Three in One

Photo by Enver Güçlü on Unsplash

What do we know about God?

And how do we know it?

Many philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas, have argued that

Through reason and observation, we can know that there is a God.

Yet, 10% of Americans say they don’t believe in any God or higher force.

And there are even more agnostics, who aren’t sure.

So, maybe there’s some element of faith, or intuition, or openness,

That we need before we accept that God exists.

Just knowing or believing that God exists doesn’t tell us a lot about God.

Reason and observation take us only so far.

Some cultures have ended up worshiping idols and trees and animals.

Some believe in wrathful gods, and gods who demand human sacrifices.

Even the great thinkers of Ancient Greece missed the mark.

For any substantial understanding of God, we need trusted revelation.

That does require an element of faith—

Not blind unquestioning faith, 
But faith tested by reason and observation.

Much of our understanding of the One True God was handed down to us

Through Jewish Scripture—the Old Testament.

God revealed a lot about himself through His statements and actions.

And through the rewards, punishments and Commandments he gave.

We learned still more about God through Jesus’ revelations.

We learned about the surprising extent of His love for us.

Jesus taught us to call Him Our Father—even Abba—

A more intimate term like, Daddy.

We learned more about what He expects from us.

More about the plans he has in store for us.

We learned more about His very nature.

An intimate glimpse into His internal being.

And that brings us to the Feast we celebrate today.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Without Jesus’ revelations, we’d have no idea that God is Trinity.

In fact, God spoke of Himself in the singular—I AM WHO AM.

And He declared in His First Commandment that he alone was God.

Jesus never used the actual term Trinity, in reference to God.

But he spoke often of his intimate relationship with the Father.

How he and the Father were one.

How he was in the Father and the Father was in him.

How if you’d seen him, you’d seen the Father.

He referred to himself as the Son.

And said that he was with the Father before the world began.

He said no one knows the Son except the Father.

And no one knows the Father except the Son,

And anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.

Jesus also spoke numerous times of the Spirit.

As he did in today’s Gospel.

And he linked the three of the Trinity, and implied their equality.

As when he gave the Great Commission:

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave us those facts regarding the relationships within God.

But he didn’t pull out shamrocks or triangles 
And offer to solve the mystery for us.

Maybe because the details weren’t really critical.

Or maybe because he knew we couldn’t grasp it yet.

And he was leaving us something to work on.

How could a creature think he can fully comprehend the creator anyway?

But we’ve tried, and we continue to try.

And it’s been a big deal.

We’ve had debates and heresies, and excommunications, and schisms.

But finally, by the 400’s,

Through Councils in Nicea, Chalcedon, Ephesus and Constantinople,

The Fathers of the Church reached the inescapable conclusion

From their study and reflection on Jesus’s teachings.

The One True God, the God of Abraham, is One God, one Divine Being.

But, at the same time, a Trinity of three—Father, Son and Spirit—

Equal, distinct but fully united, divine persons.

The dogma was settled, and expressed in the updated Nicene Creed.

As we recite that creed in a few minutes, notice how it

Emphasizes the oneness of God.

But also emphasizes the seemingly-contradictory truth of the Trinity.

Full understanding of God is clearly beyond our comprehension.

But we can get to know Him better.

By the same ways we get to know anyone better.

We might hear more about them.

We might read more about them.

We might converse with them on social media, or email or text.

But the best way is to sit down with them and talk with them.

We have that opportunity to sit down with God.

We have a Heavenly Father, Abba, Daddy, who’s always available.

The Trinity and other mysteries are good conversation starters.

We can try expressing what we think we understand.

Asking for greater insight.

Listening for any response.

On this Father’s Day, we might pray especially to the Father.

Knowing that the Son and the Spirit are included as well.

We might add a prayer for our earthly fathers.

Those of us who are fathers ourselves

Might ask God to help us become more like our Heavenly Father.

Being always available to our children.

Being always, along with mothers, 
Ready to do what’s best for our children.

The Fathers group includes,

Not just those of us who are called Dad more often than Father.

But also our priests, who we all call Father.

And while we’re on the topic of Fathers, we should note and give thanks

That yesterday ten new Fathers were ordained for our diocese.

And one of them was Deacon Stefan, now Father Stefan Megyery,

Who served us here at St Josephs for the past year.

Our Fathers’ Day prayers just might lead to responses

That boost us along the road to greater understanding of the mysteries.

But even with limited understanding,

Our faith lets us accept the great mysteries.

I don’t know which is the greatest or most mysterious.

The Trinity—with three persons in one Supreme Being.

The Incarnation—with two natures in one person.

Jesus fully God and fully Man.

The Transubstantiation—with Christ’s true presence, in body and blood, Under the appearance of bread and wine.

Or some other mystery.

We are familiar with these mysteries.

We accept them, we believe them.

Yet they remain mysteries.

We can benefit from exploring these mysteries.

There are many who don’t explore at all.

Some simply dismiss them as foolishness.

Clearly, they say, this is impossible.

Others simply accept the mysteries as Truth without much concern.

Their faith tells them to simply accept it.

It’s good to be in that faith-filled group.

We’re blessed to be there, with our gift of faith.

But it’s also good to step back 
And struggle with the mysteries now and then.

Each time we do that, we might get a flashing glimpse of that Truth.

Each time we might advance a little.

Get a boost and a reassurance that we’re on the right track.

That, even though we lack full understanding,
We can hope to—someday— understand more fully.

And, as St Paul says in today’s Scripture, hope does not disappoint.

On our ultimate Someday, we’ll stand before God,

And enjoy the beatific vision.

We’ll be given the fullest understanding a glorified human can achieve.

Then, we’ll know all that we can possibly know about who God is.

Trinity Sunday

Jn 16:12-15  Read this Scripture @usccb.org