When we pause to pray or often as we simply pass by a church we bless ourselves and say the words that accompany this holy action. ‘In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’. These words remind us that there are three persons in God.

The Trinity is one of the most difficult areas of Christian belief for us to understand, if in fact ‘understand’ is the correct word to use. It’s believed that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain what in our minds is impossible to explain. Even a very young child can tell you that to have three of anything is better than one.

What exactly is meant by the Three-in One of the Trinity? Well, if you think of a spring that comes out of the ground way up in the mountains. It flows down the valley, gaining momentum, to become a river, and then flows into the sea at its estuary. Well, if you can imagine the spring as the beginning, and the river as the descendant of that spring, with the Spirit covering the world like the seas. So, all aspects of the river and sea are the same water, but with different facets, and with different functions.

In the same way, the Father is the root of all creation providing all the goodness. Jesus Christ is the core of our Christianity, strong and firm with his work for the Father. The fruit of the life of Jesus here on earth is the Holy Spirit, from whom we receive all that is needed for a better moral and spiritual life.  

Fr Gerry