First Reading: Proverbs 8:22-31 / Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 8:4-5.6-7a.7b-9 (R. 2a) Second Reading: Romans 5:1-5 / Gospel Acclamation: Cf. Rev. 1:8 / Gospel: John 16:12-15
Theme: The Triune God and His Plan of Love
The Sunday after Pentecost celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Having revealed himself to us as creator of the universe, the Father of all creation, he also showed himself as our redeemer through the salvific action of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man when humanity sinned against God. The process of creation and redemption was achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. In all these, we see God as triune, a community of three divine Persons bound by pure love, equal in power and essence and co-working at all times.
God is the God who is not a Deus absconditus (a run-away God), a God who created and left humanity to cater for itself. Not at all! The God of the Holy Bible is a loving God who is actively involved in human history and affairs. He is a God who intervenes in our lives and who is called Immanuel, “God-with-us” (Is. 7:14, Mt. 1:23). This is the nature of the Christian God. Truly, God is monotheistic, as believed in by Jews, Muslims and Christians. However, for Christians, this One God reveals himself in three Persons. So, for the Christian, God is a Monotheistic Trinity. Today’s readings will help deepen our understanding of the identity of the Christian God, who is three-in[1]one. Be that as it may, it is not enough to say we believe in God; it is important to know the God in which we believe, in a personal and intimate way! It must be an experiential knowledge. For this reason, today’s liturgy focuses our attention on this belief and how best we can live a practical trinitarian life wherever we are and with whomever we encounter. We need trinitarian ideals!
In the first reading, we are told that like a skilful architect, the Father creates with wisdom, not haphazardly or in a confused way. He is guided by a plan of salvation and of love. The heavens and earth, skies and seas, depths and springs, mountains and hills, fields and inhabited world, and human beings, were all created through the wisdom of God, the God who is an intelligent and a masterful Creator (cf. Prov. 8:23-31). Thus, overawed with the magnificence and beauty of creation, the Psalmist adores God singing: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name through all the earth!” (Ps. 8:2a). Particularly, he marvels and says: “When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him” (Ps. 8:4-5). We too should not lose the sense of wonder as we cast our gaze on the splendour of God’s creation. A simple look at the horizon should lead us to acknowledge God’s power and to adore the Father of all creation.
On the other hand, the second reading presents the work of the Son who glorifies the Father. Out of love for humanity, Jesus became human in order to redeem humanity. He did this through his suffering and death on the cross. By doing so, he put us right with God through our faith in him, so that we are at peace with God. This is the reconciliation he achieved for us. In this vein, St. Paul says: “Through him, we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God” (Rom. 5: 2). This hope will never disappoint us because God’s love “has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5). This is what we reflected and celebrated at Pentecost last Sunday!
Furthermore, the Gospel clarifies the work of the Holy Spirit, the one who brings to completion, the work of the Father and the Son. Consequently, Jesus says: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (Jn. 16:12-13). Jesus gives a clue to the role of the Spirit as the guide to the truth, and that all that belongs to the Father is that of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will make it known to the disciples (cf. Jn.16:15). In the two texts just cited above, all the three Persons of the Holy Trinity are noticeable. This is the mystery of relationship which characterises the one true God. The mission given by the Father to the Son is now being carried on by the Spirit through the Church. Thus, we are co-workers with the Spirit.
Beloved in Christ, our faith in the triune God has serious implications for Christian living. It is said in Latin, lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi which is interpreted as: “as we worship, so we believe, so we live.” Our Trinitarian belief must be seen in the way we relate with God, our neighbours and the self. There must be a relationship of unity and love first and foremost within the individual self. The body, mind and spirit must always be in a state of spiritual equilibrium to experience inner peace. To this end, we must not allow bodily desires to rule the mind and the spirit and justify it saying “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!” We need the principle of moderation or temperance as the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, taught. For Plato, the mind (rational part) must control the higher emotions (spirited part) and the lower emotions (appetitive part) as a charioteer controls his two horses with the bridle. However, for us Christians, this is possible when we become docile to the Spirit of God who would empower by teaching us how to submit the human will to the divine will, and thereby find true peace, harmony and progress.
Obviously, given the afore-stated, we notice that we need to build a love relationship with God, where we cooperate and unite ourselves with him through daily prayer. This also translates into love and service of God. Additionally, this love relationship with God must lead us to love God’s creation. If we are God’s children, then others too are, since he created them and he is “one God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all” (Eph. 4:6). So, we must weed out bigotry, racism, ethnocentrism, nepotism, exclusivism and all forms of division from marriage and family life, friendships, social groups, organisations and the comity of nations.
Additionally, we must protect our natural environment which is also God’s creation. Human activities which endanger flora and fauna, sources of water, land, sea and air must be stopped. Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness. Therefore, our love for God and his creation must show in the way we ‘treat’ the environment and also treat others wherever we find ourselves. May the triune God help us to translate our trinitarian belief into a loving way of living. Happy Trinity Sunday and may God richly bless us. Remember: #The-Triune-God-And-His-Plan-Of-Love#
