Triune God

• Triune God


  Catholic understanding of the glory of God and the mystery of the Trinity
• Expressions of belief in the Triune God


  • Music, scripture and tradition
  • Authority and influence of the magisterium
  • Practice of prayer
• Forms of expression - Music and the Glory of God


  • Psalms
  • Plainchant
  • Traditional hymns
  • Contemporary worship songs
  • Mass settings
• One God as a Trinity of persons


  Father, Son and Holy Spirit as expressed in the Nicene Creed
• Belief in the Trinity


  Has influenced Christian interpretations of Genesis 1:1–3
• Sources of Authority


  • Scripture
  • Tradition (St Augustine and Catherine LaCugna)
  • Magisterium (Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople)
• Baptism


  • Sign of initiation and participation in the life of God, Father, Son and Spirit
• Prayer


  Raising of the heart and mind to God
• Prayer and posture


  Linked in Christian worship
• Sacrosanctum Concilium 112/Second Vatican Council: 'Sacred music... adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites.'
• Purpose of music in worship


  • Inspires people and provokes emotions to help pray more deeply
  • Demonstrates unity by making people become involved as participants not spectators
  • Gives greater purpose and meaning to worship- like praying twice
• The Catholic Church encourages the use of music in worship
• Sacrosanctum Concilium (Second Vatican Council): 'Sacred Song united to the words… form a necessary or integral part of liturgy.'
• Youcat 183: 'Where words are not enough to praise God, music comes to our aid…'
• Ways in which music expresses beliefs about God


  • The words sung or heard may directly express such beliefs, eg Psalm 23
  • Music can be intended to create a sense of mystery or awe and a feeling of God's presence in the listener
  • Music can express the greatness and majesty of God through sound and volume
  • Modern or popular music can express the belief that God is relevant in the 21st century and relevant to young people
• Psalms


  150 Psalms in the OT, originally for use in Jewish Prayer, CC use these daily- Divine Office that priest/monk/nun has to recite, ideally sing
• Psalms are centred around the praise of God, though they touch on all aspects of life
• Singing for Joy is a recurring theme of psalms
• Psalms are used during Mass, between the first and second reading
• Psalms are the basis of many hymns
• Plainchant (Gregorian Chant)


  Ancient form of music, unaccompanied/limited notes, used in monasteries to sing Divine Office in Latin, still used for parts of Mass in Latin, creates spiritual atmosphere
• Sacrosanctum Concilium 116/Second Vatican Council: 'Plainchant, '…. Suited to the Roman liturgy… should be given pride of place in liturgical services.''
• Traditional Hymns


  Hymns used by generations of believers, accompanied by an organ, sung in local language, verse/chorus repeated throughout
• Contemporary worship songs


  Modern style for more contemporary musical instruments- guitars/drums etc., often more upbeat than traditional hymns but many reflective songs produced too, more vibrant/ creates a deeper sense of spirituality
• Reasons for use of contemporary songs in worship


  • They are more up-to-date/tunes are livelier and more engaging
  • They express modern thoughts and feelings better
  • They are in tune with modern forms of expression
• Parts of the Mass that are often set to music


  • Alleluia
  • Eucharistic Acclamations (Sanctus, Mystery of Faith, Great Amen)
  • Lord have Mercy
  • Glory to God (Gloria)
  • Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)
• Contrasting ways in which music is used in Catholic worship


  • Music is used in the Mass in Mass settings, certain parts of the Mass should be sung rather than said
  • Traditional hymns give a sense of the long tradition of Catholic worship, have been used by many generations of Christians
  • Contemporary worship songs can have wider appeal, particularly to the young, may be more upbeat, use different instruments
  • Plainchant is used to sing the Divine Office, usually unaccompanied, using a limited range of notes
• The Gloria is based on hymn of angels to shepherds after Jesus' birth, praises God
• The Alleluia praises God, is a hymn of joy and triumph, greets the presence of Christ the Word of God as the Gospels are read
• The Sanctus is the first word of hymn sung before Eucharistic Prayer, 3 fold use of 'Holy' to show God is truly holy/link to Trinity
• The Mystery of Faith is said after consecration of Bread and Wine
• The Mystery of Faith is a Eucharistic acclamation
• Eucharistic acclamations


  • Mystery of Faith
  • Sanctus
• Deuteronomy 6:4 (Shema)


  Teaches clearly the oneness of God: 'Lord our God, the Lord is one'. The belief that the essence of God is One is central to the doctrine of the Trinity.
• Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16–17; Mark 1:9–11)


  One of the great scenes in the NT is which the Trinity is revealed comes at the Baptism of Jesus. Father, Son and Spirit were present at Jesus' baptism.
• The Church teaches that the three Persons of the Trinity are related to one another, this is referred at the baptism of Jesus
• The work and teaching of Jesus started with his baptism- here, all persons of the Trinity were present. This means that the Trinity was involved in the salvation brought about through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.
• The Bible's account of the baptism of Jesus is seen as a revelation of the mystery of the Trinity because they are the revealed words of God about himself in the Bible.
• Beliefs about the Trinity found in Galatians


  • The Trinity is the Father, Son and Spirit
  • Paul showed how the relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit also applies to all believers
  • Jesus became human so people might come close to the Father, as God's children
  • The Holy Spirit gives the believer the strength and conviction to accept their relationship with the Father
• Belief in the Trinity


  Gives Christians a deeper insight into Genesis 1:1-3 (the Creation)