Reflection on the Most Holy Trinity.

Reflection on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

First reading. Exo. 34; 4b-6, 8-9

Second reading. 2cor.13: 11-13

Gospel. John 3: 16-18

(Partially extracted from the Book "Theology brewed in African Pot")

What do we understand by Trinity? A long time ago in one of the remote villages in Nigeria, a white missionary arrived and began to teach about Christianity to the villagers. First, he wanted to teach them about The Holy Trinity, he began by saying that there is only one God. Then he taught them that there is the Son of God and His name is Jesus. One old man asked the missionary, you told us that there is only one God, and now you talk about his Son. That means God must have a wife then. The people agreed with him. The missionary said, I did not say God had a wife. Your buttocks said he had a son said the old man and he must have a wife and all of them must have buttocks. Now the missionary ignored him and went on talk about the Holy Trinity. At the end, the old man was fully convinced that the missionary was mad. He ignored the missionary and went to drink palm wine. Christianity traditionally represents the nature of God as Father, Son, and Spirit. And it is hard enough to explain it to Christians.

During the catechetical instruction, we are always asked how many persons are there in one God. And we are supposed to answer there are three persons in one God; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And If the Catechist asks us, Are there three Gods? We would say “No, there are three persons in one God.” As long as we repeated this we will be promoted to be a full member of the Catholic Church. It is like saying 1+1+1=1. The doctrine of the Triune God is not a numerical puzzle. The question regarding the doctrine of Trinity should confront us with, is not, How come 1+1+1=1, instead we should ask; what does Trinity tell us about God’s relationship with us? How do we understand this relationship? 

There are many texts and short formulas in the New Testament that speak of the Holy Trinity.  These texts and formulas were used by our ancestors in faith in a particular culture. But there is a question that remains to be asked in the context of African theology. As a Tanzanian how do I understand the idea of the Triune God.? Is there anything in our African background that gives us a unique insight into the three persons in one God? There are many symbols that can define the Trinity. And it is important to look for those symbols, otherwise like that old man in Nigeria, we won’t understand Trinity. In our villages, I am sure, you might have seen a woman who might be carrying a pot on her head, with a baby strapped to her back, trying to make it home on time to prepare dinner for the whole family, and she might even be carrying another baby in her womb. This kind of image of an African woman offers us a unique way of understanding the reality called Trinity. The image of a woman carrying water, a baby at her back, and in her womb, can allow us to form the idea of a God who combines many sides, many personalities, many realities, and many qualities at the same time and as the one and the same God. Our God like the African woman combines many sides. Our God is God-mother, God-Father, God-son, -daughter, brother, sister at the same time, and as the one and the same God. This is one of the simplest ways we can explain about Trinity in our African context.

Trinity reminds us that we are saved by God, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. For us Christians, Trinity is our unique way of speaking about God and what God has done and continues to do in our lives. God is revealed to us through and in Christ.

Now, from today’s feast what can we learn? For us Christians, this feast can be a reminder to pray the Sign of the Cross with greater meaning and respectfulness. It combines both the mystery of the Trinity and the mystery of our salvation through Jesus' suffering, death, and rising to life. Let us resolve to make this sign with greater dignity and reverence and in a spirit of real prayer.

We need to see the Trinity as the model for our Christian families: We are created in love to be a community of loving persons, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united in Love.  We belong to the Family of the Triune God.  The love, unity, and joy in the relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be the supreme model of our relationships within our Christian families.  Our families become truly Christian when we live in a relationship of love with God and with others.  

We are called to become more like the Triune God through all our relationships. Modern society follows the so-called “I-and-I” principle of individualism.  But the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity challenges us to adopt an "I-and-God-and-neighbour" principle: “I am a Christian insofar as I live in a relationship of love with God and other people.”  Like God the Father, we are called upon to build up life and love in our family, our Church, our community, and our nation.  Like God the Son, we are called upon to reconcile, to be peacemakers. Like God the Holy Spirit, it is our task to uncover and teach truth and to dispel ignorance. May Triune God bring love, peace, and unity into our hearts, families, church, and in our country Tanzania.

Joke of the day

At confirmation, the Archbishop asked the children for a definition of the Holy Trinity. A girl answered very softly – “The Holy Trinity is three persons in one God.” The Archbishop, who was rather old and almost deaf, replied – “I didn’t understand what you said.” And the young theologian standing in front of him replied: “Well, Your Excellency, you are not supposed to. The Trinity is a mystery. Nobody understands it.)”