Word of the Week

Trinity Sunday

Character: Dokime (Gk.): meaning, “character by tried worth”

In theological and catechetical circles, we often tie the term character to the indelible spiritual mark etched onto souls at Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders (cf. CCC 698, 1121, 1272-74, 1280, 1296, 1304-05, 1317, 1582); an unrepeatable character that provides the soul with the grace necessary to become more like Christ. Character, defined in a more general sense to a life of virtue, has as it maxim, the Beatitudes, which are the most direct reflection of the character of Christ (cf. CCC, 1717). For this reason, we build Christian character to the measure that we share in the vision of God and his blessedness (cf. CCC, 1720).

The Greek Dokime can be found seven times in the New Testament, all of which are in the writings of Paul. In the ancient world of Greece, this term was tied to men in the moneychangers business who would not accept counterfeit money. Their character and worth were defined by their honesty and integrity. With that in mind, Paul takes up this term on several occasions in his teachings. In his Second Letter to Corinth, Paul points to the virtues of forgiveness (cf. 2 Cor.2:9) and generosity in wealth (cf. 2 Cor.8:2, 9:13) that build up our character and worth before God. In each address, Paul views fellowship with God and his Church as most important. Furthermore, when Paul applies the Greek dokime in his epistle to Rome, he uses it in his teaching on the results of justification (Rom.5:1-5), which speaks to covenant harmony with God and a sharing in his righteousness (cf. wow on justified). In particular to the actual verse, Paul highlights how “endurance produces character and character produces hope” (Rom.5:4), and hope is that theological virtue that generates a longing for God. So for Paul, if we are going to be a man or woman of character, we are going to be forgiving, generous, and steadfast in our vocation to serve and build up the Church. Consequently, we build up the Church in that theological virtue of hope.

On this Solemnity of the Trinity, we must be certain that we are examining our lives in light of God, the life that we are called to share and participate in, the Trinity. Many of these brief reflections I offer each week, in some way, shape, or form, bring us back to the Trinity, and character is no different. We often say: “he’s (or she’s) quite a character”, when we want to speak of someone who might be animated, funny, or just quirky, but what are we really saying, if anything? What we ought to be thinking about, is whether or not our character has the distinct character of the Trinity, which has as its center, the gift of self in divine sonship. Consequently, it is upon seeing ourselves as a gift to the body of Christ, that we not only discover the heights of Christian character and what it means to share in his blessedness, but also possess a vision of the Trinity.

“Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate ting, like pain or a particular smell.”

--G.K. Chesterton

Primary Texts Consulted

•  Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
•  Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.

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