Our Darkest Moments, Converted by Mercy
The Mystery of the Trinity
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“Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.” Rv 1:8
The two young men at my door wore black ties and crisp white shirts, a familiar sight in neighborhoods everywhere: Mormon missionaries. I always welcome the chance to evangelize them! Because, while I admire their missionary zeal, I know that they teach a doctrine foreign to Christianity. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the LDS Church does not believe in the Holy Trinity, one God in three Divine Persons. They believe instead in three separate Gods, including a flesh-and-blood God the Father who pre-exists both Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The missionaries are enthusiastic and convincing, and if Christians don’t know what the Church teaches, they may have difficulty defending their own beliefs. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is difficult to comprehend, even for the greatest theologians and fathers of the Church. But it is our faith, so we all have an obligation to try to learn what the church teaches and why it matters.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a rich source of information about the roots of this teaching. Drawing from scripture and apostolic tradition, the Catechism summarizes it this way, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life” (Para 261).
This seemingly obscure bit of doctrine is the definitive teaching of the Christian Church. If we fail to acknowledge that the eternal God became man, suffered and died for us, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, we have rejected Christianity.
In today’s Old Testament reading, Moses asks, “Did anything so great ever happen before? …Did a people ever hear the voice of God… and live?” We, as Christians, have been given something even greater. We have seen the face of God among us, and lived. So on the day that we, like Peter, hear Jesus ask, “Who do you say that I am?” let us be prepared to answer, “My Lord and my God!” And when those young missionaries knock on our door, let us be prepared to defend our faith, inspired by the wisdom and gentleness that comes from God, the Holy Spirit.
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.
Link to the Complete Readings for Trinity Sunday 2024
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About the Author
Born and raised in a faithful Catholic family, I wandered far from my faith for nearly two decades. Through the infinite mercy of Christ and His Church, I found my way back home to the Catholic Church in the early 90s, and began a path of rediscovery of the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, eventually earning a Bachelor's degree in Christian Tradition. A stay-at-home Mom for many years, my Church ministries grew to include teaching Catechism and First Eucharist classes, writing and facilitating retreats for healing after abortion, and becoming active in pro-life work with our local 40 Days for Life campaign in the Tri-Cities, Washington as an organizer, participant, speaker, and writer. My desire to share the greatest gift of my life, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and His Divine Mercy, has found expression in my writing. My articles have been published locally in the Tri-City Herald's Spiritual Life and editorial columns; in the Carmelite Digest; Celebrate Life magazine; and recently in the National Catholic Register.
Links to these articles and more can be found on my blog at http://www.catholicethics.blogspot.com/. My Catholic Ethics page is on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/CatholicEthics.
