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Today, one of our churches at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, St. Januarius’, celebrated the dedication of its newly renovated sanctuary.  The present church was built in the 1960’s.  Another one of our churches is having some roof work done.  Yet another is dealing with loose plaster.  Just like we have to deal with maintenance issues on our homes, our church buildings need regular maintenance.  That maintenance is important but why are our churches important for us?

In today’s first reading, the Lord speaks of his “house of prayer”.  Our church buildings are to be “houses of prayer” for us.  God is present everywhere but God is present in our churches in a special way.  We have many items in our churches to help us remind us of how God is with us. 

After becoming King, David set about to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7).  Before he could start, God spoke through the prophet Nathan to tell David it was not for him to build a house for God.  That would be done by his descendant.  God does not need a house to live in but, in our humanness, we need a place where we can focus ourselves on God.

What do we have in our churches to help us focus ourselves on God?  When we enter a Catholic Church, the first thing we might encounter may be Holy Water Fonts.  We use the water that has been blessed to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of God.  In the readings and the homily, we hear how we are called to live as baptized children of God.

As we continue to look around the church, we will likely see the Stations of the Cross.  In some churches, the Stations may be as simple as little crosses placed around the church or elaborate paintings depicting the story told in the Stations of the Cross.  Big or small, the purpose of the Stations of the Cross is the same, to remind us what Jesus went through in his final hours.

We may see statues, paintings, or stained glass windows depicting the saints or biblical scenes.  In doing so, we do not worship the saints or any other object.  We use these images of saints to remind us of the example the saints are for us in how they lived their lives in service to God.  We use the biblical scenes in artwork to remind us of what God has done for his people.  We do not worship the images for that would be the sin of idolatry.

As our eyes move to the front of the church, we will see the ambo (other names may be the pulpit or lectern).  Functionally, the ambo holds the readings but it is no ordinary word that is read from the ambo.  The ambo is a special place of God’s presence because the Word of God is read there.  The words of the Bible were written down by human hands for us but their writing was inspired by God.  The Bible tells us the story of Salvation History so that we may always know how God has always watched over his people so we may live in hope, knowing God is there for us.  The Bible also tells us the teachings of God so that we might know how we are called to live.  The ambo is thus a focal point of God’s presence speaking to us.

Turning our eyes from the ambo, we will see the altar.  Actually, you probably see the altar before the ambo because the altar is always front and center in the church.  The shape of the altar comes from the idea of a table.  Jesus celebrated the Last Supper at table with his disciples but it was no ordinary supper.   It was the First Eucharist.  At that meal, Jesus took the bread and wine and transformed them into his Body and Blood.  The word we have for this change is transubstantion, meaning the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus but it still looks like bread and wine.  That is what we celebrate on our altar according to Jesus’ words “Do this in memory of me.”  But there is still more than that happening as we celebrate the Eucharist.  If you look up the definition of the world altar, it is place of sacrifice.  Sacrifice means to give something up.  Jesus said at the Last Supper (and we repeat it in the Eucharistic Prayer), “this is my body, which will be given up for you …. (turning to the cup) it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.”  This is the intimate connection Jesus establishes between the Eucharist and his Crucifixion where he literally sacrificed his life of the Cross for us.  So the celebration is a central act and mystery of our faith.  The altar is where this happens and so the altar is centered in our church.

Recognizing the real presence of Jesus in the form of bread, we keep the consecrated host, the Blessed Sacrament, in church.  We have a very special place for it.  It is called the Tabernacle.  When we celebrate the Eucharist, the altar is the focal point because it is where we celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus.  But when Mass is not in process, the Tabernacle is the place we can turn to know Jesus presence in our lives.  Jesus is always with us.  Jesus is present in a special way in the church and most profoundly in the Tabernacle and at the Altar when celebrating Mass.

Our churches hold the Ambo, the Altar, and the Taberancle.  There are many other things in our churches.  We do not worship the building, the paintings, or statues.  We have all these things to point us to God.

May our churches always stand as “houses of prayer” so that we may know the Lord.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Who Are We More Like in Faith?

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Today’s readings (August 3, 2011) show two different responses of faith.  In the first reading, the Israelites are preparing to enter the promised land.  At God’s command, scouts are sent ahead to explore the area.  The scouts return with reports that the land does “does indeed flow with milk and honey” and has much fruit to offer.  But they also report that “However, the people who are living in the land are fierce, and the towns are fortified and very strong.”  The scouts fear they could not win against the current inhabitants.  Only Caleb believes they could be successful.  Generally, we do well to examine a situation before entering but what the people appear to have forgetten is that this is where God has led them.  As long as they follow God’s will, they will be successful.  For failing to trust God, they must spend 40 years in the desert.

Turning to today’s Gospel, we see a very different faith.  Here is a Canaanite women, not even a Jew, who comes to Jesus believing he can drive out the demon in her daughter.  At first, Jesus ignores the woman.  His disciples would have seen this as appropriate because she is not a Jew.  She persists.  The disciples ask Jesus to send her away.  He says to the woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  She still persists.  Jesus tells her he cannot give to dogs what was meant for the children of Israel.  This is an insult against her but she still persists, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  She believes, she knows, that anything Jesus has to offer would be enough to heal her daughter.  Jesus proclaims her faith to be great and heals her daughter.

Who are you more like?  Are you like the Israelites who seek to enter the promised land but are fearful of the dangers that lay ahead?  Or you like the Canaanite woman who believes indeed has the power to heal her daughter even with the scraps from the table? 

We might all look for the easy way out.  Jesus says “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened …. my yoke is easy, my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).  Easy and light are relative terms.  It does not mean there will be no problems but it will be easier to face those problems with Jesus at our side.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Death and Life

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The post that follows is the article I wrote for the cover of our bulletin at Our Lady of the Lakes for July 31, 2011.

Death & Life

Jesus knows what it is like to lose a loved one. Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus learning of the death of John the Baptist. When Jesus receives the news that John the Baptist has died, he withdraws in a boat by himself. Remember they are relatives (Luke 1:36 identifies Mary and Elizabeth as relatives). Jesus also knew that John the Baptist had been martyred for proclaiming his coming. In chapter eleven of John’s Gospel we read of the death of Lazarus. Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus. Jesus knows the loss of a loved one but he also knows the gift of eternal life. He gives a precursor to that new life in the raising of Lazarus and truly shows us the gift of new life in his own Resurrection.

Each of us responds to the death of a loved one in different ways. We may want to be alone. We come to gather as family and friends to support one another, to share stories in appreciation of our loved one, and to pray that they received the gift of eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom.

When a loved one dies, sometimes the entire focus is put on the Funeral Mass. As Catholics, celebrating the Eucharist is the most important thing we do but there is more to “paying our respects” than just the Funeral Mass. If the death is expected, it can begin with the family gathering with the loved one at their bedside before their death. Otherwise, after the death, one family member calls another and the news spreads in a pyramid one by one.

Often, the first “public” coming together is at the funeral home for ‘Calling hours.’ Here, memories are shared. It is often a time of condolences offered by extended family and friends. It is a time of being there for one another. It can also be a time of prayer.

Then comes the Funeral Mass or Service. As Catholics, this is a time of sorrow in which we seek the consolation of the Lord who knows what it is like to lose a loved one. Jesus says “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It is also a time of the celebration of the gift of life. We mourn because we have lost someone we care about. We share memories at ‘calling hours’ and often at a reception afterwards.

At the funeral we also reflect on the gift of eternal life. When our loved one lies in death, we want to know that earthly death is not the end, that our loved one still lives on. One of the most commonly picked gospel readings for funerals is John 14:1-6. I think the reason is obvious. In this gospel, Jesus promises us that he goes to prepare a place for each of us in his Father’s house. When we lose a loved one is that not exactly what we want to hear?

After the funeral itself, we then take our loved one to their place of rest at the cemetery. This can be a difficult time because it can seem so final. That is why we again pray at the graveside, trusting in the Resurrection and the gift of new life.

Everything about the loss of our loved one can be difficult; the death itself, having to share to the news of their death with others, gathering at the calling hours, the funeral, and the burial. It is not easy but it is a process that has been demonstrated over time to help us grief the loss. Let Faith be our consolation and eternal life our hope.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Knowing Our Strengths and Our Weaknesses

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God has given each of us many gifts.  No one has all the gifts but working together as a community of believers we have all the gifts we need.  We begin working together by each recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses.  It is as an important to know our weaknesses as well as our strengths.  For when we recognize our weaknesses, then we can open ourselves to God’s help and the help of others.  In the Old Testament, it is David as a young man who defeats the giant Goliath.  There are stories of God insisting on small armies to fight a battle when much larger armies are available.  Why?  When we have what it takes to succeed on our own, even when God helps, we might take the credit for ourselves, but when we know we lack what it takes, then when we succeed we bear witness to the power of God working through us.

It’s easy to admit our strengths (be careful to avoid the sin of pride).  It’s much harder to admit our weaknesses.  But in humility, we acknowledge both, giving thanks to God for our strengths and our successes, while crying out for help in our weaknesses.

So, we need to know our strengths and our weaknesses.  We also need to know our fears and be willing to stretch our comfortable zone.  For me, God called me way beyond my comfort zone when he called me to be a priest.  When I first felt the call to priesthood several things that I didn’t like to do came to mind.  For instance, I didn’t like going to funeral homes or cemeteries.  I didn’t like being around dead people.  As a priest, funeral homes and cemeteries have moved from being a place of fear and dread to a place where God’s grace and the gift of eternal life is cherished.

I am introvert so being in front of people was also been a challenge for me.  It was never that I wasn’t good at public speaking.  I could do it when I had to.  I simply didn’t like to do it because it was outside my comfort zone.  Obviously, as a priest, public speaking is something I do every time I celebrate Mass (and I like to think I am good at it).  I have come to recognize that God has given me what I need to do what he asks of me.

What is God asking of you?  What do you need to do it?  God will give you all that you need to do it, either by giving you the gift yourself or by putting someone in your life to help that has the needed gifts.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Change

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Is change a bad thing or a good thing?

There are people who resist any change.  Their argument may be as simple as ‘we have been doing it this way for years.’  On the other extreme are people who seem to want to change just to change.  They might think it is strange to do something the same way twice.  I believe that neither extreme is good.

For me, to never change is to stop growth while to always be changing can be a failure to value what has come before us.

With this in mind, I attended a three hour workshop on change today.  I would like to share what I think about change in light of what I heard at the workshop.

Each of us reacts to change differently.  Of course, it can depend on what is being changed.  Changing something we like generally results in resistance while if we never liked it to begin with, our response might be ‘it’s about time they fixed that.’ 

When you hear the word ‘change’ what comes to mind?  Do you think about what you might have to give up?  Or do you ask what the change has to offer? 

The reality is that we are often facing changes in our lives.  There can be changes in jobs, health, family, and community to name a few.  Change can be superficial, happening in steps that develop over time, be continuous, or sudden and transformative.  Likewise, our response to change can range from attempts to block the change to “reckless” embrace of change without justification.  Perhaps our best response is the tentative response, listen what is being proposed, weigh the pros and the cons, and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  A rush to judgment whether to embrace or reject the proposed change can lead to an unhealthy polarization that ignores faith and reason.

Change can be difficult.  When things are going well, it can be easy to say ‘why would we ever change this?’  Change can be difficult when first seen as the loss of something good.  Yet, are we willing to consider the possibility that the short-term loss may be result in a better future?  We cannot move to that better future without first letting go of the past.

Change can be very emotional.  Shock, denial, and anger are possible responses to change.  So is joy.  How often when we hear of change, do we rush to the negative response even before we know what the change is?

Communication is essential when seeking acceptance of change.  We need to be able to explain a purpose for the change, provide a vision of where we are going, a plan to implement the change, and to show how we all can have a role in making the change a good change.  Giving others a part to play involves them as part of the team rather than leaving them powerless in the face of change.

Communication always needs to be a two-way street.  We need to do what I just said in the last paragraph but then we also need to listen to the response of the people.  What are they saying?  Some of what they say may be a gut reaction to any change.  Some may express real concerns that will need to be addressed if the change is to be successful.

We need to communicate well.  One article in the church bulletin is not adequate.  No one method of communication is adequate.  Different people here in different ways and each time we hear it, we hear something different.  Over time we might come to acceptance.

Change can be difficult.  Yet, change is a natural process.  As Christians we acknowledge we are imperfect and that we always have to work on becoming more like Christ.  We call this conversion.  Without change, there can be no conversion.

What change is God calling you to as an individual that you might become more like Christ?

What change is God calling your community to so that it better serves God’s will?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Forgiveness

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Forgiveness can be a difficult thing.  It can be difficult to forgive someone when they do something that hurts us.  It can also be difficult to accept forgiveness that is offered to us after we have hurt someone.  When someone tells us they forgive us, we might wonder if they really forgive us or if they are just saying it without meaning it.

The first  readings for daily Mass this week came from the Book of Genesis and tell us the story of Joseph in Egypt.  If you remember the story, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers who were jealous of him and wanted to get rid of him.  Joseph arrives in Egypt as a slave but becomes a servant of the Pharaoh with great power.  Joseph is wise and builds up stores of grains.  When famine comes, people from all over come to ask for grain.  Joseph’s brothers are among those who come to him.  They do not recognize him but he immediately recognizes them but does not tell him who he is.  Ultimately, Joseph tells them who he is and the whole family comes to live with him in Egypt.

In today’s (7/9/11) reading, their father Jacob (Israel) dies.  After burying him, the brothers are concerned that Joseph hasn’t really forgiven them and now that their father is dead, he will strike against them.  Joseph assures them that he forgives them.  They continue to live as a family.

Scripture says a lot about our need to forgive others.  If we want to be forgiven, we must offer the same to people who have hurt us.  I don’t think scripture says much about how we might struggle to accept forgiveness.

Many people think forgiveness means everything goes back to the way it was before the hurtful act.  There is the great example of Joseph and his brothers coming back together as a family (note that even as they come back together, it is not exactly as before).  It would be nice if this happened in every case but it doesn’t seem to be reality of our human relationships.  I think here of the phrase “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”  In my own life, I am aware of friends who have done something that has hurt me.  I believe that they did not mean to hurt me.  I offer my genuine forgiveness but at the same time I decide not to continue the friendship but it is not because of a particular act they have done.  Rather, over time I was already beginning to wonder about continuing the friendship.  The “hurtful act” simply becomes “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

In these cases, I truly do offer them my forgiveness for whatever they did that hurt me.  But since I choose to stop being friends with them, they believe that I am still mad at them, don’t forgive them, and sometimes even think I hate them.  That’s not true.  It may not be perfect but my forgiveness is genuine.  I do not hate them in any way.

How do you struggle with forgiveness?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What Do You Like to Read About?

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You may have noticed in the last few months I haven’t written as much as I used to.  Generally, I make a point to write something here at least once a week.  I write more often as Spirit inspires me.  Lately, I struggle a little to know what to write about.

I don’t get many comments to my posts and this is OK (That’s not counting the 1,800 spam in the last two months.  So, I apologize if I have missed a comment you posted).  I do know people are reading the blog.  I don’t know who reads my blog but I do know from the Internet statistics that people do read it (probably three or four a day).  I think there are people who subscribe to the RSS feed but I don’t know how many.

So, I have a question for you.  What types of articles do you like to read about?  What questions do you have that you might like to see an answer to?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Four Years

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This week I celebrate the fourth anniversary of my priestly ordination.  In four years, I have served in two very different parishes.  The first (St. Mary’s Southside) was a single church located in the City of Elmira but serving people to the Pennsylvania border (all in Chemung County).  Now, I serve at Our Lady of the Lakes in the center of the Finger Lakes.  We serve St. Michael’s in Penn Yan, St. Januarius’ in Naples, St. Patrick’s in Prattsburgh, and St. Theresa’s in Stanley.  Also included are the areas previously served by St. Andrew’s in Dundee and St. Mary’s in Rushville.  Our parishioners come from three different counties and three different area codes.  So my first two assignments have been very different in this respect.  Yet, the essential point is always the same – to serve the people of God according to God’s calling.

During these four years I have served under three different pastors (two at St. Mary’s in Elmira and one at Our Lady of the Lakes.)  Soon, I will begin to serve with a new pastor here at Our Lady of the Lakes.  Each of them has their own style of ministry.  Each has been a learning experience for me.

Perhaps the greatest thing I do as a priest is to preside at the celebration of the Mass.  It brings joy to my heart to celebrate the Eucharist.  It is God who provides the grace we receive at Mass.  It is God who transforms the bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Yet, here I am as God’s humble servant serving as an instrument of grace.

I find personal connections very important in ministry.  While presiding at any of the sacraments brings moments of joy, it is the personal connections with the people that helps me remember that ministry is not about buildings or things.  It is about the people.  Whether it be working with a couple as they prepare for marriage or a family who is planning the funeral of their loved one, ministry is to make God’s presence known in the good times and the bad.

Ministry isn’t always planned.  In fact, sometimes the greatest moments of ministry are never planned.  I remember when I was serving in Elmira, I was on-call for the hospitals.  I received a call from the ICU unit that they had a patient who was “actively dying.”  I had never heard the term “actively dying” before.  I didn’t take the time to ask.  I heard the phrase and said I would be right there.  Normally, I was asked the patient’s name and room number.  I didn’t take the time to ask.  I just went.  As soon as I entered the ICU someone immediately pointed me to the patient’s room.  The nurse caught me to tell me the name of the patient.  With the family there, I immediately celebrated the sacraments.  The woman died as I was finishing.  It was a moment of grace to be there with the family.

There are times when ministry is planned but I am not always sure what to do.  For example, I was invited to be part of the Baccalaurate celebration at Prattsburgh high school.  We did have a parishioner from St. Patrick’s graduating.  I was asked to say a prayer.  The prayer lasted a minute or two but to me the ministry was as much about just being there as offering a prayer.  I just wanted the graduates to know that I felt their graduation was important enough for me to be there.

The same can be true when I visit our parish school.  In some way it is as much about being there as about the words I might offer.

Of course, there are several other ways in which I have served including social ministry, outreach to “inactive Catholics”, and now helping to implement the new translations of the Roman Missal.

My ministry is not confined to the parish.  Our Catholic Church is a universal church united under one pope.  When I was in Elmira, I served on the Board of the Directors of the local Catholic Charities Office (Catholic Charities of Chemung-Schuyler Counties).  I continue to serve on the Board of the Directors for Providence Housing.  For the last year I served on our diocesan Presbyteral Council and the Priest’s Council of New York State.  I participate in these groups to do my part to help spread the gospel.

I serve in many ways.  I do so for the glory of God.  I simply seek to be a good and faithful servant.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Who Determines Right and Wrong?

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In our country where we believe in democratic principles, laws are passed by the majority vote of elected representatives (who were elected by getting the largest share of the vote – not necessarily a majority if there were more than two candidates).  So, “majority rule” sets the tone in our country.

Does that mean that the ‘majority’ determines right and wrong?  It seems that is the direction things are headed.  While many people still hold onto some spirituality, relativism is spreading.  Relativism says you can believe whatever you want as long as it doesn’t affect anyone else.  Thus, relativism says there is no universal truth.  This can lead to a minimalist approach to laws.  Since there is no one truth for everyone, people should be able to do whatever they want as long as no one else is hurt.  So, laws are passed only to stop people hurting others.

Yet that isn’t what is happening.  In fact, governments are now passing laws that say people can do something (such as with legislation concerning same sex marriage) rather than just what they can’t do to protect others.  (These people tend not to include affects on the good of society as arguments for how our actions affect others).

People also seem to think that if psychology or genetics can explain some human behaviors, then it is OK.  For those who do believe in God, the genetic argument can become “God made me this way, it must be OK.”  If you believe God is involved in our individual lives in that way, the argument sees to carry some merit.  Does that mean it is OK to be an alcoholic if alcoholism is caused by genetics?  By this reasoning, God made them that way.

Please don’t take the last paragraph too literally.  It is an oversimplification of an argument that I use only to make a point.  In fact, when we look to determine right and wrong, it is God who we must turn to.  God is the only one who is all-knowing.  God is the only one who can see how it all fits together.  We cannot foresee all the consequences of our actions.  So, we turn to God as the one who determines what is right and wrong.

The challenge we face is to know God’s Will.  It comes from scripture, tradition, and the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and right judgment from the Holy Spirit help us apply to the events of our lives.  God’s Will is not determined by a majority vote.  May we always trust in God as the one who knows what is right.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Holy Trinity

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As part of our diocesan initiative this year to help us better understand the Mass, here is the homily I gave today on the Holy Trinity.  All three persons of the Trinity are at work in the Mass and they do it all together.

Trinity Sunday, Year A
Exodus 34:4-6b, 8-9
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
John 3:16-18
June 19, 2011

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.  You know, despite the fact that the trinity is a central mystery of our faith, we don’t talk about it a lot.  When was the last time you used the word “trinity”?

I don’t think it’s because we don’t believe in the Trinity.  I think there are two main reasons we don’t talk about the Trinity much.  First, we don’t understand it.  We try to come up with analogies like a shamrock.  You can’t find the name “Holy Trinity” in the Bible.  The Holy Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that we describe as three persons yet one God.  How do you explain that?

The second reason is that we take it granted.  We are probably “invoking” the Trinity much more than we realize.  Trinitarian language is used several times in our celebration of the Mass.

How does the priest begin?  In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  As the priest says these words, we all make the Sign of the Cross on ourselves.  As we do so we should be reflecting on the Cross as a central symbol of our faith but we should be doing so thinking also about the Trinity.

What happens next?  There is a greeting by the priest.  Now, there are a couple of options but the one I always use is “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”  Where does this come from?  Today’s second reading.  It is phrase found in various forms in Paul’s letters.  Note, it does not use the word Trinity but it does invoke all three persons of the Trinity.  And note the order, it is Jesus who is first mentioned because Jesus is the person of the Trinity that is most “tangible” to us because he is the one that became human.  But he didn’t do it alone.  He did it in relationship with his Father as we read in today’s Gospel, “God sent his only Son.”  Why?  Because he loved us.  So this greeting calls us upon the love of God.  The invocation also includes the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son.  They work in total unity as we are called to in our baptism and granted through the Holy Spirit.  It is the Trinity that is the perfect model of community.

So we continue at Mass.  We don’t have to wait long to hear Trinitarian language for the opening prayer normally ends with a similar invocation, “We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.”

The Creed is written as a statement of the most basic beliefs of our faith.  The Creed talks about the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was begotten by the Father, one in being (in the new translations we will say consubstantial).  The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Then comes the Eucharistic Prayer.  The Eucharistic Prayers are addressed to the Father.  Depending on which Eucharistic Prayer the priest chooses, all three persons of the Trinity are spoken of in it.  Eucharistic Prayer 3 is the prime example of this.

The very opening lines so that the Eucharistic Prayer is clearly addressed to the Father but also immediately recognizes Jesus and the Holy Spirit

Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise.  All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit.    

The three work together. 

Then we ask the Father to make the gifts holy by the power of the Holy Spirit that they become for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as whose command we celebrate this Eucharist.

Again, all three working together.

Our Eucharistic Prayer ends with

Through him, in him, and with him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours almighty Father, forever and ever. 

 The “him” is Jesus, the prayer is addressed to the Father, both working together in unity with the Holy Spirit.

Again all three working together.

Then, of course, our Mass ends with our blessing invoking the Trinity with the Sign of the Cross.

When we talk about the Trinity we are talking about perfect unity, the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Can we explain how they are one?  If we could, we won’t call it a mystery and it won’t be faith.

But we can believe.  I said before that the Bible never uses the word trinity.  It isn’t because the early church didn’t believe in the Trinity.  They were just beginning to learn about it.  God was one God.  Then, here comes Jesus, who in turn sends the Holy Spirit.

While we don’t find the word trinity in Bible we can find all three persons of the Trinity in the Bible.  There are Paul’s et al invocation of the three persons.  The New Testament is clear that Jesus is sent to do the will of the Father.  John’s Gospel speaks frequently about the relationship of the Father and the Son.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he send the Holy Spirit.

The relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is a perfect community.  They are three different persons but one God. 

We are each different people but we are called to work together as members of the Body of Christ.  Do you look out for yourself or do you seek a greater good for our Christian Community?