The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

June 15, 2025 – The Most Holy Trinity, John 16:12-15

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A recent Sunday New York Times article summarized the results of dozens of studies over the last few decades attempting to determine what single thing most contributes to human happiness. Perhaps those who were blessed with good health were the happiest. Or those who were deeply immersed in religious practices. Or those who were most educated. Or were financially well off. No to all of those “blessings.”

What was clearly shown in the research was that the primary cause of human happiness was the existence of deep, ongoing, positive social relationships among family and friends.

I have dedicated my whole professional life inquiring about the nature and value of interpersonal life in multiple fields in inquiry. So, I admit that I was not surprised by the result of research into human happiness. I’ve suspected its truth for decades.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Trinity. And what we are reminded of this Sunday is that as Christians we believe that there is plurality even in God. Yes, we believe in the oneness of God, but there is also “threeness.” Which implies, I assume, that there is eternal relationality in God’s own existence. I believe it is accurate and helpful to think of these eternal bonds between them as essential to their “happiness.” This belief is an essential part of the deepest mysteries of our faith.

Focusing on us, I believe that we are created to pursue friendships whenever possible with ourselves and with God and with each other. This quest for close bonds with others will also be an essential part of our lives with God after we die. Depending on the circumstances of our lives here, this quest for friendship and its unfolding in thousands of different ways should always be one of our top priorities.

And keep in mind that forming and maintaining friendships often take effort at times. But it is always worth it, not just for human satisfaction and happiness, but it’s also a holy thing to do. Loving others is part of loving God. God creates with one immense act of love at the very beginning of creation 13.8 billion years ago (as far as our universe goes) and has done so that God’s love can also be ours. And one of the most perfect ways to experience God’s love is in our love for others, which as the research now shows, is our surest path to happiness.

David M. Thomas, PhD