High School Youth Group, March 14th -- The Dogma of the Trinity, Session 14 -- A "Proof" of the Trinity (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

 We discuss the philosophical and theological reasonings about the greatest mystery of our Faith, The Holy Trinity.

Listen online [here]!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

High School Youth Group – Spring 2021 – The Dogma of the Trinity

March 14^th - Session 14 – A “Proof” of the Trinity

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”  -Deuteronomy 6:4

 

 

I. Calendar: Classes continue until May 2^nd. No class on March 28^th, April 4^th, and 11^th. Students encouraged to join for parish stations on March 28^th (Palm Sunday) and to make confession on April 11^th (Divine Mercy Sunday).

Note: The class originally scheduled for April 11^th will be moved to March 21^st – Poems on the Trinity.

 

 

II. Review of Introduction to the Trinity

A. Trinity:  Three persons in one God.

B. Person answers “who?” – Nature answers “what?”

C. The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, but was developed in the early Church.

 

 

III. Can the Mystery of the Trinity be known by natural reason alone?

St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica I, q. 32, a. 1

“Hilary says (De Trin. i), "Let no man think to reach the sacred mystery of generation by his own mind." And Ambrose says (De Fide ii, 5), "It is impossible to know the secret of generation. The mind fails, the voice is silent." But the trinity of the divine persons is distinguished by origin of generation and procession (I:30:2. Since, therefore, man cannot know, and with his understanding grasp that for which no necessary reason can be given, it follows that the trinity of persons cannot be known by reason.”

 

And again,

“It is impossible to attain to the knowledge of the Trinity by natural reason. For, as above explained (I:12:4 and I:12:12), man cannot obtain the knowledge of God by natural reason except from creatures. Now creatures lead us to the knowledge of God, as effects do to their cause. Accordingly, by natural reason we can know of God that only which of necessity belongs to Him as the principle of things, and we have cited this fundamental principle in treating of God as above (I:12:12). Now, the creative power of God is common to the whole Trinity; and hence it belongs to the unity of the essence, and not to the distinction of the persons. Therefore, by natural reason we can know what belongs to the unity of the essence, but not what belongs to the distinction of the persons.”

 

Finally,

“Therefore, we must not attempt to prove what is of faith, except by authority alone, to those who receive the authority; while as regards others it suffices to prove that what faith teaches is not impossible.”

 

 

IV. A “Proof” of the Trinity

A. This is not a strict “proof” but rather an explanation or the hint of an explanation.

 

B.  In man, there is both intellect (knowing) and will (loving). If man can know and love, surely God must know and love. Therefore, even before/apart from any created things, in God alone there is knowledge and love. This knowledge and love must not be creatures, since we are speaking of God in himself apart from creation. Therefore, this knowledge and love must be divine persons together with God. Hence, we have the Father (God), the Son (the knowledge/word of God), and the Holy Spirit (the will/love of God). And all three are yet one God.

 

C. God must surely know himself. When he knows himself, he forms a perfect idea of himself. However, if this idea of himself is truly perfect, then it cannot be a mere creature (like our ideas) but must be divine (like God himself). Also, because God knows himself without any creation, then this knowledge of himself must not be a part of creation but must be truly divine. However, if this knowledge/idea of himself is divine, then it must be a true person (for an inanimate object or flighty daydream clearly cannot be divine).  But, if this knowledge which God has of himself is a true person, then it must be a divine person who likewise knows and loves.  Now, God must not only know himself, but also love himself and love his perfect image/knowledge of himself.  Further, this love cannot be a mere creature (because we are thinking of God in himself apart from creation), but must be divine. Again, this means that this love must be a person. And so, we have the Father (God), the Son (the knowledge of God), and the Holy Spirit (the love of God).

 

 

V. How we speak of God

5 Notions: The Father is the unbegotten (1), the Father of the Son (2), and the common source of the Holy Spirit (3); The Son is the begotten of the Father (4) and the common source of the Holy Spirit (3 again); The Holy Spirit is the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son (5).

 

4 Relations: The Father is the Father of the Son (1), and the common source of the Holy Spirit (2); The Son is begotten of the Father (3) and the common source of the Holy Spirit (2 again); the Holy Spirit is the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son (4).

 

3 Persons: The Father is the Father of the Son (1); the Son is the begotten of the Father (2); the Holy Spirit is the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son (3).

 

2 Processions: The Son is the begotten of the Father (1) and the Holy Spirit is the one who proceeds from the Father and the Son (2).

 

1 God: God knows himself and the Father begets the Son, God loves himself and the Father and the Son breathe forth the Holy Spirit.