If we are called to honor and worship the Trinity every day, then what makes this Sunday, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, so special? By fully acknowledging God as three-in-one, we can better understand ourselves.

May 31, 2026: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year A
Exodus 34:4b–6, 8–9
Daniel 3:52–56
2 Corinthians 13:11–13
John 3:16–18

The Wholeness of God

If we are called to honor and worship the Trinity every day, then what makes this Sunday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, so special?

The Church calendar invites us to ponder the Trinity more deeply on this holy day. By unpacking the concept of the Trinity, we can better understand the purpose of our worship and adjust our practices to meet our comfort level. For instance, not everyone will want to recite the Nicene Creed. Not everyone will want to make the sign of the cross. That doesn’t mean that we cannot work towards an understanding of the Trinity in our own faith practices.

Before we dive into a discussion of the Trinity, I invite you to heed the warnings expressed by Phoebe in the meme. Even the most devout scholars and holy people have trouble wrapping their head around the concept of the Trinity. Struggling to understand the Trinity does not mean you cannot be a Christian; this tension invites you to dive further and rely on the trust you hold in God that They know all.

If you’re with me this far, congratulations! You’ve survived the first step of understanding the Trinity – acknowledging that it is a mystery. The next step is identifying God as a Father (or Parent, depending on the language you are comfortable with), a Son (or Daughter, Child, etc.), and a Holy Spirit (thanks for being explicitly gender neutral here, God!).

The readings for this Sunday help exemplify some of the most crucial aspects of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Exodus 34, Moses is returning to Mount Sinai after the Israelites worshipped the golden calf. Perhaps expecting a reaction similar to the Ten Plagues, Moses could be described as surprised when he receives a description of God from God Themselves: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Continuing on the theme of love, in 2 Corinthians 13 Paul describes God as “the God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11). This piece of Scripture is one of several that serve as a basis for the sign of peace that Catholics extend to each other during mass.

In sum, the Exodus and the 2 Corinthians reading help paint a picture of God the Father as merciful, slow to anger, loving, and peaceful.

The next verse we will read in mass on Sunday needs no introduction. Simply look up a baseball game on YouTube, pan to the outfield, and bam! Someone there is most likely holding a sign that says “John 3:16” on it. John 3:16 provides the reasoning behind God’s decision to send Their Son to earth: not “to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). While there are a plethora of other verses that tell of Jesus’ life and character, this one describes his purpose, his promise, and his plan.

Lastly, there is the Holy Spirit. This Sunday’s verses do not touch much on the Holy Spirit, so I will keep it brief. The Bible informs us that the Holy Spirit is an active presence in the world (Acts 5:32) that lives inside us humans (Romans 5:5) and guides and encourages us (1 Corinthians 2:13). In case it is helpful to have a picture of the Holy Spirit, you can imagine it as a dove (Luke 3:22), fire (Acts 2), wind (Job 33:4), light (Matthew 5:14), or – for the young adult community – dynamite.

Seems like these parts of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – are separate entities with their own characteristics and will, right? Yes and no.

While they have manifested in different ways to us, each component of the Trinity shares divine attributes. All three are described in Scripture as loving, powerful, and advisory. Also, the three work within and through each other. John 3:16 says that God plans to save the world through Jesus. Matthew 12:28 reveals Jesus quoting that “it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons,” demonstrating the Holy Spirit working through Jesus. And when Jesus performed miracles such as raising Lazarus from the dead, he was working through God to bring healing to the person he touched. These three would not be able to work within each other if they were not one entity.

If you want to explore more resources about the relationship between the three components of the Trinity, feel free to check out this article or watch this YouTube video. There are intricacies to the way these holy persons interact that inspire much reflection and prayer.

So what is the purpose of worshipping the Trinity? Acknowledging the wholeness of God allows us to better understand our Creator. How would you feel if someone worshipped all parts of you except for your queer identity? It would feel incomplete, and perhaps not as respectful. Worshipping the Trinity also allows us to engage in humility. Because of the confusing nature of the Trinity, we must recognize God as a mystery and trust that They know all, even when we do not. Worshipping the Trinity allows us to experience the different facets of God’s love, like a Parent to a Child or a burning fire that sustains us even during blood, sweat, and tears. Lastly, worshipping the Trinity gives us a better understanding of how we can reflect the different aspects of God in our multi-faceted lives.

If saying the Nicene Creed works well for you, or expressing the Trinity through the sign of the cross is comfortable, that’s great. For those that are searching for a different way to worship the Trinity, I invite you to prayerfully consider the following: begin by acknowledging the wholeness of God, then humbling yourself to God’s all powerful knowledge, then ponder the different aspects of God, and end by reflecting on how you can exemplify these aspects in your own life.

By fully acknowledging God as three-in-one, we can better understand ourselves.

Sam Barnes is a youth advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Catholic and religious spaces. They have a master’s degree in policy and work in the international affairs space. They previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Review published by The George Washington University. In their free time they enjoy rock climbing and reading, and volunteer with a local mentorship program for high schoolers.