Trinity, Humanity & Eternity

In the Trinity, the Father gives Himself completely to the Son, and the Son gives Himself completely to the Father.

Giving oneself completely to the other is love.

The Holy Spirit is the divine Person who proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son. In the mystery of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or an abstract idea of love. He is Love, fully God, eternally proceeding within the communion of the Father and the Son.

The Father gives everything to the Son. The Son receives everything from the Father and gives Himself completely back to the Father. Their eternal communion is so perfect that the Holy Spirit proceeds from them as the eternal bond and communion of divine love.

Isn't that an extraordinary mystery?

The Greek word perichoresis is used by theologians to describe the mutual indwelling and communion of the Persons of the Trinity. The Father is in the Son, the Son is in the Father, and the Holy Spirit dwells in this perfect communion—not as three gods, but as one God in three Persons.

Our God is therefore communion from all eternity.

When God created us, He created us in His image and likeness. Our capacity to love, to give ourselves, and to enter into communion is therefore not accidental. It reflects something of the God whose image we bear.

Perhaps this is why we hear so many “I love yous” throughout our lives—between a man and a woman, husband and wife, parents and children, friends and those who belong to us. We are creatures made for communion.

Our capacity for sexual union is also part of this gift of self. In marriage, a man and woman are called to make a complete and exclusive gift of themselves to one another. This is why the marital covenant is between one man and one woman: the gift is meant to be total, faithful, and exclusive.

And from this mutual self-giving, a new life may proceed.

The child becomes a living fruit of the spouses' self-giving love—a gift received rather than manufactured. In this beautiful sense, marriage can offer us a created glimpse of the mystery of divine communion and fruitfulness, though no human relationship can ever equal the infinite mystery of the Trinity.

But there is something still greater.

Our ultimate destiny is union with God.

Eternal life is not merely an endless continuation of earthly existence. It is our entrance into the fullness of communion for which we were created. Every authentic experience of love, every act of self-giving, every communion between persons is only a faint shadow of the reality that awaits us.

There, our glorified humanity will share in the life and glory of the Triune God.

The love we experience between spouses, parents and children, friends and one another will not simply disappear. Rather, everything that is true and good in human love will find its fulfilment in the infinite love of God.

We were created from Love.

We are created for love.

And we are ultimately destined to enter into the eternal communion of Love Himself.

I am simply overwhelmed.