Today’s Lectio Divina: 

At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that You hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased You to do it this way. “I’ve been given it all by My Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone He wants to. ”He then turned in a private aside to His disciples. “Fortunate the eyes that see what you’re seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper.” Luke 10: 21-24 (MsgB)

Ignatian Truth #2: Ignatian spirituality is all about God as our Creator. God is involved in the world and involved in the lives of individuals, guiding us, communicating to us, and loving us. God is holy, other, and transcendent; yet God is personal, involved, and immanent. God is Triune – with each person of the Trinity unique, but yet One.

So, before we move onto the next Ignatian truth, allow me to add one additional thought to Truth #2: Ignatian spirituality is all about God as our Creator. As we discussed last time, the revelation of God as our loving Father, not distant and aloof, but ever-present and ever pro-active in the lives of His creation and His children, is a true game-changer.

But, here’s the kicker.

This ever-present, all-knowing, all-loving Creator/God has not only revealed Himself to us as The Father Almighty but, in our generation, He has also chosen to reveal Himself through two other amazing manifestations:

Jesus Christ, the Son.

The indwelling & empowering Holy Spirit.

Yowsers.

There just isn’t enough room here today to expound on the revelatory truth that surrounds God, the Holy Trinity – Three-In-One.

Father, Son, Spirit.

Keep in mind that this is not polytheism with three separate divinities operating in three varying degrees of ministry. But this is monotheistic uniqueness. One God in three persons. Three manifestations of the same Creator/God. All having unique qualities and characteristics yet moving together in such amazing unity because the Three are indeed, One.

Some say if the truth of the Holy Trinity is so important, why is it that the word, Trinity, is not found in the Scriptures. And yet one cannot read the words of the Bible and not find countless texts that point to the Triune God. Today’s Lectio Divina passage is a prime example where Jesus is speaking about Father and Son, yet Luke in his text states that the Master is operating in the presence of the Holy Spirit as He is speaking about such truths!

So, it is for every generation who has the honor of living on the earth between the first coming of Christ and the second. As Eugene Peterson’s transliteration of this passage states here, there have been many generations of God-followers who have come before us who would have given their “right arm” to see and experience what happens when God the Father reveals Himself in God, the Son, working alongside God, the Spirit, and those who follow and obey will move and minister in amazing Kingdom-revealing ways!

You see, with the coming of Jesus, the world has entered into a new dispensation of time. Some call it “the time between the times.” It’s a season when God, the Father, (who is invisible to the human eye) has sent Christ, the Son, to display through very visible and audible words and works, the love of the Father. And at the point-of-time the Scriptures call “the fullness of time,” Jesus dies on the Cross, clearing the air of our sinfulness and selfishness, making a new way for God to dwell within His creation by the very breath of God, the Holy Spirit.

Oh yes, the work of transformation is not yet consummated in us, but we can know with certainty that the work has certainly begun. That’s why John, the apostle, could write…

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. I John 3: 2 (NIV)

Hallelujah!

My prayer: Thanks be to God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that we have been granted the gift of living in the age when God the Creator has revealed Himself as He truly is. Father, Son, Spirit, I bless You. I thank You for the revelation of Your uniqueness and while my little pea-brain can’t quite explain it all, I believe this revelation of the Holy Trinity is all I need to know, both now and forevermore. For Your name’s sake. Amen.

My questions to consider: Jesus said that the truth can set us free. In what ways can the eternal truth of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit be used to free me even more as I take the time to ponder on the mysteries of the Holy Trinity?

How are you experiencing God as you ponder on these Ignatian truths today? 

Over a period of twelve weeks (3 sessions per week), we will take this journey into Iggy’s Biggies, contemplating twelve foundational truths found within the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. We suggest you bookmark our blog series homepage to keep all the writings in one place for your future reference. Take note that each blog session begins with a short scripture reading. My suggestion is that you don’t hurry through, or skip the text, but treat it as a Lectio Divina reading where you slow down and sit a bit with God’s Word, allowing it to penetrate and influence you as you read.

If you’ve never journeyed through the Exercises, might I suggest that you find a qualified spiritual director and ask them to accompany you along the way? Here at The Contemplative Activist, we can offer a good number of highly qualified folks to do just that.

Oh, and if you enjoy what you’re reading here, we encourage you to share this page and our website, The Contemplative Activist, with your friends! 

Click here to go on to the next blog/podcast in this series…