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To: All
Catholic Culture

Collect:
Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us to worship you, one God in three Persons, by proclaiming and living our faith in you. We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, for ever and ever.

June 11, 2006 Month Year Season

Trinity Sunday

The fundamental dogma on which everything in Christianity is based, is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name all Christians are baptized. The feast of the Blessed Trinity needs to be understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn expression of our faith in this triune life of the Divine Persons, to which we have been given access by Baptism and by the Redemption won for us by Christ. Only in heaven shall we properly understand what it means, in union with Christ, to share as sons in the very life of God.

The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII. But the cultus of the Trinity is, of course, to be found throughout the liturgy. Constantly the Church causes us to praise and adore the thrice-holy God who has so shown His mercy towards us and has given us to share in His life.


Trinity Sunday
The dogma of faith which forms the object of the feast is this: There is one God and in this one God there are three divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! The Father is not more God than the Son, neither is the Son more God than the Holy Spirit. The Father is the first divine Person; the Son is the second divine Person, begotten from the nature of the Father from eternity; the Holy Spirit is the third divine Person, proceeding from the Father and the Son. No mortal can fully fathom this sublime truth. But I submit humbly and say: Lord, I believe, help my weak faith.

Why is this feast celebrated at this particular time? It may be interpreted as a finale to all the preceding feasts. All three Persons contributed to and shared in the work of redemption. The Father sent His Son to earth, for "God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son." The Father called us to the faith. The Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, became man and died for us. He redeemed us and made us children of God. He ever remains the liturgist par excellence to whom we are united in all sacred functions. After Christ's ascension the Holy Spirit, however, became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, our Consoler. On solemn occasions a thanksgiving Te Deum rises spontaneously from Christian hearts.

The feast of the Most Holy Trinity may well be regarded as the Church's Te Deum of gratitude over all the blessings of the Christmas and Easter seasons; for this mystery is a synthesis of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. This feast, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, should make us mindful that actually every Sunday is devoted to the honor of the Most Holy Trinity, that every Sunday is sanctified and consecrated to the triune God. Sunday after Sunday we should recall in a spirit of gratitude the gifts which the Blessed Trinity is bestowing upon us. The Father created and predestined us; on the first day of the week He began the work of creation. The Son redeemed us; Sunday is the "Day of the Lord," the day of His resurrection. The Holy Spirit sanctified us, made us His temple; on Sunday the Holy Spirit descended upon the infant Church. Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

Symbols of the Trinity: Equilateral Triange; Circle of Eternity; Three Interwoven circles; Triangle in Circle; Circle Within Triangle; Interwoven Circle and Triangle; Two Triangles interwoven in shape of Star of David; Two Triangles in shape of Star of David interwoven with Circle; Trefoil; Trefoil and Triangle; Trefoil with points; Triquetra; Triquetra and circle; Sheild of the Holy Trinity; Three Fishes linked together in shape of a triangle; Cross and Triangle overlapping; Fleur de Lys; St. Patrick's Shamrock.

Things to Do:

  • Depending on the ages of family members, research symbols of the Trinity and create something for the centerpiece of your family table, or something for your family altar, such as a small banner or poster. It can be as little as a 4 x 6 photograph or something to use every year as a backdrop or wallhanging.

  • Think of different foods to serve that can reflect the symbolism of the Trinity. One example is clover leaf rolls. These rolls are formed with three balls of dough put into one hole of the muffin tin for each roll. They are easy to make. Use your favorite roll recipe (you can even buy frozen bread or roll dough), or search on the Internet for one of many examples.

  • The Directory on Popular Piety explains some of the pious exercises related to the devotion of the Holy or Blessed Trinity. Three very simple prayers are the Sign of the Cross, Gloria Patri (Glory Be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, etc.) and the Trisagion (meaning "thrice holy"): "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
    Have mercy on us." This is just one version, there are many others, and it is usually found in the Eastern liturgies.


15 posted on 06/11/2006 7:53:08 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.


A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 117 (118)
A cry of rejoicing and triumph
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
 and his kindness is for ever.

Now let Israel say, he is good
 and his kindness is for ever.
Now let the house of Aaron say it too:
 that his kindness is for ever.
Now let all who fear the Lord say it too:
 that his kindness is for ever.

In my time of trial I called out to the Lord:
 he listened, and led me to freedom.
The Lord is with me,
 I will fear nothing that man can do.
The Lord, my help, is with me,
 and I shall look down upon my enemies.

It is good to seek shelter in the Lord,
 better than to trust in men.
It is good to seek shelter in the Lord,
 better than to trust in the leaders of men.

All the nations surrounded me,
 and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They crowded in and besieged me,
 and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They surrounded me like swarms of bees,
 they burned like a fire of dry thorns,
 and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They chased and pursued me, to make me fall,
 and the Lord came to my help.
The Lord is my strength and my rejoicing:
 he has become my saviour.

A cry of joy and salvation
 in the dwellings of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has triumphed!
 The Lord’s right hand has raised me up;
 the Lord’s right hand has triumphed”.

I shall not die, but live,
 and tell of the works of the Lord.
The Lord chastised me severely
 but did not let me die.
Open the gates of righteousness:
 I will go in, and thank the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;
 it is the upright who enter here.

I will thank you, for you listened to me,
 and became my saviour.

The stone that the builders rejected
 has become the corner-stone.
It was the Lord who did this –
 it is marvellous to behold.
This is the day that was made by the Lord:
 let us rejoice today, and be glad.

Lord, keep me safe;
 O Lord, let me prosper!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
 We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God, he shines upon us!
 Arrange the procession, with close-packed branches,
 up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, I will give thanks to you;
 my God, I will give you praise.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
 and his kindness is for ever.

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.

Canticle Daniel 3
Let every creature praise the Lord
Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers,
 praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is the holy name of your glory
 praised above all things and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory
 praised and glorious above all things for ever.
Blessed are you who gaze on the depths,
 seated on the cherubim,
 praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven
 praised and glorious for ever.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
 praise and exalt him for ever.

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.

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
 praise him in his mighty firmament.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
 praise him for all his greatness.

Praise him with trumpet-blasts,
 praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dance,
 praise him with strings and pipes,
praise him with cymbals resounding,
 praise him with cymbals of jubilation.

All that breathes, praise the Lord!

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.
A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.
Canticle Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

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.

Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.
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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.
A concluding prayer may follow here.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
A M E N

16 posted on 06/11/2006 7:56:21 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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