June 4th 2023 Feast of the Blessed Trinity

FEAST OF THE

BLESSED TRINITY

‘Gloir don Athair agus don Mhac agus don

Spiorad Naomh’

Here we are at the heart of the mystery of our

God. The human tongue can never speak the

final word about God; the human mind can never

fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. ‘The

man who tries to understand it fully will lose his

mind, but the one who would deny the Trinity

will lose her soul’. Many people have used images

through the ages to help us to ponder the mystery.

St. Ignatius of Loyola spoke of three distinct notes

being played together to form one harmonious

chord. Theologian Frank Sheed used the image of

water, which can manifest itself as rain, ice or steam.

St. Patrick pointed to the shamrock with its’ three

shoots emerging from a single stem. We will never

fully understand the arithmetic of heaven, but we

Suffice it to say, that when we make the Sign of the

Cross we make real our relationship with Father,

Son and Holy Spirit. We touch the forehead to ask

the Father to make our thoughts noble; we touch

the breast to ask the Son to make our hearts pure; we

touch both shoulders to ask the Holy Spirit to make

the work of our hands fruitful and worthwhile.

Is leor e sin. We will never fully understand the

arithmetic of heaven.