The Holy Trinity is the term used to denote that God, Who is one being, exists as Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, distinct from one another. In the Gospels, Jesus teaches us that there is one God in Three Persons: God as Father, God as Son and God as Holy Spirit, hence, the Holy Trinity. The Feast day of the Holy Trinity is the Sunday following Pentecost. Devotion to the Holy Trinity as it is known today seems to have begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, in the 8th century. St. Benedict of Aniane, who spread the devotion through his monastic reform, dedicated his abbey church to the Trinity in 872. There are references to Masses in honour of the Trinity, at Tours and at Fulda in 796 and 804. A feast of the Trinity was introduced at Cluny in 1091, and at Canterbury by Thomas Becket in 1162. In 1331, the Feast of the Trinity was approved by John XXII for the whole Church. The revitalization by the early scholastics of the doctrine on the divine indwelling led to many works on the subject and to a devotion to the divine Persons that continues to modern times. St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure brought to light and refined the ancient teachings of the Fathers, especially of St. Augustine, on the personal presence of God in the souls of the just. The application of this doctrine, though interpreted differently by the various theological schools, has emphasized, in the practical order, the central part played by the Trinity in interior life. All spiritual writers since the Middle Ages insist that a living devotion to the Trinity is both an essential means and an accompaniment to true sanctity. This is reinforced by the encyclical of Leo XIII, Divinum illud munus, on the Holy Spirit (May 9, 1897). Following are some prayers and devotions to the Holy Trinity:
A Morning Prayer to the Holy Trinity By St. John Chrysostom
Glory to You, our God, glory to You. Glory to You, O Lord our God, Who always overlooks our sins. Glory to you, O Lord our God, who enabled me to see this day. Glory to You, O most-holy Trinity, our God. I venerate Your ineffable goodness. I praise Your inexplorable forbearance. I thank and glorify Your infinite mercy. For although I deserve every punishment and chastisement, You have mercy and do good to me with myriads of blessings. Glory to You, O Lord my God, for everything. Amen.
In Praise of the Holy Trinity
With our whole heart and voice we glorify Thee, we praise Thee, we bless Thee, God the Father unbegotten, the only-begotten Son, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the holy and undivided Trinity. For Thou art great, and dost wonderful things: Thou alone art God. To Thee be praise, to Thee glory, to Thee thanksgiving forever and ever, O blessed Trinity!
Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
O most holy Trinity, Almighty God, we adore You, who give life and vigor to every creature and who shed light eternal where there is darkness. We offer you our hearts, our souls, and our whole being, today and on the days to come, that we may offer perfect praise and love to your glorious Name. Amen. O Father Almighty, we thank you wholeheartedly for all the blessings and graces You have so generously given us then and now. O merciful Christ Jesus, wash away our sins with your most precious blood. Feel the beating of our hearts and make them like your own. Oh, dear Jesus, wipe away our tears and pardon us for our sinfulness. Be with us, O Lord, until our dying day that we may be worthy of your mercy and forgiveness. O Holy Spirit, our guide and inspiration, lead us to the right path. And if, on our way, we encounter difficulties and trials, do not allow us to fall or lose hope. Grant us the graces we need daily that we may also share our blessings with our fellowmen. And when the time comes, O Holy Spirit, lead us to the place that is secure, full of joy and eternal peace. Amen.
Petition to the Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our first beginning and our last end, since Thou hast made us after Thine own image and likeness, grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our hearts and all our actions may be always conformed to Thy most holy will, to the end that after having seen Thee here below in appearances and by means of faith, we may come at last to contemplate Thee face-to-face in the perfect possession of Thee forever in paradise. Amen.
Powerful Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Glory be to the Father, Who by His almighty power and love created me, making me in the image and likeness of God. Glory be to the Son, Who by His Precious Blood delivered me from hell, and opened for me the gates of Heaven. Glory be to the Holy Spirit, Who has sanctified me in the sacrament of Baptism, and continues to sanctify me by the graces I receive daily from His bounty. Glory be to the Three adorable Persons of the Holy Trinity, now and forever. Amen.
• Prof. Michael Ogunu is International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima.
