May 27, 2018

Feast of Most Holy Trinity Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39 40; Romans 8: 14-17, Matthew 28: 16-20 There are so many mysteries that are just that, mysteries. We would like to know and understand them. Many times brilliant people, after much research lead us to discovering much more of these individual mysteries. When we look at Christianity, the greatest dogma is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Now in religion, mystery means a “supernatural fact revealed by God which in itself transcends the power of human reasoning.” (Catholic Culture) The amazing fact is that today’s feast did not come into existence until 1073 when Pope Alexander II declared that every day of the liturgical year was devoted to the honor and adoration of the Sacred Trinity. With the advent of the Arian heresy, which denied the fullness of the divinity of Jesus, a special Mass in honor of the Holy Trinity began to be incorporated into the Liturgical Calendar. Continuing back in history, we can see that devotion to the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has been around since the beginning. St. Augustine, talked much about the Trinity in his sermons and writings. “In those days Christians made the sign of the cross (Redemption) with three fingers (Trinity) on their foreheads. The words “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost were added later. In the third century, Tertullian said, “In all our undertakings—when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each new task — we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.” What an admirable custom this was…I don’t do this but what an inspiration this custom would add to anyone’s devotion to Our Lord. This brings us to the question of the meaning of this feast today for each individual believing in God. How am I worshiping my God today? Do I spend time with specific devotions? Are these many or just a few scattered throughout the day? Am I more concerned with saying the words or concentrating on the meaning? Do I do these devotion/prayers just to finish them or to realize the presence and the love of God? Today’s readings help us put the devotion of the Trinity in a powerful perspective. The Israelites had been led by Moses away from their slavery in Egypt. They had witnessed, first hand God’s love for them. They knew they were special and that God was with them but this didn’t last too long. They started to complain. This is a common phenomena. Each of us do this, especially when things are not going our way, or we are upset, or frustrated or lonely or feeling left out…we complain. We just want everything for ourselves…it’s about me…not about others. So the Israelites believed that God had abandoned them and they made a golden calf. Moses returned from prayer at Mt. Sinai bringing with him the first set of the Ten Commandments, signs of God’s love and commitment. He smashed the tablets, crushed them put the ashes in the water and forced the people to drink. He goes back up the mountain at God’s invitation and comes back with a second set of stone tablets. The first were made by God, the second by Moses. Today’s reading emphasizes God’s loving attributes. The questions He asks are awesome for each of us to reflect on: “Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for Himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with strong hand and outstretched arms, and by great terrors, all of which the Lord, your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?” Have I ever stopped to review my life and see how present God has been? How He has ‘rescued’ me from so many catastrophes that I create? Moses continues, “This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep His statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today….” Do I do this or do I feel that I deserve all this? Paul takes in all this in; the special eighth chapter of Romans details what it means to be a Christian, and urges us to rejoice in the Lord. We are so special, Paul bestows a blessing on the community of faith, invoking the bounty that comes from each person of the Holy Trinity. And look what awaits us if we believe and follow the commandments. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him so that we many also be glorified with HIm.” The Trinity is not a thing. It is a divine relationship. It is the mystery of God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is the relationship of love. Love needs to be shared, we just can’t keep love locked up in our hearts. John 3: 16 explains it all, “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal live.” And the next two verses we seldom hear “For God did not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” And God needs us to bring this about. The gospel from Matthew contains the very last words of Jesus. He gives a mission that is universal. We are to make disciples…we do this by being people who make a difference. Whenever a person sees love, care, forgiveness, mercy in me, they are seeing the love relationship of God. Whenever they see our kindness and consideration they realize they are important and they are, Jesus told us this and lived this. And Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” — HIs very last words. He is helping you and me to live this…do I ask for His help? Connections, the newsletter of ideas and images for preaching the Sunday Gospel says, “May todays solemnity of the Holy Trinity open our minds to a new awareness of God’s loving presence in every broken and torn pierce of our lives; may we imitate God in the person of Jesus by taking up His Gospel of reconciliation and justice; may we embrace and be embraced by God’s Spirit of love and mercy inspiring us to bring God’s hope and compassion to all.” So I reflect on: • What difference does belief in the Trinity make in my life? • Do people see the relationship of love that the Trinity has for each other in my life? • How do I experience the Holy Spirit connecting me to the Father, Jesus, and other people? • How is the Trinity part of my prayer life? • When I say the word ‘God’, whom do I mean? • Who are the most loving people I know? What qualities do they have that I might foster in myself? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Lord, you terrify me with this command: Go and teach all nations. You were talking to eleven men without education, money, or influence, in a despised province of the Roman Empire. But they obeyed You because they knew You were with them. And today Christians are the largest body of believers on this planet. Today’s preaching is different. We are educated, sometimes too well. It is harder than ever to make our voice heard. Yet , through us, Your word goes out potentially to all nations, and You are still with us.How do we make disciples now? How do we reach all nations? In what ways do I teach others to follow Jesus?