Between God and us there is a stretch of infinity which our minds can never grasp. But God has chosen to reveal himself to us. He reveals himself to us through creation, but especially through his Son. It is through Jesus Christ that we come to know God. We come to know God as a trinity of divine persons. Belief in the trinity is a basic and distinctive element of Christianity in contrast to the other great monotheistic religions. Muslims and Jews believe in one God as we do. They do not believe in a trinity of divine persons.
The idea that God is three persons sharing one divine nature is a mystery in the strictest sense. Not only are we unable to penetrate the essence of that mystery, we would not even know of its existence without revelation. Various illustrations we use in speaking of the trinity may be of some help but do not lead to real understanding. The mystery remains. The only adequate response is faith.
That act of faith will lead us to feelings of gratitude because we affirm our belief in God as a father who so loved us that he sent his son to save us. We affirm our faith in God as the Son who suffered and died for us. We affirm our faith in God as Spirit, who guides and strengthens us.
Someone expressed the idea of the trinity quite well by saying: “The Spirit is the gift of the Father and the Son to keep us faithful to the love they have shown for us.” Speaking of the Spirit as gift suggests a simple but important truth. Something is not truly a gift until it is both given and accepted.
Suppose a man orders a dozen roses for his wife. Suppose further that for some reason he changes his mind and never actually gives them to her. The roses do not become a gift. They remain just a purchase. And a gift is not fully and truly a gift until it is also accepted. Suppose for some reason the wife refuses to accept the roses. The roses would not truly qualify as a gift.
God, the Father and the Son through the Spirit offer us the supreme gift of divine love. That love becomes truly and fully a gift when we accept it, when we open our minds and our hearts to it. Only by adoring belief and acceptance of the divine presence do we open our hearts and our lives to the full power of the Holy Spirit.