WHAT IS THE TRINITY?

CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY--Series #

THE TRINITY

“Grandma, our Church bulletin at Mass says that this is ‘TRINITY’ Sunday and it is a Feast. Does that mean food?”

“Well, by coincidence, this afternoon is our Parish FAIR! And we’ll be eating some really delicious food and you’ll be running around to all the games and events and having fun. But that’s not the kind of ‘Feast’ the Church means. In the whole worldwide Catholic Church, on every month on the calendar, certain days are chosen to help us remember particular historical events from the Bible or especially important holy people. Especially events in Jesus’ life. These are called ‘Holy Days.’ Some are called ‘Feasts,’ some ‘Memorials,’ some ‘Solemnities,’ depending on how significant they are.”

“Then ‘TRINITY’ must be a big one if it is called a ‘Feast’.”

“One of the most important, Jeffrey. We can read in the Bible about the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity and think about what that means.”

“I thought that we believed in one God. How come we talk about three persons?”

“Jesus talks about God, His Father. Jesus is God the Son. He also talks about God the Holy Spirit.”

“That’s getting a little hard to understand. Are there three Gods?”

“Actually, this is another mystery which none of us can really understand. Because Jesus taught us to believe that, He helps us to have faith because we believe what He said is always true. Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” In another place He promised, “The Holy Spirit that the Father will send in My name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

“Is the word ‘Trinity’ in the Bible?”

“No, not the word itself, but it is demonstrated by things that took place. Like when Jesus was baptized by John at the beginning of His ministry, the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven saying that Jesus was His beloved Son and that He was pleased with Him. At the same time the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove came upon Jesus. So all Three Persons were there at one time! The word ‘Trinity’ is what the Church uses to describe that.”

“When I memorized ‘The Apostles’ Creed’ you showed me how it was divided up in three sections—about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. That made it easier to learn. But it’s still hard to understand that there are three separate persons but yet only one God.”

“Right.  It is hard.  One Person of the Trinity is not greater than the other and each Person of the Trinity is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving. In the first book in the Bible called Genesis, we read that all Three Persons were involved in the creation of the earth, the heavens, and everything.”

“In my special verse, John 3:16, God is sending His Son Jesus to earth to bring eternal life to us. That’s like two Persons right there.”

“Last Sunday was the Feast of Pentecost, remember? Trinity Sunday always is celebrated the following Sunday. Remember what exciting thing happened to the followers of Jesus?”

“That’s when Jesus kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit to give the Church and Christians power to do His work—yes, so that was the third Person!”

“All three Persons always act together ever since Jesus went to Heaven. Where there is one, all of them are present. They are one God.”

“So then when we pray, are we really talking to the whole Trinity at the same time? Even when we pray in Jesus’ Name? Who really answers our prayers then?”

“We usually talk to God as if we were Jesus asking His Father for something or thanking Him for something. That’s what it means when Jesus taught us to pray, ‘In Jesus’ Name.’ Then the Holy Spirit takes our prayers and kind of polishes them up on the way to the Father, the Bible says, so they would get there and be the right kind of prayers that God will answer. We are still communicating with Only One God—the Trinity.”

“How about when we make the sign of the Cross, Grandma?”

“Every time we do that it is really like a prayer to the whole Trinity too. Even though we can’t completely understand God, we should continue to learn as much as we can about Him. That is why we come to Mass—to worship God and to learn more how to live to please God. And why we read the Bible. And learn all the important things our Catholic Church teaches.”

“At Church we always say the ‘Glory be’ –that’s for the Trinity too, isn’t it?”

“Yes, ‘Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.’ We are praising the entire Trinity!”