The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity- Homily
A God Who Reaches Out to Us ,Of all Races in Love (A)
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v Exod
34:4b-6, 8-9
v Dan
3:52-55
v 2
Cor 13:11-13
v John
3:16-18
After
Pentecost, three solemnities are celebrated in quick succession: the Holy Trinity,
the Body of Christ, and the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The mystery
of the Most Holy Trinity, three Persons in one God—which we celebrate today—is the
central mystery of our Christian faith. This happens also to be the day or week some are celebrating
Father’s Day, in different parts of the world.
However,
explaining this mystery can be very challenging to preachers—and indeed to all of
us as Christians. Sometimes this difficulty can lead preachers to digress into endless
stories or to simply go back to the notes they took in their theology class on the
doctrine of the Holy Trinity. But keeping to the boundaries of today’s Scripture
readings, what we celebrate today is the mystery of love, hope, unity, peace, the
power of forgiveness, and revelation of God’s love and mercy(even as we wrestle
with ongoing threats of covid-19 and search for justice, peace and oneness of
every human race in the world, irrespective of color and gender).
In
the first reading, the triune God, with Moses’ intercession, reaches out in love
to the sinful Israelites, who had committed idolatry. In his nature, God is slow
to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity (Exod 34:4b-6, 8-9; Jonah, Ps 85). The
goal of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is always to love and to unite
us instead of scattering us. It is this communion and oneness that Christ has always
taught us in his deep relationship with the Father.
In
John 1:1 we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.” And in John 1:14 we are told that the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us. This is a God who, out
of pure love, comes down in the person of Christ to dwell with us. In the completion
of his ministry, which Christ carried out in total communion with the Father, he
sent us the Holy Spirit that was with him in the beginning of his ministry: “The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18). This is a Spirit of peace and
love.
The
peace of this Spirit is the same peace of the triune God that Paul refers to in
today’s second reading. He says, “Put things in order, listen to my appeal,
agree with one another, live in peace” (2 Cor 13:11). This is what we are celebrating
today: how more than one person can live in peace. We are celebrating the triune
God, who reaches out to us in peace and oneness and mercy.
Scripture
contains no suggestions that God the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit went to
court, quarreled, or disliked or discriminate against each other. Rather, as
often quoted by most of us, “God so
loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish but may have eternal life. . . in order that the world might be
saved through him” (John 3:16-17).
There are many blessings
of love that God has blessed us (and our fathers) with: our lives, family, and
roofs over our head, etc. There are also many challenges facing us (them): challenges
in the management of anger, peace, love, and family unity. Today’s celebration challenges
us to unite, to welcome everyone, black, brown, white, in fact, irrespective of
color and gender. We are called, especially in this most challenging times of
coronavirus and unrest of different kinds in different parts of the world, to
love as God has first loved us. As a world that is socially, spiritually, economically,
morally, culturally and politically broken let us pray at this Mass that as three persons are united in one God,
we may always as a church and family strive for oneness and unity, with the grace
of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Reflection Questions
1.
What lessons have you drawn from today’s readings?
2.
How often do you promote unity, justice and peace in your community?
3.
What are the obstacles to justice, peace, dialogue and faith in your life?
