The famous Red Arrows in perfect formation and with wonderful teamwork to go with it, at Southsea Common in Hampshire, (Eng)
Photo Press Association

Thought on Sunday – June – 15/06/2014

The Greek term perichoresis is used to describe the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity. ‘Peri’ means around, while ‘chorein’ has many layers of meaning including ‘to make room for’ or to ‘give way’. I mention this not to get bogged down in language, but to hint at the magnitude of the depth contained in this great mystery of our faith. Over the centuries artists have made many attempts to illustrate the mystery of the Trinity, while theologians and mystics have tried to put it into words. Saint Patrick famously used the shamrock to illustrate the three persons of the Trinity. In the 12th century, St Bernard of Clairvaux described the Holy Spirit as the kiss of God, and spoke of the ‘unshakeable bond’ and ‘indivisible unity’ of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Others describe the Trinity as a sort of divine dance of love. When the new translation of the liturgy came into use, one of the terms people struggled with was ‘consubstantial with the Father’, which replaced ‘of one being with the Father’ in the Creed. In today’s Gospel Jesus describes this relationship as one of love – God loved the world so much he sent his only son. The language is simple but the concept goes much deeper. Today’s Second Reading ends with a blessing we often hear at the end of Mass: ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all’. What a beautiful blessing and description of the triune God. The unity and harmony of the Trinity provides us with the blueprint for our Christian lives.