BHAKTI: St AUGUSTINE & THE HOLY TRINITY

Monday, April 2, 2007

St AUGUSTINE & THE HOLY TRINITY

This triangle and cicrcle is the usual explanation we have learnt in our Catechism about The Holy Trinity. The mudras representation in Fr TR's painting is much more helpful for contemplation.We have always thought it is simply a mystery which we might understand in the next life but not this. St Augustine tried to attempt to explain the Trinity, to satisfy the scriptural directive to "seek His face evermore".
His book "The Trinity" begins with a consideration of the Scriptural references to the Trinity, with the aim of reconciling them and explaining them through the supposition of three equal persons in one God. Augustine is at particular pains to maintain the equality of the persons: that the Son is equal to the Father, and the Holy Spirit equal to both. His approach is to use the fact that Man was created in the image of God. Given this, Augustine reasons, there should be some image of the Trinity in man. This leads to the consideration of a succession of trinities - the lover, beloved, and love; memory, understanding, and will; the objects of sense, the will to attend to them, and the sense impressions of them; etc. The trinities in man are held up not as exact analogues to that in God, but as a ladder, starting with the most carnal and rising towards the most spiritual; we do not find a single Trinity like that of God within ourselves, but we do find a series of them that we can ascend, and in ascending it we approach the divine Trinity and a deeper understanding of God.

-from a student.

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Comments on FrTR's painting THE HOLY TRINITY

***About THE HOY TRINTY painting by Fr A.J.Thamburaj S.J. : Three blessing-hands on a 24 rays-filled open canvas-or field: Christian message in Indian picture-language. The basic colour yellow (gold) is the colour of harvest, of joy and thus a colour of God, who is the source and spring of all joy.His light radiates forth into the whole world: 24 hours of the day, 24 Elders in the Book of Revelation-the twelve (great) ancestors of Israel and twelve Apostles-all together-place before us the saints of God of the whole world and bring together, the past, the present and the future. The raised hand signifies protection: 366 times we read in the Bible about fear and hear the call: You don’t be afraid. In all your fears you are placed under the protection of God; the fear of the Lord is the beginning wisdom.The hand that depicts (promises) protection is painted in green colour-that is the colour of life, of fertility, of creation. Human beings who are united with the living God are like trees planted on the banks of streams, like bunch of grapes on the vine-stalk. On the green hand, a fish is painted, almost like an eye. The eye of the fish never closes itself. Our God never sleeps, never slumbers, and he never loses himself in day-dreams. The knowledge of God, the Creator is the life-principle of Christians. In him we live, move and are. Red is the colour of fire that burns (consumes) all that is unholy; it is the colour of blood, that the Lamb of God sheds, for all that is unholy. The spiral stands for wind; from that spiral breaks forth five flames. These symbols stand for the Holy Spirit, who blows where he wills and generates power and energy. The Spirit of God sets the people of God in movement and nothing can resist his power. Winds and flames are messengers of God. The heavens, the sea and infinity are blue. The limitless love of Jesus, the love without any measure is also blue. The unceasing love of God is shown by means of hand pointing downward-so also the drops of blood falling to the ground (earth) from the nail wounds of crucifixion; it is in the crucuifixion, the righteousness of God is balanced with his mercy. That place where the presence of God touches is holy ground-in order to remain in bodily contact with the earth; one removes the footwear when one worships God just as Moses did. A dark line drawn around the three hands: in this opaque colour of mystery, one sees the relationship with the (mystery) of the Holy Trinity, comprising the Creator, the Spirit and the Redeemer. Our life is always surrounded (embraced) by the ever present, protecting, and empowering and guiding hands of the Triune God.My time is always in your hands.The whole world is full of your glory. -Commentary by John Gnanabaranam, Lutheran Bishop.[This painting was printed on the cover page of his book in German: Mein Jesus, Mache mich neu.]

CONSECRATION TO THE TRINITY

O everlasting and Triune God, I consecrate myself wholly to you today. Let all my days offer you ceaseless praise, My hands move to the rhythm of your impulses, My feet be swift in your service, My voice sing constantly of you, My lips proclaim your message, My eyes perceive you everywhere, And my ears be attuned to your inspirations. May my intellect be filled with your wisdom, My will be moved by your beauty, My heart be enraptured with your love, And my soul be flooded with your grace. Grant that every action of mine be done For your greater glory And the advancement of my salvation. Amen.

CONTEMPLATING THE TRINITARIAN MYSTERY

A MEDITATION UPON THE HOLY TRINITY given by my Spiritual Director Fr.A.J.Thamburaj SJ: This painting by Fr Thamburaj expresses the theology of Trinity through the medium of mudras. It consists of three hands representing the three divine persons . The first hand symbolizes the Father. It is seen in the ‘abhaya mudra’, a gesture of assuarence.The hand is painted green, a colour that connotes creativity or fertility. In spring the trees put forth new leaves and the earth is covered with a bright green mantle. So this is an appropriate colour to express the creative aspect of God. In the open palm of the hand there is a symbol which looks like an eye and also like a fish. The visual pun is very much intended. In the Indian tradition there is a belief that the fish never closes its eyes, never goes to sleep. The symbol therefore expresses the providence of God, who sees all things, is ever watchful, and never tires or sleeps in his loving care for his creatures. The third hand symbolizes Christ, as is evident from the wound shown in the palm, which expresses the redemptive aspect of God. The hand points downward in the ‘varada mudra’, a gesture which symbolizes giving-self-giving as well as gift-giving. It means that the Son of God gave himself up for us and also that all graces flow to us through Him, who lavishes His gifts upon us. The colour of this hand is blue, the colour of Krishna, and a colour denoting avatar-incarnation of God. Blue is also the colour of the sky and the sea, which stretch out from horizon to horizon as far as the eye can see. Hence this colour conveys the idea of the infinity and eternity of God The hand in the centre symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The colour of this hand is red, the colour of the human heart and also of fire. The fingers of the open hand point upwards and are shaped like candle flames. The idea conveyed is that the Holy Spirit is the God love, who came down on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire. The spiral lines on the palm of the hand symbolize the whirlwind (Ruah), for the Spirit came down on Pentecost like a mighty wind. These spiral lines reach out like ripples in ever- widening circles and touch the other two hands on either side, thus expressing the unity that exists between the divine persons. The love between the Father and the Son, which is the third person of the Blessed Trinity, is the principle of Trinitarian unity. Thus in this picture the whole theology of Trinity is conveyed through mudras, colours and symbols. -By Fr A.J.Thamburaj S.J.

BHAKTI