Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Trinity Sunday - June 19, 2011 (Year A):
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." (2 Cor 13:13)
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (also known as Trinity Sunday) is a rather unique feast in the Church. Most solemnities and feasts revolve around the mysteries of the life of Christ, Our Blessed Mother, other important saints, or the marvels God has done for our salvation. Trinity Sunday, on the other hand, was instituted to honor the inner life and mystery of God as He has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - a mystery previously unknown before the coming of Christ. What I love about this solemnity is that it's a feast dedicated particularly to the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity; we're not praising God because He's done something marvelous for us, we're praising Him simply for who He is!
God is worthy of our praise and honor independently from what we stand to gain from worshiping Him. But like all things with God, everything He does for us and reveals to us is for our benefit. And we can benefit richly if, like Our Blessed Mother, we treasure the mystery of the Trinity and ponder it in our hearts (Luke 2:19). There are different ways to contemplate the Trinity, but today I'd like to start with a simple question: why did God choose to reveal His inner life to us (i.e. that He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)? For what purpose?
Let's face it, it would've been much easier to think about God as a solitary divine Being instead of having to grapple with the mystery of Him being "three divine Persons in one God". But God revealed Himself to us for a reason - and it wasn't to try and confuse us! The most profound motive can probably be summed up by saying that God chose to reveal the depths of His inmost being simply because perfect Love desires to communicate itself, be known, and ultimately loved. In revealing Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God discloses that His inner life is really an eternal communion of love - the love that the Father and Son share is the Holy Spirit. This gives us a whole new insight into the Father and the Son's gift of
the Holy Spirit to the Church at Pentecost, and to each of us in the
Sacraments of baptism and confirmation! He pours all of His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)!
Thanks to the revelation of the mystery of the Trinity, we also learn some profoundly significant truths about ourselves. First of all, we see that creation doesn't spring from some haphazard cosmic concoction, but rather the order, goodness, and beauty in creation originates in and is reflective of the overflowing love and goodness found in the heart of God. What is more, we, haven been created in the image and likeness of God, reflect the communion of love, goodness, and beauty of God in a unique way. We have been "engineered" or made for communion with God and one another. We see this most powerfully in our natural desire to be loved perfectly, and to have the opportunity to love fully. In fact, we can say with confidence that these two dimensions of love express the deepest meaning of human existence, and the only way to authentic personal fulfillment. It's no wonder that the two greatest commandments have to do with (1) the love of God and (2) the love of neighbor. If we truly desire to achieve our full potential, we cannot do it apart from a life of grace (i.e. the Love and life of God). We must first receive humbly the Love we were created for - which no human love can replace - and with the strength of God's Love dwelling within us through grace, we can begin to love others as God has loved us.
By contemplating and praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may we grow in a deeper knowledge and love of God, and become a clearer reflection of divine love to those God places in our lives. God bless you!
(Photo of "The Most Holy & Undivided Trinity" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)
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