Trinity Sunday

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20)

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  Today’s Gospel is short, but to the point.  Matthew quotes Jesus as saying: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  In this way – through baptism – Jesus is with us always.  

The Trinity is about a relationship: the three as one.  When we were baptized, we entered into a relationship with all the other baptized.  Since God is love, the Trinity is love; therefore, our Catholic relationships should be based on love and not restricted just to baptized Christians.  That would make for an exclusive club, and Jesus didn’t like that sort of tribal thinking and behavior.  He was all inclusive.

If not love, then respect and friendship are the next best approaches more likely the norm with most people.  If not love, then compassion and empathy are important keys to understanding the Trinity.

Ironically, there is a difference between Orthodox and Catholic Christians that contributed to a longstanding dispute and mutual excommunications so many years ago.  Catholic (and Protestants) believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father.  

This difference in thinking created a split – a schism.  Two tribes of Christians, so to speak. According to the Orthodox, “The doctrine of the Trinity is the product of man’s living communion with the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.”

What might seem a small difference regarding this Trinity definition, was in fact historically monumental.   For me, however, I choose not to get bogged down and upset about either interpretation.  I much prefer to focus on what the Trinity means: love and union, not division such as what exists between Catholics and the Orthodox.

Deacon David Pierce