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The Holy TrinityHoly God the Holy Trinity

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Holy God is a Holy Trinity of One God and three Divine Persons.
Holy God is a Holy Trinity of Three Persons while remaining One in essence.
Often, it is said that The Holy Trinity is the One God in three Persons or three Persons in One God.
The three Persons are: Holy God the Father, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and Holy God the Holy Spirit.

Each of the three Persons is

  • Separate and distinct
  • Shares fully in the divine nature and will
  • Is equally infinte, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-existing, and eternally the same
  • Is united together in perfect love

His Excellency / Sayedna / Sayidna Nicholas Samra, Titular Bishop of Gerasa, Auxiliary Bishop, and Protosyncellos of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States, gave a talk given at St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in San Francisco on May 1, 1999

His Excellency / Sayedna / Sayidna Nicholas Samra's, Titular Bishop of Gerasa, Auxiliary Bishop, and Protosyncellos of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States, gave a talk given at St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in San Francisco on May 1, 1999. His Excellency / Sayedna / Sayidna Nicholas Samra approved the summarization below of his talk given at St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in San Francisco on May 1, 1999.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Holy Trinity is the basis of Stewardship:

God the FatherHe gave us Oikonomia.
God the SonHe became man like us and died to redeem us.
God the Holy SpiritHe gave us seven gifts and twelve fruits of those gifts.

Oikonomia is defined as God the Father's plan of salvation realized in His Son taking Flesh. It is also called "God the Father's Plan of Redemption" and the "Incarnation". In English, "Oikonomia" is translated as "Economy".

Revealed

In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, the fullness of The Holy Trinity is revealed.

In the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, The Holy Trinity is only partially revealed.

Great Feast Days

The Holy Trinity is connected with two Great Feast Days.

FeastEvent
Commem-
orated		Action
of Event		Significance
of Event		CelebrateApostolosGospelDateClass
Holy
Theophany
of Our Lord,
God
Savior,
Jesus
Christ		Jesus
Christ's
baptism		Holy
Prophet
and
Glorious
Fore-
runner
John Baptist
baptizing
Our Lord,
God
Savior,
Jesus
Christ
in
River
Jordan.		ºAs an
adult,
Jesus
Christ
shows
His
people
that He
is Holy God.

ºHoly God
shows
His
people
that Holy God
is a
Holy Trinity.		ºJesus
Christ
is Holy God.

ºHoly God
is a
Holy
Trinity		Tim.
2:11-14,
3:4-7		Mt.
3:13-17		6
Jan.		Great
Feast
Class
1
PentecostPeople
in
upper room
receive
gifts of
Holy
Spirit.		Holy
Spirit
descend-
ing
on people
in
upper room.		ºFinal
revelation
of dogma
of
Holy
Trinity.

ºBirth
of Church.

ºBeginning
of Church's
mission
to world.

ºChristian
unity
within
diversity
of nations,
languages,
and
cultures.		Birthday
of
Church.		Acts
2:1-11		John
7:35-52,
8:12		50th
day
of
Pascha		Great
Feast
Class
1

Ikons

The Holy Trinity is usually represented in ikons by:

  • Three circles with each circle inside the another circle.
  • Three angels at a meal served by Abraham and his wife Sarah. This representation is bassed on the Old Testament in the Holy Bible account of how Abraham was visited by three angels of God (Genesis 18).

Champion of the Holy Trinity

St. Meletios, Archbishop of Antioch, defended of the substantial unity of the Holy Trinity, which was denied by Arius

St. Meletios, Archbishop of Antioch taught about the Holy Trinity not only with words but also with his fingers.
In 381 at the 2nd Ecumenical Council in Constantinople, St. Meletios of Antioch raised three fingers, then brought them together to show the unity of the Holy Trinity. At that moment a heavenly light flashed from his hand, confirming the truth of his words.
A priest named Arius and his followers denied the divinity of of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Seeking to preserve the supreme transcenence of Holy God, they taught that Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ was simply the most perfect created being, gifted with saving power by Holy God. This teaching denies that Holy God is Three Divine Persons.

Champion of the Third Person in the Holy Trinity, Holy God the Holy Spirit

Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great defended the Third Person in the Holy Trinity, Holy God the Holy Spirit

Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great defended the Third Person in the Holy Trinity, Holy God the Holy Spirit by writing books. About 375, Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great wrote "De Spiritu Sancto".
About 364, Eunomius denied the Divinity of the Third Person.

Champions of the Incarnation

Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria was the greatest champion of the Incarnation.

Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria was the most brilliant and heroic defender of the Incarnation.
Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria wrote "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God" in De inc., 54, 3: PG, 192B, in his refutation of Arius at the First Ecumenical Council in 325.
A priest named Arius and his followers denied the divinity of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Seeking to preserve the supreme transcenence of Holy God, they taught that Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ was simply the most perfect created being, gifted with saving power by Holy God. This teaching denies that Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is Holy God and that Holy God is Three Divine Persons, the Holy Trinity.

Our Holy Father Kyrollos, Archbishop of Alexandria, defended of the divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which was denied by Nestorius

Our Holy Father Kyrollos of Alexandria was the brilliant and heroic defender of the divinity of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the 5th Century, Our Holy Father Kyrollos of Alexandria defended of the divinity of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which was denied by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople. Nestorius refused to call Mary "Theotokos" (the Mother of God). Instead, Nestorius and his followers called her "Christotokos" (Mother of Christ). They believed that Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was a very holy man sent by God but was not Himself the Holy Son of Holy God, that is Holy God the Holy Son.
In 431, at the Third Ecumenical Council held in Ephesos, Our Holy Father Kyrollos of Alexandria presided in the name of Pope Celestinus. Also, Our Holy Father Kyrollos was the most influential speaker at the Council. Our Holy Father Kyrollos of Alexandria upheld the true doctrine that Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is both fully Holy God and fully Man.

Word "Trinity"

The word "Trinity" is from two Latin words "tri", which means "three" and "nity", which means "unity". "Trinity" is from the Latin "trinitat" or "trinitas", which means "state of being three-fold". Those words are from the Latin word "Trinus", which means "trine".

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles) and Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000 and Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-givng Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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