Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Mary Pedersen, inspired by the beauty of God's created world, contemplates the mystery of the Trinity. 

Even our 4-year-old, who usually chattered while we cast, sat in silence. With the motor off, our young family floated in a simple fishing boat while the evening sun cast shadows of bright red, orange, and pink across the northern Minnesota lake. Surrounded by lily pads, frogs croaked and loons called. At that moment, overwhelmed by the beauty, my husband raised his voice in song:

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” 

When encountering beauty so stunning, love so pure, or truth so profound, one’s heart bows in silence or lifts in praise of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This month, we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday — the foundational mystery of our faith. Everything that is, has been, and ever will be, has been poured forth from the wisdom of the Triune God. Everything — the foundation of the earth, the establishment of the heavens, the entire human race — came to be and is held together through the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

We were created to praise God and wisely open each day with a doxology, a hymn glorifying God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Spanish cellist and composer Pablo Casals reflected deeply on the importance of doxology:

Each day I am reborn. Each day I must begin again. … I go to the piano and I play two preludes and fugues of Bach. ... It is a benediction on the house. … It fills me with the wonder of eternity, with the incredible miracle of God.

When my mind scrambles with clutter or my heart weighs down in worry, I need only raise my eyes to the morning sky and praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; God’s love pours forth and I begin anew.
 
At mealtime, bedtime, and before leaving the house, we blessed our children in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as a daily reminder of Baptism — the day each became a sharer in the divine life of the Trinity. We bless ourselves with baptismal water each time we enter church; as we dip our fingers into the saving font, we remember, “I belong to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
 
This profound mystery baffles the mind. Though we attempt to explain the Trinity (a three-leaf clover or the three parts of an apple), God in three persons can only be experienced — prayed. Each day, the Eucharistic community gives glory to God by praying the powerful doxology: “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Each morning and evening, the Church lifts our hearts in praise: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.”

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Though we attempt to explain the Trinity, God in three persons can only be experienced - prayed. #catholicmom

When I venture out for a walk on this beautiful May morning, my soul swells at the sight of deep purple lilacs, magenta tulips, and trees laced with spring green buds, while wispy clouds float across the bright blue sky. The only proper response is thanksgiving to the Triune God:

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”  

Copyright 2021 Mary Pedersen
Images (from top): Canva Pro; James Lewis (2020), Unsplash; Artiom Vallat (2020), Unsplash