HOMILY: SOLEMNITY THE MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: THROUGH BAPTISM WE SHARE IN THE LIFE OF THE HOLY TRINITY
BY: Fr. Isaac Awe
DEUTERONOMY 4:32-34;39-40; ROMANS 8:14-17; MATTHEW 28:16-20
The Father is LOVE , the Son is GRACE, and the Holy Spirit is the one who UNITES, o Blessed Trinity. That’s why we say: THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Therefore, when we share in the spirit, we possess the love of the father, grace of the Son and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit himself.
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GOD THE FATHER IS THE BLAZING SUN, AND GOD THE SON IS THE LIGHT OF THE BLAZING SUN, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE HEAT OF THE BLAZING SUN; BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE SUN. says St Cyril of Alexandria.
The mystery of the Blessed Trinity was not revealed in the Old Testament because God saw that his chosen people were not yet ready to accept such a mystery. Living, as they were, surrounded by adorers of many gods, any knowledge of the Trinity of persons in one God, might have weakened their Monotheism. It was only when Christ came on earth claiming (and proving his claim) that he was the divine son of God, and promising to send the consoler, a third person in God, to strengthen and guide his disciples that this doctrine was fully revealed. It was accepted without questions from the very first days of the Christian Church, first of all because it was Christ who revealed it, and , secondly, because it was felt that the Church had proof of the existence of three distinct persons in the one God meanwhile each of them played a part in the founding and spreading of Christianity.
How can we know who God is? Jesus revealed to his disciples the great mystery of our faith – the triune nature of one God in three persons and the inseparable union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus’ mission is to reveal the glory of God to us – a Trinity of persons – God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and to unite us with God in a community of unbreakable unity and everlasting love. The ultimate end, the purpose for which God created us, is the entry of God’s sons and daughters into the perfect unity of the blessed Trinity.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mystery of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the hierarchy of the truth of faith” (CCC 234). This is a mystery revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ and the greatest of all mysteries.
To be called a Christian is to believe in the Holy Trinity and the unity that exist in them. This is so because; in baptism, we are baptized in the Trinitarian formula and by that we become members of the church that holds the unity of the Blessed Trinity and are made children of God who is Triune in nature. Also, as we hear in the gospel reading of today, our mission of winning souls as Christians is to be carried out in the name of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And so Christ said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age”. (Matthew 28:19-20)
However, the mission of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit are the same. That is why Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will reveal the glory of the Father and the Son and will speak what is true. Before his Passover, Jesus revealed the Holy Spirit as the “Paraclete” and Helper who will be with Jesus’ disciples to teach and guide them “into all the truth” (John 14:17,26; 16:13). In baptism we are called to share in the life of the Holy Trinity here on earth in faith and after death in eternal light.
How can we personally know the Father and his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ? It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the Father and the Son to us and who gives us the gift of faith to know and understand the truth of God’s word. Through the Holy Spirit, we proclaim our ancient faith in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until he comes again. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. Do we seek the wisdom that comes from above and do we willingly obey God’s word?
Therefore, it is not for us to unravel the mystery of the Trinity but to unravel the lessons of the Trinity. It is a lesson of uniqueness and togetherness. Thus , the distinctiveness of a person should not be a problem to the other but a catalyst of strength and oneness.
The Father is the lover, and the son is the loved, and the Holy spirit is the personification of the very act of loving. St Augustine of Hippo.
God is surely not asking too much of us. Any generous Christian would not only do this, he would for further means of showing his gratitude to the Blessed Trinity. All the saints did so and earned the honour of God and the respect of Man. We all want to be saints. Let us begin today not merely to keep the commandments but also to do some extra bit each day to show our sincere gratitude to God. God will never be outdone in generosity.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy which no earthly trial can subdue. Fill us with your resurrection joy and help us to live a life of praise and thanksgiving for your glory. May we witness to those around us the joy of the gospel and the reality of your resurrection. AMEN
Happy New Week !
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