Of three-in-ones and the Trinity
Reflection
Today, we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity—the first Sunday after the Easter season, which concluded last week with Pentecost, the great feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. That moment was not just the birthday of the Church, but the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit would come to empower, strengthen, and inspire us—to be witnesses of God's love in our everyday lives.
So today, we pause to reflect on something central to our faith but often hard to explain: What is the Holy Trinity? And what does it mean for us? What should it mean for us?
Scholars and the Church teach us that the Trinity is the belief in One God in Three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We invoke this truth every time we make the sign of the cross, or pray, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit...” Yet many of us recite these prayers without fully grasping the mystery they point to.
We may have experienced God the Father’s care, or the closeness of Jesus, or the quiet guidance of the Spirit—but have we ever truly experienced the Trinity as a whole, as a unity of love?
When trying to understand the Trinity, we often reach for analogies to help us. We might think of water—solid, liquid, gas—or even something humorous, like three-in-one coffee. That little sachet has three distinct components: powdered coffee, creamer, and sugar. Each has a different character and purpose, and when mixed together, they produce a unified experience—an energizing drink.
Of course, no analogy fully captures God. The Trinity is not three "parts" making up a whole. God is not one-third Father, one-third Son, and one-third Spirit. Each Person is fully and entirely God, co-equal and co-eternal, distinct but not separate. And yet, this little coffee image can remind us that unity can exist in diversity, and that the harmony of love within the Trinity is meant to inspire our own relationships and communities.
The Holy Trinity is not a puzzle to solve but a relationship to enter into. God is Love, as St. John tells us—not just loving, but Love itself. That love is shared eternally between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and in Jesus Christ, that love is extended to us.
We also celebrate Father’s Day today—a beautiful moment to honor and thank our earthly fathers for their sacrifices, dedication, and love. But we also remember our Heavenly Father, the Creator of all, who so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). He gave His Son, and the Son willingly obeyed, taking on human nature, dying and rising again for our salvation. Then, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to remain with us, to guide us, to sanctify us.
In today’s Gospel from John, Jesus teaches us about this unity.
He said, "When He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth," adding, "Everything that the Father has is mine... for this reason I told you that He (the Spirit) will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”
Here we see the deep communion of the Trinity:
The Father, source of all; The Son, who reveals the Father and accomplishes His will; The Holy Spirit, who continues the work of the Son in our hearts and in the Church.
Though we may not see Jesus in the flesh, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity—not just a force, but a divine Person—dwells in us, giving us strength, courage, and the ability to love as Jesus loved. As St. Paul reminds us in our second reading from Romans:
This is our hope—a hope that does not disappoint—because it is rooted not just in ideas or feelings, but in the living reality of God with us: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
So today, let us renew our faith in the Trinity, not as a distant doctrine, but as a living mystery that shapes who we are. Let us be people of love—because the God who made us, saved us, and dwells within us is Love.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
Today, we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity—the first Sunday after the Easter season, which concluded last week with Pentecost, the great feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. That moment was not just the birthday of the Church, but the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit would come to empower, strengthen, and inspire us—to be witnesses of God's love in our everyday lives.
So today, we pause to reflect on something central to our faith but often hard to explain: What is the Holy Trinity? And what does it mean for us? What should it mean for us?
Scholars and the Church teach us that the Trinity is the belief in One God in Three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We invoke this truth every time we make the sign of the cross, or pray, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit...” Yet many of us recite these prayers without fully grasping the mystery they point to.
We may have experienced God the Father’s care, or the closeness of Jesus, or the quiet guidance of the Spirit—but have we ever truly experienced the Trinity as a whole, as a unity of love?
When trying to understand the Trinity, we often reach for analogies to help us. We might think of water—solid, liquid, gas—or even something humorous, like three-in-one coffee. That little sachet has three distinct components: powdered coffee, creamer, and sugar. Each has a different character and purpose, and when mixed together, they produce a unified experience—an energizing drink.
Of course, no analogy fully captures God. The Trinity is not three "parts" making up a whole. God is not one-third Father, one-third Son, and one-third Spirit. Each Person is fully and entirely God, co-equal and co-eternal, distinct but not separate. And yet, this little coffee image can remind us that unity can exist in diversity, and that the harmony of love within the Trinity is meant to inspire our own relationships and communities.
The Holy Trinity is not a puzzle to solve but a relationship to enter into. God is Love, as St. John tells us—not just loving, but Love itself. That love is shared eternally between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and in Jesus Christ, that love is extended to us.
We also celebrate Father’s Day today—a beautiful moment to honor and thank our earthly fathers for their sacrifices, dedication, and love. But we also remember our Heavenly Father, the Creator of all, who so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). He gave His Son, and the Son willingly obeyed, taking on human nature, dying and rising again for our salvation. Then, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to remain with us, to guide us, to sanctify us.
In today’s Gospel from John, Jesus teaches us about this unity.
He said, "When He comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth," adding, "Everything that the Father has is mine... for this reason I told you that He (the Spirit) will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”
Here we see the deep communion of the Trinity:
The Father, source of all; The Son, who reveals the Father and accomplishes His will; The Holy Spirit, who continues the work of the Son in our hearts and in the Church.
Though we may not see Jesus in the flesh, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity—not just a force, but a divine Person—dwells in us, giving us strength, courage, and the ability to love as Jesus loved. As St. Paul reminds us in our second reading from Romans:
“The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
This is our hope—a hope that does not disappoint—because it is rooted not just in ideas or feelings, but in the living reality of God with us: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
So today, let us renew our faith in the Trinity, not as a distant doctrine, but as a living mystery that shapes who we are. Let us be people of love—because the God who made us, saved us, and dwells within us is Love.
Painting by Andrei Rublev.
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