied, “You’re on. I’ll give you that opportunity. The people at the university where I am to lecture next have never met me. Before we get there, I’ll dress like a simple priest, and you can put on my bishop’s robes, and you will introduce me as your chauffeur and yourself as me.”

For a while, all went according to plan. The priest-chauffeur delivered the lecture flawlessly. But as the lecture concluded, a professor in the audience arose and asked an exceedingly complex theological question. “Did God the Father and God the Holy Spirit die with Jesus on the cross?” The quick-thinking chauffeur replied, “The solution to your question is so simple, I'm rather surprised you asked it. Indeed, to prove to you how simple it is, I am going to ask my chauffeur to step forward and answer your question.”

(The story is told by William J. Bausch in A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers)

By faith we believe that God is one in three persons. There is only one God, but he exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is what we call the mystery of the Trinity. We cannot fully explain it, but we make it a dogma of faith. Why?

We believe in the Trinity because we believe in Jesus who, in the gospel, reveals the Triune God. Jesus claims that the Father and he are one (Jn 10:30). He tells the disciples that he and the Father would send the Holy Spirit (Jn 15:26). Then, before his ascension into heaven, he commissioned the apostles to go to all corners of the world and make people his disciples. “Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit . . .” (Mt 28:19-20). Jesus did not say “In the names of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, as if there are three different gods. But, he said clearly “In the name . . .” because God essentially is a union of three persons.

Theologians would try to explain the mystery of the Trinity by using different analogies. For example, they would use the realities of the sun, its rays and heat. The sun is like God the Father; the sun sends out its rays, God the son. Then from both the sun and its rays, from the Father and the Son, comes the heat, the Holy Spirit. Some modern Filipino theologians would use the dynamics of a “three-in-one instant coffee” which is composed of coffee, milk and sugar. There are three basic realities but only one drink. In the same way, there are three persons but only one God. These are interesting and helpful images, and yet, they don’t really do justice to the most profound reality of the Triune God.

Because the Trinity is a mysterious reality, some people would think that it means little or nothing to our life? But wait! Were we not created in the image and likeness of the Triune God? If such is true, then the inner life of Trinity must have something to tell us about being human or about the way we live our life.

First of all, the Trinity tells us about the equal dignity of persons. Each Person of the Trinity is unique and different, but all three are of equal dignity. The Divine Persons live harmoniously because they have full respect of each other’s individuality and equality. This is one important thing that we need to emulate from the Trinity – to respect the dignity of every person and to treat all equally, irrespective of age, color, gender, belief, or financial status. Respect for the dignity of persons is crucial in every relationship. In fact, friendship between persons would thrive only if the parties involved are respectful of each others’ worth and dignity.

Moreover, the Trinity shows us that there can be unity amidst diversity. The divine persons are equal in dignity, but each of them possesses different characteristics. Yet, instead of causing tension, the uniqueness of every Divine Person enriches the beauty and productivity of the Trinitarian life. This is another basic lesson that we need to learn from the Trinity. We become beautiful and more fruitful if we allow or respect differences in our communities. The challenge is to inspire individuals to use their unique gifts and talents for the good of all.

The family, for example, is a community of persons who are called to reflect the inner life of the Trinity. The members of the family – parents and children – must respect the dignity of each one. Parents and elders must not consider themselves superior to their children or younger siblings. Love, not power, should rule in the family. Love gives, power dominates. Relationships are harm when one party dominates another or makes the other subservient to one’s wishes and desires.

Furthermore, members of a family must respect the uniqueness of each one. Husband and wife, for example, should not lose their individuality in marriage. Some would like us to believe that for marriage to last, husband and wife must have the same likes and dislikes. Nothing is further from the truth. Complementarity in marriage means that a husband or a wife must be a willing supplement or help to the other. Husband and wife do not have to like the same food, but each one is challenge to do everything so that the other can eat his or her favorite food. They do not have to share the same idea about something, but each one is called to listen and enlighten one another’s opinion.

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