And these are foundational to the four relations that constitute the three persons in God. Our Core Team shares our Catholic faith with relational ministry, joyfully leading social events, community service, prayer, and other faith-based opportunities with teens. Some refer to Him as the Godhead. It is the love of God that binds us, heals us, and makes us children of God (I John 4:7; Matt. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person of the Holy Trinity, who exists as the communication and personification of the mutual, flowing, and never-ending relationship of love and unity between God the Father and God the Son. However, there are … “He will guide you into all truth.” In fact, I Cor. God is one substance, but he is also distinctly three persons. Nothing can quite capture the complete concept of the Trinity (One God - the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), we must accept by faith that God is One and yet exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These simple truths serve as the foundation for what I call St. Augustine’s anthropological analogy that can help us to understand better the great mystery of the Trinity: In God we see the Father—the “being one” and first principal of life in the Godhead—the Son—the “knowing one”—the Word who proceeds from the Father—and the Holy Spirit—the “willing one”—the bond of love between the Father and Son who proceeds as love from the Father and Son. Our analogous family consists of three beings. Place 2 small baskets or boxes on the table to put question cards in. Hence the Churchs constant concern to safeguard the revealed truth that God is One in nature and Three in Persons. Humankind is created “in [God’s] image and likeness” (cf. CCC 2205 provides: The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. This revelation of God’s love personified is the foundation from which Scripture could reveal to us that “God is love” (I John 4:8). They subsist in one being in us, but they are not persons. But the Bible teaches that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit all at the same time. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The reason why the Trinity is such a hard concept to grasp is because it doesn’t make since logically to our brains. The Trinity is a mystery and teaching it to young children can be quite challenging.The Lenten season is a great time to meditate on the mystery of God and learn about the Trinity. For example, consider John 17:5, where our Lord prays on Holy Thursday: … and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. Give each group a print out of a different symbol for the Trinity (download here). Explaining the Holy Trinity Lisa Jones Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—these are words we use every time we pray the Sign of the Cross. God is love (1 John 4:8). If you are a premium member, you can login and find them here or if you haven’t joined yet, then you can enter your email address here to have them sent to you. From their childhood, Catholics learn to pray the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” At Mass, the priest’s prayers … Does anyone know which saint used this symbol to teach about God? HTYM is a group of teens that seeks to KNOW Jesus Christ, to GROW in personal relationship with Him, … This is the fifth Christian foundation in this study. My niece understood that Jesus is the Son of God, but didn't understand that Jesus is God; that he was born as a human baby. These “three” do not “equal” one if we are trying to say 3=1 mathematically. You will get three worksheets: Trinity Symbols Worksheet, Trinity Prayer Worksheet, and God So Loved the World Worksheet. In Catholic theology, we understand the persons of the Blessed Trinity subsisting within the inner life of God to be truly distinct relationally, but not as a matter of essence, or nature. Notice, before the creation, the Son was “with” the Father. Jul 10, 2017 - This Most Holy Trinity lesson plan challenges students to us historic symbols of the Trinity to explain how God is one substance yet three distinct persons. Each leaf represented one of the three persons, but yet it was still only one shamrock. Please watch: "The ONE Thing Every Christian Should Be Doing But Most Are NOT!" And when it comes to the Trinity, there are many analogies to choose from. With good reason therefore we consider the number of people coming to Mass, not only on Sundays but also very specially on weekdays. Or, if you are a member just login and find them online. And the Council of Florence, AD 1338-1445, can help us in this regard. Thus, the relational distinction is real, and personal, but the Holy Spirit, like the eternal Son, is revealed to be God inasmuch as he is revealed to be omniscient. Recently, I had an extensive discussion with a Muslim about the Trinity. Jared's Upcoming Speaking Events →. God is not revealed to “be” love in any other religion in the world other than Christianity because in order for there to be love, there must be a beloved. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. His main problem was conceptual. Give them three highlighters, markers, colored pencils or crayons. 5:44-45). 11, St. Augustine writes: I speak of these three: to be, to know, and to will. In fact, it was these very two analogies that helped my Muslim friend to say the idea of the Trinity “made sense” to him, even though he wasn’t ready to leave his Muslim faith… at least, not yet. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; There are not “two beings” involved; rather, two persons relationally distinct, while ever-remaining one in being. Have them distinguish between the three sections of the creed and label them Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Gen. 1:26). Holy Trinity Catholic School, an apostolate of Holy Trinity Parish, is dedicated to the formation of saints and scholars by partnering with families and challenging our students to pursue knowledge, inspire excellence, and walk with Christ. These three are distinct realities, relationally speaking, just as my own being, knowing, and willing are three distinct realities in me. John 3:16; 1:18). Each Person lives eternally as God. In order to understand the concept of person in God, we have to understand its foundation in the processions and relations within the inner life of God. 2:10 also reveals the Holy Spirit to be omniscient when it says, “… no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” He speaks as God in texts of Scripture like Hebrews 3:7-11: 10:15-18. Explaining the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit will be needed at some point when presenting the God of the Bible to children, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses and other non-believers. Thus, the relational distinction is real, and personal, but as far as nature is concerned, Jesus’ words from John 10:30 come to mind: “I and the Father are one,” in that they each possess the same infinite nature. Yet most Christians have difficulty explaining the Trinity clearly and Biblically. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Give students copies of the Nicene (or Apostles) Creed. When was it first used? “It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds” (Fourth Lateran Council). St. Patrick explained the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to his flock in Ireland by using the three leaves of the shamrock. (Or:) What do you think he taught people about God using the shamrock? (Optional: you can also give students a copy of the Baptismal promises showing them how we profess our faith in the Trinitarian God when we renew our baptismal vows.). The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us another analogy wherein we can see the reasonableness of the Trinity by helping us to see the possibility of distinct persons who possess the same nature. People struggle with this idea of the Trinity because we can’t quite seem to make sense of the Math. As St. Augustine points out, we can never know God or understand God completely through this or any analogy, but it can help us to understand how you can have relational distinctions within one being. Have them search online for the history and meaning of each symbol. We believe in one, true God, YAHWEH, who is absolute being, absolute perfection, and absolutely simple. Everyone talks about the Holy Spirit. Yet, in both God and man these three relationally distinct realities subsist in one being. Please note: YouTube comments, ads, and suggested videos do … He too is both intellectual and volitional. The parallelism of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is not unique to Matthew’s Gospel, but appears elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Cor. But in the end, if we combine our two analogies, we can at least see both how there can be three relationally distinct realities subsisting within one being in the anthropological analogy, and how there can be three relationally distinct persons who share the same nature in the analogy of the family. Practice: Holy Trinity Craft. Therefore, in these three, let him who can do so perceive how inseparable a life there is, one life and one mind and one essence, and finally how inseparable a distinction there is, and yet there is a distinction. Surely a man stands face to face with himself. There are a lot of Holy Trinity craft ideas that would help your students … if (d.getElementById(id)) return; Yet, this relationship between two persons clearly has no beginning in time because it existed before the creation, from all eternity. Get a free copy of The Religion Teacher's Guide to Lesson Planning and join more than 60,000 subscribers to The Religion Teacher. The Council’s definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three… four. Let him take heed of himself, and look there, and tell me. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.4&appId=205754619489674"; These are those four eternal relations in God: We should take note of the distinction between the “generative” procession that constitutes the Son, and the “spirative” procession that constitutes the Holy Spirit. Catholic Youth Organization. Each of the three persons in the godhead possesses the same eternal and infinite divine nature; thus, they are the one, true God in essence or nature, not “three Gods.” Yet, they are truly distinct in their relations to each other. Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator & Christ in the Classroom. You can expect to hear engaging talks, to enjoy some outdoor fun in the beauty of the north Georgia mountains, and most importantly, to encounter God through the sacraments and times of prayer. 22:1-2). But if we are going to help these people to understand, I find, a little background information is essential in order to establish a conceptual foundation for discussion. Without these, his words will fall on deaf ears. Analogy is the theologian’s best friend in explaining the mysteries of the Faith. From all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have poured themselves out into each other in an infinite act of love, which we, as Christians, are called to experience through faith and the sacraments by which we are lifted up into that very love of God itself (Romans 5:1-5). 22:19). It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. I know this answer is cliché and isn’t what you were hoping for, so don’t fret — there’s more. The feast of the Holy Trinity is the perfect occasion to explain this great mystery to your children. This is an intellectual “begetting,” and fittingly so, as a “word” proceeds from the knower while, at the same time remaining in the knower. Each person equally and fully God. Calendars. Neither is true, of course. He is a communion of persons and the perfect model of love. Thus the term: "Tri" meaning three, and "Unity" meaning one, Tri+Unity = Trinity. If we take a look at our self, each human is made up of a mind, … About this video. Trinity means three, so when we discuss the Holy Trinity we mean the Father (God), Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit (sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost). The Son “proceeds” from the Father, and the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” These are the two processions in God. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, but not in a generative sense; rather, in a spiration. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Thus, the Holy Spirit is revealed in Scripture to possess the same infinite and divine nature as does the Father and the Son. Have you signed up to receive the free eBook, « Hundreds of Print-or-Play Resources for Religious Educators, The Rule of Three: Find Focus in Your Lesson », 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, The Religion Teacher's Guide to Lesson Planning. Let me explain from the Bible’s point of view. But when the Counselor comes (the Holy Spirit), whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness of me… (John 15:26). Explaining the Trinity to Children. The Holy Spirit is love, to put things very simply. (function(d, s, id) { Faith Formation provides the catechetical instruction and spiritual formation of children and youth in our parish.Children attending non-Catholic schools in grades K-8 meet on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. from September to May. SWBAT explain that God is one substance, but three distinct persons. This is why CCC 240 teaches, “[The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity] is Son only in relation to his Father.”. Here are a few to try out in your Trinity lesson: There are a few worksheets available to members of The Religion Teacher that will help students show their understanding of the Trinity. To introduce the concept of the Trinity, tap into the students prior knowledge of St. Patrick and the shamrock. God So Loved the World Worksheet: Students will reflect on God the Father’s love for God the Son and us. The Bible shows very clearly that there is only one God, and yet that there are three personal distinctions in His complex nature, traditionally referred to as “three Persons in the Godhead”—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This Most Holy Trinity lesson plan challenges students to us historic symbols of the Trinity to explain how God is one substance yet three distinct persons. Biblically speaking, we see each of the persons in God revealed as relationally distinct and yet absolutely one in nature in manifold texts. Make sure they can explain when and where the symbol originated and how Christians have used it to teach about God through the years.). When we think of a family, we can see how a father, mother, and child can be distinct persons and yet possess the same nature (human), just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons who each possess the same nature (divine). One God, three persons. As an infinite act of love between the Father and Son, this “act” is so perfect and infinite that “it” becomes (not in time, of course, but eternally) a “He” in the third person of the Blessed Trinity. Explain that Jesus sent out the disciples to baptize in the name (not the names) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28). But when he has discovered any of these and is ready to speak, let him not think that he has found that immutable being which is above all these, which is immutably, and knows immutably, and wills immutably. Nevertheless, if the Holy Mass is the central act of our Catholic life, then Mass-going must surely remain one of the most indicative of these factors. The Holy Spirit is also seen to be relationally distinct from both the Father and the Son in Scripture inasmuch as both the Father and the Son are seen as “sending” “him.”. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Optional: Give the students a research assignment. A short video explaining the Holy Trinity and the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Shamrock (you can remind the students and use this as a model). It is a way of acknowledging what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is yet three "Persons" who have the same essence of deity. Trinity as the Speaker, the Word, and the Breath. They either think Christians are claiming there are three Gods (which is what my Muslim friend actually believed to be so), or that we are teaching something that is a logical contradiction, e.g., 3=1, and 1=3. … he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). From his famous and classic Confessions, Bk. Even young children know them. And we can see this is reasonable. “Spiration” comes from the Latin word for “spirit” or “breath.” Jesus “breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit…” (John 20:22). Filed Under: Lesson Plans Tagged With: holy spirit. Indeed the divine nature cannot be bodily or material because there can be no potency in God as there is inherent in bodies, so this “image and likeness” must be referring to our higher faculties or operations of intellect and will. 13:14, Heb. God is a Holy Trinity, a communion of persons. Start by talking about the word “Trinity” itself. His problem with the Trinity was not so much with biblical texts, and obviously so, because he did not accept the Bible in the form it is in today as the word of God. SWBAT use the symbols for the Trinity to explain the mystery of the Trinity. 13, Ch. There are a lot of Holy Trinity craft ideas that would help your students practice meeting the objective of explaining the mystery of the Trinity with symbols. The Father actively and eternally generates the Son, constituting the person of God, the Father. The first surviving use of the term (there may have been earlier uses that are … Just who or what is the Holy Spirit, and how do we know. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); It does not do so because the Father and Son are already constituted as persons in relation to each other in the first two relations. What a great mystery for our students to seek to understand and for us to teach! Divide the students up into groups of 3-4 students. Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 232-267. Holy Trinity Youth Ministry (HTYM) Welcome to HTYM! Jared Dees is the creator of The Religion Teacher and the author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Praying the Angelus, and the new book, Christ in the Classroom. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. God is a triune God. But, there is a big question. Thus, this procession or begetting of the Son occurs within the inner life of God. Invite families to join in family catechesis at home with the Formation5 daily email. On it everything else depends and from it everything else derives. The Holy Trinity File Folder Games (2 Game Boards to choose from) Directions: The objective of the game is to collect the most tokens by answering questions correctly about the Holy Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is encapsulated in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus instructs the apostles: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”. Each is distinct from the others but never acts independently. This “generative” procession is one of “begetting,” but not in the same way a dog “begets” a dog, or a human being “begets” a human being. Why is this important for our understanding of God? 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