In the second week of lectures we looked at the mystery of God, the Father Son and the Holy Spirit, one God in three persons. The Christian God is ONE, yet it is not a simple solitary One, but the communion of THREE PERSONS, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
Who discovered this truth about God?
It was no human achievement! Instead it is Jesus Christ, the "one who is at the bosom of the Father" (Jn 1:18) who revealed to us God's inner self and His work for our salvation. Jesus called God "Father" and taught us to call Him Father. He spoke of himself as the "one sent by the Father", the one who is with the Father". Certainly his contemporaries were scandalized by his claims. He was put to death for the same reason: "He has blasphemed," they said. After the resurrection, those who believed in him, those who loved him, recognized his true identity. Thomas called him, "My Lord and my God". The Christians proclaimed their conviction that Jesus is God and many were martyred for the same reason.
Jesus, before leaving this world, promised to send the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate. The Spirit did come, on the first day of the resurrection on the apostles, and on Pentecost on the whole community united with the apostles. Now they experienced the divine power within them. They recognized that the Spirit that the Lord had given them is a divine Spirit. They had no difficulty to confess, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified"
So what is the our faith in the Triune God?
The God in whom we believe is a PERSONAL GOD. In fact His best attributes are TRUTH and LOVE. He wants human beings to posses Him by possessing both Truth and Love in their hearts. He invites them to a relationship, to a close friendship, leading to complete union.
However we are free to accept or reject that invitation. Herein lies the mystery of the "powerlessness" of God. God may not take away the gift of freedom that has been given to us. This is why sin and evil seems to play an upper hand at times. However, God will finally bring His creation to its "Sabbath Rest", that includes salvation for all those who love Him and live according to His commandments.
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Who discovered this truth about God?
It was no human achievement! Instead it is Jesus Christ, the "one who is at the bosom of the Father" (Jn 1:18) who revealed to us God's inner self and His work for our salvation. Jesus called God "Father" and taught us to call Him Father. He spoke of himself as the "one sent by the Father", the one who is with the Father". Certainly his contemporaries were scandalized by his claims. He was put to death for the same reason: "He has blasphemed," they said. After the resurrection, those who believed in him, those who loved him, recognized his true identity. Thomas called him, "My Lord and my God". The Christians proclaimed their conviction that Jesus is God and many were martyred for the same reason.
Jesus, before leaving this world, promised to send the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate. The Spirit did come, on the first day of the resurrection on the apostles, and on Pentecost on the whole community united with the apostles. Now they experienced the divine power within them. They recognized that the Spirit that the Lord had given them is a divine Spirit. They had no difficulty to confess, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified"
So what is the our faith in the Triune God?
· The Trinity is ONE. The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire.
· The divine persons are really distinct from one another: God is one, but not solitary. “Father”, “Son”, “Holy Spirit” are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being. They are distinct from on another in their relations of origin: “It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds”
· The divine persons are relative to one another: In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both.The God in whom we believe is a PERSONAL GOD. In fact His best attributes are TRUTH and LOVE. He wants human beings to posses Him by possessing both Truth and Love in their hearts. He invites them to a relationship, to a close friendship, leading to complete union.
However we are free to accept or reject that invitation. Herein lies the mystery of the "powerlessness" of God. God may not take away the gift of freedom that has been given to us. This is why sin and evil seems to play an upper hand at times. However, God will finally bring His creation to its "Sabbath Rest", that includes salvation for all those who love Him and live according to His commandments.
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