Cardinal Tobin: The Trinity is the central mystery of Christian life and belief
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Vol. 6. No.19
We firmly believe and confess without reservation that there is only one true God, eternal, infinite (immensus) and unchangeable, incomprehensible, almighty, and ineffable, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; three persons indeed, but one essence, substance or nature entirely simple. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #202)
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
We Christians are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is an ancient formula of the baptismal creed. It affirms that the Most Holy Trinity, one God in three persons, is the central mystery of Christian life and belief. Baptism immerses us into the mystery of God’s inner life; it marks us indelibly with what St. Augustine called “the seal of the Lord,” a permanent sign that we belong to God alone as children of the Father, members of Christ’s body, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
When thinking about the Holy Trinity, we should not focus on abstract doctrinal formulas. Instead, we should seek to better understand, and share with others, the simple truth that is our baptismal faith: God is Love, and He communicates this simple-but-profound Love to us by His self-revelation as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—three persons, indeed, but one essence, substance or nature (cf. CCC #202 quoted above).
Too often, discussion of the Trinity takes on the appearance of obscure theologizing. This is a serious mistake. The mystery of God’s inner life is something dynamic, powerful and life-giving (literally). The God who is Love shares Himself generously both within His divine nature and in His relationship to all creation. God’s inner life, the relationship that exists among the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, flows outward with great creative force. The result is life itself, and the great miracles of creation, redemption, and sanctification that we Christians profess in the creed all proceed from the Most Holy Trinity as gifts of God’s grace that are intended to unite us with Him forever.
When we accept God as our loving Father, we open ourselves to the gift of His endless mercy and forgiveness. No one is denied God’s Love no matter what sins he or she has committed. All of us are invited to repent, seek God’s mercy and live freely without sin, as daughters and sons of our heavenly Father.
When we encounter Jesus and accept Him as our Redeemer, we become brothers and sisters to Him and to one another. All the things that divide us are brushed aside as we acknowledge with St. Paul that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). As the motto of Pope Leo XIV testifies, in illo uno unam (In the One Christ we are one).
When we receive the Holy Spirit—especially in baptism, in confirmation, and in Holy Orders—the mission of Christ and His Church become our mission. We become missionary disciples and spirit-filled evangelizers who have the courage to proclaim the joy of the Gospel to those who are closest to us and those who are far away.
We Christians are baptized into the mystery of God’s inner life, the Most Holy Trinity. We are immersed into the ocean of unconditional Love that is Who God is, and through baptism and all the sacraments of the Church, we are invited to participate in God’s Love and share His Love generously with others.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “God’s works reveal who He is in Himself.” Similarly, “the mystery of God’s inmost being enlightens our understanding of all His works” (cf. CCC, #236). This means that there is an important connection between what we can see with our own eyes (the marvelous works of creation) and what can only be seen with the eyes of faith (the mystery that is at the center of everything that exists). As Pope Leo affirms, by the grace of God, we can see that there is more to life than what science and human reason alone can disclose to us.
This is the source of our hope and, ultimately, our joy. We are not bound by the limits of material reality or by our own sins or the sins of the world. A loving God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—has reached out to us, embraced us and rejoiced over us. He has welcomed us into His inner circle, the mystery of His inmost being. He has set us free and adopted us as sons and daughters, as members of His body and as temples of His spirit.
What a gift the Blessed Trinity is! May we truly be grateful, responsible and generous stewards of this divine mystery!
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
June 8, 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The peace of Christ our Redeemer be with you.
I write to you today as a witness to your deep faith, your love for the Church, and the vibrant diversity that makes our Archdiocese a sign of hope.
Yet, the realities we face as a Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Newark are both urgent and undeniable: parish membership, Mass attendance, and sacramental participation have declined. The number of priests to serve as pastors is decreasing. And still, the population of our region continues to grow, offering new and fertile ground for evangelization.
I believe the Holy Spirit is inviting us to something new.
Today, I am announcing an archdiocesan initiative called We Are His Witnesses. This is not simply another program. It is a journey of renewal—one that asks each of us to discern, with courage, humility and faith where God is leading us. Together, we will reflect on three essential questions:
- Where are we now?
- Where is God calling us?
- How will we get there together?
This effort will focus on how we evangelize, care for one another in our parishes, and ensure our parishes are strong and sustainable for the future. This process calls for an honest evaluation of current practices and structures. Some ministries will be renewed; some parish alignments may change. Over time, mergers or closures will be necessary. These conversations and decisions will not always be easy, but as members of one body—the Church – we will support one another throughout this journey.
To guide this effort, I have asked Bishop Michael Saporito and an Archdiocesan Planning Commission to collaborate with pastors and parish leaders across our four counties. But the success of this initiative depends on each one of us. I want to hear from you.
We have already begun by listening through a survey called the Disciple Maker Index —and we will continue listening in the months ahead. I invite you to be part of this journey. Learn more at WeAreHisWitnesses.org, where you’ll find a brief video message from me and updates on our progress.
My friends, we are not alone. We are His witnesses—called to proclaim the joy of the Gospel in a world that needs it more than ever. I ask you to join me in this sacred work. Let us walk forward in faith, guided by the Spirit, and united in hope.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
A Message from Pope Leo XIV: In the one Christ, we are one
The Gospel shows us Jesus, at the Last Supper, praying on our behalf (cf. Jn 17:20). The Word of God, made man, as he nears the end of his earthly life, thinks of us, his brothers and sisters, and becomes a blessing, a prayer of petition and praise to the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we ourselves, full of wonder and trust, enter into Jesus’ prayer, we become, thanks to his love, part of a great plan that concerns all of humanity.
Christ prays that we may “all be one” (v. 21). This is the greatest good that we can desire, for this universal union brings about among his creatures the eternal communion of love that is God himself: the Father who gives life, the Son who receives it and the Spirit who shares it.
The Lord does not want us, in this unity, to be a nameless and faceless crowd. He wants us to be one: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (v. 21). The unity for which Jesus prays is thus a communion grounded in the same love with which God loves, which brings life and salvation into the world. As such, it is firstly a gift that Jesus comes to bring. From his human heart, the Son of God prays to the Father in these words: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (Jn 17:23).
Let us listen with amazement to these words. Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves himself. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning! Christ himself bears witness to this when he says to the Father: “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (v. 24). And so it is: in his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another.
(A selection from the homily of Pope Leo XIV for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 1, 2025)
My Prayer for You
Please join me in praying with our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV that one day we will all be uno unum, one in the one Savior, embraced by the eternal love of God.
May we all be one in the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And may our unity draw all our sisters and brothers throughout the world into the experience of God’s inner life which is Love everlasting. Amen.