2. Unit 2 Trinity
The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one
God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity“. CCC 253
3. InTrinityvite
In today’s session we will be learning about
one of the Church’s greatest mysteries:
The Holy Trinity
As we grow in understanding of the Trinity,
we will deepen our own faith
and
strengthen the Catholic identity of our family.
4. We are now going to experience a
different kind of praying. It is actually
an ancient form of praying called
Lectio Divina
(Latin for divine reading)
5.
6. Encountering God in His Word
I invite you to close your eyes, or to just be still;
open your minds and your hearts to what God
is saying to you in this passage.
Listen for:
What speaks to you?
What one word or phrase stands out?
Why might God be offering that word or phrase
to you?
7. A reAMatthew Chapter 28:16-20
The Commissioning of the Disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had
directed them. 17 When they saw him, they
worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to
me.
[NRSV-Catholic Edition]
8. Matthew Chapter 28:16-20
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to
the end of the age.”
[NRSV-Catholic Edition]
9. What word or phrase stood out to you?
Why might this have meaning?
Encountering God in His Word
10. Encountering God in His Word
God always speaks to us. We will hear him if
we make the space for him,
we seek him and intentionally listen for him.
Practice this type of prayer at home. Children
are generally very open to listening for God in
his Word.
11. We heard in our prayer
that Jesus sends the
Apostles on a mission:
“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”
12. The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—
three distinct Persons in one God), one of the
great mysteries of our faith.
• The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the
central mystery of Christian faith and life. It
is the mystery of God in himself. It is
therefore the source of all the other
mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens
them. (CCC, 234)
(CCC means a paragraph from The Catechism of the Catholic Church)
13. • It is the most fundamental
and essential teaching in
the “hierarchy of the
truths of faith”. The whole
history of salvation is
identical with the history of
the way and the means by
which the one true God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
reveals himself to men
“and reconciles and unites
with himself those who
turn away from sin”.
(CCC, 234)
14. • The Trinity is One.
We do not confess
three Gods, but one
God in three
persons, the
"consubstantial
Trinity". (CCC, 253)
• They are distinct
from one another in
their relations of
origin: "It is the
Father who
generates, the Son
who is begotten, and
the Holy Spirit who
proceeds.“ The
divine Unity is
Triune. (CCC, 254)
15. • Left to our own devices, we never would have
discovered that God is one God in three Persons. It
took Jesus and the Church to help us see that. Even
now, we cannot imagine what the inner life of the
Holy Trinity is really like.
(CCC, 251)
16. Saint Augustine knew that ultimately our words fail to
explain the mystery, but because of our human desire
to understand, he wrote of this central mystery.
17. • Jesus invites us into
a deeper
understanding of the
mystery of God
whom we cannot see
except through him.
• Those who are
baptized enter into
the very life of the
Holy Trinity, who is
love.
18. In this short video, Fr. Barron (now Bishop
Barron) explains the Trinity by saying,
God is Love
19.
20. The Sign of the Cross
“No empty gesture, the sign
of the cross is a potent prayer
that engages the Holy Spirit as
the divine advocate and agent
of our successful Christian
living.
When we trace it on our body,
it stirs up the new life of the
Spirit that we received in
baptism and vitalizes our
prayer by drawing us closer to
God.”
Bert Ghezzi, “Sign of the Cross”
21. The Liturgy Itself Is Trinitarian!
• We begin the Mass, “In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
• We sing of the Holy Trinity in the Gloria.
22. The Liturgy Itself Is Trinitarian!
• We make the small Sign of the Cross at the
reading of the Gospel—on the forehead, on
the lips, and over our hearts—as a prayer that
the Gospel be on our minds and on our lips
and in our hearts and souls, so that we might
proclaim the Gospel in all we say and do.
• In the liturgy, we also profess our belief in the
Trinity during our communal recitation of the
Creed.
23. The Liturgy Itself Is Trinitarian!
• In the Eucharistic Prayers we speak of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• The liturgy then ends with a blessing in the
name of “the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit,” as we are sent forth in peace to
glorify God with our lives.
24. • Tell our children about their own Baptism.
• Bless ourselves with holy water upon
entering or leaving church, as a reminder of
our Baptism.
• Bless our children in the morning at
the start of our day and/or in the evening at
bedtime.
Things we can do
25. Family + Faith Parent Pages have been
created so that families can review the topic,
implement practices, in order to transform
their lives.
Please review and use these pages with your
children throughout the month. This practice
will aid your children as they work their way
through the 3 Chapters of Unit 2.
28. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
~The next time you make the Sign of the Cross
remember the love of Jesus crucified and unite your
day, especially any sufferings, to the Cross that St.
Teresa Benedicta loved and that saved the world.
Person of Faith
30. Reminder
• Be on the lookout for an email from
faithformation@thischurch.abc. This email
will contain Family + Faith Parent Pages and
eAssessment links for this Unit
• Be sure to complete and submit
eAssessments by [provide date]
• Any other important information
31. Closing Prayer
Let us ask for God’s blessing on our children.
Parents, make the sign of the Cross with your thumb on your
child’s forehead, saying:
“[child’s name], I ask for God’s blessing on you in the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be world without end. Amen
Saint Teresa Benedicta , pray for us. Amen.
Editor's Notes
Pertinent information, please customize
Say: Welcome Domestic Church! Yes that’s correct. Each and every one of your homes is a Domestic Church. Our sessions together are designed to help you all grow in faith and live your lives as Catholics. Today’s session, Unit 2 Trinity, will introduce you to this unit’s theme using the same process that is presented in your child’s Alive in Christ Book: Invite-Discover-Live (three-step catechetical process) Starting with an invitation into God’s Word, we will then discover what the Catholic Church teaches about The Holy Trinity so we can Live a life that reflects our faith. In today’s session you will experience an example of each of the three steps.
This information will serve as a briefing for you as you work with your children to explore how we live this faith in everyday life. (Remember that there are 3 Chapters in each Unit)
Read slide, then say: In fact, we call on the power of the Trinity every time we make the Sign of the Cross. When we “bless ourselves” with the Sign of the Cross we proclaim what we are saying or doing is; “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
A short but powerful prayer and a true sign of our Catholic identity.
Teach families what it means to venerate and why we venerate the Bible. (regard with great respect; revere. )
Suggest to families that in order to keep prayer at the center of what you do in these sessions, you must keep it at the center of your own life.
Teach families what it means to venerate and why we venerate the Bible. (regard with great respect; revere. )
Suggest to families that in order to keep prayer at the center of what you do in these sessions, you must keep it at the center of your own life.
The Commissioning of the Disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [NRSV-Catholic Edition]
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Maintain a few moments of silence after the reading is complete. Then break the silence by reading the questions on the slide.
Invite families to take a moment to think and discuss the questions and then write down the word or phrase in their Family + Faith Journal (at this point go back to the scripture slides so participants can see the reading again).
Ask for a volunteer or two to share why that word or phrase has meaning to them. In case there are no volunteers, be prepared with your own word or phrase so you can model the process for the group.
Remind families if they’ve not already done so…
…create their own prayer center at home.
On a table drape fabric (when appropriate, keep with the colors of the liturgical cycle) across the table. Put a Bible on a bookstand in a place of prominence. Adorn the table with candles, and a cross or crucifix… simple and elegant. Possibly create a list of family prayer intentions.
Also, this can be a fruitful family practice each weekend. Prior to Mass (maybe Sat. evening), use this process and pray with this Sunday’s readings. This can make the Liturgy of the Word more meaningful for all members of the family.
Now, transition to the Discover Step.
Say: We heard in our prayer that the disciples were sent out to:
“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”
We continue to explore this theme as we look at what the Church teaches about the
Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a wonderful resource that
tells us what the Catholic Church teaches
We learn about the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct Persons in one God), one of the great mysteries of our faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the mystery of the Holy Trinity “is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself.”
Say: The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us with some “explanation” of the “central mystery of Christian faith and life”.
Paragraph 253- The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity".
Paragraph 254 …They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds.“ The divine Unity is Triune.
Say these or similar words: The Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life.
We can never fully understand this mystery.
Say: Saint Augustine who studied the Trinity for almost 20 years, wrote that if we think we can comprehend God, we deceive ourselves, for God is incomprehensible, and our language cannot do justice to the mystery of God.
We also learn that Jesus invites us into a deeper understanding of the mystery of God whom we cannot see except through him.
Those who are baptized enter into the very life of the Holy Trinity, who is love.
Watch Video
Say: God is love, and he creates within us a desire to be in union with him and with others. We are created in the image of God, meaning in the image of the Trinity. The Trinity reveals for us the love of the family through the love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are meant to mirror the love of the Trinity in our own relationships. The Holy Family most perfectly demonstrates the love of the Trinity.
Say: Here is a good practice that will keep you close to Our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit :
Upon arriving at church for Mass, hold thumb, index finger, and middle finger together (3 fingers representing the 3 persons of the Trinity), dip them in the holy water font, then make the sign of the cross, and saying to oneself, “I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” By being intentional at this moment, The Sign of the Cross becomes a personal and intimate reminder of who we are, a child of the Triune God.
An ideal pre-Mass ritual that will prepare your body, mind and soul to participate fully in the Mass.
Say: And speaking of Mass, the mystery of the Trinity is reinforced throughout the Mass.
This central mystery is an essential component of our celebration of the Mass.
Here are the places throughout the Mass where the Holy Trinity is called upon.
Say: The significance of the threefold signing is that we want to hear the Holy Gospel with an open mind, proclaim it with our lips, and cherish and safeguard it in our hearts.
And we profess our belief in the Trinity in The Creed.
Say: In the Eucharistic Prayers we speak of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The liturgy then ends with a blessing in the name of “the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” as we are sent forth in peace to glorify God with our lives.
The Liturgy Is Itself Trinitarian!
Read the slide and then say these or similar words: Here are some ways families can remind and reinforce this central mystery of our faith. Ask families to discuss these topics and write down in their Family + Faith Journals any thoughts or questions that arise
Ask for some responses from the group. Author Jon Sweeney quotes the early Church fathers in his book, Almost Catholic. He explores the ancient spirituality of Catholics and he tells us that the early Church Fathers taught the earliest Christians “If you wish to learn, do as I do.” Our children will do what we do. Our children watch us, and they will learn, as they do what we do. Sweeney reminds us, “Catholic imagination understands that repetition schools the heart.”
These pages will provide information and activities that will enable families to complete the Live step for Unit 2 Trinity.
Review Key Features of the Family + Faith Parent Pages (1):
- Topic Description
- Scripture Proclaimed
- What Catholics Believe About the Trinity
- Let’s Talk Conversation Starters
Review Key Features of the Family + Faith Parent Pages (2):
- Family Activity
- A Family Prayer
- People of Faith,
St Teresa Benedicta
- Online Resources
Let’s take a few minutes to view this video about a 20th century Saint,
Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
Review Key Features of the Family + Faith Parent Pages (3):
- In The Home and In the Community,
As we close our Family + Faith Session we want to emphasize a few key points: 1st We feel privileged to accompany you and your families in this faith journey. You are the most important influence in the faith life of your children. We intend to assist you in this mission, and to offer ideas, resources, and experiences that will empower you in this mission. 2nd Family + Faith Sessions offer parents an opportunity to journey with and be supported by other parents. 3rd It gives families a shared faith language and shared faith experiences, as we focus on the same themes, doctrinal lessons, as well as the prayers and practices of our faith. 4th It gives children the opportunity to see us “being Church” together, as parents join them at church for faith formation.
Let us ask for God’s blessing on our children.
Parents, place your thumb on your child’s forehead, making the sign of the Cross with your thumb, saying:
“[child’s name], I ask for God’s blessing on you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Saint Teresa Benedicta , pray for us. Amen.
