THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Pre-eminent Light, Life and Love

Light, Life, Love

Three words are absolutely of God—light, life, and love. Light shows us the way and the Truth. Life abiding in Jesus is the way. Love in the Spirit is the bond that holds all things together. We cannot separate these. God the Father is pure unapproachable light; Jesus is the Light of the World; the Holy Spirit is the fire of the Apostolate. God the Father is the Source of Life; Jesus is the Word of Everlasting Life; the Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of Life. Abba’s love—He offered up His only begotten Son. Jesus’ love—He willingly gave up His life for his friends; the Holy Spirit—defined as the love between Abba Father and his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. When God acts, these three are operative because they are who He is. We cannot live in eternity without these essentials because we cannot live without God.

Light: In the beginning as God created, the Word went forth, “Let there be light,” and light filled good creation. Then God brought forth life. As John tells us: “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

We are to be in fellowship with God—to have daily communion with Him (Our Daily Bread). From this Holy Communion, we must go forth and witness true and meaningful charity to one another. We must walk in the light as He is in the light. Light brings forth growth. But how do we walk in the light? It is by following the True Light of the World, the Lord Jesus, who said: “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Practically speaking, what does this mean? It simply means that we must walk in Christ. Paul told the Colossian believers: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). If we are not walking in Christ, then we are not in the light. We will not know where to go or how to proceed. We have no light to see our way. It is a dark path.

John gives us the key to walking in Christ, and it is in the word abide.In 1 John, we are told many times to abide in Him. This means that we make our daily home in the Lord—to dwell in Him, to continue in Him, to endure in Him, to remain in Him. The Holy Eucharist is the superative means of such abiding.  The exchange of hearts that occurs each and every time we“Lift up our hearts to the Lord” to “give Him thanks (eucharistia) and praise” is abiding in Him, for He abides in us and we have fellowship with one another. In other words, we are one in Christ in thought word and deed. 

Life: When the light of God shines, the life of God comes forth. When Jesus said He is the Light of the World, He also said that He is the Light of Life. Who spoke the words “Let there be light”? It was the Word of God, who is the Son of God, the Word of Life (1 John 1.1). In other words, when the light of God comes, we have life, God’s life. Where is the life? John tells us that the life is in the Son, and he who has the Son has the life (1 John 5:11-12).

But what does this mean practically to us? In the natural world, light shines upon the earth and vegetation springs forth from the ground. We see life coming forth when light shines upon the soil. The vegetation produces seeds, which results in more plants coming forth. The principle is that light brings forth life, and then life begets more life. No one tells a plant to bear seed and give forth more life; it just happens. This is the same principle we are to see in God’s people. When His light shines in our hearts, the darkness is driven away; we have communio with God and one another, and spiritual life flourishes. And this life brings forth even more life—it is a multiplicative effect. This is what the Mystical Body of Christ  is in essence. His body is organic in nature. Organisms have one main purpose, and that is to live and to continue to bear fruit. Spiritually the same rule is manifest.  We are—as the 60's church hymn reminds us—“one in the Spirit, we are One in the Lord.”

The key to life is abiding: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Like a plant, we are to abide in our living vine, the Lord Jesus. When we do, more fruit comes forth for the glory of God. If we do not abide, there is no fruit. We can do nothing apart from Him. It is His life that bears the fruit. A branch merely takes life from the rooted vine. Cut the roots of the vine, and the branches all die. Cut off the branches, and they will no longer bear fruit; they wither and die.

Love: The last element is the quintessential one. Light and life come forth because they are birthed out of the love of God. Love is the very source of the light and the life. Love is what holds all things together. Love is from God, for God is love. As with light and life, we must abide in love. Daily abiding in love is essential. St. John tells us to know and believe the love that God has for us. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16). Do you know this love? Do you believe in this love? Before the Lord Jesus was crucifued, He prayed to His heavenly Father: “Just Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee: and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have made known thy name to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26).

Light shows us the way. Life is the way. Love is the bond, the New and Everlasting Covenant, that holds all things together in Christ. Let us live in the light and be vessels of love so that the world may believe that God sent the Son of His love.

NOTE:  The above essay is a partially completed rewrite of the original non-Catholic version which can be found at http://www.kingdomandglory.com/tuc/tuc78.pdf.  My thanks to the author, Stuart H. Pouliot.

MARY, THE NEW ARK OF THE COVENANT,
PRAY FOR US

HAPPY FEAST DAY!

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio, SOLT

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael