The Holy Trinity
Javier’s Catholic website
What is the mystery of the Holy Trinity?
This is how Padre Pio of Pietrelcina responded to this question:
“Daughter, who can understand and explain the mysteries of God? They are called mysteries precisely because they cannot be understood by our little intelligence. We can form some idea with examples. Have you ever seen the dough being prepared for making bread? What does the baker do? Take the flour, the yeast and the water. They are three different elements: the flour is not the yeast or the water; the yeast is not the flour or the water and the water is not the flour or the yeast. The three elements are mixed and a single substance is formed. Therefore, three different elements together form a single substance. With this dough, three loaves are made that have the same substance but different in form from one another. That is, three breads different from each other but a single substance.
Thus it is said of God: He is one in nature, Triune in persons equal and different from each other. The Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. They are three equal but different people. However, they are one God because one and the same is the nature of God.”
Words of Pope Francis on the Holy Trinity
The Trinity is the ultimate goal towards which our earthly pilgrimage is directed. The path of Christian life is, in effect, an essentially ‘Trinitarian’ path: the Holy Spirit guides us to the full knowledge of the teachings of Christ. And he also reminds us of what Jesus has taught us: the Gospel of him. And Jesus, in turn, has come into the world to make us know the Father, to guide us towards Him, to reconcile us with Him. Everything in the Christian life revolves around the Trinitarian mystery and is fulfilled according to this infinite mystery. So let us try to always keep the ‘tone’ of our lives high, reminding ourselves for what purpose, for what glory we exist, work, fight, suffer. And to what immense prize we are called.
This mystery embraces our whole life and our entire Christian being. We remember it, for example, every time we make the sign of the cross: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And now I invite you all to make the sign of the cross together – and with a loud voice – all together! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
I adore you, Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons and one God. I prostrate myself in the abyss of my nothingness before Your divine majesty.
I firmly believe and am willing to give my life in testimony of all that has been revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and of the mysteries that you have revealed to us through your Church.
In You I place my trust; and from your hand, my God, unique life, my hope, I wish, I hope and I want to receive all the goods, spiritual or corporal, that I can achieve in this life or in the next. From today and forever I consecrate my body and my soul, all my powers, memory, understanding, will and all my senses.
I promise never to consent, as long as I am on my side, to infer the slightest offense to your divine majesty.
I firmly propose to dedicate my entire existence, my faculties and energies, to your service and glory.
I am willing to endure all the adversities that your paternal hand wants to impose on me to please your heart.
I would like to strive with all my being, so that everyone may serve, glorify and love God their Creator.
I rejoice intensely in your eternal happiness, and I feel jubilant for your great glory in heaven and on earth.
I give you infinite thanks for the innumerable benefits granted to me and to the whole world, and for those that continuously, day after day, grant your benign providence.
I love your infinite goodness for its own sake with all the affection of my heart and soul: and I wish, if it were possible, to love you as the angels and the just love you, with whose love I unite mine.
To Your divine majesty, in union with the merits of the passion, life and death of Christ, of the blessed ever Virgin and of all the saints, I offer all my works, purified by the most precious blood of our Redeemer Jesus.
I want to participate, as much as possible, in the indulgences obtained through prayers and works, and I wish to apply them as a suffrage for the souls in purgatory.
I also want to offer, to the best of my ability, satisfaction and penance for all my sins.
My God, being you infinitely worthy of all love and service, for being who you are: I repent with all my heart of my sins, and I detest them more than all evils, since they displease you so much. My God, whom I love above all things: I humbly ask your forgiveness, and I make a firm resolution never to offend your divine goodness.
Trisagion to the Holy Trinity
Offering: We pray to you, Lord, for the Holy Church and its Prelates, for the exaltation of the Catholic faith, extirpation of heresies, peace and harmony among nations, conversion of all infidels, heretics and sinners; for the dying and for the walkers; for the blessed souls in purgatory and other pious purposes of our Holy Mother the Church. Amen.
V. Lord open my lips.
R. And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
V. My God, come to my aid.
R. Lord, hurry to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
God, One in Essence and Triune in persons: here is one of your humble creatures who recognizes in himself the venerable image of Your Holy Trinity. I confess that I have not fulfilled the obligations to which the honor of this divine resemblance commits me. I have sinned, my God; but I never denied, but have constantly believed in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit: that the Father has no beginning; that the Son is produced by the Father, with whom he is consubstantial, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son; whose reciprocal love is also a consubstantial term for both. That the Father is not first than the Son, nor the two first than the Holy Spirit. I worship the Father as God, the Son as God, and the Holy Spirit as God; and yet, in all three I believe and adore only one God. I do not understand, Lord, this mystery; but I captive my understanding as a gift of faith, for your greater glory and my merit. I offer these deep sentiments of religion, reverence and love, as grateful vows to your holiness, so that through them you forgive so many offenses committed by me, against your uncreated Majesty. The miserable trinity of my powers sighs to you: my memory sick with fragility, my understanding full of ignorance, my will infected with an inclination to evil. Heal her, sanctify her and grant me your grace so that I never miss the purposes that you have deigned to inspire me.
I promise with all my heart, to dedicate myself from now on, to live a Christian life, helped by your holy grace and to invoke the Mystery of your August Trinity in whom I hope to find mercy, mercy and help forever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
with the seraphim
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
with the cherubim
Pray an Our Father and a Glory be to the Father and then say the following invocation nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
With the Thrones:
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal
R. Have mercy on us.
Prayer to God the Father
Almighty and Everlasting God the Father, who with your only-begotten Son and with the Holy Spirit are one God, One in Essence and Triune in persons. I adore you, venerate and bless you with the three angelic Hierarchies; and with the three Choirs of the first: loving Seraphim, wise Cherubim and exalted Thrones, I acclaim you Holy, Holy, Holy, powerful and eternal Father of the Divine Word, principle of the Holy Spirit, Lord of heaven and earth, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
with the dominations
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
with the virtues
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
with the powers
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, now and always, for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.
R. Have mercy on us.
Prayer to God the Son
Wise and sovereign God the Son made Man for us, that with your Eternal Father and Divine Spirit you are one God, One in Essence and Triune in persons. I venerate, bless and adore you with the three Hierarchies of the Angels; and with the Choirs of the second: Dominations, Virtues and Powers, I acclaim you Holy, Holy. Holy, omnipotent, Divine Word and Only Begotten Son of God, principle of the Holy Spirit, Lord of heaven and earth, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
with the principalities
An Our Father and a Glory to the Father are prayed and then the following invocation is said nine times:
V. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of hosts.
R. Full are the heavens and the earth of your glory.
Then add:
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,…