Blessed Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! I recall more than one priest sharing his feelings that preparing a homily on the Trinity is daunting. How to share in fifteen minutes or less the foundation of our beliefs? Our reflection faces the same task; but we will try our best to share some thoughts and end with our role in the mystery of the Trinity.
Roller Coaster of Emotions
Being human means experiencing the great roller coaster of feelings. We are joy filled one moment and perhaps plummeting into sadness the next. If you love books, there is the happiness of entering into a great story and the sigh you heave when you reach the end of the story. If you are a parent, the exultation of a graduation followed by a time of sadness saying goodbye to children who head out into the world. If you are human, loving family and friends and then that happiness dissolves into tears as our loved ones leave this world.
But as Christians we should embrace only joy no matter what life offers us. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, the author gently scolds us for embracing anything other than joy. We have a God who speaks to us, who fights for us, who rescues us and promises that we will have a place with Him forever. To paraphrase Alfred E Newman, “What, me worry?”
St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans uses even stronger words telling us we are not slaves but heirs of God, our Father, our Abba. We are co-heirs with the Son, Jesus. We are all nothing less than children of God. Wow! Makes that metaphorical roller coaster come to a complete halt.
Evangelize
And Jesus’ powerful message in Matthew’s Gospel to his remaining eleven disciples, and us, his followers is that we all must fearlessly go forth and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus has left his Word with us to evangelize others. Ah, but there is that word that trips up we Catholics— “evangelize”. Do not let images of street preachers, campus crusades, etc. come into your mind but rather allow Christ’s actions towards the poor, the lonely and the sick be your guiding image. We must be gentle, yet fearless in sharing our faith; because we are children of God and as Christ says in the Gospel, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” He will never leave us on our own.
Act With The Trinity
The readings beautifully lay out for us the persons of the Trinity and how they have acted and continue to act in the history and the future of salvation. But God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit do not act alone. They certainly can but they desire that all of us participate with them. Deuteronomy and Romans do not mince words— “you must keep his statutes and commandments” and “…if only we suffer with him so that we might be glorified with him.” So, there is no free pass for any of us to Heaven.
Yet the journey to be with God for eternity should not be like riding a roller coaster, either. We have God, the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds, Veni, Sancte Spiritus. And we have God the Son, who will be always with us to the end of the age when we will be embraced by God, the Father, our Abba.
Wonderful presentation. Thanks so much.