Explaining the Trinity to a six year old

[turtleoompa]

A wonderful Fr. comes to visit our parish every summer. He did this during his homily. He took a glass of water and said (this is the Father) and a glass of juice and said (this is the Son) and poured both of them together at the same time into another glass and said (this is the Holy Spirit). Very simple and to the point.

 

[DebChris]

My son-in-law is a Presbyterian minister. He tells the story of how he thought he could explain the Holy Trinity and had written what he considered a great paper to that effect only to be admonished by his professor. Nobody can explain the Trinity. We can only use symbolism to touch on the concept. St. Patrick used the clover. I use the example of the body with God the Creator as the brain, Jesus as the body, and the Holy Spirit as the nervous system.
My son-in-law serves Trinity sundaes using Neopolitan ice cream after Trinity Sunday service,
I like the three states of matter using ice, water, and steam.

 

[Joe_5859]

My son-in-law serves Trinity sundaes using Neopolitan ice cream after Trinity Sunday service,

That’s classic! I’ll have to remember that one! (I guess I have to wait until next year as Trinity Sunday was just last weekend)

 

[tobinatorstark]

I don’t think that it is something you can tell a child. A lot of things that I knew about in St. Mary’s I didn’t understand til I got older. It just seems that kids don’t know the mystries because they aren’t supposed to. I guess there are ways you can simplify it. I am not sure.

 

[marymol]

Glimpses of truth in the posts above …

We , who are made to know our God and to love Him …a God who became Man like us …yet unlike ourself - is one in Three … and that yearning to know Him, hopefully would keep our hearts focused …on Him …

Meanwhile … we look around too …to see more of those glimpses …and there are the atoms …with its fast moving neutrons , protons and electrons …difficult for us to imagine …

And a Dove , whose creative energy made it all happen …yet appears as simple as a dove …with the two wings moving …as though to manifest the flow of the love and power… of The Father and the Son …

yes, glimpses all around …even as our own mystery …

And saints telling us how in a life of prayer and holiness , they are able to experience the Triune God at levels He wish to reveal, even in this world …

May be the 6 y.o is on the way …

Glory be to The Father, Son and Holy Spirit …

 

[jcrichton]

My six year old daughter asked me tonight how Jesus can be his own father. I tried explaining using the example of water, steam and ice all being different forms of water, but that did not really answer her question.

Can anyone suggest a simple way to explain this complex mystery?

Hi, fermat!

…first explain to your daughter that only though Faith can we begin to understand what Yahweh God has chosen to reveal about Himself… show her, through study of several passages of the Holy Scriptures, that Yahweh God revealed Himself as the Father, Yahweh, in the Old Testament, as the Son, the Messiah, in the New Testament, and as the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, also in the New Testament.

An excellent visual is found when Jesus is baptized (St. Matthew 3:13-17) where the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit are found, each existing as individual Persons of the One God.

…perhaps you can use something modern to explain it to her… do you own a phone? …is it internet capable? …does it have a camara (photo/video)?: one phone which can at times be used to communicate via voice, text or video… each time it has a different function without ceasing from being a phone!

Maran atha!

Angel