When I was a child my mother explained that the Holy Trinity is like if you take three flames and you put them together, they are three separate flames, but at the same time they are one flame. They are of the same essence, but they are three and one at the same time. I find that the analogy of the flames is a good and simple way of explaining the Holy Trinity.
Father Columba, I love and appreciate the way you break down these enormous and complex spiritual concepts to try to make them more accessible and understandable for us…thank you so much, and God bless you all! ❤😇🙏 Meline
Thank you again, Fr. Columba! I know I told you before that I was raised atheist, but had a conversion in college. I remember talking with the Sister who was guiding me and describing these thoughts I'd had for several years--almost wishes. Pleading to the Universe, to someone to help me... The Sister replied that these were indeed prayers to the Holy Spirit. Something, too, she said about how God calls out to His children with the Holy Spirit. I sometimes think of the Three Persons, as the Creator, the Forgiver, and the Message, although I'm not sure that's actually doctrine.
"Existenstial primacy!" Love it! This really helps us to explain The Holy Trinity to non-Catholics. I have been verbally attacked by a muslim who insisted that we believe in "three gods", and I struggled to find words to explain the Trinity adequately at the time. Thank you and bless you once again, Father.
I noticed your Feast Day on The 9th in a couple day's! Happy Feast Day On the 9th!!! (At least That's what it say's in my Benedictine Daily Prayer (A short Breviary). Very thick Book! I am used to the 4 Volume Breviary given to me by Some Very kind Carmelite Sisters
If it's permitted here, I'm fascinated, how Anne, someone who supposedly has heavenly locutions, describes hearing the Father (and also by His words). Completely changed my "harsh" image of Him before. She writes: I want to cry because his voice, which is male, is so kind and loving. It does not sound persuasive, as Jesus sometimes does. It does not sound entreating or a little frustrated, as our Blessed Mother sometimes does. It sounds quiet and authoritative. You get the feeling that he has no questions, if you know what I mean. All is clear to him. He could be speaking at a million times higher level but stoops to speak our humble, limited language so this small, small being, me, can understand. He is being careful not to frighten me. He is being careful to speak clearly so that I can record for him. He has authority. There is no question. He carries it with no effort. It rolls off him and into his words. It makes me cry because he is so good and I am not. Being confronted with this incredible source of love and goodness, I wish so badly that I was better, more worthy, that I brought more to this table of the divine. Oh my dear brothers and sisters, I’ve just gotten a taste of what it is going to feel like when we die and meet God. It’s going to break our hearts if we have nothing to offer this wonderful, sweet, kind father. Do not delay. Serve now, at this moment, in this day. Tears stream down my face as he is not a God of justice at this moment, but a God of love. This is how he is looking at you this moment, as you read this.
This was amazing! It randomly came up on my RU-vid feed and I will definitely be following your channel for more. I'm not Catholic, but I'm a Christian too. Thanks so much! Blessings from Canada!
It's these things you talk about that I take back in meditation for days. One thing why I realized the Trinity just be is exactly what you mentioned: God must be Trinity simply because of love. Love is not selfish and therefore must be shared. The Father shares that love with the Son and that is the Holy Spirit. I'd mind-blowing and something that just cannot be grasped. One you feel you have it, you're thrown a curve and it makes your heart grow in love for God. Thank you!
I'm an artist and I'm brainstorming and praying and wrestling with how to depict the persons of the Trinity in a new piece. On my own i was inspired to use a mirror for part of it, and was also contemplating how a black hole is applicable. Now i come across this video. Wow. I'll take that as affirmation!
And we strive to be the mirror image of God. Reflections... of love. Who do we see when we look in the mirror? Do we see the face of God? Perhaps this is why our longing to see the face of God is more fully realized when we interact with the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned. We don't have to keep looking for him - he is here. I see Him in your face and hear him in your voice. Thank you, Father.
This is very interesting. I find the Holy Spirit that which awakens my yearnings for Christ and Father the most. In my mind I think of the Holy Spirit as the Living Waters of God. His Will poured forth into us. Something like that. Thank you for a great video.
Today l heard in a homily about st Calomkil spelling is off. So this is your feast day COLUMBA IS A DIRIVATIVE OF COLUMKIL... HAPPY FEAST DAY ANOTHER GREAT KIND SAINT.
God is Love and love can be expressed only in a relationship; that's why it's "logic" that the One God cannot be a "lonely god". Which reminds me of that beautiful, beautiful icon by A. Rublev where the three persons look at each other and talk together.
How can we comprehend this? We bring up images, metaphors, analogies and we kind of get it. But do we? We get the images, the metaphors etc... but can we ever really comprehend God, the Trinity?.... should we??
Great question. That’s the better question actually. Should we? Answer- there is no biblical obligation to describe and define God using unbiblical words and definitions. No, we should not.
Ultimately the Trinity is a mystery that we will only truly understand in Heaven when we see God face to face, if please God we make it there. But in this life it is very helpful to try to understand the Trinity as best we can and marvel at God’s greatness, knowing the full extent of that greatness is beyond what our human minds can comprehend.
@@ctmcatholic respectfully, the boundaries of scripture have much more freedom then the freedom of man’s understanding. Many times the “helpful explanation” theologians give can handicap understanding. Lowering the ceiling of revelation. For me, this is an authority issue. Is scripture authority? If yes, then scripture is sufficient.
So the father is a unique person. The son is a unique person but the Holy Spirit is a person contingent on the father and the son. Thus the Holy Spirit is not a person unto himself but takes his personhood from the father and the son.
Fr, Good morning . Since I was very busy, some errors happened while typing. Sorry. So I rewrite. Regarding Trinity, Father is God...... 1person Son Jesus is God...1 person Holy Spirit is God....1person Combining together 3 persons, 3 functions, 1 God. 1+1+1=3 but 1×1×1=1 1÷1÷1=1 As Father is God, Son is God and Holy Spirit is God, 3 persons; Father is the Creator, Son is the Redeemer and Holy Spirit is the Comfortor or Helper. These entities can be based on Sciptors from the Bible. Further Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are not to be separated. They are one. That is why Christians believe in the TRINITY. It is like body, soul and mind, canot be separated in a living human body. These 3 are one human. We see a trinitarian unity is hidden here. Muslims believe that Christians believe in Polygamy, not in one God . That is why they kill Christian. Eg. Recent Nigerian massacre It is our duty to open the spiritual blindness of Muslims.That is what Mt 28:18-20 describes. FurtherJn 10:16. If interested you can contact me in cvvargheseandco@gmail.com Please know that I am not a theologian. I am a Catholic and an engr.in profession. So theological statement is not expected. Simple statement for a simple Muslim in an understanding manner is welcome. Thank you. CV Varghese ♥
Was Eve Adam? - Is Jesus God? What do I mean by "was Eve Adam"? Before I answer that, I want to mention that the answer pertains also to the question "Is Jesus God?". Genesis 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. Notice it says that both the male and female were named Adam. Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. So the female was named Eve but was also named Adam along with her husband. The name Adam signifies a human being, thus Adam (human) is what Eve was. Eve was truly Adam in nature, as she was taken from him. Thus she was as truly a human being as was her husband. Yet she was not Adam in person; i.e. Adam isn't who she was in identity. She was a separate being from her husband. There was only one who was Adam in identity. So to answer the question: Yes Eve was Adam - No Eve wasn't Adam. Both are true, but it depends on if you are talking about in nature or in person. So now for the follow up question. Is Christ God? Once again the answer is both yes and no. It hinges on what is meant by "God". If the question is if Jesus is God in nature, or in other words is he a divine being, the answer is yes. However if the question is if Jesus is God in person; if God is WHO he is in identity, then the answer is no. There is only one who is God in identity. The one God of the Bible is God the Father. God is both who the Father is and God (a divine being) is what the Father is, just like Adam is who the first man was and Adam (a human being) is what the first man was. In a similar fashion as Eve was taken from Adam and inherited his human nature, the Son of God came from God and inherited his divine nature. I want to point out, that I'm not saying that a rib of God was formed into his Son. It isn't revealed how he begat him, but it is clear that he did beget him before anything was created. God truly has an only begotten Son. This is no metaphor. His Son came from a part of himself, yet he is a separate being. Having an origin doesn't make him less divine than his Father; their natures are identical. This is why in John 17:3 Jesus called his Father the "only true God". The Greek word translated as "true" is also used in Hebrews 8:2 to describe the pattern or the "true" tabernacle in heaven, after which Moses made the tabernacle on earth. Yet Moses didn't build a false tabernacle. "Alethinos" in these verses, which is translated as "true" isn't portraying true vs. false, but it means original. Moses built a tabernacle after the pattern of the original and the Son of God was begotten in the express image of his Father. The Son is as much a divine being, due to being begotten of his Father, as I am a human being, because my father is human. To whom do all of these following things apply? 1. He is to be heard and His ways obeyed. 2. He can be sinned against (note: sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) and not just any law, but divine law). 3. He is to be found, for in Him is life found and through Him favor is obtained of Jehovah. Proverbs 8:32-36 is where those three points can be found in the Bible. Compare these to: John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Thus if one "shall obtain favour of the LORD"; in other words have his grace and have life, through his Son, then he will love the Son and obey his commandments (which ultimately come from the Father). And since sin is the transgression of the law, they won't sin against him. Proverbs 8 is clearly speaking of Christ, the Son of God. If we read all of Proverbs 8 we see the importance of this. The one brought forth before the hills was the Son of God. Proverbs 8 tells us about his origin as a being. We also see this in John 5:26. John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; Look at these four instances where the Hebrew word "chuwl" is used, all in the same form and tense of the verb. The numbers just represent the Strong's concordance and the form and tense of the verb (8797). Job 15:7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made (8797) before the hills? Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen (8797) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Proverbs 8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth (8797); when there were no fountains abounding with water. Proverbs 8:25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth (8797) Cleary this is language speaking of true offspring: conception or birthing language. The first two, in Job and Psalms, are using Hebrew parallelism. The Son of God was truly begotten of God. The Son didn't always have life throughout eternity past. He didn't have life until his Father gave him life. He had an origin when he was begotten. See also Micah 5:2 (his origin is from old, from the days of eternity) meaning he had a beginning before anything was created. Satan seeks to cover up the truth that God has a Son. Giving his Son is how God made known his love to us. Thus by obscuring this fact, Satan can obscure the love of God. Sadly Satan has been very successful in this endeavor, through the Trinity, Tritheism, Unitarianism, Modalism etc. but God can wipe away the scales from people's eyes and show them the truth. I pray this study helps along those lines. 1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Note that God had a Son to send, not a son by creation as are the angels nor a son by adoption, like forgiven sinners. God sent his ONLY BEGOTTEN Son. If people had understood the simple fact that God is what Jesus is, but not who he is, the trinity doctrine would never have been created. The trinity says there are three whos (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and one what (trinity), thus the three equals one confusion, but they have their whos and whats flipped. When the Bible says there is one God, it isn't saying there is one divine being; it is speaking of the one who is God, the one of whom are all things (1 Corinthians 8:6). This doesn't mean that his Son isn't also a divine being. Of course there is also the Spirit, which is holy, which the Father gave to his Son without measure (see John 3:34,35). It isn't a ghost or some third being, it is simply the mind, character, power, etc. of the Father. We can't fully explain what it is, but it is clear who it is (Compare 1 Peter 1:10,11 with 2 Peter 1:21, where Peter tells us the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ or compare Matthew 10:19,20 with Mark 13:11 where we can see that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of our Father). We, like God's Son, can have this Spirit without measure, when we become partakers of the divine nature (see 2 Peter 1:4). We must worship the only original God and his only begotten Son (begotten not created). Revelation 18:2......Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 4.... Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
The Holy Ghost pours out his Spirit and brings the increase in the name of Jesus. The latter rain proceeds the second coming and it is what waters the seed. Without the Spirit of God no one is saved. Believe in your idea of Jesus till the end of time, it does little good. You need to accept his ambassador and representative. So when the Holy Spirit shows himself and is rejected that is the unpardonable sin. To grieve the Spirit of God is to reject life. The supreme witness of Jesus Christ (King David) is reporting for duty. He was a man whose tongue held no lies, For he was the direct descendant of our father in the heavenly skies. Born to a body of fleshy sin, Though what laid beneath was unlike the rest of his kin. Jesus had the utmost grace, Never being wavered by evils face. He was wise beyond any years, Performing miracles that would bring crowds to tears. A beacon of light on top of a starless mountain, Where words of wisdom poured out of him as if there ran a cosmic fountain. His eyes pierced through you with a single glance, Leaving even the most hardened individuals in quite the trance. The Holy Spirit so ever majestically flowed inside this man, Naturally people caught notice and became a fan. Students began showing up from every mold, When they heard his words their hearts were sold. Wicked men put a price on Jesus's head, He was wanted alive or dead. Despite this he and his disciples continued their teachings, Where on occasion they endured terrible beatings. One of the twelve apostles turned to black, No longer having Jesus's back. Judas Iscariot had done Satan's bidding, And it is in hell where he now is sitting. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our shortcoming, However don't be saddened for if you believe in him you will see him at your homecoming. There he sits at the right hand of God's throne, Being the voice of truth and love that we all have known. Satan's tongue is coated in a layer of deceit, And he tramples over promises with his feet. He's a being who is bound by deceptions, Whose very essence oozes with misconceptions. He struggles to look you in your eyes, For his gaze holds nothing but lies. On occasion he will give you his hand, But don't be fooled by his stand. He seeks to corrupt your heart, You would be wise to avoid him from the start. Seeking quick pleasures and casting aside love, He traverses this land with push and shove. Now Lucifer was once not lost, But pride blinded him at a cost. Disobeying God he waged war, Becoming detestable to the core. Today he is the ruler of Earth, Though for all his power he has no real worth. However most of us have still been sold, Giving into sin and becoming cold. Nearly everyone is a puppet dancing on strings, Marching to delusion for their unjust kings. My people have given into lust, Becoming robots full of rust. However you my child are the exception, So when you meet me don't forget to mention. That you alone have been granted the key, And before your glory they shall all bend a knee. P.S.- Not too long ago I was very bitter and destructive. Literally I was covered in blood from head to toe and ripping off nails and things of that nature. In my mind Jesus was against me, he had a vendetta against me which I couldn't account for. Then slowly but surely I started having these revelations, and began delving into the word of God. It seemed like my agony was not in vain. The things which held me back eventually began to propel me forward. The darkness began fading away and an unspeakably bright light was surfacing. Jesus told me that he had to break me in order for me to rediscover who I really was. Sort of like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Today I am almost fully healed in every conceivable way, and things like being a virgin and being covered in scars I strangely enough take much pride in. I took up my cross and followed Christ and in doing so I discovered the greatest love of all.
@@ctmcatholic Gee thanks again for being so welcoming friend. I appreciate your feedback and videos. Below is another message of mine. Here's a poem I wrote about overcoming depression called Beyond the Void. If it resonates with you and you need help navigating this drama feel encouraged to reach out. Wobbling on the edge of utter desolation, Where thoughts of death become a fascination. I take a step backwards and continue to sway, Is this the final hand that I will play? While what lays behind me is probably eternal rest, Is this decision the very best? Death is certain and that much I know, However there is still life in me left to flow. Perhaps this anguish can evolve, Maybe this question isn't impossible to solve. If I pay a visit to the abyss, There are so many things here that I will miss. Some things good and some things bad, Joyful events and those which are sad. When will this perspective shift? I desperately need my spirits to lift. I look in the mirror and remember every scar, The result of my despair I need not look far. Thoughts race through me, shackles tighten, I scream and then peculiarly my sense of awareness begins to heighten. A new thought washes through my being, I take a second glance in the mirror unsure of what I'm seeing. The burden within me feels far lighter, A winning result for this righteous fighter. The ground stops shaking and I gain some composure, Taking a step towards what was once an enclosure. Shadows fade away revealing what they left in the dark, Being pulled forward my soul begins to embark. P.S.- Persistence is key in overcoming any obstacle. None of us have it all figured out, especially the people who think they do. All we can really do is not forget to learn from our hard learned lessons and not repeat the same psychological patterns that got us into our initial conundrum. I always tell people that I wear a brave face but beneath this suit of armor there is a child in tears. What matters isn't how many times you fell, what matters is that you got back up one more time and are still standing today. She who says she can and she who says she can't are both usually right, meaning that self belief is typically the determining factor as to whether or not you accomplish your goals. I have full faith that you'll continue to sort yourself out and grow as time goes on. I know from experience that the flower that blooms from the cracks is often the most precious flower of them all. Hardships pave the way for success stories, God always roots for the underdog.
Simply put, The Trinity is a different god than YHWH, The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob of the Bible. It's a triune deity created by Catholicism, or rehashed really. I'm happy to discuss that.
The three are one but the one is not three. If people think about the trinity as a maths equation they will be confused, but to consider that many can be one, many branches yet one tree, many organs yet one body or even in marriage we say the two have become one.
