St. Louise and the Blessed Trinity
St. Louise and the Blessed Trinity
It may be difficult for us to see any kind of practical relevance in the doctrine of the Trinity; it remains a mystery. But consider how Fr. Jerome Magat explains it in a May 24, 2013 article called Imitating the Trinity:
The Trinity reveals to us the master plan of how we are to live and love one another: each person pouring themselves out for the other as gift. As we are created in the image and likeness of God, the Trinitarian model invites us to examine how we relate to one another ā if we are in fact living in imitation of the Trinityās inner life ā a community of persons.”
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[/twocol_one][twocol_one_last]This was the way St. Louise presented the TrinityĀ several times in her writings– she cited the Trinity as a model for human beings, in particular the Daughters of Charity, to emulate. Here are three brief examples to ponder on this Trinity Sunday.[/twocol_one_last]
A.85 ā¢ (INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SISTERS WHO WERE SENT TO MONTREUIL)
“ā¦true Daughters of Charity must be united in order to fulfill God’s expectations. Because our corrupted nature has deprived us of this perfection, and since sin separates us from our unity which is God, following the example of the Blessed Trinity, we must have but one heart and act with one mind as do the three divine Persons. We must do this in such a way that, when the sister in charge of the sick requests the help of her sister, the sister who instructs the children shall readily comply. And, if the sister in charge of the children requests assistance from the sister in charge of the poor, she shall do likewise since both tasks are equally the business of God. Considering themselves both chosen by Divine Providence in order to act in unison, we hope never to hear the words, “That is your business, not mine.”
L.429 ā¢ TO MY DEAR SISTER ANNE HARDEMONT (at Hennebont) (May 1651)
“My very dear Sister, In the name of God, I beg you, in your first conference, to reflect on the fact that there are three of you together and that you must honor the Blessed Trinity by this number. But how exactly? It is by the great union which must exist among you, by deferring to one another so as to avoid contention and by acquiescing, as far as possible, to one another’s opinions. If occasionally they differ, remember, my dear Sisters, that Our Lord always deferred to the will of His Father. In that way, you will, as it were, honor this deference when, for love of Him, you sacrifice your opinion to follow that of the Sister Servant. She can act in like manner in matters in which neither God nor the neighbor will be offended.”
L.248 ā¢ TO MY VERY DEAR SISTER JEANNE LEPINTRE Daughter of Charity, Servant of the Poor at Nantes June 1 (1649)
“Remember me to all our sisters and tell them always to remember the advice of Monsieur Vincent especially forbearance and cordiality so as to honor the unity and the diversity of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity.”
2 Comments
Your quote from Kant is very very misleading. There is for sure another interpretation possible – and needed – of what Kant is saying. He is writes extensively about the Trinity, and it is quite a disgrace to see how many people misinterpret his ideas.
Thank you for speaking up. I will remove the quote while I research it further.