Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Happy Sunday! Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. 

For most of us*, St. Patrick’s Trinitarian analogy using the little shamrock, for all its simplicity, conveys the essential essence of the Trinity.

Imagine Patrick holding a shamrock as he converses with you, somewhat along these lines…

“Would ye be seein’ the little shamrock clover I’m holding in my hands now?”

“Aye.”

“Now, laddies and lassies, answer me this… Is this one leaf or three? Or would it be both one leaf and three?”

“Aye, indeed, ‘tis the one and the three at the same time!”

“And so ‘tis with God!”

His prayer of renown, St. Patrick’s Breastplate, opens and ends with these resounding sentiments...

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,

The invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the threeness,

Through a confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation…

The saints knew firsthand what they were talking about. 

If you'd like a fuller explanation of the "who" and "what" of the Trinity, please go read my most recent column on the Trinity over at Patheos.

*(Note: For those desiring a deeper explanation of the “how” the Trinity is three-in-one, I defer to the mastery of Frank Sheed by referring inquirers to carefully read his work on the subject, excerpted here, or read the Catechism, par. 232- 267.)

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