The Holy Trinity: Our Final End

Happy Trinity Sunday! I often feel as if this is the overlooked Solemnity of the Church year, as it falls in between Pentecost Sunday, where the Church celebrates Her birthday and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and Corpus Christi, often commemorated with Eucharistic Processions. This Sunday, however, has no unusual liturgical events or commemorations. There is no sequence before the Gospel, there is no big celebration or procession, everything is as a normal Sunday.

I think the apparent simplicity of this Solemnity is actually quite sublime. The Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian Faith. It is brought before us constantly throughout the day, both in and outside of the Liturgy. Everytime we make the Sign of the Cross, we proclaim the Trinity. Everytime we pray the Glory be, we praise the Trinity.

The Trinity is the mystery par excellance; no matter how much we speak and explain the Trinity, there is always more we may speak and explain. No matter how much we come to understand the Trinity, there is always infinitely more to understand. Our understanding of the One God in Three Divine Persons will never be complete, either in this life or the next. As is often said, "If you think you have comprehended the Trinity, you've comprehended something, but it's not God."

The lack of unique proclamations and ceremonies today actually then proclaims the centrality of the Trinity to the Faith. The Holy Trinity can never be lacking from our worship. To be a Christian is to proclaim the Trinity. Without Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one cannot enter into the Church. The Trinity is the One Who gives us life, sustains our life, and to Whom we will return at the end of our lives. Therefore, every act should be done in union with the Trinity. 

Today then should be for us a reawakening. Holy Mother Church gives us this feast immediately after we have finished commemorating all of the mysteries of our salvation to remind us once again of their purpose. The Word became man, was born of Mary, suffered for us, died on a Cross, rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church, all so that we might be reunited to God. This feast may be a reminder then of our final end. 

God the Father created us in love to be with Him for eternity, the Son redeemed us in love to bring us back to Himself, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us in love so that we may always be united with Him. May we always keep this in mind as we pray and work. Let us always worship the Triune God through the Holy Liturgy. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.