Trinity Sunday Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy

 

Today is Trinity Sunday. This beloved hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy", was composed for Trinity Sunday in 1826 by an Anglican clergyman, Reginald Heber:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Image: Jean Fouquet's Enthronement of the Virgin also known as Trinity in Its Glory

It is a 15th century illuminated miniature for the manuscript Hours of Etienne Chevalier.

Trinity Sunday Art Series: Knight's Shield Illustration

 

This depiction of the Trinity is a manuscript illustration.  It shows a knight with a Trinity shield going forth to fight against the Seven Deadly Sins.  Here is a closeup of the shield:

The manuscript it illustrates is the 13th century Summa Vitiorum (Treatise on the Vices) by William Peraldus.  The artist is unknown.  The manuscript is located in the British Library (not the same as the British Museum).

Here is a view showing the Seven Deadly Sins:

The Seven Deadly Sins are shown as demons.  In the traditional order presented top to bottom on the illustration they are:  Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed/ covetousness, Gluttony, and Lust/self-indulgence.

Trinity Sunday Art Series: El Greco

 

Here is a depiction of the Trinity that is very different from those relying on Genesis 18.  It is by El Greco.   It was painted in the late 16th century and is presently in the Prado museum in Madrid, Spain. The medium is oil on canvas and it measures 118 inches by 70 inches.

There is an interesting Wikipedia article about El Greco who was indeed from Greece (Crete), spent time in various cities and eventually settled in Spain where he received important commissions, one of which included this artwork.