by: Deacon Paul Rooney (deaconpaul@cox.net)
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
(Cycle "C" - June 6, 2004)

Q. 270: Can you explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity to me in a couple of short paragraphs?

A. 270: No, I can't! This is the greatest and the most awesome of the divine mysteries. Some preachers dread this weekend, because they know they cannot explain the Holy Trinity in ten minutes of preaching.

In our Creed at Mass, we proclaim and confess what we believe in Faith, and in what the Church teaches as Truth. We state our belief that there is only One God, but Three Divine Persons within that One Godhead. Elsewhere in scripture, especially in the epistles of St. John, we are told and we believe that the Life of the Trinity has everything to do with Love. And it is through love that we come closest to understanding the Holy Trinity. This is a profound Mystery, but God has left a "trail of fingerprints" all over his creation, a trail of love. So being only human, all we can do is "tell love stories" to try to give examples of the most profound mystery ever known to humanity. Let me use my own Deacon Community to give you an illustration.

The deacon communities all across this country have a formal program which welcomes and introduces all of the new "aspirants" or "candidates" and their wives into the Diaconate. There are many ways we have used over the years to express and present the meaning of "diaconia" or "servanthood" to these couples. One method talks about Loving, Affirming, and Calling Forth. To me, this speaks to the very core of the life of the Most Holy Trinity, as I know it in my feeble understanding of so great a mystery - and it is this life of self-giving Love that every deacon couple, and every baptized Christian, is called to live and to pass on to others. That responsibility of every Christian to "pass along" God's love is terribly important to us today.

Know Your Catechism! Do you "back up" your verbal expressions of love with daily actions (CCC #1825)? Have you affirmed someone today, because they are or have been a blessing to you (CCC #1826)? Have you called forth someone to grow in a gift they possess but cannot see without your help (CCC #800)? If so, then you have discovered the life of the Holy Trinity, which is a relationship of loving and self-giving.

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha