THROUGH UNTRUE

Today, the solemn feast of the Holy Trinity, we profess our belief that God exists as one being in three Divine Persons. I recall a priest who addressed his Sunday congregation in the following manner: “My brothers and sisters, the Holy Trinity is a mystery. If we were to comprehend it, it would cease to be a mystery. Therefore, let us leave it as such. I will not deliver a sermon today.” In response, nearly all of the parishioners whispered, “Thanks be to God.” However, as Christians, we strive to comprehend the beliefs we hold. Moreover, if we are unable to fully grasp the meaning of this divine mystery, it is not due to its darkness, but rather because there is an overwhelming amount of light for our feeble eyes to behold. As numerous saints and theologians have discovered, we understand better the complexities of our faith through love rather than mere sight. Therefore, let us endeavor to understand the significance of the Holy Trinity from the perspective of love. Through this lens, we derive valuable lessons that can be applied to human relationships. We believe that God is one, for His essence is love. As love inherently seeks to unify all things, God perfectly personifies such unity. If love possesses the power to unite the lover with the beloved, a lesson we derive from this is that we must exercise caution in selecting whom or what we choose to love. St. Thomas Aquinas once wrote, “We become what we love.” Love possesses the ability not only to unite but also to transform us into the likeness of our beloved. Consequently, if we love God, we begin to resemble God. If we love a dog, our faces will start to resemble it. A person who loves money is perceived by others as “mukhang pera.” A person who loves misery is taunted as: “mukhang ipinag lihi sa sama ng loob.” A stingy person is described as: “mukhang nakasarang pitaka.” Therefore, we must choose well whom or what to love. Another lesson we can extract from the Trinity, which is applicable to human relationships, is that love naturally spreads and shares itself. Love is not love until it is given freely. But even if the Trinity is an eternal, dynamic community wherein love is continuously given and received, the three divine Persons retain their unique identities. This is because their love for one another is tempered by reverence. When applied to human relationships, we can assert that genuine love must be balanced with respect. Respect creates the necessary space wherein we perceive our beloved not as a reflection of ourselves or our desires, but as a distinct individual, deserving of rights that we can never infringe upon. Every friendship, marriage, family, organization, or society can only thrive when these two virtues are present: love and respect. Or, more theologically, charity and justice. We are fashioned in the image of God. God does not exist as a solitary entity but as a community of love and reverence. Just as God is God only within the context of a Trinitarian relationship, we can only realize our full humanity when we engage in horizontal relationships with others and a vertical relationship with God. The feast of the Trinity implores us to combat the inclination toward unchecked individualism and isolationism. Being a Christian does not entail retreating from contact and involvement with people and society. Our highly technological, digital, and money-driven society has fostered within us a mindset that sacrifices love and respect on the altar of self-interest.