Trinity Sunday Definition and SummaryTrinity Sunday commemorates and honors not an event, but a reality: the Holy Trinity. Trinity Sunday falls on the Sunday after Pentecost. In 2008, Trinity Sunday falls on May 18 (dates in other years). Prayers: Prayers to the Trinity and for Trinity Sunday Basic FactsLiturgical Color(s): White IntroductionTrinity Sunday is one of the few feasts of the Christian Year that celebrates a reality and doctrine rather than an event. On Trinity Sunday we remember and honor the eternal God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinity Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Pentecost, and lasts only one day, which is symbolic of the unity of the Trinity. The Eastern Churches have no tradition of Trinity Sunday, arguing that they celebrate the Trinity every Sunday. Westerners do as well, although they set aside a special feast day for the purpose. The Trinity is one of the most fascinating - and controversial - Christian dogmas. The Trinity is a mystery. By mystery the Church does not mean a riddle, but rather the Trinity is a reality above our human comprehension that we may begin to grasp, but ultimately must know through worship, symbol, and faith. It has been said that mystery is not a wall to run up against, but an ocean in which to swim. The common wisdom is that if you talk about the Trinity for longer than a few minutes you will slip into heresy because you are probing the depths of God too deeply. The Trinity is best described in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly called the Nicene Creed. Essentially the Trinity is the belief that God is one in essence (Greek ousia), but distinct in person (Greek hypostasis). Don't let the word "person" fool you. The Greek word for person means "that which stands on its own," or "individual reality," and does not mean the persons of the Trinity are three human persons. Therefore we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are somehow distinct from one another (not divided though), yet completely united in will and essence. How can this be? Well, think of the sight of two eyes. The eyes are distinct, yet one and undivided in their sight. Another illustration to explain the Trinity is the musical chord. Think of a C-chord. The C, E, and G notes are all distinct notes, but joined together as one chord the sound is richer and more dynamic than had the notes been played individually. The chords are all equally important in producing the rich sound, and the sound is lacking and thin if one of the notes is left out. The Son is said to be eternally begotten of the Father, while the Holy Spirit is said to proceed from the Father through the Son. Each member of the Trinity interpenetrates one another, and each has distinct roles in creation and redemption, which is called the Divine economy. For instance, God the Father created the world through the Son and the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters at creation. The Nicene definition of the Trinity developed over time, based on Scripture and Tradition. The Scriptures call the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit "God," yet the three are also clearly distinct. For instance, St. John gives Jesus the titles theos and monogenes theos (God and Only-Begotten God) and has Jesus saying that the Father and Son are one, yet in his gospel Jesus also states that the Father and Son are not one witness, but two (John 1:1, 18; 8:17-18; 10:30). So John tells us that Jesus is God but not God the Father? Jesus is one with the Father, but they constitute two witnesses? It is scriptures such as these that led to the development of the Trinity doctrine. The Church had to reconcile the Divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit with Jewish monotheism. Over time, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, the Church reflected on the implications of God's nature, and even began using the word Trinity by the middle of the 2nd century to describe the relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit. When in the 4th century a presbyter named Arius denied the Father and Son were both true God and co-eternal, his bishop Alexander of Alexandria challenged him and deposed him. Eventually the Arian controversy spread, and the emperor Constantine, newly fascinated with Christianity, convened a council of bishops in AD 325 in Nicaea to deal with Arianism. It is there that the Church drew up the beginnings of the current Nicene Creed. In the latter half of the 4th century the Church dealt with those who specifically denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit, adding more text to the creed. Ultimately, Trinitarianism posits a dynamic God, whose ultimate nature is beyond human conception, yet who voluntarily operates within the created world. Trinitarianism also shows a loving God that is willing to become as we are so that we may become like Him. The implications of believing in Arius' God, a God unwilling to involve himself in our redemption, but who instead sent an angel of the highest order, did not escape the earliest Christians. As St. Athanasius was fond of saying "that which has not been assumed has not been redeemed," meaning that unless God truly became completely human, we could not be fully redeemed, because only God Himself is capable of truly redeeming humanity; an angel does not have this ability. Thus, the Trinity is not about Greek philosophy or pointless metaphysical speculation, but about the heart of our salvation. For more information, please check out The Nicene Creed: Ancient Symbol of the Catholic Faith. HistoryTrinity Sunday is a rather recent holiday, not made official until the later Middle Ages. Initially the feast day of the Trinity was only unofficially celebrated, either the first Sunday after Pentecost, or the first Sunday before Advent. Both placements have symbolic value. The post-Pentecost date celebrates the Trinity as the final celebration of the Church Year, after Christ's resurrection, ascension, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The pre-Advent celebration begins the Church Year with the celebration of the Trinity, the source of all creation. Both show the importance of the Trinity. Pope John XXII first officially recognized the feast day in AD 1334 on the present date. It is especially popular in England and in the Anglican tradition, perhaps because Thomas Becket was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, AD 1162. Worship and Prayer Resources
Prayers to the Trinity and for Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday, Trinitarian, and Church Year Books
The Mystery of the Trinity (Bobrinskoy) Traditions and SymbolsTraditions Symbols Frequently Asked Questions1. Why Do So Many Christian Sects Not Believe in the Trinity? Messianics are often Jews themselves, or probably more commonly, Gentiles who adopt Jewish customs, that accept that Jesus was the predicted Jewish Messiah. Being heavily influenced by Judaism, many Messianics (not all) deny that Jesus is God, because Jewish thought has traditionally denied the possibility of God becoming man. In addition, the idea of one God in three persons strikes many Jewish persons as too close to pagan polytheism. However, we must remember that Jewish thinkers have roundly rejected the claim that Jesus is the Messiah as well, so appealing to Jewish thought to settle a Christian doctrinal dispute creates problems. As to the Trinity being pagan, see #2 below. Jehovah's Witnesses, members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, a 19th century American Apocalyptic sect, deny the Trinity because they see no clear scriptural evidence for it. They make an issue of the doctrine of the Trinity because the word itself is not in Scripture. However, many theological words and concepts they use are not in Scripture either, and as Catholics and Orthodox, we have not set up the same criterion: that in order for something to be true the word identifying it must be in Scripture. We also must remember that Scripture must be interpreted. Rather than looking to the witness of the historical Church, whose views of Scripture span all time periods and regions, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many other American groups from the late 19th century, rely on rationalist and mechanistic principles of Scriptural interpretation heavily influenced by the 18th century Enlightenment. There is little room for mystery in this modernistic system of interpretation. While Jehovah's Witnesses have been called modern-day Arians, they are only Arians in regard to their understanding of the Trinity; Arius would not recognize many of their distinctive 19th century American trappings. Some groups, namely the United Pentecostal Church, believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God. However, they believe that they are not distinct in any way, but one being that changes roles. For instance, when God created, he played the role of Father. When God came to earth, he played the role of Son. This is called Modalism or Sabellianism, and is even older than Arianism. The problem with this theory is that it doesn't take into account the differences the Scriptures give to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As St. John writes, the Father and Son are two witnesses, not one. Also, the Scriptures have all three persons interacting at once. Many Christians unknowingly hold to this view because on the surface it seems the most appealing. However, upon reflection it creates many philosophical and historical problems, including that this theory has all of God being crucified on the cross. This why Modalism is often called patripassianism, "suffering Father," because Modalistic theology ends up with a crucified God the Father. 2. Is the Trinity Pagan? Why Should We Celebrate a Pagan Day? Even if someone could prove that Christians purposely borrowed these doctrines from pagans (which I will not grant, because the thesis is far too simplistic), it still doesn't make them untrue or evil. Pagan religions all had some elements of truth, and according to C.S. Lewis, it makes Christianity more true that it shares things in common with other religions. As far as I know, the Trinity is unlike any other pagan triad, which are often either clearly tritheistic or modalistic. The concept of three persons sharing one Divine essence is uniquely Christian, and as outlined above, based on the witness of Scripture, Tradition, and the implications of salvation and redemption. Celebrating the Trinity is thus celebrating a loving and dynamic God. 3. Based on the Information in this Article, was the Trinity Invented in 325 AD? Art and PoetryGeneral Links"The Blessed Trinity" from the Catholic Encyclopedia About ChurchYear.NetIn the course of a year, the Church celebrates the unfolding of the mystery of Christ, beginning with Advent, anticipating his first coming, and reaching a high point at Easter, the feast of feasts, celebrating Christ's resurrection. Through the Church Year, which includes the seasonal, daily, and yearly cycles of Christian time, we live into the events of Jesus and his followers through sanctified time. Thus, we experience in symbol what Jesus and his followers did in reality. We do this through daily prayer (The Liturgy of the Hours), worship, the Eucharist, the sacraments, art, changing colors, canticles, psalms, antiphons, symbols, and other means. The Church Year, including all liturgical celebrations and times of prayer, is one of the most meaningful dimensions of the Catholic faith. Many Christians of all traditions feel drawn to this system of holy time, and prefer to orient their lives around the Christian calendar instead of the secular calendar. Postmodern men and women feel especially drawn to many elements of Sanctified Time: mystery, connection to the past, and a multitude of religious symbols and experiential elements. Thus the Church Year is a postmodern Catholic evangelism tool, and a means of spiritual growth for all who use it. We now have All About...! pages for every season of the Church Year, and have many All About...! pages for various feasts, fasts, and holy days of the Church Year. Each All About...! page has a history, general facts, scriptural references, traditions, symbols, links, worship resources, sermons, an FAQ, and more material related to the particular season or holy day. We also have a helpful Church Year and Liturgy Dictionary, to define certain unfamiliar terms and practices. We are expanding our resources to include general prayers, language resources, and other tools peripherally related to celebrating the Church Year, but still important to its celebration. Enjoy! If you have any suggestions or information you would like to add to our Church Year. Net pages, please contact us. This page written by David Bennett. Last updated 04-22-2008.
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