Trinity Sunday and Beyond

Trinity Sunday and Beyond

Merriam-Webster defines theology as “the study of God and God's relation to the world.” This is a simple and easily understood definition that points to an action taking place in one’s life—study. We all have an opinion about God, but how are we furthering our understanding with regard to our relationship with God?

Trinity Sunday is a celebration of this truth, that God is accessible in a very real and personal way through the specific revelation of Jesus Christ by means of the Holy Spirit. To help us understand this we can delve, ever so slightly, into the school of “Trinitarian Theology" and be confronted by some bold and marvelous proclamations of our faith. Trinitarian Theology helps us to understand that the Trinity, as revealed in Jesus Christ, is the central and foundational doctrine that forms the basis for how we read scripture and how we understand all points of theological reflection. The "hows" and "whys" of our faith, understanding, and action are wrapped in the "who" of faith: "Who is the God made known in Jesus Christ, and who are we in relation to him?" Simply put, we cannot understand ourselves, God the Father, or the Holy Spirit apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Bible confronts us with a God who has chosen to make himself known and to actually be with us in person, in Jesus Christ. This means that we cannot look outside of Jesus and the specifics of biblical revelation, to understand who God is. In Jesus, we meet God as God really is, and it is in Jesus that we come to understand ourselves in reflection. But as I said, this is not “Jesus Sunday,” but Trinity Sunday, so what’s all this ‘Jesus talk’ about? That is the point. The Holy Spirit is present and active in our lives, reminding and revealing to us particulars about Jesus, and Jesus told us that to see Him is to see the Father and understand the Father as well—the Trinity is celebrated as the complete revelation of God—through Jesus Christ by means of the Holy Spirit. Trinity!

Beyond this brief theological reflection, we encounter trinity in our lives, dynamic and exciting, burdened and frustrating, challenging and peaceful. No matter what the day brings, we are ever and always in relationship, and at the end of the day those relationships will have grown whether we like it or not. The example given to us by God of life in relationship is found at the beginning of how we understand God! Trinity. God is ever and always in relationship, and God’s intention for us (found in the very heart of God’s being), is to consider our relationships first based on the specific revelation of Jesus Christ.

So, as we live and move and have our being in response to God, how do we rate relationships? To move beyond theology we must apply it practically; it is not simply a theory but a process of living. In the church, in the family, in the workplace, we are called to be the example of Jesus to each other and to place each other’s welfare and well-being above our own. In this, the truth of the Trinity finds expression through our relationships because we model what Jesus has showed us and share it with each other.

Following His example,
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Fr. Bill+