God's infinite beauty and grandeur were among the late Pope Benedict's favorite topics. One of the symbols on his coat of arms, the shell, reflects this belief.
The shell is inspired by a story about St. Augustine. One morning, while walking along the seashore, he was trying to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Suddenly, he noticed a little child playing nearby. The child had dug a hole in the sand and repeatedly walked between the hole and the ocean, holding a small shell in his...
God's infinite beauty and grandeur were among the late Pope Benedict's favorite topics. One of the symbols on his coat of arms, the shell, reflects this belief.
The shell is inspired by a story about St. Augustine. One morning, while walking along the seashore, he was trying to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Suddenly, he noticed a little child playing nearby. The child had dug a hole in the sand and repeatedly walked between the hole and the ocean, holding a small shell in his hands. He would fill the shell with water at the sea, then carefully carry it back to pour it into the hole. He continued this effort persistently.
After a while, St. Augustine asked the child what he was doing. The child replied, "I am going to empty the sea into this hole I have dug in the sand." St. Augustine laughed and said, "That's quite impossible. Look at how big the ocean is compared to your small hole!"
The child looked at him and responded, "And yet, it would be easier for me to do this than for you to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity." With that, the child disappeared.
By placing a shell on his coat of arms, Pope Benedict reminded himself and the whole Church of God's infinite wonder. We must always remain humble and confident in Him, much like little children.
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity may seem abstract and impractical, but the reality is the opposite. The Trinity is humanity's only realistic source of hope in our increasingly connected world.
Social media has transformed much of our world into a tightly linked global community. We encounter different races, religions, traditions, and cultures within that community. If globalization erodes the rich diversity of cultures, we will foster anger, resentment, and revenge in people's hearts and minds. Yet, if we fail to create real bonds between different cultures, serious conflict results
We need unity and diversity — we must become one human family with many different cultures. We know we can achieve this.
Because we are created in God's own image, and He is both one and three, God embodies perfect unity as well as perfect diversity. He is, by His very nature, an unbreakable communion of persons. The Church — which unifies different peoples through a common faith in and obedience to Christ — demonstrates that such unity is indeed possible.
The Trinity is the source of the human family, our ultimate purpose, and our ideal. Today, as we renew our faith in the Trinity, let us ask Him to help us build up His kingdom on earth by living truly in His image, mending our ways, encouraging one another, and living in peace.
