Page 6 - Summer Solemnities - Visions

SAINTS
Thinking and Talking About the Trinity
Many saints have attempted to explain or experience the Trinity. While no explanation can be complete,
their experiences—even the legendary ones—can give us small glimpses of our
loving and eternal God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Read their stories and the Scripture passages or prayers. Then write some thoughts about what each says to you about the Holy Trinity.
Saint Augustine and the Ocean
Saint Augustine of Hippo converted to Christianity in the fourth century. He wrote a great deal about
the Trinity, but still struggled to understand it. Many years after his death, a legend sprang up about this struggle:
One day, Augustine was walking along the seashore. He was wrestling with how to understand the Trinity when he noticed a young boy playing in the sand. The boy was carrying a seashell back and forth between the ocean waves and a small hole in the sand. Augustine asked what the child was doing. “I am trying to pour the ocean into this hole,” the boy said. Augustine laughed and told the boy it was impossible. The boy answered, “And you are trying to comprehend God with only your mind. That is even more impossible.”
God is love. (1 John 4:8)
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Saint Ignatius and the Bells
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the Society of Jesus; the Jesuit order of priests. One day as Ignatius prayed in a monastery, the church bells began to ring. In a flash of insight, Ignatius understood how the three Persons in one God are like the three keys of a musical instrument. Each has its own distinct sound, but when they are played together, they make one rich, beautiful sound. Ignatius was so overwhelmed with this insight that he cried tears of joy for days.
Exalted at the right hand of God, [Jesus] received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear. (Acts 2:33)
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Saint Patrick and the Shamrock
You have probably heard stories about Saint Patrick using a shamrock to teach the Irish people about the Trinity. Saint Patrick never mentions this in his writings, but he composed a great prayer to the Trinity, known as Saint Patrick’s breastplate. Part of this prayer is printed on page 6. Read the prayer silently and slowly. Then write your reactions here:
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SAMPLE
Pflaum Publishing Group
6 • Visions The Most Holy Trinity
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