One God, Three Divine Persons

One God, Three Divine Persons

The Catholic teaches that the fathomless mystery we call God has revealed himself to humankind as a trinity of persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Sprit.

Three Persons, One God

The mystery of the Trinity is central doctrine of Catholic faith. Upon it are based all other teachings of the church, in the New Testament there is frequent mention of the Father, the Son, and the Holly spirit. A careful reading of these scriptural passages leads one unmistakable Conclusion: each of these persons is presented as having qualities that can belong only to God. But if there is only one God, how can this be?

The Church studied this mystery with great care and, after four centuries of clarifications, decided to state the doctrine in this way; In the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, truly distinct one from another. Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed; “The Father is God, The son is God and Holy the Holy Spirit, and yet there are not three gods but one God.”

Creator, Savior, Sanctifier

All effects of God’s action upon his creatures are produced by the three divine Persons in common. But because certain effects of the divine action in creation
remind us more of one divine person than another, the Church ascribes particular effects to one or the other divine person. Thus, we speak of the Father as Creator of all that is; of the Son, the Word of God, as our savior or Redeemer; and of the Holy Spirit – the “love of god” “poured into our hearts” – as our sanctifier.

To believe that God is Father means to believe that you are son, or daughter; that God your Father accepts and loves you; that God your Father has created you as a love – worthy human being.

To believe that God is saving Word means to believe that you are a listener; that your response to God’s Word is to open yourself to his liberating Gospel which frees you to choose union with God and brotherhood with your neighbor.

To believe that god is spirit means to believe that on this earth you are meant to live a sanctifying, supernatural life that is created sharing in God’s own nature – a life which is the beginning of life eternal.