The Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Each person of the Trinity is unique and has their own role and relationship with each other and also with us. Let us look at each person, individually, to gain a more clear understanding of who they are and how we can walk with them on our spiritual journey to and through the cross; how we can embrace the life of the Son, feel the love of the Father and ultimately receive the power of the Holy Spirit. For let us remember that all are one and each leads us to the others. Let us look at each person of the Trinity and find that the way to connect directly with them is through prayer and faith, confidence trust and ultimately, relationship.

The Father

We do not know what the Father looks like, but the Son, tells us that if we know him, then we also know the Father. This is oneness in action, for you can see how intimately they are one and how hard it is to speak of one without bringing in the name or action of the other or the power of the Spirit. For they are all infinitely bound together in love. Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, gives us our most direct way of connecting with the Father, through offering us his own prayer: the prayer of the Son; the Our Father,which we will explore in more depth later on, but let us pray it now, to remind ourselves of each word. Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom The power And the Glory Forever and ever Amen This prayer is the most amazing and incredible prayer when entered into in trust and confidence, for it richly illuminates the Father, in so many ways. Trust and confidence allow us to be bold in approaching the almighty, the Father who is love. Jesus spoke these words, in prayer, whilst he lived amongst us on the Earth. How incredible. They are a gift given to us, by the Son, as well as a direct contact with the Father, himself. Jesus wants us to know his father and grow in our own relationship with him. He wants us to communicate, to talk, to pray, to trust, to know that the Father is with us and he is there for us and he wants us to know that there will always be a safe passage through any situation, even death. Most especially, this prayer is not only for us, but also they were the words spoken by the Son concerning his own life and mission, his own need to connect with the Father himself and therefore let us be aware as we pray the words,that they also had the deepest meaning directly for the Son. This can then, give us new light and depth of understanding on their meaning and power, when we reflect upon them. We can feel very close indeed to God, through the praying of this prayer. Every time we pray this prayer we affirm this new relation- ship, this nurturing sensitive, compassionate and caring God who loves us all and wants us to know him more So as we pray let us feel the echo of his words down every moment of time and enter even more fully into the prayerfulness and power of these words. For they mean not only to be a prayer of hope to us, but also and most significantly, yet often forgotten, they are a prayer of hope and faith and a prayer of protection, they concern the love and the will of God for the Son, who, when he spoke them, had yet to come through his passion, to the Resurrection and the life and the fulfilment of God’s promise. This is the power of this prayer, when fully realised, this is the saving of the world and each of us. This is the truth of love opened up for us, through the Word of God. And it blesses us most richly by our direct contact with the Father himself! So let us rejoice in this incredible, amazing gift!

The Son

Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He is both imminent, here with us and transcend- ent through the resurrection. He is the I am. He is the alpha and the omega, the ever was and ever will be. He is one with the trinity and uniquely brings all mankind into the bond of love and oneness that flows between them, through his incredible act of sacrifice upon the cross and his return through the power of love through his resurrection and ultimate ascension to be with the Father and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, enabling us too, to be with them. We can experience Jesus Christ's presence through prayer and the Eucharist and through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through him. We can pray to him or we can pray with Him and in His holy name. For he says, most specifically, " I am.' And these two words are incredible because they are and therefore, he is ever present and eternal at the same time! We find, in this knowledge, that we can talk directly and intim- ately to him, through our spiritual connection, fulfilled and blessed in the power of the passion, the resurrection and Pentecost. To pray to the Son is to pray also to the Father, for they are one, acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is to truly be a Christian as Christ asks us to be, to follow him wherever he leads and to pray with confidence in his name, knowing that our prayers are received and granted, for they are fulfilled through our utter confidence and faith in God. In praying to Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, we accept as true all that he has said. We accept Jesus Christ as both human and divine, uniquely placed between us and the Father as a conduit to heaven. We know with absolute certainty in our hearts that all is possible through prayer, for has he not told us so? Did he not say, that whatever we ask in his name, he will do, that his father might be glorified? Did he not reassure us that whatever we ask in his name, he will do it? This is an amazing thing to say. It is more wonderful still to believe and have confidence that our prayer is answered because of our faith and trust in these words. For is he not the word of God and thus speaks true? We explore prayer in more detail soon. In the meantime we ask God to bless our prayer life richly and immerse ourselves in deep prayer and help us come closer to the Son. Lord Help us to hear Your Word To sing Your praise To see Your face To know Your voice. Amen

The Holy Spirit

And the Holy Spirit is Power indeed: pure love in action, unstoppable and awesome to experience and know. He is the all powerful, uncontrol- lable messenger, promised to us by Jesus before his death and resurrection. When you ask the Holy Spirit to come upon you and you accept the Holy Spirit into your life, your life and your prayer can never really be the same again. For you can feel the power of every syllable uttered, a vast spiritual energy that is beyond description and can only truly be felt and known through accepting the Holy Spirit to live with you and in you, transfiguring all, as the power flows through you. The Spirit brings amazing gifts, to aid you, and transforms you, in the same way as the disciples in the upper room were transformed, who were cowering in fear before the Spirit descended upon them, then miraculously they were transfigured and full of confidence and filled with God’s gifts and utterly emboldened and changed. When the Spirit is upon you, you feel the sheer power and joy of being. Your prayer takes on new energy. You speak with the confidence of God within you. He acts through you. It is incredible. You know your prayer is heard and answered. You can feel the power of love within you and flowing through you and especially so at Pentecost, that oh so very special day, when the Spirit was heard and seen anointing the disciples and they were blessed with the gift of tongues and the freedom and inspiration that the Spirit brings so perfectly. It is said that Miracles are a gift of the Spirit, therefore let us ask with all confidence and pray for what is seemingly impossible, from our earthly perspective and limited view. God works in mystery. There are amazing answers to prayer, both for seemingly small and huge requests. To pray for a miracle of healing is to trust utterly in God. It is to have true Faith. To see His response, requires Wisdom, for the answer may not be what is expected, even hoped for, yet still may be awesome, wondrous and miraculous. Let us pray in confidence now: I place my heart I place my body I place my hope I place my hurt All in You Lord I ask for a miracle Knowing miracles Will be Sent I trust in You And I thank you with all my being. Amen