The Most Holy Trinity
No fixed feast day in the calendar
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One God in Three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal and loving one another
What is this feast?
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity celebrates the central mystery of the Christian faith: one God in Three Persons. It is celebrated on the Sunday right after Pentecost. Through the Christmas season and the Easter season, the Church has celebrated the Father sending his Son into the world, the Son dying and rising again, and the Holy Spirit coming down; now the Church pauses to adore the Triune God himself.
The story
People did not invent this mystery: God himself revealed it to us. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the Son was in the water, the Spirit came down like a dove, and the voice of the Father spoke from heaven (cf. Mt 3:16-17). Jesus spoke about his Father and promised: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always” (Jn 14:16). Before returning to heaven, he sent his disciples to baptize all nations “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).
Saint Paul blessed the faithful with these words: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Cor 13:13). The priest may still use this blessing to greet the people at the beginning of Mass.
There are Three Persons, but not three gods. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet there is only one God. The Three Persons are truly distinct, and still they are equal, with one and the same nature, and all three have existed from all eternity. No one can understand this mystery completely, but you can believe it, adore and love.
Why does the Church celebrate this feast?
Because “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). From all eternity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit live in perfect communion of love, and God invites everyone to come and live in that love. Jesus promised those who love him: “we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” (Jn 14:23). When you were baptized, the Holy Trinity came to live in your heart; treasure that friendship, and if you fall into sin, hurry back to the Lord.
A lesson for you
- Make the Sign of the Cross with devotion when you wake up, before meals and before going to bed.
- When you pray the Glory Be, remember that you are praising the Holy Trinity.
- Live in peace with your family, because loving one another makes us like God.
Identifying marks
- An old man with white hair and beard, with a triangle-shaped halo behind his head: the way Western art usually paints God the Father, recalling “the Ancient of Days” in the Book of Daniel (cf. Dn 7:9). God the Father has no body and does not grow old; the picture is only a sign to help you think of him. The triangle recalls one God in Three Persons.
- Jesus in a red mantle, holding a cross, with the marks of the nails in his hands: God the Son became man, died on the cross and rose again; he still bears his glorious wounds (cf. Jn 20:27).
- A halo with a cross behind Jesus’ head: a sign kept only for Christ in paintings and statues.
- A shining white dove above, between the two Persons: the Holy Spirit, as at the Baptism of Jesus (cf. Mt 3:16); the Holy Spirit is not a bird: the dove is only an image.
- The Father and the Son seated side by side, reaching their hands toward each other: the Three Persons are equal, no Person is greater than another, and they are always one in love.
- White clouds and light all around: God dwells in heaven, beyond anything we can imagine.
The text on this page is the card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Compiled by i-Catholic · About