A seminarian once had an argument with a man from another religion. The man told the seminarian, “Hindi ba tatlo ang Diyos ninyo: Diyos Ama, Diyos Anak, at Diyos Espiritu Santo? (“Isn’t it that you have three gods: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?”)
The seminarian replied “Ang alam ninyo lang ay addition: 1+1+1=3. Kaming mga Katoliko, bukod sa addition alam din namin ang multiplication: 1x1x1=1 (“You only know addition: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. We Catholics, apart from learning addition, understand multiplication: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.”)
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Of the many mysteries the Catholic Faith taught us, it is the mystery of the Blessed Trinity that is the most profound and difficult to grasp. St Augustine, it was told, couldn’t get his head around it in spite being learned. While he was walking along the shore he saw a boy who dug some sand and was getting some water from the sea. He asked the boy what he was doing. The child told the saint that he was putting all the sea’s contents in the hole he dug. St Augustine scoffed at his idea. The child retorted that his endeavour is much easier than to put in St Augustine’s mind the mystery of the Trinity.
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Indeed, no human mind can fully comprehend such a supernatural mystery. We just have to take God’s Word for it. As another holy man would say: “It is easier to love God than to understand Him.”
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Fiestas have been on and off in the country these past few weeks. Traditionally, an Hermano or Hermana Mayor (or both) are selected to shoulder the expenses in the festivities. I am not against tapping rich people to take the lead in these events. Were it not for their generosity, our fiestas would not be possible. What I am not happy about is when you could still feel a wall between the ‘can affords’ and the ‘can’t affords’. Rather than unite the community these actuations further widen the gap between two groups of people who are both under the umbrella of the Church. This is downright insult against the Trinity!
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I watched the recently concluded Teenage Pinoy Big Brother and was surprised to see some of them offer flowers to the image of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Is ABS-CN (or at least the producers of the show) unaware of Bishop Oliveros’ memo discouraging people from visiting that place lest devotees be deceived?
The seminarian replied “Ang alam ninyo lang ay addition: 1+1+1=3. Kaming mga Katoliko, bukod sa addition alam din namin ang multiplication: 1x1x1=1 (“You only know addition: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. We Catholics, apart from learning addition, understand multiplication: 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.”)
Of the many mysteries the Catholic Faith taught us, it is the mystery of the Blessed Trinity that is the most profound and difficult to grasp. St Augustine, it was told, couldn’t get his head around it in spite being learned. While he was walking along the shore he saw a boy who dug some sand and was getting some water from the sea. He asked the boy what he was doing. The child told the saint that he was putting all the sea’s contents in the hole he dug. St Augustine scoffed at his idea. The child retorted that his endeavour is much easier than to put in St Augustine’s mind the mystery of the Trinity.
Indeed, no human mind can fully comprehend such a supernatural mystery. We just have to take God’s Word for it. As another holy man would say: “It is easier to love God than to understand Him.”
Fiestas have been on and off in the country these past few weeks. Traditionally, an Hermano or Hermana Mayor (or both) are selected to shoulder the expenses in the festivities. I am not against tapping rich people to take the lead in these events. Were it not for their generosity, our fiestas would not be possible. What I am not happy about is when you could still feel a wall between the ‘can affords’ and the ‘can’t affords’. Rather than unite the community these actuations further widen the gap between two groups of people who are both under the umbrella of the Church. This is downright insult against the Trinity!
I watched the recently concluded Teenage Pinoy Big Brother and was surprised to see some of them offer flowers to the image of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Is ABS-CN (or at least the producers of the show) unaware of Bishop Oliveros’ memo discouraging people from visiting that place lest devotees be deceived?
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