Homily – The Most Holy Trinity Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings: Prov 8:22-31; Ps 8:4-9; Rom 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15
Hope and the Wonders of our Creator
The Responsorial Psalm of today, “O Lord our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth (Psalm 8:2a), in my own opinion, sets the tone for our celebration today. We celebrate the mystery of God’s Love. We celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
This mystery is displayed in the history of God’s relationship with us, told by our forefathers and mothers, in the traditions of the Church, and most of them narrated in the passages of the Scriptures. On Monday after the Pentecost, the beginning of the ordinarily liturgical Season, the first reading from Ben Sira 1:1-10 reminded us that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Wisdom was created from the beginning. This Spirit of Wisdom, Hokma, Sophia, Sapientia-is God personified who became Christ his Son and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
Interestingly, in the First Reading of today, from the Book of Proverbs 8:22-31 we learn again that before the earth was made, Wisdom was conceived, when the Lord established the heavens Wisdom was there, when we marked out the vault over the face of the deep, when he made the skies and fixed the foundation of the world- the story we hear from Genesis 1–3 Wisdom- given to us on that day of Pentecost was there.
It is this Spirit, the same Wisdom that has always been there before the foundation of the world that Jesus in today’s Gospel- the last discourse before the Cross reminded his disciples to expect and hold onto when he will no longer be there physically (John 16:12-15).
The Disciples of Christ needed this Wisdom then. We need this Wisdom today, in the altar of life. No wonder some have name their children "wisdom" or Institutions like colleges and universities "Seat of Wisdom," ! Mary the Mother of Jesus is praised as the "Seat of Wisdom"! Iffom Itie Oniong- in my native African language!
We need this Wisdom as we begin the ordinary Season. We need this Wisdom in our daily lives, in our daily relationship with one another. We need this Wisdom in the decision we take, in the evaluation we make, and in the decision we take. It is Wisdom that enables us to look back and even admire creation, the mountain, the skies, the seas, the vegetation all that God had created.
Besides these creations, in moments of tragedies and hardship, even the type that Saint Paul experienced in the early Church, it is Wisdom that gives us hope, faith and grace to endure. To an afflicted Church, Paul says,
“Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us”
I think if there is anything we want to wisely take home today from this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, it is faith not doubt, unity not division, hope not despair, trust rather than distrust and total acceptance of the will God, especially in moments of temptations and lack of intelligible explanations to certain circumstances of our lives, good and bad. It could be the pains and sickness that has no remedy, the natural tragedies around the world, the earthquakes, the tsunamis, the sandies, and the tornados! What do we say to those in Oklahoma?
But also think about the many blessings God has blessed us with, even the oxygen, the moon, the sun, the flowers, the beautiful weather, the gifts of friendship, the gifts of unity, the gift of hope and love, the gifts of our neighbors; many mysteries that we have no explanation for. May we continue to sing the wonders of our God (Ps 8:2). And may this mystery of his love- of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit continue to be upon us as we place all our hope in Him.
