2022-23 March #2: St. Patrick/The Holy Trinity
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to all truth, he will not speak of his own, but will say only what he has heard; and he will reveal to you the things that are coming.”
-John 16:13
Tiny Treasures
Page 1:
The Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
God is a communion of Persons. God Himself is an eternal exchange of love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and He has destined us to share in that exchange. God is Love.
He cannot be Love without being more than a monolithic being. There was a time when only God existed. God could not be Love unless there were more than one being. You can only love when there is someone to love. God is a Trinity; God is one divine Being and 3 divine Persons, from all eternity.
The Trinity is the Father pouring Himself out in love to the Son, the Son receiving that love and pouring Himself out in love back to the Father and that love between them being so real that it is another Person, the third Person, the Holy Spirit.
Because God is a communion of Persons, because God is a Trinity, that is the only reason why God is Love. This is the innermost secret of God.
We are made in the image and likeness of God. So, our deepest identity is realized when we allow ourselves to be loved. When we allow ourselves to be a gift of love.
(Ascension Press-Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz Day 30, CCC 221)
Page 2:
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Father and the Son are revealed by the Holy Spirit. In the ecumenical council in Constantinople in 381, the Holy Spirit was defined- “The Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified.”.
In 1054 there was a great schism, the western and eastern church split. One of the theological points that they split over was the definition of the Holy Spirit.
The eternal origin of the Holy Spirit is revealed in His mission in time. The Father is revealed in the Old Testament, the Son is revealed in the New Testament, and the Holy Spirit is revealed in the Age of the Church. All three Persons of the Trinity are present in all areas.
(source)
Names of the Holy Spirit:
- Paraclete
- Advocate
- Consoler
- The Spirit of Truth
- The Spirit of the Promise
- The Spirit of Adoption
- The Spirit of Christ
- The Spirit of the Lord
- The Spirit of God
- The Spirit of Glory
(CCC 692,693)
Symbols of the holy Spirit:
- Water
- Anointing
- Fire
- Cloud and Light
- The Seal
- The Hand
- The Finger
- The Dove
(CCC 694-701)
Talk with your Littles about when they have felt the Holy Spirit:
Can you think of a time when…
- You told the truth when you knew that you would be in trouble?
- You helped your mom or dad do a household chore without being asked?
- Prayed for someone?
- Wanted to learn more about God, His Angels and His Saints?
- Chose a good decision over a bad one?
Page 3:
Sign of the Cross
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all persons of the Trinity. We reiterate the divine nature of the Trinity when we pray the Sign of the Cross.
We say in the NAME of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. When we say, “Name”, this is singular, not plural.
Talk with your littles about:
- How the Trinity is made of 3 divine Persons, but one God
- Practice praying the Sign of the Cross out loud, saying the names of each of the persons of the Trinity
St. Patrick
St. Patrick is called the apostle of Ireland. Born in the 4th century in Britain, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates around the age of 14 and sold into slavery. After 6 years he had a dream from God who told him to leave Ireland by going to the coast, and he walked nearly 200 miles to escape back to Britain. Later he was called by God through a vision to go back to Ireland as a missionary. He spent 15 years studying to become a priest before finally returning. In spite of many trials, Patrick brought thousands to faith. As bishop of Ireland, he brought the local language and culture into his teachings. According to tradition, he used the shamrock to explain the mystery of the Trinity. Many legends have been passed down through the centuries, including the time when he banished all of the snakes from the island by chasing them into the sea.
Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in his book, Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died on March 17, 461.
He is the patron saint of engineers (because of the many churches he built), those afraid of snakes, and Ireland.
(source)
Excerpt from St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer:
Christ be with me, Christ within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort me and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.
(source)
Page 4:
The Holy Trinity is Like a Shamrock
Social/Emotional Learning
Glory Be (Doxology) Prayer:
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Days to Watch for
- March 17 – Feast of St. Patrick
Extras
Our featured word for this booklet to indicate the page numbers is WIND. We chose this because the Holy Spirit is like the wind. He cannot be seen with our eyes, but we see His movements like the wind.
Books
Love Can: A Story of God’s Superpower Helper by: Quina Aragon
God is love, and each part of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—work in perfect unity to carry out the Lord’s plan for His precious children. In her signature lyrical style, author and spoken word artist Quina Aragon explains to kids who the Holy Spirit is (God’s superhero helper) and how he works inside of our hearts to allow us to love like our Heavenly Father does.
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
Author-illustrator Tomie dePaola recounts the life of Saint Patrick—from his noble birth in Britain, to his captivity in Ireland, to the visions which led him to return and found the first Christian church in Ireland.
St. Patrick by Ann Tompert
Tompert concentrates on facts rather than legend for her text in this appealing look at the life of Ireland’s patron saint. In the author’s note, she says that she has relied on Patrick’s letter of confession and interpretations of it for her biography. Without the tale of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland and the legend of the shamrock (although these do appear in the note), Tompert must turn to Patrick’s real life for drama, and she finds plenty there. Kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery, Patrick came to his calling to convert Ireland through visions. Garland’s artwork–a full painting facing every gilt-edged page of text–does a good job with detail and texture; there is also a folk-art feel to the pictures that makes the book accessible to children. A nice addition to both religion and biography shelves.
Digital Resources
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And in case you need it again… here’s our Prayer Table Starter Guide.
