Rev. Paul Pecchie
In the year 325, the early Church was facing confusion regarding who was Jesus and how can He be God and man at the same time. Following the example of the Apostles that we read in the Acts of the Apostles, which we just heard a few weeks ago on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, a gathering of the Pope and Bishops in Nicea. This gathering of the Pope and Bishops, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit clarified for us exactly what we believe about Jesus: the God man. The creed is so important to what we believe that each Sunday as a community at Holy Mass we recite these twelve articles of what we truly believe. I bring this up because this year we celebrate 1700 years since the Council of Nicea.
The Nicene Creed that we profess every Sunday begins with some unusual words and phrases. For example: “Only Begotten Son,” “Consubstantial” While most of the Creed we profess seems logical and contains clear elements of our faith, the wording in the first part may seem strange. But if we know the history of the early Church it all makes sense.
In the early days of Christianity, different theologians tried to explain in their own words how God could be a Trinity, and how Jesus could have two natures. In these somewhat spontaneous and imperfect explanations, many Christians were left confused. The Church needed to clarify some things! One priest in particular named Arius, really set things off in the 4th century when he decided that Jesus was “created” by the Father. In this view, Jesus would be a creature and not fully God. Because of this, the Church got together and defended the eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ. When we say Jesus is “consubstantial” and “begotten, not made”, we are professing that Jesus is equal to the Father and was never “created”.
The words we profess so casually on Sunday mornings took years of controversy, debate, and the brightest minds on the planet to formulate. Let’s pray the Creed a bit more carefully and intentionally from now on!
The philosopher Martin Buber wrote: “In the beginning was relationship”. The word “relationship” is at the core of the Trinity. Love exists only in relationship. God has always been “love” because God has always been in relationship: Father, Son and Spirit. Because of this dynamic relationship, early Church theologians described the Trinity as a dynamic dance of love.
This has huge implications for us. We are made in His likeness and image. We are made to be in “relationship”. In fact, the need for another person in our life is written into our very bodies: male and female. When we are isolated, alone, or do not have “love”, we suffer. When we are alone, we are incomplete. The gravity of sin is that by sin we selfishly hurt others, destroy relationships, divide families, and squander love. Yet we so often continue hurting ourselves and others by our sinful selfishness. This selfishness destroys love, families, and relationships.
To be more Trinitarian means to be more loving and selfless toward others. It is when we enter into caring, peaceful, and compassionate relationships with each other that God is revealed to the world. The Trinity asks of us today that we be open and available to others, and that we be a loving and life-enhancing gift to them. In short, the Christian life is a life open to love.