By: Bro. Jose Mario Bautista Maximiano
GOD, THE SPLENDOR OF THE ETERNAL GOODNESS, THE UNFADING BEAUTY, AND EVERLASTING LOVE.
To the glory of the Trinity, nothing is lacking and nothing can be added, for the Trinity is a complete Family of happiness.
A. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (partial list)
DIVINE ATTRIBUTES were officially defined by Ecumenical Councils and Extraordinary Synods of Bishops, ex-Cathedra Papal Teachings, handed on to us by Sacred Tradition – through the centuries:
• God is absolutely perfect.
• God is absolutely simple.
• There is only One God, MONOTHEISM.
• God is absolute Veracity.
• God is absolute ontological Goodness in Himself and in relation to others, OMNIBENEVOLENCE.
• God is absolute Moral Goodness or Holiness, GOODNESS HIMSELF.
• God is absolutely immutable.
• God is eternal.
• God is immense or absolutely immeasurable
• God is everywhere present in created space, OMNIPRESENCE.
• God knows all OMINISCIENCE (scientia simplicis intelligentiae).
• God knows all real things in the past, the present and the future (Scientia visionis).
• God is almighty, OMNIPOTENCE.
• God is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth.
• God is infinitely merciful, DIVINE MERCY, et cetera
CONCLUSION: The Father, Son, the INCARNATE WORD, and the Holy Spirit has all the ATTRIBUTES OF DIVINITY.
B. JESUS INTRODUCED THE TRINITY.
1. JESUS IS THE PERFECT IMAGE OF THE FATHER – HOMOOUSSIOS (the Greek for “one being”) with the Father. Because He is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
2. Jesus Christ has the BEING/ESSENCE of the Godhead that makes him similar and equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. GOD has three Divine Persons (Trinity), the Father, the Son, and the Person of the Holy Spirit. HERESY: SABELLIANISM – Belief that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three “characterizations” of one God, rather than three distinct Persons in one God. Sabellius was condemned by Pope Callistus (reigned 218-222 AD).
4. JESUS has One Divine Person but has two Natures, Divine Nature (True God) and human nature (True Man). The humanity and divinity of Jesus do not mix (against Arianism).
5. DOCTRINAL BACKGROUND. Ratzinger (future Benedict XVI) was reformulating the solemn definition of the Christological doctrine laid down by the Council of Chalcedon in the year 451.
6. The Chalcedonian formula puts emphasis on the two natures of Christ united in the second person of the Trinity by teaching that our Blessed Lord is indeed:
7. “Perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity… truly God and truly man… one in being with the Father as to the divinity and one being with us as to the humanity, like unto us in all things but sin” (Council of Chalcedon, AD 451).
8. HOMOOUSSIOS: “ONE BEING” WITH GOD AND WITH MAN. For how can Jesus be not the epiphany of God or the perfect image of the Father, he who is homooussios (the Greek for “one being”) with the Father?
9. CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE FATHER, testimony from the Gospel: JESUS: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30)
C. JESUS IS THE PERFECT EPIPHANY OF GOD AND MAN.
1. The historical Jesus is not only the perfect manifestation of the invisible God but also the undamaged manifestation of humankind
2. And how can JESUS not be the EPIPHANY OF MAN in its plenitude, He who is homoousios with us? (Joseph Ratzinger, “The Dignity of the Human Person,” Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II, vol. V, p. 143).
3. YOU AND I: IMPERFECT IMAGE OF THE PERFECT TRINITY
4. PREMISE 1. In the beginning, (YHWH GOD): “Let us make man in OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS…” (Genesis 1: 26, in Trinitarian Plural form).
5. PREMISE 2. Priest: “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
6. PREMISE 3. Ever noticed during the Offertory at Mass where the priest-celebrant implores quietly a prayer of transformation into Christ, as he pours wine and a little amount of water into the chalice?
7. The priest fervently prays: “By the mystery of this water in wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity”
8. CONCLUSION 1: You and I can be transformed into Christ: first in creation, second in Baptism and third every time we receive Jesus in Holy Communion: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling in the human soul.
9. CONCLUSION 2: BELIEVE IT OR NOT: Imagine God’s AMAZING GRACE in us: The Holy Trinity in us, God in us!
GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE SON, AND TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT.
1. A very long time ago, when I was in Grade One or Grade Two at Holy Trinity Academy, our catechist, CLE teacher, was a Salesian Sister, who asked: WHY DID GOD CREATE YOU? BAKIT KA NILIKHA NG DIYOS? There was silence. I was 7.
2. Sr. Gloria Vicencio, FMA, herself gave us the answer: TO KNOW, LOVE, AND SERVE GOD. Back-to-the-basic words of wisdom I never forget. (This single phrase made me decide to become a catechist at a young age).
3. In other words, giving God all praise and glory is the primary purpose of everything, of the government when fighting the spread of COVID-19, of frontliners; of creation, recreation, and procreation; of all prayers and sacrifices (1 Pet. 4:1).
4. The Psalmist of the Old Testament summons the sun, moon and stars, the sea, land and plants, and all nations mountain animal and plants, and all nations to join him in praising the glory of God (Psalms 148).
5. When the first cable was installed between Europe and the Americas, much thought was given to what should be the first telegram message that would be sent to the New World through the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
6. At last a sublime decision was made, that is, to send the message of the words of the angelic hymn, GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO (Glory to God in the Highest).
7. Young and old, hear all, the purpose of our God-given personal dignity, talents, and tendency to interpersonal relationships (ontological) and our sovereignty and stewardship for Mother Earth (functional) is to promote God’s greater glory.
UNIVERSAL PRAYER: TE DEUM
(composed by Bishop Nicetas of Remesiana, 4th century)
“All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory…
The glorious company of apostles…
the noble fellowship of prophets…
the white-robed army of martyrs…
and all the saints together sing
the GLORY OF THE HOLY TRINITY. Amen!”
