TRINITY SUNDAY
One week after the end of the Easter season on the feast of Pentecost we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. The reality of the Holy Trinity is, of course a mystery. But mysteries can be talked about. Mysteries have clues that our minds can grasp. But a mystery remains a mystery unless and until we look at it in its totality. However when it comes to God we simply cannot comprehend the total reality of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mysteries of one sort or another make up a good portion of our lives. Science has its mysteries, as does philosophy, as does psychology, as do other intellectual disciplines. They all have much within them to challenge our minds and our intellectual capacities. All of them contain unknown things that move us to seek out the answers within the mystery.
The Feast of the Trinity is unique in that the focus of our celebration is not an aspect of the history of salvation, but reflection on the nature of God as it has been revealed to us as Christians. This weekend we celebrate and reflect on our relationship with God and what our Creator and Redeemer has done for us. The scriptures remind us of our God’s graciousness and we rejoice in the God who has acted so mightily and lovingly on our behalf. The feast of Holy Trinity goes back to 12th century England and St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Historians say the great Thomas celebrated a Liturgy in honor of the Trinity in his cathedral. In the 14th century, the feast came to be observed by the universal Church. The first reading this Sunday is from the book of proverbs. Its description of the creation of the world is evidence of Wisdom. God’s wisdom declares it was created first, before the earth and oceans. Present during creation, it rejoiced beside God, delighting in the formation of the world and mankind. This writer sees creation as well put together in a functional manner only a Creator with great wisdom could have done such an intricate, complex, complicated job that creation was. In the second reading from Romans we are told that we are Justified by faith, we are at peace with God through Jesus, and rejoice in hope. Our sufferings produce endurance, character and hope that is filled with God’s love through the Holy Spirit.
The gospel presents Jesus speaking to the disciples. He spent three years teaching them, demonstrating how to grow in love with one another in their small but ever-expanding community. The reading also speaks of the power of presence and the power of the name. Ancient people placed great weight in presence; the way someone dressed and acted spoke of social power. Ancient people also chose names carefully; they believed a person’s name defined their strength of character. Both outward presence and inward character are part of the disciples’ experience. When the followers of Jesus saw the resurrected Lord and heard his command to go out to the whole world, they saw for themselves the Trinity in action. The feast of the Holy Trinity invites us to contemplate the mystery of the trinity God the Father Son and Holy Spirit 3 divine persons united as one. In faith hope and gratitude, let us pray with greater faith and reverence when we say “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Fullerton T 