February is commonly dedicated to the Holy Family. And since the Holy Family reflected the Holy Trinity in the most profound way, we can’t think of a better way to jump into this month than by sharing this inspiring reflection on the Trinity and the family from a friend, Father Jose Naralely, O.SS.T, a Trinitarian priest and former Minister General of the Trinitarian Order.

Fr. Jose is currently associate pastor at St. Lawrence Martyr in Hanover, Md., and Resurrection of Our Lord in Laurel, Md. Like few others, Fr. Jose brings a wealth of experience, contemplation, and insight to the question of how families can ground their love and life within the very life of the Most Holy Trinity. We encourage you to use this meditation in one of your times of prayer in the coming week. We’ve included three application questions at the end.

God is love. And how can love be active without a community of persons? The communion of persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed eternally. The Father loves the Son. We can say that he is the lover. The Son is the beloved, and the Holy Spirit is the fruit of this love, the love that exists between them. It’s hard to speak about love without being able to share. Love constantly goes out. Creation is an explosion of God’s love. God reaches out. The Father and the Son are in constant communion. This helps us to understand the nature of love. And there is also the element of sacrifice: God loved the world so much that he gave his Son. He offers his Son in sacrificial self-giving.

The Family as Communion of Persons

The family is the basic nucleus of society. If there is no love and no sharing in this basic nucleus, it is fruitless, empty, and barren. God’s love offers us redemption, the very expression of his love, always giving himself to another. In order for God’s love to be intelligible, God sends his Son and shows us his closeness. Love expresses itself in an identification with the other, a closeness. Communion, self-giving, collaboration. Our communion with God is precisely available because he took on our nature. We’ve heard the terms creator, redeemer, and sanctifier, but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally present in all of these things. In creation, the Spirit hovered over the waters. When Jesus redeemed us, he was in constant communion with the Father. “He raised his eyes to heaven” (Jn. 17:1). Everything Jesus had, he received from his Father.

The Trinitarian Dynamic of Love Between Spouses

The love between a husband and a wife in the family is a gift of the Father, and it is not possible without the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit vivifies whatever is dry, lifeless, and barren, making it full of life. Everything is intertwined in this dynamic of love, close collaboration, and constant sharing. In creation, all three are alive and active. The Trinity is the model, origin, and font for family life and life in community and society. Imagine the richest man in the world, alone on an island. His riches would mean nothing, because he needs a fellow human person. Love is communicative. How healthy can we be if there is no communication? This communication, that we see in the Trinity, is essential for well-being, for relationship. 

Breakdowns in Communication & in the Family

Around us we can see that the world is more mechanized, as we depend more on our gadgets. But interpersonal communion is important. Relationships will dry up if there is no communication. The Trinity is this model of constant communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is manifest when Jesus turned to the Father in praise, to praise the Father. “The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him” (Jn. 3:35). This is so significant. A family where communication breaks down is a broken family. Before divorce, we so often see this—a breakdown in communication. When there is a refusal to communicate, it’s ominous. Love breaks down, and it can pave the way to war and violence. In the breaking up of communication, we see a rupture of friendship and anonymity.

“Always Giving & Receiving:” The Invitation to Enter into the Trinity  

In Andrei Rublev’s Trinity icon, we can see an empty place at the table. This is the place for us to enter. The fullness of our humanity depends on how fully we enter into the Trinity. It is said that the greatest sorrow of hell is that one can never communicate with God, the source of life. What makes us happy? It is our intimate union with God and with fellow human beings. We experience joy and happiness in these close relationships. Always giving and receiving: this is the dynamic of love within the Trinity, the strength of being in union with God and with others. The mystics realized this already, communing with God and experiencing heaven on earth, in this one in three, and three in one. Jesus has revealed this, this love, this charity, this authentic love.

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As we look to apply these insights, consider reflecting on these questions: 

1. If the Trinity is the “model, origin, and font for family life,” how can we as a family honor this reality throughout the week? (A few ideas: Consider praying the “Glory Be…” together, having an image of the Trinity icon on your home altar, or even consecrating your family to the Most Holy Trinity). 

2. With the challenges of screens, media overload, and the resulting loneliness, many families are experiencing small and large breakdowns in communication. Recognizing this, what can I do to lead my family to healthier forms of daily communication? 

3. “Always giving and receiving.” If this is the “dynamic of love within the Trinity,” how can I model this loving dynamic in my own life in a more consistent way?