In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Do we understand this everytime we say this as we make the sign of the cross?It is quite hard to understand this mystery of our faith, especially when we just say this in a mechanical way. But wait, our confession of the Triune God– i.e. the One God in three persons is the core of our Christian faith. It is fundamental in our belief. Yes, we can always express this mystery of the Most Holy Trinity by way of analogies. One analogy might be of flame (one flame with 3 elements: the light, the heat/warmth and the color [whatever colour it may be]-all in one flame, 3-in-one)

But how can 1+1+1=1? How can 1 God be three in persons? How can the three persons form into one  God? We might say, addition is not the solution but multiplication, i.e. 1x1X1=1.

Of course we cannot really answer this question in an existential way. We just find it hard to understand how can it be? 

We can answer this question however in experiential way.

First God the Father. What does a Father do. A father cares, supports, and most especially loves his son or daughter. That is our  what our God also does to us. He cares for us. He loves us. He supports us. He feeds us. He provides us with what we need. And we can tell this through our experience of Him.

Second: God the Son. God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to save us. So Jesus Christ, the God-made man, came down and dwell with us, lived with us, walked with us, dined with us, suffered and died for our sins and is risen from the dead. The same God, who out of great love decided to be with us in person and lived like human beings do sharing in our humanity without losing his divinity.

Third, is the Holy Spirit. The God in person, that is Jesus Christ has lived in this earth  2,000 years  ago. But his Spirit remains in us, with us and works through us. The same God who out of love couldn’t leave us on our own. He continually sustains us, strengthens us, guides us and draws us to his friendship and to eventually gather us altogether in his kingdom.

The solemnity of the Holy Trinity reminds us that our God is one, though he appears to us in three persons. He is the same God who was, who is, and who is to come.