This weekend, we celebrate a key doctrine of our Faith - the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is the Doctrine that defines us Christian – that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father, the Second Person of the Trinity, and that they send the Holy Spirit, the Third Person. All three Persons are one being. This is a true mystery, as our minds cannot fully grasp the fullness of the Trinity. Three distinct persons, yet perfectly united in one being! Because of their unity, the Church teaches that where one is active, all are active, each in His own way (Catechism of the Catholic Church ¶258). In Creation, all three were present and active, in Redemption, all three were present and active, and in our sanctification, all three are active. The 'differences' among the persons of the Trinity is not merely what they do, but rather their interior relationship to the other Persons. Because of this, it is insufficient to simply name the Persons of the Trinity “Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier.” The only names that come close to capturing the reality of the Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as revealed by Jesus Christ Himself. The Father is eternally begetting the Son, the Son is eternally Begotten, and the Spirit is eternally sent forth from them.
What this means for those who are discerning a vocation is that the vocation comes from all Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Those called to be priests are called to offer sacrifice to God the Father, reconfigured in persona Christi capitis, that is, in the person of Christ as head, and finally empowered in a special way by the Holy Spirit. Priests need to be in relationship to the Persons of the Trinity, in addition to being in relationship to their diocese and parish! The Trinity is a true community, and we, being created in the image and likeness of God, are likewise called into fellowship with the Trinity. Of course, it is only the Trinity that gives us the grace to do so!
2 comments:
Thanks for this post, Father.
I've never seen the Trinity's connection to the priesthood explained like that - very enlightening.
I do have a question, though: You said:
"What this means for those who are discerning a vocation is that the vocation comes from all Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity."
In the context of your post, your reference to "vocation" obviously refers specifically to the priesthood, but I sense that you have more to say on this.
What of those men who are called to other forms of religious life, or marriage, or we women who may be called to...well, whatever God is calling us to?
OK...I'm having trouble phrasing my question, just typed it 4 times and I can't seem to formulate it, so here's my badly formed question; how does the Trinity relate to the categories you did not discuss here?
I'm still trying to figure out what God is asking me to do, other than exist from day to day (I KNOW there's more to life than this). So my question isn't entirely a general one but comes from personal interest as my discernment seems to be continuing into infinity.
Bet you didn't realize when you started this blog what you were really in for, did you? :-)
Yes, every vocation comes from the Blessed Trinity. Much more could be said than my brief comments, and all vocations are in relation to the Trinity. Because I am a priest and Director of Vocations, I focus on primarily the Diocesan priesthood. Married couples are icons of Trinity, allowing their love for each other to unite them, and out of that love accepting children. Religious women and men are also called to community and to work together for toward their specific charism(s) (e.g. teaching, health care, education, etc), which is modeled from the Trinity.
In the final analysis, all (Married, generous singles, religious, and priests) are invited into Trinitarian love by God's grace. As the Baltimore Catechism answers of the question, "What is the meaning of Life?", our purpose is to know, love and serve God in this life and to be with Him (the Trinity) for all eternity.
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