As Catholics there is one particular habit that we all do on a regular basis that exemplifies our faith in a very visible and concrete way. It expresses the core of our faith and reminds us of who we are and who we worship. That is the sign of the cross.

We dip our hand in the holy water which reminds us of our entrance into life of faith from baptism, giving us hope from the salvation given to us by Christ on the cross and which brings us into the life of love in the Trinity.

In every Sunday mass we profess this belief in The Father (the creator of heaven and earth), The Son (the redeemer of God and Man) and the Holy Spirit (the sanctifier), as we recite the Creed. The Trinity is the center of our belief and our religious services.

And on Trinity Sunday, a week after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and this year during the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we come to a day when explanations abound in sermons across the planet about his mysterious and often times hard to articulate teaching of our faith. Analogies are often used to express the inexpressible.

The Trinity is like Water in three different forms.

FAIL

That’s Modalism: It is the doctrine that the persons of the Trinity represent only three modes or aspects of the divine revelation, not distinct and coexisting persons in the divine nature.

The Trinity is like the Sun. It is a Star which then gives us Light and Heat.

FAIL

That’s Arianism: Light and Heat are creations of the star. Arianism was an influential heresy denying the divinity of Christ, originating with the Alexandrian priest Arius (c. 250–c. 336). Arianism maintained that the Son of God was created by the Father and was therefore neither coeternal with the Father, nor consubstantial.

The Trinity is like a Three Leaf Clover.

FAIL

Partialism: This heresy teaches that Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are components of the one God. This led them to believe that each of the persons of the Trinity is only part God, only becoming fully God when they come together. Trinitarian Heresies (monergism.com)

Ok so what analogy in all of God’s creation explains the Trinity best?

This video from Lutherans explains it best.

My own personal analogy.

God is like three distinct voices creating one song.

And here are more thoughts about the Trinity with an original poem by Kristin Wilson.

God in his deepest mystery is not a solitude but a family, | Mark Wilson (patheos.com)

Where One is Three
Only as God can be
Father, Son & Holy Ghost
Is there one you relate to most?

Problem? God can hear it
True Love in Love in Love
1+1+1=1
If the 3 = one is my math done?

No, don’t you see He is the Holy Trinity
Our triune God for infinity

Jesus seems more tangible, human like us
In his Father he did trust

The Paraclete on Pentecost Holy Spirit be
Full of holy wisdom, gifts for you and me

A father Abba, a God person Jesus & @ the symbol of the Dove

It is a mystery, a God gift
In our soul the Trinity lift