Trinity Sunday The Gospel Mat. 28 v.18. Monday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634


GOSPEL Matt. 28:18-20 
At that time, Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

Monday Meditation

In the Country of Italy, at a City or Town called Monte Falco lieth the body of Blessed St. Clare, the first Foundress and Mother for the Nuns of the Order of St.Francis. In the body of this Saint, when it was opened, there were found as it were, three little round balls of equal bigness, of the substance of the flesh, or such like. These balls being weighed one against two, each one weighed just as much as the other two, so that each one of them in ponderosity, or weight were contained in the other two, & each two in the other one. Unto this miraculous spectacle, it being known to all the Country far and near, came to see it an infinite number of people of all sorts, that testify it to be true, and diverse Pilgrims of foreign Countries have found it to be so. This may be a notable Emblem, and example of the Blessed Trinity, unto which this Blessed Saint was exceedingly devoted, and therefore to be thought,that God did honor her with this famous miracle thereof.

The main difficultly and miracle of the Blessed Trinity consisteth in this,that as each of those balls in prondersoity, or weight, with the other two, and each two in the other one: so each person of the Blessed Trinity, being in nature and essence equal, and all one with the other two, is contained in the other two, and each two in the other one; according to these words of Christ to his disciples, when they desire him to show them his Father: Do yet not believe, sayth he, that I am in my Father, and my Father in me? as if he should say, if you believe not this, you believe not aright. And the like to be said of the holy Ghost in respect of the Father,and the Son,for they are alone. To search further into this deep mystery then the Creed of St. Anthanasius doth declare & express, unless it be to answer the impugners thereof is vain curiosity and presumption, only we are to believe it, for the authority of the Church, that proposeth it unto us to be believe, captivating our understanding, as St.Paul termeth it, to the obedience of faith, and admire the height & profundity thereof: and therefore our holy Mother the Church hath appointed for the Epistle of this festival day in the holy Mass these words of St. Paul, admiring this mystery: O the height, sayeth he, of the riches of the wisdom, and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments,and unsearchable his ways! If incomprehensible and unsearchable, then in vain to be searched, but to be believed and admired,as St Paul here doth. To admire it as a mystery far surpassing the reach of human reason (next to believing it,) is the greatest honor we can do it.

This did St. Jerome unto our Blessed Lady, who entering into a Church and saluting divers Saints whose pictures he passed by with some short salutation and prayer, making a little stand at every of them, passed by the picture of our Blessed Lady and never saluted her, and there came a voice from the picture demanding him why he left her unsaluted,more then the rest?he burst forth into these words of admiration of her worth: O sacred and immaculate virginity, with what praises I should extol thee I do not know,because him whom the heavens cannot contain, thou in thy womb hast contained.

Which words our holy Mother the Church,hath put into the Office of our Blessed Lady, making it a Responsory of the first lesson at matins before Advent,as it by those words of admiration, our Blessed Lady was more honored then by any words of praise, to the end we might do the like.

The Queen of Saba could by no words, honor and extol the order and majesty of Solomon s house; nor Queen Hester the greatness and Majesty of King Asuerus her husband, so much as in being astonished, and out of themselves with admiration thereof, king David cryeth out with admiration:O lord,our Lord how admirable is thy name in all the world! and the Angels admire at the glorious Assumption of our Blessed Lady into heaven in body and soul, and say thus: What is she that ascendeth out of the desert of the earth,abounding with such delights! Admiration goeth further then words or thoughts, beginning where they fail,and can go no further.And for us, as St.Leo sayth, to be overcome with the greatness and Majesty of the mysteries of our Religion, that we cannot comprehend it, is a far greater honor unto us, to have such a high ad excellent religion, then to have a religion that we can comprehend, by natural reason.

Finally, as we do admire the depth of this mystery of the Blessed Trinity:so may we admire the infinite goodness of the same, that all three Persons would concur unto the Salvation of such poor worms as we are, the Father to create us of nothing, the Son to redeem us with his most precious blood, the holy Ghost to give us grace in the Sacraments and otherwise, to do these which of our parts are to be done:&whereas we bear the lively image of the Blessed Trinity in our souls by the three fold faculty of memory, understanding and will, let us endeavor to employ them all in the honor & service of the Blessed and glorious Trinity; our Memory to remember him & all his works, our Understanding to know him, our Will to love him.


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