John 16:12-15

Proverbs 8:22-31

Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Romans 5:1-5

John 16:12-15

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.”

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, my deepest desire and hope is to see you as you are in heaven. My mind, in this life, struggles to understand how you are a Trinity of Persons. But I believe and trust that one day I will see you face to face. I long for your loving embrace and will do my best to lead others to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Unbegotten Father: “Faith in the Trinity rests on God’s revelation of himself in the economy of salvation. We do not have access to the Trinity outside what God revealed to us by sending his own Son and giving us his Holy Spirit” (Emery, The Trinity, 1). What God has revealed is that the Father is the Principle of all, including the other two persons of the Trinity. God the Father differs from the other persons in that he is unbegotten and without a principle. He is the origin of all. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of the Father 18 times. God is our Father, not only because he created us in his image and likeness, but because he calls us to become a part of his divine family.

2. The Son of God: In the fullness of time, God revealed that he is not only Father, but also Son and Holy Spirit. He revealed his love by sending his Son to be born of a woman in a stable in Bethlehem. The Son of God, sent by the Father, did not conquer the world by overthrowing the Romans or establishing an empire of gold and armies. He conquered sin, death, and the reign and power of the Devil through humble obedience, loving sacrifice, and merciful love. He revealed to us the path that leads to eternal and divine life. We cannot attain this life on our own. This life is only possible because Jesus has merited for us the grace we need.

3. The Spirit: Both the Son and the Spirit have been sent. The Incarnation of the Son and the Pentecost of the Spirit are great mysteries of salvation. Through the Incarnation of the Son, God assumes our human nature, perfects it, and establishes the New Covenant. Through the Pentecost of the Spirit, God sanctifies our human nature, bestows gifts upon it, and leads us to the glory of heaven. We are images of God most fully in this life when we have God’s grace, and act with the wisdom of the Word of God and the charity of the Spirit of God.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have transformed every aspect of my life and every relationship in my life. Through you, I have become an adopted child of the Father. I am now a member of your Body. I am a Temple where your Holy Spirit dwells. My neighbors have become, through you, my brothers and sisters. What a marvelous family!

Living the Word of God: Am I willing to spend time in prayer and study reflecting on and contemplating the deepest mystery of all, the mystery of the Holy Trinity? Am I indifferent to this great mystery? Should I read the Catechism (nn. 232-267) this week on the Trinity to know what the Church teaches so that I can share this with others? Maybe it is time for an introductory book like Emery, The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God (CUA Press, 2011).