Think, envision, reflect—Three Persons with one nature. Incomprehensible, impossible, improbable. So great a fact for the human mind to understand. It defies all logic. But it is. There are Three Persons in One God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit—“distinct from one another”, and do not share the one divinity among themselves, but each a Supreme Reality, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
One God in Three Persons
The dogma of the Holy Trinity is the most important teaching of the Catholic Church, the most essential too in the hierarchy of Christian faith, the “source of other mysteries of truth and faith” (CCC 234).
The inseparable unity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is called in theological terms—circumincession. What one does all do, for the Holy Trinity is a doctrine of love and unity. However, in theology, the portrait of God the Father as the Creator, God the Son as the Redeemer and God the Holy Spirit as the Sanctifier make clear “the functions” of the Holy Trinity in the world.
The Council of Constantinople in 382 declared that Godhead should be understood and accepted by all Christians as Mia Ousia, Tres Hypostaseis (One Substance, Three Persons), Unity in Trinity.
Faith: A must to believe
Christians make the sign of the cross to begin and end prayers, a declaration of faith to the Triune God. The Father God of creation is acknowledged for His everlasting love as we point to the forehead. As we touch the tip of our heart, we assert that God the Son is our Redeemer. Then, as we rest our fingertips on our left and on the right shoulders, we affirm that God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us.
The homage to the God of life and love when traced in straight lines is a cross. We clasp our hands in unity and supplication for God’s blessings. As we say “amen”, we subscribe to God’s will, who knows what is best for us.
In the sign of the cross, the Most Blessed Trinity is acknowledged, relative to one another in divine unity. That “the Father is wholly in the Son and in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son” (CCC 255).
This doctrine, which can never be expressed fully in words, is truly beyond human understanding. So, even the disciples of Jesus entertained doubts. To Philip’s request, “Lord show us the Father, that is all we need,” Jesus answered: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:8-10).
It is difficult to convince an intellectual who demands proof to believe the doctrine. He insists “to see is to believe” to prove God’s ineffable nature and attributes. But, the grace to believe is a gift from God. Faith is a must to open the doors of the mind so our spirit can see. Saint Thomas Aquinas in Dei Filius asserts: “Believing is an act of the intellect, assenting to the divine truth by command of the will, moved by God through grace.”
On Pentecost, the coming of the advocate
God, the Holy Spirit or Advocate, is the last of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity to be revealed to man. How sad the apostles were when Jesus told them He has to return to His Father. In His pledge of love for them, He assured them of His presence and will not leave them orphaned.
He said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled…I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:1, 16, 25).
The full descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and about 3,000 new Christians was on Pentecost. The noise of a strong wind came from the sky, and tongues of fire rested on each person. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in different languages. Devout Jews Parthians, Medes, Elamites, inhabitants from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, as well as travellers from Rome, Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs were astounded and bewildered to hear the Galileans speak in their native language (Acts 2:2-12).
With the Holy Spirit in us, we can experience its fruits—charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity (CCC 1832).
The gifts of the Holy Spirit complete and perfect the virtues in us. They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord (CCC 1831).
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Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.