“Trinity is a mystery, not a puzzle. Love is mystery; a crossword is a puzzle. You try to solve a puzzle - you stand before the mystery." (Justo Gonzalez)
There have been so many scientific and technological advances in the modern era that people are often uncomfortable with the idea of mystery. For believers, however, God has to be mystery or he would not be God. Human beings tend to attribute their own characteristics to the Deity, often creating him into a figure of fear. What we know about the Trinity comes from the Second Person, God incarnate, Jesus Christ. He told parables about his Father to make him better understood. He was the father who waited for his prodigal son to come home, the dresser of the vine and the king who forgave the servant’s enormous debt. He told Philip that whoever has seen him has seen the Father.
The Spirit is described as the Advocate, one who supports and bears witness. He is the Spirit of truth, sent by the Father to testify on behalf of the Son.
In the Last Supper discourses of St John, where we find most of our information about the Trinity, the word "love" is frequently mentioned. That is not surprising since the whole relationship of the Trinity is one of love. In chapter 18, in his prayer to the Father, Jesus speaks about loving his followers as he is loved by the Father. If we reflect deeply on this we will be amazed by its implications. We are loved and brought into the life of the Trinity as Jesus’ disciples were.