Dear Parish Family,
Today’s celebration, the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, reminds us that we belong to the fullness of God. When we were baptized, we baptized in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The readings each give a glance at one of the Persons of the Trinity. In the first reading from Exodus God came down froma cloud and proclaimed His Name, “Lord.” Or perhaps it was the angelic hosts that cried out, “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” These are the attributes given to the first person of the Trinity, the Father. The Gospel proclaims that God’s love is so great, that He gave his Son to us to save us from the assault of evil. The second reading from Second Corinthians presents Father, Son and Spirit as St. Paul prays that we continue to enjoy the union with the Holy Spirit, the Power of God working through us and uniting us into the Church.
The heart of the mystery is simply that God dwells within us. In John 14 Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” He is not out there somewhere. He is in here, in the spiritual life that makes a human a child of God. Jesus promised us that He would never leave us alone, and we are not alone. He is with us always, not just outside of us, but within us. The ability to call upon the power of God and the ability to be vehicles of this power forever is the gift of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Our dignity as sons and daughters of God is far more than a title. We have been claimed by God. We belong to Him. He belongs to us. We have to keep this in mind when others present as normal that where God is not found. We need to ask ourselves, “Is God in the room, in the house, at the party?” If people are enjoying His gifts while still honoring His Presence, then we know He is there. If people are flaunting the basic dictates of morality, then we know He is there. And we know that it is beneath our dignity as children of God to be there ourselves.
Modern society follows the so-called “I-and-I” principle of unbridled individualism and the resulting consumerism. But the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity challenges us to adopt an “I-and-God-and-neighbor” principle: “I am a Christian insofar as I live in a relationship of love with God and other people.” Like God the Father, we are called upon to be productive and creative persons by contributing to the building up of the fabric of life and love in our family, our Church, our community, and our nation. Like God the Son, we are called upon to reconcile, to be peacemakers, to put back together that which has been broken, and to restore what has been shattered. Like God the Holy Spirit, it is our task to uncover and teach Truth and to dispel ignorance.