Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
When the Son is named we know there is a Father. When Saint Peter readily assigned Jesus two names - the Christ and the Son of the Living God -- Jesus immediately assured him this revelation came from the Father. You cannot know the Father unless you know the Son; nor the Son, unless you know the Father.
The great German Theologian Karl Rahner once sadly observed that if the Catholic Church were to abandon its teaching about the Holy Trinity, few books of spirituality and few theological treatises would have to be rewritten. Few Christians would notice the change and not many would care.
There are few representations of the Trinity in our churches. Many might suppose the word trinity concerns the three members of the Holy Family. Doesn't Joseph always appear on the left and Mary on the right of every sanctuary?
In the Catholic imagination, Mary often supplants the Holy Spirit. Saint Maximillian Kolbe, the martyr of Auschwitz, called her "the incarnate Holy Spirit."
In the Catholic imagination, Mary often supplants the Holy Spirit. Saint Maximillian Kolbe, the martyr of Auschwitz, called her "the incarnate Holy Spirit."
Saint Peter Julian Eymard, in his book about the Eucharist, The Real Presence, mentions the Trinity, almost in passing: "Heaven was enraptured at the sight of this mystery. The Most Holy Trinity contemplated it with love. The Angels with awe, adored it." As thrilled as he was by the Holy Eucharist, he missed completely the place of the Trinity in Christian worship. His Father, Son and Holy Ghost had become a peanut gallery of praise for a lesser doctrine.
Saint Peter, the first pope, knew the mystery as it appeared and correctly identified Jesus as the Son of the Living God.
Today, more than ever, faced by the challenges of secularism, practical atheism, Mormonism and Islam, Catholics must study, contemplate and affirm our faith in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Celebrating the Mass, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, attending Eucharistic Devotion, reciting the rosary -- which honors the Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Redeemer -- and practicing both justice and mercy we are swept into knowledge of God in his triune splendor. The world, having lost faith in "God," is hungry for our vision.
Today, more than ever, faced by the challenges of secularism, practical atheism, Mormonism and Islam, Catholics must study, contemplate and affirm our faith in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Celebrating the Mass, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, attending Eucharistic Devotion, reciting the rosary -- which honors the Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Redeemer -- and practicing both justice and mercy we are swept into knowledge of God in his triune splendor. The world, having lost faith in "God," is hungry for our vision.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.