Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

The Philippines is an archipelagic State. It is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Though there are three island groups, we look at the Philippines in a map as one single unit.

In recognizing the Philippines as an archipelagic State, its archipelago and the waters enclosed by its baseline is considered as one cohesive entity and thus prevents the treatment of its islands as separate islands under UNCLOS III. With this principle, when President Duterte declared Martial Law in the whole of Mindanao due to Marawi crisis, other Nations, States, or countries made a travel advisory to their nationals unfavourable to the Philippines as a whole. They do not say be careful in going to Marawi or Mindanao, but to the Philippines. This means that even other Nations, States or countries view the Philippines as a whole and not as three separated groups of islands.

In today’s feast of the Most Holy Trinity, though we cannot fully explain this mystery of One God in three Divine Persons, let me apply the principle used earlier in explaining the principle governing the Philippines as an archipelagic State to grasp the truth about the said mystery.

First of all, the Bible mentions especially in the New Testament, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 3: 16-17, Mark 1:10-11 and Luke 3:22, it is said that after Jesus was baptized, there was the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on Him while a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in Him I take great delight.” All these passages reveal to us that indeed there is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is not just about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is all about one God in three Divine Persons. Here lies the difficulty in explaining then. How come there is one God in three Divine Persons? How come there is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, yet we do not have three gods but one God? As I have said earlier, let me apply the same principle used in explaining the principle governing the Philippines as an archipelagic State to grasp the truth about the said mystery. Though this falls short in explaining exactly the mystery of the Triune God, just like in recognizing the Philippines as an archipelagic State, its archipelago and the waters enclosed by its baseline is considered as one cohesive entity and thus prevents the treatment of its islands as separate islands, we Catholics believe that there is only one God and thus we believe that the three Divine Persons must not be treated as separate gods but one. We enclosed (or as a manner of speaking, put inside a circle) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by His essence and thus we see the whole of God and not just the three distinct Divine Persons. We have our Biblical support on this when we read Matthew 28:19, Jesus said “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In mentioning the three Divine Persons next to each other or side by side, it signifies equality or shall I say equally God. In using the word “name”, it indicates singularity or singleness. It is just like bearing in mind “Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao” as one Nation, one State or one country of the Filipinos and for the Filipinos.

Finally, in explaining as much as I could the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity, is there a word “trinity” in the Bible? It is true that the Bible does not mention the word “trinity” either in the Old Testament or New Testament. But it is also true that the Bible never DENIES the truth about the “trinity” either in the Old Testament or New Testament. Therefore, what the Bible does not mention does not mean it is not true anymore. When the Bible does not mention the word “trinity”, it does not mean the “trinity” is not true. If we are rigorous to follow the opposite conclusion, then we say there is no truth unless the Bible mentions it. So how can we deny the existence of dinosaurs on our planet just because the Bible never mentions anything about dinosaurs? Can we say there is no Philippines just because Philippines is never mentioned in the Bible?

My dear friends, what matters for us as Catholics is the truth which the doctrine conveys to us and that is to live our lives according to the will of God. In giving assent to the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity, we are called to live in unity, in oneness with all the believers of Christ. We are also made aware that our unity, our oneness is not about uniformity but despite our diversities, having different talents and abilities, we can live together and love one another and be worthily called Christians.