WORD ALIVE
A pious woman was bringing a bunch of novena-booklets to church and met the parish priest. Surprised, the pastor said, “You have so many prayer books. Who is your favorite saint?” The lady replied, “Of course, I like the Blessed Virgin Mary best! But I also like her sister.”
Taken aback, the priest said, “Her sister? Who is she?” “Of course, Santa Trinidad!” she replied.
The priest smiled, saying, “Ma’am, the Virgin Mary has no sister and “Santa Trinidad” are the Spanish words for Holy Trinity.
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St. Patrick, a missionary to Ireland, used as analogy the shamrock leaf. It has three leaflets but only one stem. Others use the example of water, which can exist in three different forms: Ice, liquid, and steam but they’re one and the same water.
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Why should we Christians believe in a mysterious three-in-one God? It’s simply because Jesus Christ Himself revealed to us when he came to our world. He said: “The Father and I are one.” “I will send to you the Paraclete (the Third Person of the Holy Trinity).” Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus concluded: “Go into the whole world; teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit” (Mt 28,19).
The Holy Trinity is not completely beyond comprehension. Through Jesus Christ, God the Father revealed his main attribute which is love that connotes care, affection and concern like the Father’s affection to the prodigal son. Jesus said, “As the Father loves me so I love you.” The Scripture declares: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son”(Jn 3,16).
If there’s ever a more appropriate place where love of the Holy Trinity can be shown, it is in the family.
The family becomes a “little Holy Trinity” when family members show love, care and respect for one another. However, that love and respect can be marred.
Here’s an illustration. Once a young boy, doing his homework, approached his father and asked: “Papa, how do wars begin? The father answered, “Well, war begins when, for example, the USA attacks Britain; then Britain retaliates.”
The mother, who was within hearing distance, suddenly intervened: “How could that happen? USA and Britain are allies!”
“That’s just an example!” the husband retorted. “And how do you expect a child to learn with wrong examples!” the wife shot back.
Irritated, the husband shot back, “But that is only an example…Why are you meddling? Would you shut up!”
“You shut up, too!” the wife snapped. “What you’re teaching is wrong!” And the two engaged in a shouting match. The son raised his voice and said: “Papa, Mama, that’s enough! Now I know how wars begin.”
Unlike the Trinitarian family, there is no perfect family, simply because family members are only human. Children quarrel and become disobedient and disrespectful; married couples break up or become unfaithful, so there’s always the need for patience, forgiveness and reconciliation.
As one writer puts it: “Marriage is the institution of two forgivers.”
We can and will never achieve a perfect family or a perfect community. But as a spiritual writer said, “God does not expect us to do the impossible, but he expects us to do our best.”
Let’s be mindful of the Holy Trinity by praying the Trinitarian prayer and making the sign of the Cross thus: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and forever. Amen.”
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Appeal: A benefactor to our seminarians once said: “My sons have no vocation to the priesthood so I might as well help others become priests.” How inspiring!
Seminarians are future priests and missionaries. We cannot have them if we don’t support them. ([email protected])