Belief in the Trinity

From the Pastor:    Belief in the Trinity

       This weekend we celebrate Trinity Sunday. Belief in the Blessed Trinity, that is, in the reality that God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons in One God, is absolutely essential to our Catholic Faith. Yet it is such a profound mystery that even contemplating it for one’s entire life will never allow for a complete understanding. It is the essence of God, after all, and we are just puny brained humans. Created in His image and likeness, no doubt, but not All Knowing like He is. Yet still, in order to more fully know, love, and serve Him in this world so as to be happy with Him forever in the next, many a man has attempted to understand and explain this mystery as well as possible. Many have done so incorrectly, falling into heresy. Many have done so well, but even the best still falls short. St. Augustine, for instance, wrote 15 books on the Trinity and still ended with a prayer that basically said (and I am grossly paraphrasing here), “I wrote a whole lot of intelligent words but still failed to fully grasp and explain You due to my ignorance. Sorry about that, Lord.” St. Athanasius, on the other hand, has a creed attributed to him in which, in just a relatively few words, he gives his best shot at summing up the Trinity, or at least our belief in the Trinity. It, too, is incomplete, but at least it is brief! Today is a good day to read this, multiple times, perhaps, and come to a greater understanding (or at least appreciation of) the Most Holy Trinity. Enjoy.

       Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal. 
       Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father Uncreated, the Son Uncreated, and the Holy Ghost Uncreated. The Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not Three Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not Three Almighties but One Almighty.
       So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but One God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not Three Lords but One Lord. For, like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say, there be Three Gods or Three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
       So there is One Father, not Three Fathers; one Son, not Three Sons; One Holy Ghost, not Three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after Other, None is greater or less than Another, but the whole Three Persons are Co-eternal together, and Co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.
       Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting Salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.
       God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the substance of His mother, born into the world. Perfect God and Perfect Man, of a reasonable Soul and human Flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but One Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by Unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka

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