Solemnity of the Holy Trinity; 30th May, 2021

 

May God bestow on us in today's Eucharistic celebration, the grace

 to realise that through our baptism we are called to share in the life of the Holy Trinity, as such we are in relationship with the Father, who generates us to a new life; with the Son, who saved us; and with the Holy Spirit, who communicates divine life to us.

Happy Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! Happy Sunday!

 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Deut. 4,32-34.39-40; Rom 8, 14-17; Matt 28,16-20: Solemnity of the Holy Trinity; 30th May, 2021)

The feast of God-Love fills our hearts with great joy, God invites us to share his love, to receive his generous love and respond to it with grateful love. The revelation of the Holy Trinity is very important, because it makes us understand that God is not a monolith, but a communion of Persons: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
The liturgy today offers us in the Gospel, the only text of the New Testament which presents the three names Father, Son and Holy Spirit together. There are many other texts that speak separately of these three Persons, but only the final part of the gospel of Matthew that presents the formula: in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This Gospel is prepared by a text of Deuteronomy which exalts God’s generosity in revealing himself and communicating his love. The second reading is a text from Paul that speaks of our relationship with the Father, thanks to the Holy Spirit, through Christ. Risen Jesus sends his disciples to teach all nations and baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All Christians have been baptised in the name of these three Persons. Therefore, our baptism has inserted us into the intimate life of the Trinity. Thanks to it, we are part of the divine family: we are in relationship with the Father, who generates us to a new life; with the Son, who saved us; and with the Holy Spirit, who communicates divine life to us. Thus, the ending of the Gospel of Matthew expresses the gift of God in a complete way. The Son of God became man to reveal the Father's love to us and to communicate the Holy Spirit to us. The incarnation and the redemption have the purpose of introducing us into the intimate life of God, which is a life of love. It is a love so strong that it causes the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to be one God: not in the unity of one person, but in the Trinity of one substance, as the Preface of the today’s Mass holds.

Our hearts can be filled with joy and gratitude for this gift of God. Perhaps we do not think enough about the privilege we have in participating in the life of the Trinity, being inserted into its mystery, not only with intellectual knowledge, but with living participation in it, which is very important. Knowing that God is united by three Persons is already a very important knowledge for us, but living in communion with the divine Persons is something even more precious.

In the first reading, Moses addresses the chosen people, making them appreciate divine generosity. The Lord revealed himself to the Jewish people. In Sinai the revelation, according to the book of Deuteronomy, reached all the people, who heard the voice of God speaking from the fire. Moses highlights this extraordinary relationship that has been established between God and the people, and asks:  Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living 
God speaking from the heart of fire, as you heard it, and remain alive? The people could remain as if crushed by this revelation. Moses continues: Has any god ventured  to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched, by fearsome terrors— all these that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt? Moses makes the Jews appreciate the divine initiative of the Sinai covenant, which has established a strong bond between a small people and the creator God of heaven and earth. No doubt it is impressive to see this divine benevolence towards a small people. But the Christian revelation still amazes us even more. In fact, this time it is a very intimate alliance. Jeremiah had announced a new covenant in which the law would be written in the hearts, a covenant characterised by an intimate relationship with God (cf. Jer. 31, 31-34); and Ezekiel had spoken of a new heart and a new spirit (cf. Ezek 36,25-28). This new covenant introduces believers to God's intimate life. God has revealed his profound mystery to men. With reason, people can come to recognize the existence of the Creator, but they cannot know the Trinity. This is a mystery that goes beyond the capabilities of human reasoning. It is a mystery that must be communicated by God himself with an initiative of love. It is not just a question of knowing, intellectually, the intimate mystery of God: this knowledge is not authentic if it is not at the same time personal participation in this mystery.
In the second reading, Paul tells us that we have received a spirit of adopted children through which we cry out: Abba, Father! The Spirit puts us in a very beautiful and deep relationship with God. The power of God can arouse in man a sense of fear and an attitude of a slave, because it is truly a power that infinitely exceeds human capacities. But Paul tells us: You did not receive the spirit of slaves to fall back into fear. God had the generosity to introduce us into his intimate life: a life of love, of family, which involves a filial relationship with him and makes us brothers of Christ. Our filial relationship, in fact, is participation in the filial relationship of the only begotten Son. With the difference, however, that we are adopted children, while only Christ is the Son of God in the fullest sense of the word: the only begotten Son of God, as we say in the Creed. This filial relationship that unites us to God and Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul says: The Spirit himself testifies to our spirit that we are children of God. We can turn to the Father in prayer with filial trust; we have the privilege of approaching him not with fear, but with confidence, thanks to the Holy Spirit, who testifies to us that we are children of God. Paul reminds us that this participation in the intimate life of the Trinity was made possible for us by the mystery of the Incarnation and of the Redemption wrought by Jesus, that is, by his passion and resurrection. Therefore, our participation in the life of the Most Holy Trinity is not authentic if we do not accept to participate in the sufferings of Christ, in order to also be able to participate in his glory. Our relationship with the Trinity is a source of great joy for us, but also of strong demands. Authentic love, in fact, involves all our human capacities and requires the offering of all of ourselves. Divine love is like a fire; therefore, it is demanding. But this shouldn't scare us. Instead, may we go forward with confidence, because God's grace sustains us and makes us progress in the life of love, which is a participation in the very life of the Most Holy Trinity. +John I. Okoye