Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, Year B, May 26, 2024

“Believing in a Triune God means believing in a hospitable God, who welcomes us and allows us to dwell in the communion of his love.” Happy Sunday!!!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Deut 4,32-34.39-40; Psalm 32 (33); Romans 8,14-17; Matt 28,16-20; Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, Year B, May 26, 2024)

“I am with you always, until the end of the world” (Matt 28,20). The great promise of Jesus, with which the Gospel according to Matthew ends, resounds again this year in the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is good for us to listen to it, for at least two reasons. First of all because there is a word of consolation in a time of crisis and confusion. Jesus addresses it to the disciples who, after having all abandoned him, are reunited again by a word of forgiveness and peace, now offered to them freely. The evangelist writes that, “when they saw him, they fell prostrate. But they doubted” (28,17). The contrast between these two verbs outlines a Church that is still relevant today. The faith that prostrates itself in adoration, the faith that doubts. The Christian community has always been like this, and it is precisely to a community like this that the Risen One promises his presence: I will be with you, who are at the same time capable of adoration and of little faith.

In addition to consolation, the word of the Risen One is a word of judgement, which requires discernment. I am with you. His way of being remains with us, continuing to judge our life and calling us to conversion. What are the signs of transformation that the love of the Father, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of communion wish to bring about in us? The word of God that we hear this year helps us to focus our gaze on at least three fruits of this Trinitarian action in our personal and community existence.

Deuteronomy reminds us that the first fruit is listening to the word of God. “Was there ever such a great thing as this?”, asks Moses, “that a people heard the voice of God speak and remained alive?” (Dt 4,32-33). We too, like Israel, can listen to the word of God and remain alive; that is, we can listen to the word of God and find in it an inexhaustible source for our life in order to live well and to achieve a happy, fulfilled life.

The second fruit reminds us of prayer about which Paul writes to the Romans. We too have received the Spirit through whom we cry: “Abba! Father” (see Rom 8,15). We can pray to God and call him Father in the mentality of children. Only Jesus can truly say: “Abba”, but by abiding in the love of the Trinity we can also say: “Father”.

The third fruit, given to us by Matthew, is discipleship: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28.19). We are disciples and we are sent by the Risen One to allow others to become disciples in turn, like us.

These three fruits qualify our remaining in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They identify our being a Christian community that dwells in the Trinitarian communion. They give us three fundamental attitudes to live in our own community relationships, whether in a religious community, or in a family community, or in a parish community. By listening, we mean, the ability to welcome and to take care of each other; truly listening is not only listening to the words that the other says to me, but also to his need, his desire, his effort, his hope. Prayer, helps me in recognizing that I need not only God, but also others, the brother of my community, my father, my mother or my son. Praying to God should educate us to live in trust not only towards the Father who is in heaven, but also towards one another. Finally, being disciples means living in the awareness that until the end of our lives we always need to learn from each other, because no one is enough in himself/herself and everyone must look at the other as someone from whom he/she can receive something and who in turn can donate something. They are three very simple, everyday dimensions, which however, if lived with sincerity and coherence, can truly change the life of a community, a family, a parish. And they can allow us to say truthfully: we are gathered in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Believing in a Triune God means believing in a hospitable God, who welcomes us and allows us to dwell in the communion of his love. We (Matthew reminds us again) have been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by virtue of the baptism received we live every moment of our lives immersed in the love of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit. We are in God. We live in God. And in the space of this love we are never cramped, it is a very large and hospitable space, in which there is room for everyone; from which no one is excluded or prevented from entering. Jesus reminds us clearly in the Gospel of John: “In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, would I have ever said to you: "I'm going to prepare a place for you"? When I am gone and have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you with me, because where I am you may be also” (John 14,2-3). Jesus wants us to also live where he dwells, that is, in the love of the Father and in the communion of the Spirit. Obeying the word of Jesus which is given to us today by Matthew, going to all the peoples of the earth to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit means precisely this, going and announcing this beautiful news to everyone: we can enter and dwell permanently in the love of God. + John I. Okoye.

(graphics by Chukwubike)

Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity: 7th June 2020

 May our profession of faith in the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity obtain for us, through this Sunday's Eucharistic celebration, forgiveness of our sins, thereby making us worthy to share in God's love and to manifest same in our interaction with our neighbours.

Happy Sunday! 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH


(Exodus 34,4b-6.8-9; 2 Cor 13,11-13; John 3, 16-18: Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity: 7th June 2020)

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When one thinks of the Trinity, for the most part, only the aspect of the mystery comes to mind: there are three and they are one, one God in three Persons. Instead, today's liturgy draws our attention to the aspect of love that is expressed by the mystery of the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, because God is love: The Father gives everything to the Son; the Son receives everything from the Father with gratitude; and the Holy Spirit is like the fruit of this mutual love of the Father and the Son. The texts of this Mass speak a lot on the theme of love. They do not speak so much of the three Persons - there is only one sentence in the second reading which mentions the three Persons: the Lord Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Spirit, and the mention is in reference to love.

Today we celebrate the feast of the God of love. This feast can give us great joy, because it offers us a very positive perspective. God is not conceived as a solitary single monolith, but as the union of three persons in love. These persons are also full of love for all creatures and, in particular, for us men.

The first reading, taken from the book of Exodus, expresses a surprise, because the revelation of the love of God comes after a very serious sin on the part of the people. The covenant has just ended, and the people already become unfaithful to God. Since Moses has gone away and did not return, the people asked Aaron to make for them a visible god who can be honoured with idolatrous ceremonies. Aaron consented to the people’s request. Descending from Sinai, Moses realised this very serious sin and broke the tables of the covenant (boards on which the conditions of the covenant with God are written) and which, therefore, represent the covenant. But despite this very serious sin of the people, God, through the intercession of Moses, decided to forgive them. He invited Moses back to Mount Sinai with two other stone tablets similar to the previous ones, to receive his law again, this fundamental gift that allows man to have a privileged relationship with him. Moses then asked God to reveal himself, to show him his face. And God revealed his being as full of mercy and love: The Lord stepped before Moses proclaiming: The Lord, the Lord, merciful and compassionate God, slow to anger and rich in grace and faithfulness. This definition of God manifests his merciful love: a love that conquers sin, covers and eliminates it. There can be no clearer revelation. We have a God who renounced destroying sinners but, instead, wants to manifest his love in an even more profound and surprising way on the occasion of sins.

The gospel completes this revelation, because it shows how God revealed his mercy. John affirms: God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die, but have eternal life. The world is bad, men are sinners, God could come to judge this world and, therefore, destroy evil and chastise sinners. Instead he loves the world, despite its sin, and sends into the world what he holds most precious: his only-begotten Son. Not only does he send him, but he gave him to the world: God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son. We know what this giving entails: God gave his only-begotten Son to erase the sins of men with his sacrifice, to save sinners by his death. God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world would be saved through him. The gift of God is his Son, born for us, lived for us; the Son who dedicated himself with such generosity to heal the sick, forgive sinners, welcome everyone and teach the divine truth to illuminate all our existence. Responding to the love that comes from the Father, the Son gave his life for us. He himself says: The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in ransom for many (Matt 20,28 ff). God-love was manifested in this way. 

Whoever believes in him is freed from sin, and so does not go to meet the second death, but obtains eternal life, the life of communion with him. Eternal life, in fact, is precisely being partakers of divine love in heaven. Man was created by God to be loved by him and so that man also in turn will love him. We must allow ourselves to be penetrated by this profound doctrine which is manifested, above all with the cross of Jesus. It is on the cross that God gives his Son in the most possible generous way. It is on the cross that Jesus loves us and delivers himself for us. It is on the cross that he obtains participation in the eternal life, which is communicated to us by the Holy Spirit given to us. Thus the three divine persons are present in the mystery of the cross: the Father, who gave his only begotten Son with such generosity; the Son, who perfectly fulfilled the Father's plan; the Holy Spirit, fruit of the cross of Jesus, who comes to transform our existence and make us partakers of divine life, that is, of divine love. The Evangelist continues: Whoever believes in him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Sinners who believe in Jesus obtain the forgiveness of their sins and the strength not to commit serious sins anymore. But, those who do not believe refuse the salvation offered and thus condemn themselves. It is not God who lacks love, but is the sinner who insists on not accepting this love, and thus condemns himself. He neither believes in the only begotten Son of God nor in the love shown on the cross nor in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the second reading Paul addressed these exhortations: Be glad, strive for perfection, take courage from each other, have the same feelings, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. In the expression, the God of love and peace, again we have a revelation of God as love, and merciful love, who proposes reconciliation and, through it, peace. Paul said: It was God who reconciled the world in Christ to himself (2 Cor5,19). And the first words of the risen Jesus were not words of condemnation for the sinners who made him die cruelly, but, Peace be with you! (John 20,19.21.26). Christ's love is revealed with the gift of peace. And Christians live in peace, in brotherly love, which manifests itself, as Paul said, with the holy kiss: Greet one another with the holy kiss. The Christian community must be a community full of love. In every Eucharist (outside the COVID-19 pandemic time) we are invited to exchange a sign of peace: a handshake, which expresses affection and union. Paul concluded his letter to the Corinthians with a threefold wish of thanks, in which he names the three persons of the Trinity: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. 

This final greeting of the letter is one of the usual formulas for the initial greeting of the Mass. The liturgy specifies: The love of God the Father, to indicate even more clearly that it is a Trinitarian formula. The three terms that are associated with the three divine people are terms that express love. The love of God the Father, for the Father this term is very clear. God the Father is the source of love, and he passes his love through the Son to communicate the Holy Spirit to us. In the term, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, Grace here means generous love. Offering something like grace means offering it for free. The expression, the communion of the Holy Spirit, indicates communion in love. The Holy Spirit unites us in divine love. And we are full of joy, because we receive from him this current of love, which enables us to overcome all difficulties and progress constantly in union with Jesus and in the love that comes from the Father. The solemnity of the Holy Trinity is the feast of God-love, which should fill our hearts with joy and, what is more, open them to a life that is truly docile to the love that comes from him. The Christian vocation is precisely welcoming divine love which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Love comes from the Father, it is communicated to us by Jesus in his sacrifice which the Holy Mass renders present and has as its goal communion in the Holy Spirit. Let us then gratefully welcome this revelation, and try to realise it more and more each day: in the life of prayer, family life and work life. May Glory be to the God of Love! Glory be to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end. Happy Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity! +John I. Okoye

(GRAPHICS  BY Chukwubike)

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 27/05/2008

May your Baptism in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit be fully verified in your life of love to your needy neighbours as true sons and daughters of God. Happy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Deut, 4,32-34.39-40; Rom, 8,14-17; Matthew 28,16-20; Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)

            We begin our reflection on the mystery of the Blessed Trinity,  the solemnity which we celebrate today, by bringing to mind the words of Jesus in today’s gospel reading: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Christ did not only receive immortal life through his victory over death but also the dominion/lordship of the universe. He has power over everything. He received this power from God the Father. This power is unlimited and embraces all things and is exercised both in heaven and on earth. All things that appear in heaven and on earth depend on Jesus and are under his control. Life and salvation of the people are in his hands. It is only when people recognise him as their Lord, that they will be able to reach their salvation. Having, therefore, the full possession of universal power, Jesus gives directives for universal mission: Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations. As the Lord of all the people, he sent disciples to all men. No people, persons or generation of peoples are excluded from this commission. Jesus’ appeal should reach every one; all should be able to know him. In his activity, Jesus did not use force to get people to follow him; he simply disseminated his message and called disciples to follow him freely. The disciples should now continue his work in the same way; without using force but through their word and their exemplary lives, with the power of the Holy Spirit and strengthened by the continuous presence and the powerful assistance of Jesus. It is true that they do not see him visibly, but he never abandoned them and continues to be by their side: And know that I am with you always; yes to the end of time.

            Being a disciple means living one’s life according to Jesus’ example. The disciple should be able to win people to this type of life which consists in communion of life with Jesus and in following him. We cannot be disciples of Jesus, and therefore Christians, if we  remain far from him. We are disciples of Jesus only when we live in close communion with him. We cannot belong to Jesus, if we welcome only part of his messages, doing so according to our tastes and moods; we belong to him if we allow him to indicate the way to communion with him. We become complete disciples through baptism: Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is not just an exterior rite as the words of baptism are not exterior formula. In baptism what is symbolised in the rite and which are expressed through words is realised: we become immersed, we are completely inserted in the realm of power, protection and life of the Blessed Trinity.

            The essential nucleus of Jesus’ message is seen in his message about God. Jesus reveals God as Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Jesus lives among his disciples the life of the Son of God with the full knowledge of love of the Father, with an unlimited confidence/trust in the Father and unconditional obedience to him. God recognises him as his Son (John 3,17; 17,5) and the disciples could confess him as the Son of God (John 14,33; 16,16). Jesus accomplishes his work with the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3,16; 12,18). Through him, the Father is recognised as the Father, who is equal to him. The Father and Son are  linked to themselves with an extraordinary mutual understanding of love and knowledge.

            The Old Testament recognises God as the creator of heaven and earth and all that are in them. In this perspective, all around God are all his creatures and all of them are essentially and infinitely different from him. There is none among his creatures with whom God can enter into communion. But with Jesus, his Son, this is possible and both of them are united by the Holy Spirit in divine love of mutual knowledge, understanding and in a communion of fullness of life and equality. We are baptised in the name of this God who is in himself communion. Baptism places us under his protection and under the power of this God. Through baptism, God has inserted us among his own beloved ones, we belong to him. Through baptism, we are lifted unto the family of God, we become sons and daughters of God. God who lives in himself the intimate and familiar communion of the Father and Son, welcomes us in this communion.

            With the instruction: Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, Jesus notes that following him and living in communion with the Trinitarian God, will not be realised anyhow. We cannot wish to be linked to God and live in communion with him and at the same time despise his will and serve other gods in various ways. Jesus indicated to his disciples that doing the will of the Father is a necessary condition for communion with the Blessed Trinity. The disciples of Jesus have the responsibility to instruct, in this regard, all those who come to know Jesus through them and who through baptism will be welcomed into God’s family.

            The risen Jesus reveals himself to his disciples as the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not command with force but wishes to win for himself, through the apostles, all people. Jesus appeared to his eleven apostles as one who received from God the Father full power over heaven and earth. He gave them the duty of universal mission: all people of all generations are destined to become disciples of Jesus, accept the revelation of God  from him and order their way of life according to his teachings. Central to the work of Jesus is the revelation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the revelation, that is of God who in himself is communion and love. The disciples participation in this divine life commences through baptism, is brought into maturity during life and will be perfected in the eternal life. May our participation in the communal life of the Holy Trinity therefore, help us to show active love to one another especially to our needy brothers and sisters. Happy celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! +John Okoye

(PIXTURES  BY CHUKWUBIKE )

Pentecost Sunday; Year B

May the Holy Spirit bestow on you his numerous gifts and may the fruits of the same Spirit be abundant in your life. Happy Solemnity of Pentecost. +John I. Okoye

           DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 2,1-11; Galatians 5,16-25; John 15, 26-27; 16, 12-15”: Pentecost Sunday; Year B)

          The Pentecost represents the triumphal conclusion of the paschal mystery. The Paschal Mystery; the event comprising the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven is capped with Jesus sending the Holy Spirit on the Apostles as he had promised. Jesus died to give us the Holy Spirit that puts us in direct contact with the life of the Blessed Trinity. The feast of Pentecost has diverse aspects which are expressed through the readings of today. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles narrates the episode of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The second reading indicates the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. The gospel reading dwells on the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian witness and in the deepening of the Christian faith.

          The external manifestations that accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit were all phenomena associated with a theophany, an experience of God. For example, thunder accompanied God’s revelation at Sinai (cf. Exod 19,16); God spoke to Job from the whirlwind (Job 38,1) and to Moses from the burning bush (Exod 3,2). The text of the first reading reports that these phenomena were audible and visible while the actual outpouring of the Spirit was not. However, as those in the room were filled with the Spirit, they began to speak in other languages, a feat that could only have some supernatural origin.The same Greek word (glossa) is used for the tongues of fire that appeared above each one and for the foreign tongues that were subsequently spoken. There is a question whether the reference here is to communicative speech (foreign tongues) or ecstatic speech called “glossolalia.” Since the people who came to see what had happened did understand the bold proclamations of these Spirit-filled preachers, the meaning here seems to be communicative rather than ecstatic speech (w. 6-11).The crowd that gathered because of the loud noise was confused, astonished, and amazed. They knew that those speaking were Galileans. Yet the hearers were able to understand the message in their own dialect. It was clearly a manifestation of the universal presence and power of the Spirit. Some commentators believe that it demonstrated the reversal of the fragmentation of peoples that occurred when languages were confused after the people attempted to construct the tower of Babel (cf. Gen 11,1-9). The Outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel to all nations are seen by some as the reuniting of the human race and the gathering of all into God’s reign.

          In the gospel, Jesus announces the coming of the Holy Spirit emphasising two ideas. The first is that the disciples will bear witness to him: And you too will be witnesses. It is the Holy Spirit that will bestow, on the disciples, the extraordinary power to bear witness to Christ. According to the narrative of the first reading, this feat was realised immediately on the day of Pentecost. Peter, who during the passion of Jesus did not have the courage to bear witness to Christ and denied him three times, immediately after the reception of the Spirit took up courage to speak to the Jews about the passion and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit by whose power and inspiration the faith of the Church is diffused in all the parts of the world and the courage of Christians to submit to martyrdom in order to bear witness to Christ. Jesus also declared that the Spirit of truth will guide the Christian in the acquisition of the truth: But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth… During his public life Jesus spoke and acted, worked miracles but the disciples were not able to understand. All seemed strange and superficial to them and did not penetrate into them. But with the coming of the Holy Spirit they came to know the whole truth. This is to say, that the Holy Spirit revealed to them, in the interiority of their being, the meaning of all the works Jesus did and the full implication of the Paschal mystery. The work of the Holy Spirit was to make clearer who Jesus was and what he taught. The Spirit speaks not about himself but will tell you of what he has learnt… since all he will tell you will be taken from what is mine. The work of the Holy Spirit is not a new revelation that has no rapport with the incarnation of the Son of God. The Spirit will excite interior and essential action for the Christian faith, hope and charity. The Holy Spirit is an interior power that brings light, and makes everything lively relating everything to the ministry of Jesus. 

          In the second reading Paul indicates that our Christian life should be guided by the Holy Spirit. If the Galatians, Paul’s immediate audience, and we  are to be guided by the Holy Spirit we  have to decide either following the desires of the flesh or those of the spiritFlesh(sarx), which means body, includes everything that pertains to physical existence or life in this world. It also refers to the weakness of physical existence. The law seeks to control the behaviour that results from this weakness. When the law is unsuccessful in its attempt to control, the works of the flesh produce sexual depravity (immorality, impurity, lust), religious infidelity (idolatry, sorcery), social discord (hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, dissensions, factions, envy), and disorderly behaviour (drunkenness, orgies). Those who follow this way forfeit their right to inherit the kingdom of God.Spirit(pneuma) means wind, breath, spirit, and thus it connotes the principle of life. It also refers to the noble aspects of human life. It is used to speak of the spirit of living things (specifically humans) as well as the Spirit of God. When Paul contrasts the spirit and the flesh, he seems to be referring to the spiritual dimension of the individual, which is an intrinsic aspect of the person (w. 16-17). When he contrasts the Spirit and the law, he seems to be speaking of the Spirit of God (v. 18). Paul not only contrasts the way of the flesh and that of the spirit, he also describes the conflict that exists between them. They appear to be opposing inclinations within human beings, not forces external to them. Because they are within us we constantly experience the conflict of their opposition, and we frequently suffer the consequences of this conflict. We may not act in ways that we intend (v. 17; cf. Rom 7,15-20). Paul recognises that choosing the way of the spirit over the way of the flesh is a lifelong process.The reading ends with a play on meanings. Just as Jesus’ flesh (physical body) was crucified, so those who belong to Christ crucify their flesh (human weaknesses). Doing this, they have chosen the way of the spirit over the way of the flesh. Paul exhorts the Galatians and us to follow this Spirit. This is because the Spirit creates harmony, peace and joy. The principal fruit of the Spirit is love which gives rise to joy and peace. Love is also manifested through patience, benevolence, goodness, fidelity and meekness. Our ideal is to live according to the Spirit. When we are to take a decision we should allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. We need prayer for this. For we receive the Holy Spirit through prayer. The light/illumination of the Holy Spirit comes to us through prayer and the love he pours on us comes even in prayer. In fact, if we live in the Spirit (it is to be borne in mind that from the moment of our Baptism we have the Spirit in us, we are his temple) we should walk/act according to the Spirit. We should therefore, leave ourselves to be guided by the Spirit and then we will be sure to have a good life, a life that will give us full joy that will be to the advantage of even the people with whom we live or come in contact. Come Holy Spirit and fill our hearts and enkindle in them the fire of your love! Amen! Happy Solemnity of Pentecost! +John I. Okoye

Holy Trinity Sunday: Year A

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you from now till the end of your life. Happy Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity! + John I. Okoye 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Exodus 34,4-6.8-9;  2 Cor 13,11-13; John 3,16-18: Holy Trinity Sunday: Year A)

            Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity which is the origin and destination of every liturgical celebration. During Advent and Christmas the Church meditated on God’s merciful love for sending his Son into the world. During Lent and Easter we contemplated the infinite goodness of the Son of God who gave his life for us and rose on the third day. At the feast of Pentecost the Church celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit that was sent by the Father and the Son to bring to completion the work of salvation. After
these memorable celebrations of the history of salvation, the church deems it a necessary opportunity to unite in a single celebration, the three divine persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. From Jesus’ teaching we can affirm that the Blessed Trinity, that is the existence of only one God in three equal and distinct Persons, is a reality and not a figment of the mind. There are several gospel passages, especially in the gospel of John, that refer to this mystery. We have for example: I came from the Father into this world; now I am leaving the world and returning to my Father (John 16,18); Believe me, I am in the Father and the Father is in me (John 14,11); the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (John 14, 26). We have the same attestation in the mandate of Jesus to his Apostles: Go and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28,19). The existence of the Blessed Trinity is not in doubt as we can see from the revelation made by Jesus himself. However, it is not possible for us, as long as we are in this world, to comprehend with our finite minds, the mystery of the Blessed Trinity; the mystery of God. The reasonable approach in contemplating this mystery is to make effort to know and appreciate how God manifests Himself, and what are the signs of his presence and actions. Today’s three readings will aid us in this regard.

    The first reading from the Book of Exodus follows the apostasy of the people in worshipping the golden calf. Moses ascends the mountain again to intercede, offering his own life for the people. This evokes yet another revelation of God as a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, rich in kindness and fidelity, truly a God who knows the suffering and weakness of humanity and is constantly summoning them back to his love and mercy. The gospel reading from John contains one of the most-quoted New Testament text: God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. In this passage, Jesus reveals the face or nature of God not in his essence as God but in what He did and does still in favour of the people. The God who heard the cries of his people in Egypt, witnessed their affliction, and came down to save them (Exod 3,7-10) now sends his Son, the Word-made-flesh (John 1,14) so that the world, that is everyone who believes in him, may be saved.  God the Father loved the world and sent his Son, the Son in his personal commitment accepted to be made man and sacrificed his own life for the salvation of man. In the short passage from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Saint Paul offers us, not only an explicit affirmation of the existence of the Blessed Trinity, but also the fact that the Blessed Trinity is present and works in us, if we do not break our relationship with the three Divine Persons through sin. That is why St. Paul had to wish the Corinthians and us: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Jesus had indeed clearly affirmed: If anyone loves me...even my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home in him (John 14,23). St. Paul adds an important fact, which is, that God of love and peace shall be with us if we strive for perfection, seek to support and help one another and live in harmony and peace.

Reflecting on this solemnity of the Blessed Trinity we note that God who is beyond our comprehension is also the God who has came down into the chaos of our world in order to save us. We see this in both the first reading and the gospel. The covenant language in the reading from Exodus underscores God’s unfathomable goodness. God’s graciousness and mercy are not rewards for our fidelity but are instead extended to us in our sinfulness. It is God’s saving grace that transforms us, not any merit on our part. In the gospel we are assured that Jesus was sent into the world to save it not to condemn it. Such openness and love is so unlike human sentiments. It is understandable that all we can do is stand in awe before such a stupendous love. What should then be our response to God’s immense love for us? The response to the responsorial psalm, To You glory and praise for evermore suggest that our primary response to God should be one of praise. God is full of blessings and has bestowed this blessings upon us for no other reason than that He loves us. There has never been a time when this was not true, from the time of our ancestors to the present day. There is no place over which God does not gloriously rule: in the heights, over the depths, in the Temples on earths and from the throne of heaven. Words cannot explain God’s wonder: all they can do is to repeat our praise. Our praise of God should not be only in words but also in deeds especially actions of charity towards our needy brothers and sisters. We can also praise God in our efforts to maintain and preserve the life of the Blessed Trinity that was poured into our souls as sanctifying grace at our baptism. May we, therefore, continue this life of praise to God until the relationship of love between everyone of us and the Blessed Trinity which began at Baptism, matures into complete and inseparable union in the kingdom of heaven.  Happy Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity +John I. Okoye

Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity; Year C 2016

                                          DOCTRINE  AND  FAITH
(Proverbs 8, 22-31; Romans 5,1-5; John 16, 12-15: Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity;   Year C  2016)

   Glory be to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Today the church celebrates the solemnity of the Blessed Trinity: the mystery of Three Persons in One God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, all having the same Nature but three distinctive Persons. The existence of such Godhead is the summit of the revelation which our Lord Jesus made and the focal point of our salvation. This feast glorifies the central mystery of our faith, a mystery based on the way the three divine persons relate to one another, ad intra. The readings of the solemnity can shed much light on the way each of the divine persons relates to us, ad extra.
     The first reading from the book of Proverbs presents to us the mysterious figure of the Woman Wisdom. She is not human, and one is not sure that she is divine. She was at the beginning of creation, was named the first of God’s ways, the one before all of the other deeds of God. She was present and active during God’s wondrous acts of creation. Was she there as a craftsperson/architect or simply as a nursling? (depending on how one understands  the Hebrew word amon). Even if she was active in the primordial events of creation, it was God who really did the creation. During God’s creating activities there were not the usual traces of cosmic battle as used to be associated with some ancient creation myths. The only contender was God who effortlessly established order, harmony and tranquility in the entire universe. The would be contenders such as the heavens, stars, and the seas have been tamed to cooperate and given boundaries they were not to trespass. If the Wisdom Woman acted as craftsperson or an architect for this magnificent project, then the principles of wisdom are woven into the very fabric of creation. This would explain the order that can be discerned within its working. The realisation of this harmonious universe evokes joy and delight.  God delights in the Wisdom Woman and the Wisdom Woman rejoices before God in praise. But the attention of the Wisdom Woman is not focused on God only. She takes delight in the inhabited part of the earth and in the human race, thereby showing interest in us. This reading (as well as the responsorial psalm) celebrates the marvels of creation and by inference, the marvellous creator who brought them into being. Contemplating the order, beauty and harmony in creation should always lead us to sing songs of praise to God. Such contemplation of God’s work should lead to religious experiences that bring us nearer to our Creator, God the Father, day by day. The Wisdom Woman delights in God’s works of creation. We are not only to delight in it but also to be co-responsible with God the Father for its sustenance, renewal, just as our Holy Father, Pope Francis,  exhorts us in the Laudatosi.
    God had delight in the world he created for it was marvellous and good! In the creation narrative of the book of Genesis (Chapter One), the result of God’s creative activity each day was described as good. Unfortunately, this goodness did not last, sin entered not only to mar God’s creation, but also to cause the separation of God from man, to establish conflict among men and to give rise to suffering, pain and eventual death. God did not abandon man in his helplessness after sinning but in the fullness of time came into the scene with his work of redemption and reconciliation. God who created and ruled the world started this mission of reconciliation by pitching his tent among men, through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. The initiative of the incarnation was culminated in the redemptive mission of the paschal mystery: death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By dying for us on the cross, Jesus removed the obstacle between us and God and reinstated us in good standing with God. Paul writing to the Romans and to us the Christians of today (2nd reading) holds: Justified by faith we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Even though the initiative of the reconciliation comes from God the Father, it is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity that is the protagonist. The full implication of reconciliation with God is that our guilt has been already forgiven. We are now in the right relationship with God, and though God is really the author of our justification, it has been accomplished through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Again and again Paul emphasizes the role Christ plays in this transformation. Jesus is the one who, through his death and resurrection has reconciled all people with God; he is the mediator of the new covenant of peace. It is important to note the Trinitarian nature of Paul’s faith and teaching. It is faith in Christ that justifies us with God; it is faith in Christ that gives us peace with God; it is faith in Christ that grants us access to the grace of God. Because of the reconciliation won for us by Christ, the love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. In other words, Christ brings us to God, and the Spirit comes to us from the same God. God, Christ, and the Spirit are all involved in our ultimate union with God. But in this our very singular union with the Godhead, the Blessed Trinity, God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity is the protagonist.
    God the Father created the marvelous universe and human beings. When man separated himself from him, on account of sin, God the Father initiated the reconciliation between God and man through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. It is also God the Father who through the Holy Spirit who prolongs and bring to fulfillment the redemptive work of his Son in his disciples and in the church of every time and place: Jesus himself so enunciates: But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to complete truth. This means that the Holy Spirit will throw more light on the person, life, teaching death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will also make known in the future new information and teaching that will be relevant to the mission of the Church in the light of the gospel. Thus, the mission of the Spirit whom Jesus promises to the disciples seems to be the guidance of the disciples into the deep meaning and radical implications of the teaching of Jesus. The truth the Spirit reveals is grounded in the teachings of Jesus, but it goes far beyond. In this way, there is continuity but not repetition. The Spirit glorifies Jesus by bringing to light the deeper truth of his teaching that also belongs to God. We see the role of the third Person of the Trinity, in the deepening within the fold of the disciples and the Church, the work of redemption and reconciliation initiated by God but brought about by the death and resurrection of Christ.
    In our effort to understand the liturgy of today that celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, we rather concentrate on the readings of the day and tried to meditate on all the ways our triune God, in their distinctive roles as Persons has made us, delight in the marvelous world He created,  became beneficiaries of His work of reconciliation  in Jesus Christ, and the benefits of His enlightening teaching through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, May this Eucharistic celebration dispose us to cry out with the Psalmist: O Lord, our God, how wonderful is your name in all the earth! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!
 Happy Sunday! Happy Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity!    
+John I. Okoye

  (graphics by chukwubke)

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity,

DOCTRINE AND FAITH (Deut, 4,32-34.39-40; Rom, 8,14-17; Matthew 28,16-20; Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B )

    The solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity which we celebrate today gives us the opportunity to reflect on the profundity of the central tenet of our Christian faith: One God, Three Persons.  It is a mystery that defies human comprehension; a truism that belongs to that realm of faith where reason becomes grossly deficient to lead the way. 
    The words of Christ in today’s gospel reading bring out, in a very simple manner, the reality of our belief in the Trinity.  He commanded his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This underlines the equality of the three persons.  The Godhead is one and indivisible, yet the three persons are distinct and not confused.  It is a perfect love that binds the three persons together in an inseparable unity.  It is from the abundant overflow of this same love that each of the Persons of the Trinity performs his distinct function in the economy of salvation: creation is a function of the love of God the Father; out of inestimable love, God the Son laid down his life for man; the Holy Spirit brings to perfection the salvific work of Christ by pouring into our hearts his many gifts and fire of love that enable us as sons and daughters of God to cry out, ‘Abba, Father’ as St. Paul tells us in the second reading today.
    In the alternative Collect for today’s liturgy, the church prays thus: “Father all-powerful, Christ Lord and Saviour, Spirit of Love, you reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love”.  The Trinitarian bond of love is such that though the three Persons are distinct, they are not divided.  God the Father, in revealing himself to us, through the salvific mission of the Son and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, intends to draw us into the same kind of union of love, which binds the Godhead together.
    What we celebrate today, therefore, is the mystery of love.  The Trinitarian love challenges us, in the midst of our differences and diversities, to cherish and strive towards a loving unity.  We are called to share in the Trinitarian love not in abstract but rather in practical loving attitude and cordial relationship with the other, in spite of his or her race, religious affiliation, gender or other individual differences.  Therefore, the confession of our belief in the Trinity will become more meaningful when we are able to emulate and live out the Trinitarian unity of love in our relationship with our fellow human being. 
 Happy Celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity!  
+John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH...4th Sun of Advent: Year B

(2 Sam 7,1-5.8-12.14-16; Rom 16,25-27; Luke 1,26-38: 4th Sun of Advent: Year B)

Today’s gospel reading is the narrative often referred to as the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Often the Blessed Virgin Mary was regarded as the chief protagonist of this passage. Indeed, she is a protagonist, but the principal protagonist is Jesus Christ. The scope of the narrative, according to the author’s opinion, the Evangelist Luke, was to tell us who  Jesus, this child that was about to be born in Bethlehem by Maria through the special intervention of God, was, and what his mission in the world would be.  The passage brings out his personality and mission, thus:

·       Jesus shall be great, the Angel said. He will be great not only in the relative sense to men, but also in the absolute sense, as God himself; He is equal to God

·       (b) Jesus would also be Son of the most High, would be Holy and Son of God. This last expression shows the mysterious and unique relationship that exists between the Person of Jesus and that of God, the Father. When we profess in the Creed we speak of Jesus: God from God, consubstantial with the Father, True God from True God. 

·       (c) Jesus is the one who realizes and brings to fulfilment the glorious promises of stability and continuity made to House of David many centuries before. The angel Gabriel in the gospel refers to it: The Lord God will give him the throne of David... and he will reign for ever.

The above boils down to say that Jesus was the promised true Messiah and Saviour, upon whom the favour of God rests; the One who would reign over men forever, who was coming to bring peace, re-establish justice, restore the rights of people, and unite around himself all the people. All these things, which the word of God proclaims about Jesus, justify our joy and extraordinary solemnity with which we prepare to celebrate his birth. The event of the birth of Christ is indeed great, unique and one that gives a new direction and meaning to the history and destiny of people. If in Jesus, the promises of God to David were realized, the bankruptcy of the House of David notwithstanding, it means that God is always faithful to his word as the Responsorial Psalm indicates. This revealed truth should bring about in our lives sentiments of confidence in God. God has promised us a lot of things through his Son, for example: his love without limit, the forgiveness of our sins, his loving friendship, his divine life, his continual nearness, his assistance and finally, eternal life.  If we are grateful to Him for his loving mercy, welcome and give him space in our hearts, he will maintain and realize all he has promised to us, our weaknesses, limitations and failings notwithstanding. 

We indirectly alluded above to the dignity and role of Mary in God’s work of the Incarnation and Redemption. Mary, according to Luke, is the one God choose to be the Mother of his Son, and aware of her littleness, she promptly and unconditionally said Yes to the divine will, because she believed that He who is great can do great things and that nothing is impossible to Him. Mary is the one whom God chose to collaborate in the plan of salvation, which he wished to bring about through his Son. Mary co-operated, according to St. Paul in the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere. For Paul, Mary was following what has been announced in the Scriptures and as well fulfilling the will of God. He shared in the destiny of the Messiah except that she did not suffer physically and was not rejected by people.

It is a fact that God requests the free collaboration of people in order to realize his plans. St. Augustine hints to us God’s way of doing things: He who created you without you, will not save you without you. To save us from sin, to make us his adopted sons and daughters, to grow in His loving friendship, God demands personal commitment from us and our goodwill to do good following the teaching of his Son, Jesus Christ.  Paul also contributes to this theme: God kept for ages the mystery of salvation and now reveals it  and realizes it in Jesus Christ. He demands from us obedience of faith, that is to say, complete, full and responsible adhesion to the message of the gospel and to the person of Jesus Christ and a corresponding coherent behaviour in life. God demands our free co-operation even in the area of expansion of his Kingdom, in order to bring Christ to souls, and spread the Good News, that God indeed loves the people and he wishes all to be saved. It is true that God has no need of us, but he wishes to use us to fulfil his plans, just as He used Mary to bring about his designs of salvation. Let us learn from Mary to have faith in God and to throw our hearts open to Him and to put ourselves completely at his disposition, saying as she did: I am the hand maid of he Lord, be it done to me according to your word. This would also mean: Do with me what you will. Help me to know and do always your will. We all are small and poor creatures, and worse still, sinners, but if God finds us humble, open to the gift of his grace and obedient to his words, he will demonstrate to us that noting is impossible to Him and that he can make the worst situation of our life glorious. May we, therefore, pray the good Lord at the Eucharist Celebration of today to give us all the graces we need to appreciate the importance of the coming feast of Christmas and to give us the disposition of Mary in order to realize the full import of this feast in our lives. Amen! 

As I wish you Happy Sunday I pray that the blessings of the New Born Child be yours in abundance today, in and throughout the coming Year and all the rest of your life. 

Happy Sunday! Happy Christmas! Happy New Year!

 +John I. Okoye.