Reaffirming belief in Holy Trinity

Published: 3 June 2012


By: Elizabeth Harrington



THE Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated as the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Sunday following that as the Body and Blood of Christ.



The practice of observing a separate feast in honour of the Holy Trinity began in the Middle Ages and was made a universal celebration by Pope John XXII in 1334.



Its placement in the calendar is deliberate - after the commemorations of the life, passion and resurrection of Christ at Easter and of the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.



In every liturgy, we reaffirm our belief in and worship of the Trinity in the concluding words of collect prayers:



"Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever."



and of Blessings:



"And may the blessing of almighty God,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

come down on you and remain with you for ever."



The Mass prayers set down for the feast strongly affirm Christian belief in the mystery of the Holy Trinity and emphasise that it is God who is three-in-one whom we adore, especially the Collect (Opening Prayer):



"God our Father, who by sending into the world

the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification

made known to the human race your wondrous mystery,

grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith,

we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory

and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty."



and the Preface:



"For with your Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit

you are one God, one Lord:

not in the unity of a single person,

but in a Trinity of one substance.

For what you have revealed to us of your glory

we believe equally of your Son

and of the Holy Spirit,

so that, in the confessing of the true and eternal Godhead,

you might be adored in what is proper to each Person,

their unity in substance,

and their equality in majesty."



This revised Preface which will be used at Masses for the first time today is much longer than the previous version.



Careful preparation and practice by the presider will be necessary for it to be proclaimed with conviction and intelligibly.



The second reading for today from Romans 8 spells out Paul's understanding of the working of Father, Son and Spirit in the life of the Christian:



"When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit

that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ."



The baptism formula, which we hear in today's gospel from Matthew, proclaims the names of the persons of the Trinity into whom we are incorporated at baptism.



Elizabeth Harrington is the education officer with The Liturgical Commission in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. All of the more than 600 past columns are available on The Liturgical Commission website http://www.litcom.net.au/

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Taken from: http://www.catholicleader.com.au/news.php/liturgy-news/reaffirming-belief-in-holy-trinity_80714

Jesus Christ's "selfless, servant" leadership has much to offer as a role model.

Easter's message of hope at a time of reflection

• From:The Australian 
• April 07, 2012 12:00AM

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THE mysterious life, violent death and reported resurrection of a man who lived in the Middle East 2000 years ago is on the minds of many Australians this weekend, not only at church services but at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, where thousands of people have used the extended Easter opening hours to marvel at the Renaissance masterpieces of Raphael, Botticelli, Bellini and Titian.

Jesus Christ features in many of the 15th- and 16th-century works - in some as a plump infant snuggling up to his mother, in others as a young man wearing a crown of thorns and nailed to a cross, beside two thieves. Whatever their philosophical and religious significance, the images possess a beauty and express a poetry that transcends faith. Their popularity is a reminder of the central place of the Judeo-Christian heritage in Western civilisation.

The cultural diversity of our secular nation is reflected in the ways Australians will spend the Easter weekend. We are united, however, in rejoicing in our freedom and tolerance, however we choose to exercise that precious gift. Some will spend time with family or relaxing on the beach: some will be working; Christians will stand in reverence at the sacrifice of the Son of God; Jews will remember with thanks the release of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The Last Supper, of course, was a Passover meal, a tradition observed by Jewish families and communities since about 1300 BC to commemorate the liberation of the people of Israel, who were led out of slavery in Egypt by Moses. One of the most important Jewish religious festivals, Passover coincides with Easter this year.

The high point of the Christian calendar, Easter has drawn large crowds to Palm Sunday services last weekend, to the Mass of the Last Supper on Thursday and to the Stations of the Cross yesterday. Outside small churches and cathedrals, the faithful, the curious and a few doubting Thomases will gather tonight as the darkness is broken by Paschal fires at the start of the Vigil celebrating Christ's resurrection and the triumph of life over death, hope over despair.

Regardless of whether we celebrate Passover, Easter, neither or both - as many interfaith families do - the four-day holiday affords precious time to reflect. Easter, as Melbourne's Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart said, was a time to think about "ultimate things" and not to be cluttered with consumerism and distractions. Sound religious values such as forgiveness, atonement, hope, tolerance and generosity are also the hallmarks of civilised secular societies, and encourage us to take stock of our own lives and our society. Such values preclude us from giving up on complex problems such as how best to help the 90,000 Australians, including children and other victims of domestic violence, who are homeless every day and how to relieve the poverty and despair still afflicting too many Aborigines in remote areas of the nation. No Australian of good conscience feels comfortable while such challenges remain unsolved. We also have our fair share of problems, as church leaders point out today, arising from greed, self-interest - including that of politicians - excessive gambling and the misuse of the internet for bullying. Adelaide's Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver was right when he said that Christ's "selfless, servant" leadership has much to offer as a role model.

Like Anzac Day, the major religious festivals are attracting an upsurge in younger observants, and Jerusalem, like Gallipoli, is now a popular place of pilgrimage for young Australians who want to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The trends suggest that many young people are more comfortable with secular and religious tradition than their baby-boomer parents and more in tune with the enduring power and purpose of sacrifice. For all that, the churches are fighting an uphill battle to draw them into the pews more than twice a year.

It is human nature to wonder about the meaning of life and death, and the overlaps and apparent contradictions between science, faith and reason. For those who have faith in the gospel narrative, Easter is about the tangible expression of God's inexhaustible love for mankind. For everyone else, the Renaissance artworks can be an enrichment to the soul, offering a glimpse of an extraordinary, enduring myth.

A happy and safe Easter from The Weekend Australian.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Personal Encounters With Jesus in the Eucharist

"Neither theological knowledge nor social action alone is enough to keep us in love with Christ unless both are proceeded by a personal encounter with Him. Theological insights are gained not only from between two covers of a book, but from two bent knees before an altar. The Holy Hour becomes like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world."

~ Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen ~

Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,

How can I love Thee as I ought?
And how revere this wond'rous gift,
So far surpassing hope or thought.
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore.
O make us love Thee more and more!
O make us love Thee more and more!Had I but Mary's sinless heart,
To love Thee with, my dearest King;
O with what bursts of fervent praise,
Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing!
Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore.
O make us love Thee more and more!
O make us love Thee more and more!

William Faber, an English convert to Catholicism wrote this and other beautiful hymns which today can be found in both Catholic and Protestant hymnals.

~AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Posted by one grateful heart at 10:00 PM

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