Beauty and Truth Beyond Comprehension

Dear Friends,

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This is how we begin all our communal prayer as Catholics and much of our private prayer as well. We make the Sign of the Cross while saying it, putting ourselves under its protection. We bless those we love with the same sign, and we are blessed at our baptism, at our funeral, and many times in between with the Sign of the Cross, invoking the Holy Trinity.

It would be arrogant and foolish of me to think that I could explain to you the doctrine of the Trinity, or even to think that I understand it myself. Yet it is something we believe as Catholics. It’s one of the Big Basics — One God, Three Persons. It is a Mystery — a truth we can meditate on, contemplate, pray about, yet never fully grasp, never understand. I have no original thoughts on this, God knows, but I will share some thoughts with you that I remember from what I have heard over the years in homilies given by people whose wisdom I respect, right here at Padre Serra. Here they are, in no particular order, and paraphrased:


        • One God, Three Persons — and each of the three is God in all God’s fullness
        • The Trinity as a way to imagine with our finite mind what is infinite
        • Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the ideal familial relationship
        • The Holy Spirit as the “embodiment” of the love between the Father and the Son
        • Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer — this one is problematic, though, because it implies distinct attributes to each
            of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity who all accomplish all of these things

Maybe God gave us the doctrine, the truth of the Trinity to help us turn to him more readily when we feel particular kinds of needs. For example:

       • When we are awestruck by the beauty of creation, and need to address thanksgiving and praise to God, the Father Almighty,                      Creator of Heaven and Earth
       • When we are acutely conscious of our sins and failings, and our great need for forgiveness and healing, and need to address                        sorrow, love and repentance to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Redeemer
      • When we seek courage, strength and inspiration to continue responding to God’s call in the face of challenges, and need to                           address our neediness and thirst to the Holy Spirit, the mighty wind, the breath of life, the giver of wisdom

“Let all things their Creator bless, and worship Him in humbleness, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise God the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit Three in One. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”


Siempre Adelante,

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Dominic MacAller
Director of Liturgy and Music 

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