The Presence of God

Preachers, poets, and others have shared many images to help the faithful understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity. One of the most lasting images has been that of the shamrock—a simple and sturdy plant with three leaves joined together on one stem. Saint Patrick, the famed Christian missionary to Ireland in the fifth century, used the shamrock to illustrate the concept of “Three in One” that is central to understanding the Trinity. The shamrock plant is closely associated both with the saint and with the Emerald Isle. Each shamrock is at its loveliest when it is in bloom—just as those who confess the Holy Trinity are at their most beautiful and most gracious when they show forth the presence of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their lives.