The liturgy today celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The dogma of the Blessed Trinity is the most important article of the faith — all the other teachings of the Church depend and find their foundation on it. Why is that? Well, if we don’t understand our teaching on God, then everything else is misplaced. The most basic way to understand the Trinity is by looking at the significance of the sign of the cross. In the sign of the cross, we express our fundamental belief and faith in the Trinitarian God. When we do the sign of the cross, we touch our head when we invoke the Father – why the head? Why not our nose? Everything began with the mind of God. Everything there is came into being because of God’s design, which began in the mind of God. As our Father, he directs us according to his plan, and it is his vision and plan that makes all things possible. Just like everything that we do begins with the “head/mind”, so does with God. Then we touch our hearts when we invoke the Son, and we say, “and of the Son.” This reminds us that God, the Son, proceeds from the Father or comes forth from the Father. The heart – the seat of emotions, of love. God is not just someone who conceives things in his mind or in his intellect. His plan for us does not just stay in the mind, but it penetrates the heart – and this is shown to us by sending his very Son, so that we might have new life in Him. We touch the heart when we speak of Jesus in the sign of the Cross, because Jesus is the expression par excellence of God’s love. Then we touch our shoulders, moving from left to right as we say, “and of the Holy Spirit.” We do this because God, the Holy Spirit, proceeds from the Father and the Son; and in his love, the Spirit fills us, body and soul, with the life of God. The shoulders – a symbol of taking the load and the burden; we carry things in our shoulders; and we touch them we speak of the Holy Spirit because it is the Holy Spirit that strengthens us in our discipleship, when things get tough and the burden is heavy – we invoke the Holy Spirit for guidance, strength and perseverance. So, that’s the basic explanation of the doctrine. Now, the question is: What’s the relevance of this doctrine to my life? The practical application of the doctrine to my life is that the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is bound by love. Each of the persons in the Trinity has a distinct role, has its own personality, they work harmoniously, each sustains and supports one another. There is no jealousy, no competition, no usurping of roles. If the Trinity is the most perfect model for us in our own human relationship, then we can ask ourselves, do my significant relationships reflect that Trinitarian model? Choose an important relationship in your life. Now, compare it to the Trinitarian relationship. Is there harmony in that relationship? Is it domineering, or do we respect our unique roles? Do I end up always defining the role of the other? Do I fulfill my role, or do I find myself always following what the other wants even against my own will? Is there competition? Is there jealousy? That’s the personal level.
Now, if you want to ask another question: What is the relevance of this to the social issues of the time? Now that we understand the dynamics of the Trinitarian relationship, we can ask ourselves: Whom do I consider as my neighbor? Only people who have the same color as mine, only those who have the same religion as mine? Do I discriminate in my heart whom I want to relate with? Do I feel that I am superior to other people simply because I have more education and money? Do I support laws that single out and oppress a certain group? Or, do I seek greater understanding of the other who is different and not simply swayed by opinions of others? So, there you go, we discussed the doctrine. How is it relevant to your personal situation as well as its relevance to the social issues of the time? Do I embody or exemplify the Trinitarian relationship? If I don’t, then I’m missing the very core of my faith. – Fr. Cary