Bishop Eric Menees
“Holy, holy, holy! Lord
God Almighty!
Early in the morning our
song shall rise to thee:
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful
and mighty,
God in three Persons,
blessed Trinity.
Chances are pretty good
that, this Sunday, you will sing this hymn in worship. This Sunday is
Trinity Sunday, when we worship our Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
celebrating the diversity and the unity of God!
This past week I had the
pleasure of joining the graduating class at Nashotah House Theological Seminary
for their Graduation & Festal Eucharist. The services were held at
St. Jerome’s Church, which could comfortably seat the large crowd that had come
to worship and witness this wonderful event.
The beauty of the stained
glass window behind the altar struck me. The window almost ran floor to
ceiling, and must have been fifty feet high. It was made in two large
panels. The bottom panel was of the Resurrected Christ, as we picture him
in the Upper Room when he first appeared to the disciples on that Easter
Sunday. You could almost hear the words come from the mouth of Jesus: “Peace
be with you.”
The top panel was of God
the Father, seated in his majestic throne. God’s face was that of a very
proud Abba, with a twinkle in his eye that seemed to portray both great
satisfaction and peace, as if no matter what evil may befall creation he’s got
it covered. Perhaps that is because in between the two panels was a
beautiful dove, obviously representing the Holy Spirit. What caught my
attention was the fact that the hands of the Father and the hands of the Son
both appeared to have released the Holy Spirit. It was a joyous vision of
the perfect diversity and unity of the Holy Trinity.
I cannot tell you that I
fully understand our One God in Three Persons, but I can say this – I know He
IS One and Three, and I rejoice in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! The
hymn says it so much better than I ever could:
“Holy, holy, holy! Lord
God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise
thy Name, in earth, and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful
and mighty,
God in three Persons,
blessed Trinity.
I pray you all a truly
blessed Trinity Sunday!
Catechism Questions 115 - 117
115. What is
expected of you when you have shared in Holy Communion?
Having been renewed in my union
with Christ and his people through sharing in the Supper, I should continue to
live in holiness, avoiding sin, showing love and forgiveness to all, and
serving others in gratitude.
116. Are there
other sacraments?
Other rites and institutions
commonly called sacraments include confirmation, absolution, ordination,
marriage, and anointing of the sick. These are sometimes called the sacraments
of the Church.
117. How do
these differ from the sacraments of the Gospel?
They are not commanded by Christ
as necessary for salvation, but arise from the practice of the apostles
and the early Church, or are states of life blessed by God from creation.
God clearly uses them as means of grace.
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