The Holy Trinity and the Eucharist

By Ivonne Hernandez

"O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me forget myself entirely so to establish myself in you, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to trouble my peace or make me leave you, O my unchanging God, but may each minute bring me more deeply into your mystery! Grant my soul peace. Make it your heaven, your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest. May I never abandon you there, but may I be there, whole and entire, completely vigilant in my faith, entirely adoring, and wholly given over to your creative action.” [1] – St Elizabeth of the Trinity


Meditation:


Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the “central mystery of Christian faith and life.” (CCC, 234) As I ponder on the relation between the Three Persons of the Trinity, I think of the role relationships play in my life. “I would be a saint if it wasn’t for other people.” I would say this jokingly to my husband whenever there was a relationship in my life that I found particularly challenging. The reality is that it is the opposite that is true. The Eucharistic life can only make sense in view of our relationships, first to God and then to others. We were made in the image of God to share in His own blessed life. “In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) We become what we receive when we, wholly given to the creative action of the Eucharist in us, can be then broken and shared…for others.

Relationships are difficult. They bring out the best in us, and they bring out the worst in us. The reality is that we wouldn’t know who we are on our own. Just like I can only see my face if I look in a mirror, I can only define self in my relations. The deepest and ultimate truth of our identity is that we are beloved children of God, and our goal is to remain anchored in that truth and look at our other relationships from that place of Love. I am a mother to my child, and I am a wife to my husband. Without them I would not be either. It is in the challenges that these relationships bring that we find opportunities to grow. We have every day opportunities to grow in virtue, and especially in charity. Loving those who are cheerful and kind is easy, but loving those who are hurting and are hurtful in return is hard. It is by dying to self (sometimes many times in a day) and living for others that we grow in holiness.

If you have been blessed to experience unconditional love when you felt you didn’t deserve it, if you were having a really bad day and someone’s kindness and mercy opened your heart to the love of God, you must keep that in mind often and do unto others. This is how we live as Eucharistic people; we are broken and shared for others. We dwell in the inmost life of the Blessed Trinity and let that permeate every relation in our lives. We let the mercy and love of God overflow in us. We remain in God and He remains in us. “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Cor 13:11)


​[1] Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Kindle Locations 2125-2129). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition.