Gospel in Art: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Title page for De Imitatione Christi, by Thomas à Kempis, 1626 edition, by Cornelis van Egmond & Willem Janszoon Blaeu, Amsterdam & Cologne

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 15 June 2025
John 16:12-15

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.'

Reflection on the book frontispiece

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, a solemn feast that draws us into the mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the three persons of the one Godhead. Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we affirm this mystery with our whole body and soul. In today's Gospel, Jesus commissions His disciples to "baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", a clear call to live in the Trinity.

People in the ancient world seeked out gods, to try and become like the gods they worshipped. Seafarers sought the favour of Poseidon. Warriors looked to Mars, the god of war, aspiring to his power, aggression, and fearlessness in battle. Those involved in commerce and trade turned to Mercury, hoping to emulate his cleverness and speed. Lovers invoked Aphrodite, longing for beauty and desire. In Norse mythology, followers of Odin sought wisdom and mastery over fate, while those who admired Thor valued brute strength and loyalty. We imitate what we adore. And because we are made in the image and likeness of God, there is something within us that longs to imitate not a myth, but the true God - revealed to us fully in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps that's why I often find myself returning to a little book I keep with me in chapel: Thomas à Kempis's Imitation of Christ. Written around 1420, this spiritual classic from Flanders has shaped the hearts of Christians for centuries. In fact, apart from the Bible, it remains the most widely read and translated Christian devotional text in history, with more than 745 editions printed before 1650, and over 1,000 copies preserved in the British Museum alone. Our frontispiece, is from a 1626 publication. The enduring message of the book is simple yet profound: if we want to know God, we must imitate Christ!

On this Trinity Sunday, may we not only profess the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with our lips, but seek to imitate and mirror the divine life in how we live, love, and serve.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-16-12-15-2025-2/ (with audio)