June 11, 2017

Trinity Sunday

Deacon Kevin O'Boyle

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…. The sign of the Cross. It is one of the earliest prayers we learn – and it is inherent in so many of our traditions. As you entered the Church today, it is likely most of you put your hand in holy water, and made the Sign of the Cross – a reminder of your baptism, which itself was a fulfillment of the of our Lord’s Command to the Apostles to go and teach all nations, baptizing them In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
 
A few minutes ago, as I introduced today’s Gospel, most of you silently made that same Sign of the Cross first on your forward, that the Gospel might be on your mind, then on your lips, that you may proclaim that Gospel, and finally on your heart, that the Gospel message will reside in your heart.
 
This Sign of the Cross is a demonstration of the mystery that we celebrate today on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It celebrates our belief in One God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Catechism identifies the Father as Creator, the Son, as Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, as Sanctifier. But it is important to remember that the titles Father and Son carry with them intrinsic qualities important to our faith. We know that God is neither male or female – however the relationship described by Father and Son describes the important relationship between Jesus and the Father – and these Names must always be preserved.
 
The Trinity is called a mystery because this side of Heaven, we can never fully understand it. Perhaps, one of the best ways to understand this mystery, is to recognize the very practical part it plays in God’s self -revelation throughout history. The three persons allow God to more easily reveal Himself to us in a way we can understand. In the beginning, there was the Father – the loving Creator-God who first revealed Himself to man and then promised a redeemer when we fell into sin. Of course, the Redeemer is the Word through which the Father called Creation into being – He was there from the beginning, and He would make Himself known through His earthly ministry. At the same time, He would reveal more of the Father.
 
We see the Father, the Creator God in our first Reading from Exodus. Here, the Israelites had broken their covenant by worshiping a golden calf. Moses is returning to the Father to ask forgiveness, and His continued presence with them. As He has throughout history, The Father in love forgives.
 
With the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus, He revealed Himself, and, as He said repeatedly, in so doing revealed the Father. But there was more. He promised to send the Holy Spirit – the Sanctifier who would help His followers understand all He had taught them. We see in the brief Second Reading that the triune nature of God was well established by the time Paul wrote 2^nd Corinthians. The phrase, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”, is one of the clearest Trinitarian statements in the New Testaments. All three persons coexist now, and always have. God simply chose to reveal Himself more fully at different times.
 
Turning to our Gospel, the powerful words of John 3:16 remind us of God’s love in sending His only Son. We see pointedly here how the terms Father and Son are important to our understanding of God’s great love for us.
 
So, what does this mean to us today. Maybe it comes back to that simple prayer we  started with – the Sign of the Cross. Rather than making an automatic motion, perhaps we could be more conscious of what it means – and the Love, Grace and Mercy shown us by the one True Triune God throughout history. Something to think about this week and always as we pray, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. God Bless.