Trinity — Mystery — that seemingly unexplainable happening in life and beyond.  

I have childhood memories of my parents, parish priests, and summer classes with the School Sisters of Notre Dame trying to help me understand what/who God was all about.

While the Baltimore Catechism provided answers to memorize and listening to those wise people in my life gave me words with which to answer the questions of the reality of God, I find that was just the beginning of my journey. It took me a much longer time to grow into the realization that the understanding of the sacred was not so much about having the answers to the questions as much as having an experience of a relationship with the divine.  

Probably one of the greatest gifts given to me in my youth was spending moments in silent wonder and pondering. I remember going outside at night and being amazed at the stars, constellations, and the moon and how their light played against the darkness. My father spent precious time with me pointing out the wonders we could see. My father and I also spent time watching thunderstorms from the darkened kitchen, being amazed at the lightning as it flashed across the sky. Every year we planted a garden watching the plants grow weeding and watering them, harvesting the vegetables for our meals. Growing flowers in the spring brought beauty through the summer. Of course there were also trips to Lake Michigan and especially Lake Superior that left lasting memories of wonder.

All these experiences and more helped teach me a lesson in pondering, wondering, being caught up in a sense of awe and amazement.

I still have the answers I found in the Baltimore Catechism from which I gained a basis for my belief and understanding and which have brought me through my life. That understanding is significant to me.

I also now have those experiences of being caught up in those mysteries such as Trinity, the meaning of God, and the Sacred and the Divine enhanced more and more by those moments of allowing myself sacred space, silence and stillness which allows me to dwell in the awe of the divine that is revealed to me. I find myself marveling at being held in the loving presence of the creating, redeeming, sanctifying God who fills my heart and life. For me precious, life-giving times.  

A Blessed Trinity Sunday to you.

-Netty Johnson, SSND