The Most Holy Trinity
Exodus 34: 4-6, 8-9 2 Cor 13: 11-13 John 3: 16-18
When it comes to considering the Blessed Trinity we are sometimes inclined to over-philosophise and reduce our meditation and contemplation to mental gymnastics and theological words and terms. The doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is a mystery!This mystery is something to be savoured and enjoyed through the gift of Faith which has recently been enriched through our liturgical celebrations of Easter and Pentecost.
When Jesus came to ‘explain’ the Trinity He did it one-to-one. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dead of night – so that no one could see him! But the ‘dead of night’ and the silence of the hour was the perfect setting for Jesus to reveal to Nicodemus the Life of God and God’s plan for the world.
Jesus explained: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life”. This is a summary of the entire message of evangelisation, the Good News. God loved us and sent His Son to save us in the power of the Spirit. It is a story in three acts: the story of the three divine persons in our lives.
God the Father is the one who fathers, gives life. Sometimes when we use the word ‘creator’ it may seem clinical, akin to engineering! Giving life is real and the wonder is not how did God give us life, but why did God create us? God loved the world so much that He wanted to share his own life – God did not want to be alone!
But God gave us freedom too. This gift of freedom, which is an essential part of love has been misused. We had wandered away from the life of God. And still God did not abandon us.
The second act of the story of salvation is that because God loved us so much He sent his only Son to be our saviour. The mission of Jesus was not to condemn us, not to pronounce judgement or trample down sinners. He came to take away our sins. God, in speaking to Nicodemus, tells us that the way to salvation is: ‘belief in the name of God’s only Son.’
The third act of the story is about that Faith in the Son of God which requires the grace of Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been promised and sent to us so that we can proclaim Jesus as Saviour and Lord. So, it is fitting that having celebrated Pentecost and received the Holy Spirit, we now celebrate the life of the Trinity in which we share.
Because we cannot fully return God’s love for us we rely on the Holy Spirit to express our Faith in God. Saint John again assures us that what is important is, ‘not our love for God but God’s love for us.’ (1 John 4:10)
We rejoice today in our Faith, Trust and Love given by the Spirit. We pray with St Augustine “I believe Lord, help my unbelief” and maybe we can add, ‘I love you, Lord, help my weak heart’!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit