The Holy Trinity

[scimitar60]

I don’t quite understand how I’m supposed to think of the trinity.

I think of the Father as a happy man who made everything and loves it
I think of the Son as more emotional and very caring
I think of the Holy Spirit as the chiller who sits in the corner smiling.

How do you guys picture them?

 

[God_sent]

The Father is the Creator+++The Son the Redeemer+++The Holy Spirit is the sanctifer+++

 

[Totterman]

Jesus,our Lords peace be whit You.
The Holy Trinity is a thing we don’t need to understand beyond what the Bible tells us. Whit faith we mean that we believe something is real,or true. When we recieve Communion we are totaly leaning on our faith,I do believ the bread and the wine is turning into Christ Body and Blood,whitout changing form,taste or anything to proof that it realy have turned in to something else,but it do cahnge,that is faith,beleiving in a thing we can’t,and I am not sure if we should even trye to figure out,how.
We read on pages of the Bible things that seems impossible,but still we believe that it realy happend.
One of the most importen things we need to understand is that we shall not understand,just beleive. Time after time here is questions we realy not need a ansver to. We don’t need to know everything,one day we will have all the ansvers,now we don’t even know all the questions. And why do we wont to know all? What good is it for us? Do we be better persons or cristians knowing all? We don’t need to moore then God sees fit,knowing moore gives us nothing that we can use,and we wont be better persons or cristians knowing moore.
God wants us to know what we need to,and will you,or me,or anyone,be better people understanding The Holy Trinity. Like strength,God gives us only the wisdome we need,not less,nor moore.

 

[hansard]

Personally (and I stress, personally) I see the Trinity as being quite distinct entities with little crossing-over of roles.
God The Father is the creator–he is not the redeemer (never was human–probably could never* be* human) and not the Holy Spirit.
God The Holy Spirit is the inspiration and strength, the miracle-worker, the transubstantiator. He is not the creator and has never been human.
God The Christ is the human element. He hasn’t always been that way, but purposely chose to take on the fragility on being human, hence our connection with him. He is not the creator and not the Holy Spirit.

I feel a storm coming. Better settle in for it.

 

[puzzleannie]

I don’t quite understand how I’m supposed to think of the trinity.

How do you guys picture them?

as 3 Persons in one Divine Nature, as God, not as characters in a teen flick or video game

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well I simplified my understanding of the Holy Trinity, and I’m sure some will challenge me on it, but here goes.

Being we are created in the image of God, we merely have to look at our own being, to understand the Holy Trinity.

We are made of body, soul and spirit(when we die).

So, God is body, soul and spirit.

Soul = the Father

Body = the Son

Spirit = the Holy Ghost

All three are one God indivisible.

Jim

 

[MarcusAndreas]

I think of the Holy Trinity as lover, beloved, and the living love between them, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love.

scimitar60:

I don’t quite understand how I’m supposed to think of the trinity.

Do it like that.

 

[Patrick_Joshua]

Someone at my parish told me this story about the Trinity.

Once St.Francis was walking along the beach trying to understand the Trinity, while he was walking along the beach he saw a young boy putting stones into a small box. When St.Francis confronted the young boy and asked what he was doing, the boy replied, “I’m putting all the stones on beach into this box”. Saint Francis then replied “But thats impossible”, and St.Francis went on his way. While he was trying to understand the Trinity, he then realized that it was also impossible to understand the Trinity, because who can fully understand the nature of God?

God as only lifted the veil a little bit thats all.

 

[simple_soul]

Well I simplified my understanding of the Holy Trinity, and I’m sure some will challenge me on it, but here goes.

Being we are created in the image of God, we merely have to look at our own being, to understand the Holy Trinity.

We are made of body, soul and spirit(when we die).

So, God is body, soul and spirit.

Soul = the Father

Body = the Son

Spirit = the Holy Ghost

All three are one God indivisible.

Jim

I have been swirling these same thoughts around in my head. I wonder how Theologically sound they are or how they hold up to church teachings.

 

[scimitar60]

as 3 Persons in one Divine Nature, as God, not as characters in a teen flick or video game

This thread was simply to compare opinions and to have a bit of fun. Trolls are not allowed.

 

[scimitar60]

Someone at my parish told me this story about the Trinity.

Once St.Francis was walking along the beach trying to understand the Trinity, while he was walking along the beach he saw a young boy putting stones into a small box. When St.Francis confronted the young boy and asked what he was doing, the boy replied, “I’m putting all the stones on beach into this box”. Saint Francis then replied “But thats impossible”, and St.Francis went on his way. While he was trying to understand the Trinity, he then realized that it was also impossible to understand the Trinity, because who can fully understand the nature of God?

God as only lifted the veil a little bit thats all.

That is a good story!

 

[puzzleannie]

This thread was simply to compare opinions and to have a bit of fun. Trolls are not allowed.

there are no legitimate “personal opinions” on the nature of the Trinity, there is revealed truth, expressed in Catholic dogma, for which one can see the catechism, and there is the truth about God we cannot and will not know until we are united with him in heaven, but there is no “opinion” that can be valid.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

I don’t quite understand how I’m supposed to think of the trinity.

I think of the Father as a happy man who made everything and loves it
I think of the Son as more emotional and very caring
I think of the Holy Spirit as the chiller who sits in the corner smiling.

How do you guys picture them?

… my dear friend …

… to me : god is the unkowable in that he " is " , and is " love " , he is infinite and eternal living love - with 3 aspects to this love we call father , son and holy spirit — the father is infinite love that speaks his infinite word of love and this infinite word of love expresses love in infinitely creative ways …

… i wtote one of my attempts to explain the trinity from some new persepectives you may like though , its here forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=477908

… god bless you …

… john …

 

[scimitar60]

there are no legitimate “personal opinions” on the nature of the Trinity, there is revealed truth, expressed in Catholic dogma, for which one can see the catechism, and there is the truth about God we cannot and will not know until we are united with him in heaven, but there is no “opinion” that can be valid.

For goodness sake, I know there not valid! I’m just having a fun thread so that I have a basic idea at what the three are like. Stop trying to ruin the thread, it was only supposed to be a bit of creative thinking. Gosh…

 

[puzzleannie]

fun threads are for topics that are not serious, and usually go someplace like Back Fence. You posted on Spirituality indicating you want serious meditation on the nature of the Trinity.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I have been swirling these same thoughts around in my head. I wonder how Theologically sound they are or how they hold up to church teachings.

Well, when I told my confessor who has a PHD in theology, he said it was fine, but to remember that the detailed mystery of Holy Trinity is beyond our understanding.

So, its merely a simple way to understand from one man’s point of view.

St. Patrick used a 3 leave clover, so I think my idea isn’t so far fetched after all.

Jim

 

[GaryTaylor]

In the begining was God and the Father of all, and his Spririt is the Holy Spirit. For the redemption of man, God sends a Son, who is God himself in the flesh. The Son of Man. Whom the Holy Spirit came upon the Blessed Mother and she bore the Son of Man. The Redeemer., the Word of God.

Through the Crucifixtion and Resurrection we have the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit re-united. Not as one but as the Trinity now. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

[simple_soul]

Well, when I told my confessor who has a PHD in theology, he said it was fine, but to remember that the detailed mystery of Holy Trinity is beyond our understanding.

So, its merely a simple way to understand from one man’s point of view.

St. Patrick used a 3 leave clover, so I think my idea isn’t so far fetched after all.

Jim

*Dear Jim,

Your simple way reminds me of a few things.

My mother sharred this story with me the other day,

Malachi 3:3 says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner
and purifier of silver.”

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time
it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

This story always left me in wonderment.
I heard somewhere that if God is infinite then He must have infinite ways of expressing Himself. Each one of us, if we let Him refine us, will reflect that image of Himself that we are meant to reflect. I wonder if the reason why each one of us is so uniquely different in our own way is because if we remain faithful to that which He has called us to be He will see that infinite image of Himself that He gives us reflected back to Himself. Then I wonder will we then collectively mirror His whole image?

Anyway when I read your post it reminded me of these thoughts…just thought I would share mine…like your confessor said, detailed understanding of the Holy Trinity is beyond our understanding but I do like to dwell on it now and again…I believe it is one of the beautiful Mysteries of God…to me it is like looking into a kolidascope…