SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Proverbs 8:22-31/Psalm 8:4-9/Romans 5:1-5/John 16:12-15)

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (Proverbs 8:22-31/Psalm 8:4-9/Romans 5:1-5/John 16:12-15)


GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE SON AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

(Sunday, June 16, 2019 The solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)

In this great feast of the Holy Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the central mystery of our Christian faith and our Christian life. What we celebrate today is the greatest of all the mysteries we know as human beings because it deals on who God is, His nature and Being which cannot be unravel with our limited human minds and thinking. Any reflection about the Most Holy Trinity is just a tip of an iceberg about the nature and Being of God. In fact, everything about God is a mystery even the creation itself which is the greatest handiwork of God is also surrounded in Mystery.

The creation of man is a mystery, the Incarnation is a mystery, the human redemption which was accomplished by Christ in obedience to the Father is a mystery and so on. The whole concept of the Trinity is, of course, a mystery, and we will never really understand it. The concept of the Trinity is not something that somebody just dreamed up. St. Paul, whose writings are the earliest we have of Christian literature wrote in Romans, which we read today, about the workings of the Trinity, and talks about the specific jobs of God, of Jesus and the Spirit, but he probably did not have the understanding that we have today in our catechisms and theology. In his letter to the Romans today, Paul shows how the glory of God is reflected in the peace that Jesus brings and the love that the Spirit brings.

St. Paul, was never particularly concerned how any of this was possible or fit together, but was more concerned about the effect of the Trinity on our lives. The Trinity brings peace, brings love, and hope. It affects us by giving us endurance to trials, allowing us to prove our characters and live in hope of something better. It is what allows us to form a community and to sustain the community.

In the Gospel of John, we see one of the earliest formulations of Trinity. Jesus speaks to his disciples and lets them know that he has so much to tell them but until the Spirit comes into them, they won’t be able to understand it, or it may even frighten them so they can’t bear to hear it. But when the Spirit comes, they will know and understand. And what the Spirit lets them know is that which Jesus wants them to know, because the Spirit and Jesus are one. But also, Jesus and the Father are one – “everything the Father has is mine – he says. And it is from this that we have developed the theological understanding of Trinity. The whole concept of the Trinity is difficult – though central to our Christian beliefs. The practical applications of the Trinity in our lives is much easier than trying to understand the concept of the Trinity. Truly, the life of love is what sustains and holds the Trinitarian family together. No wonder then the parting words of Christ to His disciples is that of Love. That it is by loving one another that people will associate you as my disciples says Christ. In fact, everything about God starting from creation to man’s redemption is built on Love.

The Father created us out of Love, The Son the Second Person of the Trinity redeemed us out of Love and sent the Holy Spirit from the Father to help us understand all that He taught us as a result of love. Jesus Himself was less concerned with formulating a theology of religion than He was of having people love each other, care about each other, and show that in their actions. The Solemnity of today will be meaningless if only we end up trying to understand the mystery that surrounds the Trinity, without letting the life of love that binds the Trinity together to have a positive influence in our Christian lives.

The Father so loved us, His creatures, that He became one of us, humbled Himself to show that love, becoming a servant to redeem us. As Son, God sent the Spirit to continue and sustain that love He felt for his creatures so that we could experience that love and express it ourselves to others. Trinity Sunday, every year, gives us a chance to meditate on the mystery of God’s love — first, the love of God in the heart of the Trinity; the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In today’s celebration, we have the opportunity to reflect on the great love that God has for each one of us.

We can reflect on the Blessed Trinity’s plan for our salvation. God’s love for each one of us. So in the first reading, from the Book of Proverbs, we hear about how the Blessed Trinity brought the whole world into being — the heavens and the earth and the human race. We hear the beautiful story of how he created everything out of love. Including each one of us. The Blessed Trinity finds delight in the human race, the first reading tells us. That means each one of us. We are a part of God’s plan.

The Trinity has chosen us before creation to be holy. Jesus comes to show us our Father in Heaven and He gives us the Spirit, who is the love of the Father and the Son. And Jesus pours out the love of God from his heart to our heart through his Holy Spirit. So today as we reflect on the beautiful mystery of the Trinity, let us ask for the grace to grow in our friendship with each of the three divine Persons of the Trinity—Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; Three in One and one in Three and undivided Unity. We need to grow as children of the Father. We need to grow as brothers and sisters of Jesus. And we need to open ourselves to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Let Us Pray: Most Blessed Trinity, help me to love you with my whole heart and may your grace abide in me forever. Amen.