May 31 Sun
How can I imitate the Blessed Trinity?
The Blessed Trinity is the central truth of our Christian life. It must be possible to live this truth.
God is a social being: three Divine Persons in relationship with one another.
We are also social beings, always in relationships with others: as family members, as members of a school community, as friends, as spouses or parents, and as members of various civic associations and the Church.
In God, each of the three Persons is co-equal.
However, in human relationships, there is often inequality. In some relationships, we are dependent on others, like a child is on a parent.
In others, we and the other depend on each other, as in a friendship.
In yet others, the other is dependent on us, for example, when a teacher instructs a student.
With sacramental grace, we can live all these human relationships as communions of love, imitating God’s inner life.
The best understanding of the inner life of God we have is from Christ. Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God’s love, and He has shown us that the essence of this love is the gift of self.
How does this apply to us?
Vatican II gives us the answer: “Man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for himself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.”
It is easy to see how sacrificial love applies when others depend on us. It may be hard to make the sacrifice, yet when we do so, we love as God loves.
But what about when we are the dependent ones?
Even when we depend on others, we can still give ourselves.
- Some examples include obeying the just authority of those on whom we depend, such as following a doctor's orders;
- Offering up the difficult situation, as in patiently waiting when we are hungry;
- Being cooperative and cheerful when seeking technical support over the phone, and so on.
When we accept the consequences of being in a dependent position, we also have a chance to imitate Our Lord when He was a child, during His forty days in the wilderness, and while enduring His Passion.
So, whenever we give ourselves to another person out of love, we are being like the Blessed Trinity.
However, we also have the terrible freedom to be selfish. Every selfish act is not only the opposite of human love; it is also the opposite of the life of the Blessed Trinity.
No one on earth likes to be around a purely selfish person. We can't stand people like that. (Even selfish people dislike other selfish individuals.) This helps us see how such behavior could exclude one from the Beatific Vision.
Remember, to be a follower of Christ means to make an effort to live accordingly, to mend our ways.
The love of God the Father flows to us through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit draws Christians together in fellowship. This is why we can encourage one another, agree with one another, and live in peace with one another.