by Sister Charlene Hockers
We express the meaning of the Trinity with phrases such as "Three Persons in One God" or "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" or with images of a triangle or three-leaf clover.
Some theologians use the Greek word "perichoresis" to describe the Trinity. "Peri" means near or around, while "chor" means "to dance around." Perichoresis gives us "a picture of the three Persons in one love, interacting dynamically, making the rounds of each other as in a dance, reciprocally and mutually exchanging beauty and delight," writes Therese Sherlock, CSJ. This divine dance is an open circle to which each of us is invited to participate, to be in relationship with our God. We are invited to bow down and worship! We are to contemplate His love, mercy and glory! We are to serve this awesome, gracious God!
Prayer: O You who created, redeemed and sanctified us, help us to enter more deeply into this awesome mystery of Love. Amen.
(Sources: Therese Sherlock, CSJ, "Sunday by Sunday"; "Word Among Us" June 2014)
Some theologians use the Greek word "perichoresis" to describe the Trinity. "Peri" means near or around, while "chor" means "to dance around." Perichoresis gives us "a picture of the three Persons in one love, interacting dynamically, making the rounds of each other as in a dance, reciprocally and mutually exchanging beauty and delight," -
Sr. Charlene ~ THANK YOU for this very beautiful imagery from Sr.Therese! It makes me want to join the dance!! :+)
And it makes me appreciate even more the innate wisdom of my 7th and 8th Grade teacher, who delighted in teaching our classes how to Square Dance, which we did for recess on rainy days. (Of course she was a Franciscan! :+) )
It also makes me appreciate even more the joy and fun of doing the Mexican Hat Dance and Bunny Hop at weddings, as one of the reasons they were always my favorite kind of dances is because they INCLUDED EVERYONE!!! That all-inclusivity, in itself, speaks SO MUCH about Our Ever-Expanding-Trinitarian-Relational-Experience-of-Goodness-&-Love!
When I think of God's Love in this way -- as in the joy and fun of a dance - What a beautiful way to "grow God's Family!" :+)
The song, "LORD of the Dance" also comes to mind: "Dance, Dance, wherever you may be; 'I am the LORD of the Dance said he ...'"
Thanks, Sister Charlene. I love the dance image. May I have this dance?