'Oily' To Bed, 'Oily' To Rise: Achieving 'Goodness' Through Worship and Sacraments
The Simple Math Of One God in 3 Distinct Divine Persons
1 + 1 = 2 is the basic math taught in elementary education. This truth begins with the first step of learning how to count to 10. So proud is the young child, who can run up to grandma and grandpa and spew forth his or her numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I know how to count grandma and grandpa! Grandparents beam with pride at their young prodigy!
The basic numbers then move on to knowledge of what to do with numbers. In approximately first grade, the child learns to add numbers. It is explained by sight example, one apple, and then another apple gives a person two apples. After the seeing, the math principle is then written as a number equation: 1 PLUS 1 = 2. Ahhhh, so simple! 1 + 1 = 2. It's common knowledge! No argument, no debate needed!
For the majority of Christians, it is also common knowledge that we worship one God. To those with the gift of Faith, it is an accepted truth. It's common knowledge! No argument, no debate needed until, of course, we begin to speak of the spiritual math of One God in three distinct, divine persons. This knowledge and understanding set Christianity apart from the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Islam.
If we are trying to explain the mystery of a Trinitarian God, it can be difficult. One is one. There is only One God. When we look into a single mirror, we see the natural sight example of the image of our one physical self reflected back. One is one.
The best way to understand the principle of one God, in three persons, is to think in terms of our human relationships with others. We are one person, but in our single personhood, we can take on many multi-relational roles, such as the role of husband or wife, a parent, a grandparent, a child or grandchild of parent or grandparent, a sister or a brother, niece or nephew. We can also be a cousin, a neighbor, an employee, or a friend. We are one person relating to others in varied relationships.
The God math goes as such: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1. We have a God, who is understood as our Creator, maker of heaven and earth, and call Father. After humankind fell from this graced relationship by disobedience, God in his mystical, loving Divinity 'came down to earth.' Christian theology refers to this newly formed relationship with God, Creator, as the Incarnate God, Redeemer. This Redeemer, both human and Divine. God, the Son, God the Father, were separate 'persons' as any earthly father and son are separate persons. Like an earthly relationship, God, Father, and God, Son are of the same spirit. From this unity of The God who is Father and The Father's ONLY Divine Son, and humanity in union with the Son's ways, there came the next most important relationship with our One God. The 'person' we call Counselor to our minds. The Father and Son, as ONE SPIRIT of Love, referred to as the third 'person' of God, the Holy Spirit.
1 + 1 + 1 = 1. It’s the Divine math that assists us as persons to relate to OUR ONE GOD.
About the Author
Born and baptized in infancy into the Catholic Church, I have always been a practicing Catholic, living the gift of faith in God, with wisdom now understanding such living does take ‘lots of practice.’ For me, over 45 years worth of practice -- and that is as much as I will say about my chronological age. Please note by this introduction that I do enjoy lighthearted humor, which led to my 'call' to pursue the vocation of cartoon illustration. Such vocation is a very competitive field yet I do feel God directed my steps to both earning my daily bread and honing the illustration ability via the field of pre-press print production in such areas as community newspapers, retail advertising print production, and small print shop laying out text and image to be visually appealing.
From the repetitively doing of the graphic artwork of pre-press production, I came to realize that I can not only write with a picture (cartoon) but I can draw with words. What also came to be through the daily, dutiful, and disciplined service work for a living was the ever growing knowledge of my Catholic faith, as I persevered in 'offering up,' best I understood that, at each stage and age of my life, as I attended Catholic Mass weekly, and later in life daily Mass. Indeed the work-a-day world takes a lot of endurance and I found that attending daily Mass before going to the daily job in a print shop gave me an amazing 'strength' and 'endurance.'
I hope the articles I write for Catholic365.com are down-to-earth and fun, and that I have helped others to understand how special the Catholic faith practice is, and the grace that comes through the Catholic Church.
