The Gospel of John expresses the relationship of the Persons of the Trinity to each other most clearly of all the Gospels. Catholics who have been brought up learning little more about the Trinity than "Three Persons in One God" would do well to study the way John speaks of this mystery, and listen carefully to the way we pray in the Mass. The three Divine Persons are equal as one God, but it is important to know in what ways they are portrayed as distinct in Scripture and to understand each one’s proper activity in relation to each other and to our own lives. The last supper farewell of Jesus (Jn 13-17) is exceptionally rich in teaching about who and what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are, and what they do. Read the whole of this discourse again (you should already be familiar with it from the past few weeks). This time, ask yourself what exactly is Jesus saying about himself as the Son of God, and his relationship to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and what this means for his followers.

This passage focuses on the activity of the Spirit to continue what Christ has begun. In Christ, God the Son become a man, the fullness of God-ness is shared with us. However, we will always receive only in part because our capacity is limited, and we must continually grow. A once-and-for-all full revelation on God’s part must necessarily be received by us as an ongoing process because of our human limitations. Although Christ has the fullness of the Father, the revelation of this fullness needs to be carried on through the Spirit in the Church. The Spirit’s work is not a new work, distinct from Christ’s, but the very same revelation made present ever-new in all ages and places.

The truth which Jesus and the Spirit speak is more than a teaching or doctrine to be understood and/or believed; it is the full acceptance of the person of Jesus as revealing God the Father and his love.

This beautiful hymn personifying God’s wisdom in creation is echoed in Jn 1; Col 1:15-20; and Rev 3:14. It is not a literal portrayal of God’s wisdom as a distinct person, as though it were a Judaic prefiguring of Christ as God’s wisdom. However, as an allegory, it invites us to contemplate the great work of God in creation and reveals a stage in the preparation for the full revelation of God’s love in the Son and through the Spirit. In a sense, this passage expands the repeated phrase in Gn 1: "And God saw that it was good."

This "hymn of the universe" presents a somewhat more down to earth, but no less beautiful, reflection on the creative wisdom of God. Response: "O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful your name in all the earth."

Paul, as well as John, speaks often of the distinct roles of the three Divine Persons in the Christian life. In fact, Paul’s teaching is in a much more practical vein, describing how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate actively to us here and now, and how we respond concretely. It is very important for us to have a sense of living within the sphere of the Trinity’s life, rather than to be content with worshiping from afar.

1. Compare the prayer, "Glory be . . ." with the "Through him, with him, in him . . ." of the Mass. How do they differ in the way the present the Trinity, and what might account for that difference?

2. Is prayer to the Father different from prayer to the Son or to the Holy Spirit? How?