Ontological Implications of the Trinity

[haroldcrews]

Does the Trinity show that ‘Being’ is relational? Further what are the implications if it does?

 

[tonyrey]

Welcome to the forum, Harold! This answer probably won’t be what you have in mind but you may find it interesting.

The most obvious implication of the Blessed Trinity is that **all **persons are ontologically related, i.e. not only because we are created by God but by virtue of our very nature. We are not just social individuals but made in the image of God and members of a divine - as well as human - community. We need others at a psychological and spiritual level.

That is why to live for ourselves is disastrous. Moral laws are simply rules for personal health and fulfilment. When we harm others we also harm ourselves because we are all interdependent. Jesus told us that what we do to others we do to Him. And He prayed that we may all be one as He and the Father are One. In unity lies fulfilment and joy as well as strength. When we are divided we are conquered - by our own inadequacy.

Solitary confinement is the worst punishment that can be inflicted on us because it interferes with our social life. Yet even then we can still be united to others by love. A far worse punishment is interior isolation caused by pride and selfishness. Hell is simply the self-inflicted absence of contact with God.

In theory there could be a more fundamental separation if He ceased to sustain a person in existence. Then there would be no ontological relation at all! This may seem a more merciful solution than letting a person exist in hell but extinction would defeat the purpose of creation. God has given us the capacity for love and will never admit defeat!

 

[haroldcrews]

Thanks Tony. I appreciate your response though a more fundamental response was more what I was looking for. You are on the right track when it comes to the effect of sin and the nature of Hell.

Another aspect worth considering is the Blessed Mother being Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit exists in far greater relation to God than we. She truly is Full of Grace.

 

[tonyrey]

Thanks Tony. I appreciate your response though a more fundamental response was more what I was looking for. You are on the right track when it comes to the effect of sin and the nature of Hell.

Another aspect worth considering is the Blessed Mother being Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit exists in far greater relation to God than we. She truly is Full of Grace.

What can be more fundamental than the nature of God?

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Hello Harold,

Could the greatest commandments possibly describe how Christ is one with the Father, part of the trinity?

Jesus loves God the Father with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus loves each and every one of us as he loves himself.

God the Father loves God the Son with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The Father loves each and every one of us as he loves himself.

Could the spirit be the power of love working through the greatest
commandments? Here is a short passage that links the spirit and the second commandment.

1 Samuel 18

1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.

When Jesus spent his time on Earth, he would have lived by the greatest commandments.

Blessings

Eric

 

[tonyrey]

Thanks Tony. I appreciate your response though a more fundamental response was more what I was looking for. You are on the right track when it comes to the effect of sin and the nature of Hell.

Another aspect worth considering is the Blessed Mother being Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit exists in far greater relation to God than we. She truly is Full of Grace.

Harold, I forgot to compliment you for your neat and delightful summary of Our Lady’s relationships… (I use the old-fashioned word because it seems stronger!)

 

[jonnyws]

Solitary confinement is the worst punishment that can be inflicted on us because it interferes with our social life. Yet even then we can still be united to others by love. A far worse punishment is interior isolation caused by pride and selfishness. Hell is simply the self-inflicted absence of contact with God.

Exactly; although we have an ontological continuity with God as the source of being and are thus all ontologically connected hell is not the destruction of this ontology for without the being given by God we simply cease to exist - we are held in existence by the will of God at all times. However, it is well worth remembering that when we talk about God and ontology we are talking about God who is the source of being but beyond being; being is not the sum of the divine but rather finds its source in the divine and is wilfully given from it. What is not given by nature of being is an epistemological continuity with God - that is bestowed supernaturally by grace in view of the merits won for us by Christ. Christ can be found in all things and thus we can know something of God from the creation itself but we can only come to know him fully by being fully one with Christ who is the image of the invisible God. Hell is not an absence of ontology because without a given ‘beingness’ from God we do not exist at all - rather hell is the total (and freely chosen) depravation of all epistemological continuity with the Godhead.

 

[tonyrey]

Exactly; although we have an ontological continuity with God as the source of being and are thus all ontologically connected hell is not the destruction of this ontology for without the being given by God we simply cease to exist - we are held in existence by the will of God at all times. However, it is well worth remembering that when we talk about God and ontology we are talking about God who is the source of being but beyond being; being is not the sum of the divine but rather finds its source in the divine and is wilfully given from it. What is not given by nature of being is an epistemological continuity with God - that is bestowed supernaturally by grace in view of the merits won for us by Christ. Christ can be found in all things and thus we can know something of God from the creation itself but we can only come to know him fully by being fully one with Christ who is the image of the invisible God. Hell is not an absence of ontology because without a given ‘beingness’ from God we do not exist at all - rather hell is the total (and freely chosen) depravation of all epistemological continuity with the Godhead.

Most eloquently expressed! Even your typo is appropriate because to be depraved is to be deprived of God (through one’s own fault).