How Many Days Until Trinity Sunday?
Trinity Sunday 2025 is on Sunday, June 15, 2025.
About Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday, fully known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, is celebrated in Western Christianity on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Unlike most feasts that commemorate specific events, Trinity Sunday focuses on a core doctrine: the belief in one God who exists as three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian faith, though considered a divine mystery ultimately beyond full human comprehension. Key tenets include:
One God (Monotheism)
There is only one God, eternal and indivisible. Christianity affirms the monotheism inherited from Judaism.
Three Persons (Hypostases)
This one God exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God.
Co-Equal and Co-Eternal
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in divinity, power, and glory. None is greater or lesser than another. All three have existed eternally.
Distinct Yet United
While distinct in their relationships to one another (Father begets Son, Spirit proceeds from Father and Son), they are perfectly united in substance, nature, and will.
In essence: One God (What) in three Persons (Who). The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
Symbols of the Trinity
Because the Trinity is an abstract concept, various symbols have been used throughout history to help visualize the doctrine:
Trefoil / Shamrock
Uses three connected leaves to represent the three Persons united in one essence. Famously associated with St. Patrick.
Triangle (Triquetra)
An equilateral triangle represents the equality of the three Persons. Sometimes intertwined (Triquetra) to show unity.
Borromean Rings
Three interlocked rings where removing any one ring causes the others to fall apart, symbolizing inseparable unity.
Sun Analogy
The sun (Father), its light (Son), and its heat (Spirit) are distinct yet inseparable aspects of the one star.
How Trinity Sunday is Observed
Focus on Doctrine
Church services, prayers, and sermons are dedicated to explaining and reflecting on the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
Scripture Readings
Readings often include passages hinting at the Trinity (e.g., the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19: "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit") or highlighting the roles of each Person.
Liturgical Color: White or Gold
Symbolizing joy, glory, purity, and the divine nature of God.
Specific Hymns and Prayers
Hymns like "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!" and prayers like the Athanasian Creed (which explicitly defines the Trinity) are often used.
Start of Ordinary Time (Post-Pentecost)
Trinity Sunday often marks the beginning of the longer season of Ordinary Time that follows the Easter cycle.
Personal Reflection
An opportunity for believers to contemplate the nature of God as revealed in Christian teaching.