Fr. Sean’s Trinity Sunday Sermon

Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

In 771 the new emperor Charlemagne faced dire issues in his empire. If not tended, these problems would have rendered his empire fractured and useless, and he knew it. The issue did not come from outside threats, though those were many. Saxons threatened from the north, war in the south in Spain raged on as the Islamic Empire rapidly grew, and then there were the normal, natural dangers such as crop failure and disease that threatened the people. But Charlemagne turned his attention to another threat that was internal, which was ignorance. When he looked around his empire, he saw many of his ruling royals, diplomats, bishops and priests were illiterate and did not know basic tenets of the faith, let alone philosophy, mathematics, and rhetoric. The priests, especially in France and England were under educated. And then the laity--well, they did not even have a chance to receive a basic education. Children across the empire, which contained all of what we now call western and central Europe, had no opportunity to learn, and the people were like the blind being led by the blind. 

In 781, Charlemagne met an English priest named Alcuin who had grown up in York and had attended one of the rare cathedral schools there. Charlemagne was so impressed that he appointed Alcuin as the head of religious and educational matters in the Empire under the title: Master of the Palace School. In the palace school, all seven liberal arts were taught, and this school not only educated the royal and upper class, but also commoners. It was, in fact, the first classical school for any boy.

Alcuin was driven by an intense desire to teach theology and Christian doctrine--he saw how important it was for the priests especially but also for the laity to learn the basic tenets of the faith. And he also realized that it was best, and most effective, to start by training the youth of the church. After setting up the palace school and library, which became the center of intellectual training for the next generation, he also established a school and library in Tours when he became bishop, and this became the model school throughout the empire. Charlemagne had decreed in 787 that all monasteries must be places of study, which meant at a minimum, that each monk would need to learn how to read. In 789, Charlemagne went further and decreed that every monastery and bishop's house must set up a school for boys to learn how to read and to sing, especially the Psalter. This reform was not for some general advancement of technology or philosophical achievement but specifically for the revival of the intellectual life in the church. Alcuin knew that clergy and laity must understand the faith in order to experience the faith. And while the students in his schools had to memorize and learn their multiplication tables, the purpose of the education was dialogue and worship. In fact, Alcuin himself wrote many liturgies and masses, helping the priests and laity grow in the knowledge and love of God. And one of the most important and widely used liturgies was the one for the feast of the Holy Trinity. In fact, the propers used today for our Mass, were taken from Alcuin's liturgy when Trinity Sunday was established in the late 10th century. This was a big change for the church because all other feast days had been historical, based on a specific person or biblical event. The Feast of Holy Trinity is theological, not historical, and yet Alcuin saw just how important it was for the church to worship the Holy Trinity with the greatest understanding that we can muster. This is, in the words of another English priest, St. Anselm of Canterbury, faith seeking understanding. 

Alcuin would want us to see that the intellectual side of our faith supports our devotion--these are not at odds with one another. His purpose of intellectual revival was for the general revival of the church--and so Trinity Sunday gives us this wonderful opportunity to learn about the Holy Trinity in order to contemplate--that is, to worship. Of course, since the Holy Trinity is infinite and unbounded, understanding does not mean a full knowledge. We cannot know the Holy Trinity like we can know a mathematical proof or an object in nature. 

And yet the mystery of the Holy Trinity is not unknowable. God can be continually known, continually sought after and understood, bit by bit because that is how we learn as humans. And that knowledge brings us further and further into love and worship. We need not be scared of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, but rather we should pursue our understanding of it in order to grow our love for God. Listen to the first bit of the Athanasian Creed, which goes into detail about the Holy Trinity. At first, this might seem a bit over the top, too many definitions. But if we read it slowly, what comes out is beautiful. 

And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father infinite; the Son infinite; and the Holy Ghost infinite. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

Whew. Notice how after the Creed emphasizes how the three persons are one substance, one essence, it says that the Trinity is to be worshipped! That was Alcuin's emphasis as well! He sought to enlighten the minds of the people, not just to make them smart or increase efficiency in order to maximize potential profits, but to worship God whom now they understand more and more. 

This is the purpose of our Epistle today, taken from the fourth chapter of Revelation. We are in John's vision and the language here is remarkable. He is attempting to explain, through a wide array of images and colors, the throne room of God where twenty-four elders, taken to be the twelve patriarchs of the OT and the 12 Apostles of the NT, join the angelic creatures in continual worship. The Sanctus hymn that they sing is a quotation from Isaiah 6. That was when Isaiah had a vision of the Seraphim worshiping God, and Isaiah fell back and said: "Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Isaiah immediately feels our of place and unworthy to be in such a place. It is too holy. But "then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, [which] he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid [it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. [Isa 6:5-7 KJV]" The prophet was allowed to see this vision after having been purged and cleansed, as it were, with the fire of the Seraphim. 

I know that in understanding the infinite beauty and glory of the Holy Trinity, we too might feel overwhelmed and unworthy to worship. But what is so amazing is that the Holy Trinity has invited humanity to join Him in his throne room and to be with him. I think this is partially why Nicodemus was so confused. He knew that a prophet such as Isaiah might be allowed to witness the glory of the Lord, but only after being purged with fire. But me? How could I worship such glory? 

So Jesus emphasizes--we are born by fire, for we have been reborn by the Holy Spirit in our baptisms. And because we are now "in" Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit we are also lifted up in the highest heavens with Him who has ascended into the throne room of God. The Holy Trinity has given us such life, and we in turn get to worship our creator.

In the knowledge of the Holy Trinity we get to sing with all the heavenly host: “Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.” May God Almighty keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us so that we may grow in the knowledge and love of the Holy Trinity now and in the life to come.