One Minute Reflection – 26 May – Trinity Sunday – St Philip Neri (1515-1595) Confessor – Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 28:18-20 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“ … Baptising them, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” – Matthew 28:19
REFLECTION – “This is the order of our faith, the foundation of the edifice and the support of our conduct – God, the Father, uncreated, uncontainable, invisible, One God, the Creator of all – this is the first article of our faith. And the second article – the Word of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, Who was revealed by the Prophets according to the character of their prophecy and according to the nature of the economies of the Father, by Whom all things were made and Who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things,’ became a Man amongst men, visible and palpable, in order to abolish death, to demonstrate life and to effect communion between God and man. And the third article – the Holy Ghost, through Whom the Prophets prophesied and the Patriarchs learnt the things of God and the righteous, were led in the path of righteousness and Who, in the last times, was poured out in a new fashion upon the human race, renewing man, throughout the world, to God.
For this reason the Baptism of our regeneration takes place through these three articles, granting us regeneration unto God the Father through His Son by the Holy Spirit – for those who bear the Spirit of God are led to the Word, that is to the Son, while the Son presents them to the Father and the Father furnishes incorruptibility. Thus, without the Spirit it is not possible to see the Word of God and without the Son, one is not able to approach the Father; for the knowledge of the Father is the Son and knowledge of the Son of God, is through the Holy Ghost, while the Spirit, according to the good-pleasure of the Father, the Son administers, to whom the Father wills and as He wills.” – St Irenaeus (130-202) Bishop of Lyons, Theologian and Martyr, Father of the Church (Demonstration of the apostolic preaching 6-7).
PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, to the glory of Thy Saints, graciously grant that we, who rejoice in his Feast, may profit by the example of his virtues.Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).