For every Orthodox Christian, the mystery of the Holy Trinity is at the heart of our faith. Every prayer, every sign of the cross, and every Divine Liturgy begins and ends in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Yet many still wonder:
How can God be One and yet Three?
To speak of the Trinity is to speak of God as He revealed Himself - not as philosophy imagined Him, but as Truth Himself made known to man.
The One God in Three Persons
Christianity is a monotheistic faith - we believe in one God. But God has revealed Himself as Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This is not a belief in three gods, but in one divine essence shared fully and eternally by three distinct Persons. Each is fully God - not one-third of God - and yet there are not three Gods, but one.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19 KJV
Notice that Christ says "in the name", not "in the names". The name is one - for God is one - yet the Persons are three.
"We confess one essence and three hypostases. The distinction lies not in nature, but in the manner of being."
Saint Basil the Great
This is the very foundation of Christian revelation: the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God - one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.
How the Saints Explain the Trinity
Since this mystery is beyond human understanding, the saints used simple images to help our limited minds grasp what can only be believed through faith. These examples are not perfect, but they point toward the truth.
- Liquid, Vapor, Ice - Water - One substance in three forms. God is one in essence, though manifest as three Persons
- Seconds, Minutes, Hours - Time - Distinct yet inseparable The Trinity works in perfect unity
- One Stem, Three Leaves - Shamrock (used by St. Patrick) - The three Persons share one divine life.
- Son, Father, Worker - A Man's Role - One person, different relationships Helps understand unity of being but distinct relation - though God’s mystery far surpasses this image
Each image helps us see that God's oneness is not mathematical, but relational - a unity of perfect love and communion.
"The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not divided in will or power. They act together, for Their essence is one and the same."
Saint John of Damascus
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - Who They Are
Though equal and one in essence, each Person of the Trinity has a distinct hypostatic property - that is, a unique way of being:
| Divine Person | Definition | Work Manifest in the World |
|---|---|---|
| The Father | Unbegotten - the Source of all being. | Creator of all, the fountainhead of divinity |
| The Son | Begotten of the Father before all ages | Redeemer, through Whom all things were made |
| The Holy Spirit | Proceeds from the Father. | Sanctifier and Giver of Life, abiding in the Church |
"All things that the Father hath are mine... When the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth."
John 16:15,13 KJV
The Son is eternally begotten - not created. The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds - not as a creature, but as God. They are distinct in relation, not in power or glory.
"No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the splendor of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish Them than I am carried back to the One."
Saint Gregory the Theologian
To Whom Should We Pray?
Many ask: Should I pray to the Father, or to Christ, or to the Holy Spirit?
The answer is simple: we pray to God - the Holy Trinity.
When we pray, we address one God, though the form of prayer may mention one Person specifically. Every prayer to the Father is also prayer to the Son and the Holy Spirit, for Their will is one, Their love is one, Their essence is one.
The Lord's Prayer is directed to the Father. The Jesus Prayer is addressed to the Son. The invocation of the Spirit ("O Heavenly King, Comforter...") calls upon the Holy Spirit. Yet all these prayers rise before the one true God.
"When you pray to Christ, you also pray to the Father and the Spirit. When you call upon the Spirit, you draw near to the Father and the Son. God is one, though glorified in Trinity."
Saint Theophan the Recluse
Thus, every Orthodox Christian life begins and ends in the Name of the Holy Trinity.
Why the Trinity Matters
The Holy Trinity is not an abstract doctrine - it is the revelation of what Love truly is. God is not solitary; He is communion. The Father eternally loves the Son, the Son perfectly obeys the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the bond of that love.
We are created in the image of this divine communion, called to reflect it through love, unity, and humility. Every family, every parish, every act of mercy becomes a small mirror of the Trinity when lived in harmony and self-giving love.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
- John 13:35 KJV
Conclusion
We may never comprehend the mystery of God, but we can know Him personally, through prayer, the sacraments, and the Church.
Every time we cross ourselves, we proclaim this faith:
"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We confess not three gods, but one God - eternal, living, and undivided - the Holy Trinity, worshiped and glorified unto the ages of ages.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Amen."
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