The Holy Trinity

 

Christians believe that the One God is made up of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This godhead is called the Trinity or the Triune (three-in-one) God.

The Father is the creator of all things; Jesus Christ, his only son, is the redeemer or savior of all people; the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier of the world and everyone in it. The Spirit blesses everyone and everything and makes them holy.

All three persons work together. At the creation of the world, Jesus Christ was the living word spoken by God the Father; the Holy Spirit moved across the face of the waters and brought life into the world.

At Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan, the Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, and God the Father spoke from heaven to say, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The symbols of the Trinity always have three parts: the trefoil (shamrock), triangle and triquetra. Other symbols are hand, fingers and thumb, or candle, wick, and flame.

The mystery of the interaction of the three persons of God is central to the Christian faith. That statement of faith is made in the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

Celebrating the Trinity takes place the first Sunday after Pentecost.

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