Trinity Sunday 2025
Proverbs 8:22-31 Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15
Preaching a homily on the subject of the Blessed Trinity is always a difficult task. In the 15th century the monk, Andrew Rublev, had the same difficulty when trying to teach his fellow monks the doctrine. He wrote his famous icon named ‘The Trinity’ or sometimes ‘Hospitality’.
The icon told the story of the visit to Abraham of three angels. They had come on a journey to the place of the Oaks of Mamre to announce to Abraham and Sarah that they were to have a child. Abraham and Sarah entertained them to a meal and the icon shows the three angels sitting at a table. The table is seen as an altar of sacrifice.
The three angels took on representation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In typical icon style the colour blue indicates divinity. The principal garment of the angels representing the Father and the Holy Spirit is coloured blue. The Father wears a golden patriarchal cloak while the Holy Spirit has a green shawl indicating growth and new life. The angel standing for The Son wears a garment of red, representative of humanity, with a blue shawl.
The angels sit in a circle. There is no primary position because they are equal and united in their mission. They each bear a staff of authority and the actions of their hands display blessing, the mission of redemption and the guidance of grace.
The opening in the circle speaks to us an invitation. An invitation to come into the circle, to come into the presence, to come into the community that they form. By accepting the invitation and spending time within the community of Father, Son and Spirit we inevitably come to KNOW God, Father Son and Spirit.
And in knowing God we know the Love which God is. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
When Jesus spoke these words to the disciples it was still difficult to grasp. But later, as we learn from today’s gospel, before He left them He assured them: ‘I still have many things to say to you ….. when the Spirit comes he will lead you to the complete truth’. As we celebrated Pentecost we were reminded that we have been given the gift of the spirit, the gift of ‘knowledge’, enabling us to even understand this great mystery.
In the background of Rublev’s icon there stands the tree, the Oak of Mamre, a symbol for us that we are members of that house of Faith where Abraham encountered the Blessed Trinity.
Let us pray for a strengthening of our Faith so that we can worthily say; Glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen