{"id":2176,"date":"2017-06-11T11:43:16","date_gmt":"2017-06-11T15:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2176"},"modified":"2017-06-11T11:43:16","modified_gmt":"2017-06-11T15:43:16","slug":"the-most-holy-trinity-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/the-most-holy-trinity-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Holy Trinity – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Most Holy Trinity<\/a>
\nExodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
\nDaniel 3:52-55
\n2 Corinthians 13:11-13
\nJohn 3:16-18<\/p>\n

Last week we celebrated Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit and that brought our Easter season to a close.\u00a0 That means we are now in Ordinary Time but for this Sunday and next we celebrate two feasts that our Church considers important enough as to celebrate on Sunday so that many people experience the meaning of these feasts.<\/p>\n

Next week we will celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ and begin the Year of the Eucharist in our diocese but that\u2019s for next week.\u00a0 Today we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity.<\/p>\n

The Trinity is in one sense basic to our faith.\u00a0 We invoke the Trinity every time we make the Sign of the Cross, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.\u00a0 How much more basic can you get than that?<\/p>\n

While the Trinity is basic to our faith, it is also difficult to understand.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we call it a \u201cmystery\u201d.<\/p>\n

What is a mystery?\u00a0 Probably most times when we hear the word \u201cmystery\u201d it is in the context of solving a crime.\u00a0 In this sense of mystery, it is a problem to be solved or an answer to be found.<\/p>\n

If we look at the mystery of the Trinity as something to solved or answered, we might begin by turning to the Bible, the very Word of God.\u00a0 However, I will let you know that if you go looking for the word \u201ctrinity\u201d in the Bible you will not find this exact word.<\/p>\n

Does that mean the Trinity isn\u2019t real?\u00a0 Absolutely not!\u00a0 I said you can\u2019t find the exact word \u201ctrinity\u201d in the Bible but the concept of trinity is very much there, three persons but one God.<\/p>\n

Think of the story of Jesus\u2019 baptism.\u00a0 As Jesus is baptized, we hear the voice of God our Father say, \u201cThis is my beloved Son.\u201d\u00a0 Then the Holy Spirit comes down upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove.<\/p>\n

Looking elsewhere in the Bible, we can read Jesus\u2019 Farewell Discourse in chapters 14-17 of John\u2019s Gospel.\u00a0 Here Jesus talks about how he and the Father are one.\u00a0 He talks about how the Holy Spirit will come after him, sent by the Father.\u00a0 This discourse speaks of the unity <\/em>of the Trinity.\u00a0 Such a perfect unity is hard for us to imagine because our human faults make that level of unity a huge challenge for us.<\/p>\n

Jesus himself uses a Trinitarian formula when he tells the disciples to go out and baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit<\/em> (Matthew 28:19).<\/p>\n

Paul invocates the Trinity in our second reading today, \u201cThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 (This is the basis for the greeting I use at the beginning of Mass.)<\/p>\n

What about our other readings today?\u00a0 To be honest, they do not include all three persons of the Trinity.\u00a0 What they do include is something about God\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s gospel tells us of God\u2019s love, so great \u201cthat he gave his only Son<\/em>\u201d not to condemn us but to save us.\u00a0 There is nothing God won\u2019t do to save us.\u00a0 That is his perfect love<\/em><\/strong> for us.<\/p>\n

The first reading tells us God\u2019s name.\u00a0 The text uses the word \u201cLORD\u201d in all capital letters to tell us it is not simply the word \u201clord\u201d but that is God\u2019s name, God who is \u201cmerciful and gracious, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is difficult for us to put in human words an adequate description of God and the three persons of the Trinity.\u00a0 It is a mystery.\u00a0 The first reading has God coming down upon the mountain \u201cin a cloud.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Think of the cloud as mysterious and hidden.\u00a0 Hidden not because God doesn\u2019t want us to see him but hidden in the sense that we can\u2019t fully comprehend God.<\/p>\n

It is a mystery but God gives us the gift of faith.\u00a0 We can\u2019t solve the mystery of the Trinity.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have too.\u00a0 God gives us the gift to believe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Most Holy Trinity Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 Daniel 3:52-55 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18 Last week we celebrated Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit and that brought our Easter season to a close.\u00a0 That means we are now in Ordinary Time but for this Sunday and next we celebrate two feasts that our …<\/p>\n

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