CHRIST, THE SECOND PERSON OF THE BLESSED TRINITY.

"Lord, if I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away from Thy servant." (Gen. 18:31)

I.

Faith teaches us regarding this adorable Mystery that Three Persons subsist in one single and indivisible nature, which is the Divine Nature; the Father unbegotten, His only begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, Who proceeds from them both. This Mystery far surpasses human understanding; but Mysteries are necessary for religion. If we could comprehend all that regards God, or can be announced of Him, then, either God would be no greater than ourselves, an imperfect being, or we should be equal to God and perfect. Imagine you see myriads of Angels and Saints prostrate before the throne of the Divinity, with the most profound reverence and admiration, and hear them continually singing: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts." (Isa. 6:3)

II.

The second person of this Divine Trinity will visit you today, and with Him the Father and the Holy Ghost, who being of the same nature with the Son, are also in a certain and special manner present in the Eucharist. Examine what entertainment you ought to give these Divine guests. If you think it too much to purify your soul from every sin and every affection of sin, to renounce effectually whatever you know to be displeasing to these Divine guests, you have a very incorrect and a very mean idea of the Holy Trinity.

III.

With what fervor, humility, and devotion Abraham received the three Angels who were an emblem of the Holy Trinity! "He received three, but he adored only one," writes St. Augustine, "saying, Lord if I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away from Thy servant. " He then ran to his herd, took one of his best calves, cooked it, and placed it before them. Act in the same manner, and present your guests with the best gift you can make them. This gift can be no other than your heart warmed and inflamed with the fire of charity. Say with the Church: "Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever."

THE FIRST PERSON OF THE TRINITY.

I.

The eternal Father, as faith teaches us, is the fountain and origin of the other Persons of the Trinity Knowing Himself from all eternity, in the most perfect manner by intuitive vision, He begets from all eternity a perfect image of Himself, "the image of God and the figure of His substance." (2 Cor. 4:4, and Heb. 1:3) This image is the eternal Word, distinct from the Father, but being a perfect image of His substance, is of the same nature. These two perfect Beings of the same nature are necessitated to love each other from all eternity; this mutual love which they "breathe" towards each other is the Divine Spirit. Thus the Father communicates to the Son and Holy Ghost His entire nature without division, retaining His own proper personality uncommunicated, while the Holy Ghost proceeds from them both. Admire and adore this most profound mystery, exercise your faith in acts upon it, and acknowledge the weakness of the human intellect, in attempting to comprehend the immensity of the Divinity. Say with the Apostle of nations: "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!" (Rom. 11:33)

II.

Although all the external works of God are common to the three Persons of the Trinity; the works of omnipotence, nevertheless, are appropriated to the Father; such as are, creation, preservation and providence. Hence, you should learn how much you ought to love that Being, Who has created you, Who preserves you, and Who for your sake has formed this admirable world. Learn, too, how much reason you have to fear that Being, "that can destroy both body and soul in hell." (Matt. 10:28)

III.

This eternal Father, so great and incomprehensible, has stooped so low beneath Himself, as, for love of His poor insignificant vassals, to condescend to make us His adopted children and heirs of heaven. "The Father Himself loveth you," says Christ. (John 16:27) Nay more: "God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son." (John 3:16) Remember, then, what great reason you have to love and reverence with your whole heart, so loving a Father. You cannot love and reverence Him, unless you avoid whatever is displeasing to Him, and do that which is agreeable to Him, that is, unless you "avoid evil and do good."

THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY.

I.

The Second Person of the Trinity existed from all eternity, without any relation to time, equal to the Father and consubstantial with Him. He is coeternal with the Father, "the image of God and the figure of His substance." He is properly the Word of the Divine intellect, expressing in Himself the substance of the Divine Nature. This Word became vocal by the mystery of the Incarnation, and declared to mankind the secrets of His Father, "Who shall declare His generation," exclaims the Prophet. (Isa. 53:8) Neither the Angels themselves, nor all the eloquence of earth-born men can explain His mysterious birth. If they could, this Divine Word would present no object for our faith, because our understandings, which would then be capable of comprehending His Divine Nature, must either be infinite, or this Divine Word must be a limited and an imperfect being. Our understandings are not infinite, and He is not an imperfect being; therefore, we cannot comprehend, by any faculty of which we are possessed, this mysterious generation. It is sufficient for us that we adore Him with an unshaken faith, and rejoice in His glory, which is substantially equal to the glory of His Father. Learn to detest that pride, which prompts ignorant man to ascend to heaven, and to scan the power and works of the Divinity.

II.

This only begotten Son of God loved the world to such a degree, that He surrendered His life to redeem it. "For us men," says the Church in the Nicene Creed, "and for our salvation, He descended from heaven, and was made man." "God became man," writes St. Augustine, that we might "become God," and the eloquent St. Leo remarks: "Christ was made the Son of Man, that we might be made the sons of God." O ineffable and incomprehensible Mystery!

III.

How are you to requite so much love? You are certainly bound to reverence His Divine Person with the most tender devotion and respect. Love that sacred humanity, which the Son of God assumed, and which was nailed to the Cross for your sake. Say with the devout St. Bernard: "The more vile this Son of God has become for my sake, by so much the more is He dear to me." Do not alienate His affections by sinning against Him. Though Jesus Christ be infinitely good and infinitely merciful, He is still infinitely just.

THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY.

I.

The Holy Ghost as the Third Person of the Holy Trinity proceeds from the Father and the Son, but is coeternal and consubstantial with them both, of equal power and wisdom and majesty. For, in the language of the Church: "We adore a distinction of persons and unity in the essence and an equality in the majesty." Honor and reverence this Divine Person, and join your voice with that of the Angels and Saints, crying out: "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts."

II.

The Holy Ghost appeared over Christ in the form of a dove, 1. to teach us His love in regard to those whom Christ came to redeem, for the dove is an emblem of social love, and, 2. to inspire us with mildness and simplicity of life and action. To Him likewise are attributed the works of justification, the distribution of graces and the benefits of inspiration. "The Spirit breatheth where He will; and thou hearest His voice, but thou knowest not whence He cometh, nor whither He goeth." (John 3:8) Pray with earnestness and fervor for this Divine grace, for, without it, it is impossible to perform a supernatural meritorious act.

III.

The Holy Ghost not only communicates His grace to faithful Christians, but in a special manner communicates Himself, as divines teach, to the just. Hence, St. Paul writes to his Corinthian converts: "Know ye not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor. 6:19) Take care, then, that you never profane His temple. Beg of Him, by continued prayer, that He would " wash away what is unclean in you, water what is dry, heal what is wounded, bend what is stubborn, warm what is cold, and correct all your deviations."