Sunday, May 18, 2008 Lagura: The great theological and religious difference By Fr. Flor Lagura, SVD in the service of the word
IN the island of Bohol , which has the singular honor of being a republic independent of Spain for nearly a century during the four centuries of Spanish colonization , the town of Loay stands out for having as its “santo patron” none other than the Most Blessed Trinity. Although they have been told that their popular devotion is liturgically highly improper, the “sensus fidei” of the Loaynons urge them to give honor and praise to none other than the Three Persons in One God. And the numerous people who flock to this picturesque coastal town are accorded hospitality and food in awesome proportions. Truly this is a unique celebration in a unique place.
From time to time we hear the remark that we all worship the same God. Is this really true? A closer look at the basic teachings of the great religions will show that this is not the case. For example, Islam worships Allah but vehemently denies the divinity of Christ whom it considers a mere prophet. Moreover, Islam finds Incarnation, that is God becoming man repulsive. Buddhism denies a personal God. Hinduism has more than 300 million gods and goddesses. Judaism puts its faith in the God of the Old Testament but excludes the New Testament Christ as well as the Holy Spirit.
To emphasize the Catholic and very Christian doctrine about the Trinity, St. Athanasius in his letter to Serapion says, “We acknowledge the Trinity, holy and perfect, to consist of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (It is) a wholly creative and energizing reality, self-consistent and undivided in its active power, for the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity of the holy Trinity is preserved. Thus in the Church one God is preached, one God who is above all things (as the Father) and through all things (through the Word) and in all things(in the Holy Spirit).”
For those who demand a biblical basis for our belief in the Trinity evidence comes strong and clear in the statement which we find in the first chapter of Genesis where God says, “Let us make man in our own image.”(Gen. 1:26) Martin Luther, the firm advocate of the word of God with his cry, “Back to the bible!” loves to cite time and again John 3: 16, dubbed the “gospel within the gospel” where it is said, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The people of Loay, simple though their faith might be, will celebrate their feast first by going to mass to thank God for the blessings received. At the start of the solemn liturgical celebration comes the greeting taken from St. Paul, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God(the Father) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”(2 Cor. 13:13) Shortly before dismissal the celebrant gives the solemn blessing “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” After the solemn blessing has been given the hosts and their legions of guests go to the town’s welcoming dwellings in order to partake of a sumptuous banquet in a place that prides itself and basks in the unique love and bountiful blessing of the one God in Three distinct Persons.
