Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier and more

June 3, 2007 -- The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

By Bishop Robert Morneau

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. What does the making of the "Sign of the Cross" tell you about the Trinity? 2. How has your concept and knowledge of God grown over the years? 3. In what sense does the Trinity dwell within you?

The great Dominican theologian Yves Congar (1904-1995) was one of the best theologians of the twentieth century. His writings on ecumenism, lay ministry, the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, continue to influence the minds and hearts of many. In his three volumes I Believe in the Holy Spirit, Congar gives us a framework for reflecting upon the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Reflecting on the Trinitarian structure of the apostolic tradition, Congar writes: ". . .creation is attributed to the Father, then the redemption is the work of the Word made flesh and sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit" (Vol. II, p. 5).

Our one God is a Creator God. This life-giving activity brings all of us into existence. God is the origin and source of all life and we are challenged to recognize and respond to this fact with praise and gratitude. The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson maintained that were we able to understand the life and beauty of a flower in a crannied wall, we would understand the mystery of who we are and who God is. Creation is revelatory. For those who have insight, God's existence is self-evident.

Our one God is a redeeming God. In Jesus, the Word made flesh, we have been given a redeemer, a savior. Through faith in Christ we are justified; through faith in Jesus, we have the possibility of experiencing God's peace and glory. Redemption has to do with the realities of sin and death. Our Redeemer, through His obedience and self-sacrifice, has broken the bonds of death and won for us the forgiveness of sins. We have in Jesus a hope that will not disappoint.

Our one God is a Sanctifier. Sanctification, this life of holiness or the perfection of love, is the work of the Holy Spirit. As St. Paul so clearly states: ". . . the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit." God's creative and redeeming love has a third ingredient: one of growth and full maturity. As we journey through life, it is the indwelling Spirit who is our wisdom and power. It is an ancient Wisdom; it is an everlasting Power.

C. S. Lewis, the author of many fine Christian books, comments in his autobiography Surprised By Joy: "I had approached God, or my idea of God, without love, without awe, even without fear" (21). This was the young and foolish Lewis. Later, after his conversion, his approach to God was filled with love, awe, and a holy trepidation. One senses the same tonality in the writing of Yves Congar and all the great theologians.

The Holy Trinity is a great mystery but, through the grace of revelation, we can wrap some words around the mystery of God, words like Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier; words like Father, Son, and Spirit; words like Light, Love, and Life; words like Wind, Fire, and Water; words like Lover, Beloved, Loving.

As we make the sign of the cross and as we pray the "Glory Be . . . ," let us do so with love, awe, and fear. Then maybe, just maybe, our minds might be illuminated and hearts set on fire because we participate, through grace, in the very life of our Triune God.

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Green Bay Diocese and pastor of Resurrection Parish in Allouez.)