Qui ex Patre Filioque procedit
Louvre, ca. 1450
My dear friends,
On this Trinity Sunday, let us reflect on John 16:12-15, where Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit and its role in guiding us to truth and wisdom:
but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth;
for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears,
and he will declare to you
the things that are to come.
He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine
and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine.
For this reason I said
that he will take what is mine
and declare it to you."
This passage can be understood deeply through the lens of Bodhicitta, the "Awakening Mind" of Mahayana Buddhism, which embodies three essential qualities: great love, great compassion, and the wisdom realizing emptiness.
As we contemplate the mystery of the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – we can see how these three persons exemplify the qualities of Bodhicitta.
The Father, through His great love for the world, sent the Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us how to embody love and compassion in our lives. This great love is the wish for all sentient beings to have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Jesus, the Son, represents great compassion, which is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus exemplified compassion by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and ultimately sacrificing himself for the salvation of all.
According to Jesus, the Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth, speaking not on its own, but declaring what it hears. This guidance enables us to act with wisdom, grounded in love and compassion.
Together, the three persons of the Trinity and the three qualities of Bodhicitta are interwoven in a dance of love, compassion, and wisdom. As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, let us be inspired by this sacred dance, and strive to embody these qualities in our own lives.
May we open our hearts to the guidance of the Spirit, cultivate love and compassion for all beings, and act with wisdom in all that we do.
from Bach's "Mass in B minor", BWV 232 (text)