Sunday, June 15, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ! The Holy Trinity, the sacred mystery of one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the central doctrine of the Catholic Church and the very foundation of our faith. Though mysterious, it reveals the essence of God's identity: a communion of love, faith, and unity.

God the Father is the Source, the Origin, the Creator of all things visible and invisible. He is the Maker of the world and the Giver of life. From the Father, God the Son is eternally begotten, consubstantial with Him. He became incarnate, entered into human history, and redeemed the world through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Proceeding from both the Father and the Son, God the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier who is guiding the faithful on their journey of faith, shaping the life of the universal Church, and accomplishing the divine plan of salvation in the world. Each Person of the Trinity has a distinct mission, including the creation by the Father, the redemption by the Son, and the sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Yet, they are not separate beings, but one God united in essence and nature. Their divine work is never divided, for they act in perfect harmony and unity.

Unfortunately, we must accept the limits of human language and understanding when approaching the Trinity. We must humbly recognize that we cannot define, explain, and interpret the mystery of the Trinity completely, effectively, thoroughly because its essence transcends our imagination, comprehension, and experience. The sacred revelation about the Holy Trinity, including the Words of God in the Bible, Catholic tradition, and the Church’s teachings, cannot articulate fully all the aspects of the Holy Trinity. The tangible symbols, theological analogies, and sacred terms we use to speak of the Holy Trinity, such as “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” or “one God in three Persons,” are helpful, yet they inevitably fall short of fully expressing the profound depth, truth, unity, and mystery of the Triune God.” At the same time, we must guard against two common errors: emphasizing the distinct roles of each Divine Person to the point of division, or focusing too much on their unity and ignoring their unique ways of relating to us in the economy of salvation. We should continue creating a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding to the Mystery of the Holy Trinity through our prayer, mediation and education, as St. Athanasius beautifully said, “When the Spirit dwells in us, the Word who bestows the Spirit is in us too, and the Father is present in the Word.”

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.