The Trisagion to the Holy Trinity I
Feb. 12th, 2021 03:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
homeopathic_meditationsNormally, I would not post this here, but since this is my online outlet and I have claimed that I will occasionally write about stuff that interest me, not just Homeopathy, here we go. This post was inspired by a request by Danielle the Permaculturist, who took interest in some text that I shared on the comment section of Ecosophia main blog. Those fragments belong to an old prayer the Trisagion, some of whose history you care read here.
This prayer I inherited, through my mother, from my great grandmother. I was only a child when she passed and I recall her as a devote, stern Roman Catholic matron (although she was always kind to me). The translation is mine, and I will say it sound much better in Spanish, since all hymns and acclamations are original written in verse. This is quite long, too. The whole liturgy takes in the ballpark of 25 minutes to complete, so I will take some time and release it little by little
I have found that, besides a great devotional value, these make for excellent meditation material. So without further ado, here you have part 1.
TRISAGION TO THE HOLY TRINITY.
- Open my lips, Oh Lord, and I shall announce your praises.
- Heed to me without delay, gift me with your help an favor.
- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
- As it was in the beginning, shall be now and ever, though the centuries of the centuries. Amen.
PRAYER
Most benevolent God, one in essence triune in persons, here you have one of your humble creatures who recognizes in itself the venerable image of your Holy Trinity. I confess I have not fulfilled the obligations set upon me by the honor of this holy similarity. I have sinned, oh God, but I never denied; instead I have constantly believed in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That the Father has no outset; that the Son is begotten of the Father, to whom is consubstantial; and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, from whose reciprocal love he is completion, also consubstantial to both. That the Father is not first than the Son, and neither of them is first than the Holy Spirit. I adore the Father as God, the Son as God, the Holy Spirit as God, and even then in the three of them I believe but I adore one sole God. I do not understand, oh Lord, this mystery, but I capture my reason as an offering of faith, for greater glory thine and merit mine. I offer these deepest feelings of religion, reverence and love, as vows most pleasing to your holiness; may you forgive in their sake so many offenses I have committed against your not created majesty. Oh, Most Holy Trinity! Yearns to you the miserable trinity of my powers: my memory,- very ill of frailty,- my reason,- reeking of ignorance,- and my will,- infected with a disposition to evil. Heal it, sanctify it, and donate thy relief so that I never again miss in the intents you have deigned to inspire in me; and I resolve with all my heart to devote myself from now on to upkeep the nobility of habits that corresponds to thine character, which yourself have sealed me with. I shall appreciate your Grace as much as I possible can, and to conserve it I shall make use of my devotion to the mystery of your Most August Trinity, in whom I expect to find mercy, piety and beneficence for ever. Amen.
HYMN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
There goes, the sun of fire, your unity, perennial light.
Holy Trinity, infuse your love in our minds.
In the morning and the evening we beg you to take us,
to praise you in Heaven, with reverent hymns.
To the Father, and the Son, and you, Divine Spirit,
forever Glory be given to you eternally. Amen.
This prayer I inherited, through my mother, from my great grandmother. I was only a child when she passed and I recall her as a devote, stern Roman Catholic matron (although she was always kind to me). The translation is mine, and I will say it sound much better in Spanish, since all hymns and acclamations are original written in verse. This is quite long, too. The whole liturgy takes in the ballpark of 25 minutes to complete, so I will take some time and release it little by little
I have found that, besides a great devotional value, these make for excellent meditation material. So without further ado, here you have part 1.
TRISAGION TO THE HOLY TRINITY.
- Open my lips, Oh Lord, and I shall announce your praises.
- Heed to me without delay, gift me with your help an favor.
- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
- As it was in the beginning, shall be now and ever, though the centuries of the centuries. Amen.
PRAYER
Most benevolent God, one in essence triune in persons, here you have one of your humble creatures who recognizes in itself the venerable image of your Holy Trinity. I confess I have not fulfilled the obligations set upon me by the honor of this holy similarity. I have sinned, oh God, but I never denied; instead I have constantly believed in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That the Father has no outset; that the Son is begotten of the Father, to whom is consubstantial; and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, from whose reciprocal love he is completion, also consubstantial to both. That the Father is not first than the Son, and neither of them is first than the Holy Spirit. I adore the Father as God, the Son as God, the Holy Spirit as God, and even then in the three of them I believe but I adore one sole God. I do not understand, oh Lord, this mystery, but I capture my reason as an offering of faith, for greater glory thine and merit mine. I offer these deepest feelings of religion, reverence and love, as vows most pleasing to your holiness; may you forgive in their sake so many offenses I have committed against your not created majesty. Oh, Most Holy Trinity! Yearns to you the miserable trinity of my powers: my memory,- very ill of frailty,- my reason,- reeking of ignorance,- and my will,- infected with a disposition to evil. Heal it, sanctify it, and donate thy relief so that I never again miss in the intents you have deigned to inspire in me; and I resolve with all my heart to devote myself from now on to upkeep the nobility of habits that corresponds to thine character, which yourself have sealed me with. I shall appreciate your Grace as much as I possible can, and to conserve it I shall make use of my devotion to the mystery of your Most August Trinity, in whom I expect to find mercy, piety and beneficence for ever. Amen.
HYMN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
There goes, the sun of fire, your unity, perennial light.
Holy Trinity, infuse your love in our minds.
In the morning and the evening we beg you to take us,
to praise you in Heaven, with reverent hymns.
To the Father, and the Son, and you, Divine Spirit,
forever Glory be given to you eternally. Amen.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-13 03:28 pm (UTC)I am reading the Divine Dance by Richard Rohr (The author I suggested to you) which is all about the dance between the Holy Trinity and the invitation into this dance.
I look forward to your analysis. It is interesting to me that your grandmother as a Roman Catholic learned this prayer as it seems to be more of an Eastern Orthodox prayer. I am glad to hear though! Is you grandmother from Spain by any chance? My family is from Italy and I think by chance of geography we inherited many other Christian traditions/philosophies and developed our own folk Christianity than just strict Roman Catholicism.
The first thing that sticks out to me is how grating the sinner language was to me as a child and now as an adult how it is the language that invites me in. Of course you make more mistakes with more years and the only way out is accepting your faults and forgiving yourself and others while as a child figuring out what is right and wrong and banishing the wrong is more pressing. (At least for me it was)
One thing I love about the trinity is the emphasis on relationship as a fundamental part of divinity. I truly don't like to criticize so heavily New Age religions because I think they have their place and are helpful to the vast majority of people but I remember as I tried to dive in deeper and found that there was so much self, emptiness, ascension language without any relationship language. I started to be turned off by the spiritual path as it sounded and felt so lonely. It wasn't until I (unconsciously) started to turn back to Christianity and found the emphasis on relationship the appropriate entry way for me to turn back to the divine. I also think Christianity understands the metaphors humans need more than most New Age metaphors which talks to and about us as star beings. It was far too cerebral for me to make a daily practice out of.
Thank you for your generosity
Danielle
About family and relationships
Date: 2021-02-14 01:54 am (UTC)As for the nature of the Holy Trinity, I think is has to do with creation as an act of love, to have someone else to share that love with. It would be harder, in my opinion, to teach love to a being who has spent an eternal present since forever completely alone. On the other hand, if this is a family in this situation, it is only natural to at some point have more beings invited to join in.
Re: About family and relationships
Date: 2021-02-14 03:11 pm (UTC)Your second paragraph I will have to meditate on. It brings up questions with obvious and not so obvious answers that if one lives one's life from has profound impact.
Thank you so much for your writing. It has been helpful for clearing my mind.
Thank you!
Date: 2021-02-19 09:36 pm (UTC)Re: Thank you!
Date: 2021-02-20 12:11 am (UTC)