We have Father who is the creator, Son, the redeemer and the Holy Spirit the sanctifier. This is the mystery of the Trinity of persons in the one God. It can be appreciated only with the “eye of faith.” Hence St. Paul’s prayer becomes important today: “May the Lord enlighten the eye of your minds … (Eph. 1:18)
Today’s first reading reminds us of the many facets of God. There is the creative action of God the Father, forming the world and all that the world contains. It portrays God, not as an authoritarian remote figure but someone intimately accessible to the created world. Hence, he encourages us to strengthen our faith in God by simply obeying his commandments.
In the second reading, St. Paul tells us how God’s love has been made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ. We see God as Son in Jesus, the visible and human revelation and the manifestation of God’s love and compassion for the whole world. In Jesus the transcendent and unknowable God is presented to us in such a way that we can easily reach out to him. Jesus builds a bridge between the human and the divine.
In the Gospel, Christ himself revealed the mystery of the three divine persons to us. He revealed this with a mandate: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This is the Trinitarian Formula. So, any sincere prayer offered in the name of the Trinity bears a mark of excellence. Today, the church reminds us that the three divine persons are not divided in their actions of grace. Instead, they work and walk together.
The doctrine of the Trinity is about how God relates with us and how we are called and challenged to relate to one another. It is about what it means to be persons created in the image of the one who is love. Hence the Trinity is profoundly relevant to our everyday lives. To be human means to be like the God who created us, the God in whom we live and move and have our being; the God who chose to make his home among us through his son, the God who lives within us through his Spirit. To become like this God of love means to live in relationships of love and respect, not only with our fellow humans, but with all God’s creatures – all with whom we share the gift of life. In other words, we are called to participate fully in the Trinitarian communion of Father, Son and Spirit through our loving communion with one another and with all creation. Our liturgy today invites us to acknowledge and deepen our participation in the Trinitarian communion of Father, Son and Spirit.
Today’s celebration has much to teach us about unity in our relationships, friendships, marriages, families and communities. It also reminds us that despite our different talents, gifts, social and economic levels, we can live and work together for our salvation and the salvation of the world. It reminds us that our different personalities will become our strength rather than our weakness or the cause of our disintegration if we remain united. For their love and unity, let us praise the most Holy Trinity: Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fr. Alex Osei
SSC-USA Spiritual Director