Celebrating and Living the Mystery of the Trinity

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: May 26, 2024

Readings: Deuteronomy 4:32–34, 39–40; Psalm 33:4–6, 9, 18–20, 22; Romans 8:14–17; Matthew 28:16–20

 To listen to the audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/MwQ1TtOfC-s

If life is a mystery, then certainly, God is a mystery. No one has seen God except Jesus. The basic tenet of Christian faith is belief in the Holy Trinity. It is the central and foundational belief on which is built the rest of the edifice of dogmas and doctrines of the Church. St Basil of Caesarea wrote "When I think of the One, I think of the Three, and when I think of the Three, I think of the unity." Most Holy Trinity Sunday invites us to reflect deeply on the central mystery of our Christian faith—the Trinity. God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three persons, one essence. This profound mystery calls us to a deeper understanding and experience of God’s nature, relationship, and love.

1. The Blessed Trinity, the unity in One

The Father: Source of All Being: God the Father is the source and sustainer of all creation. In contemplating the Father, we recognize His infinite love and providence. He is not a distant deity but a loving parent who cares intimately for His children. Reflecting on the Father, we are reminded of our identity as beloved children of God, created in His image, called to live in His love and to trust in His care.

The Son: Redeemer and Savior: God the Son, Jesus Christ, reveals the Father's love through His incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. In Jesus, we see the fullness of God’s grace and truth. He bridges the gap between humanity and divinity, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Through Jesus, we are redeemed and reconciled to the Father, invited to share in His divine life.

The Holy Spirit: Advocate and Guide: God the Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the one who animates and sanctifies the Church and each believer. The Spirit dwells within us, guiding us into all truth, empowering us for service, and transforming us into the likeness of Christ. The Spirit also unites us as one body in Christ, fostering communion and mutual love among all believers.

2. Living the Mystery of Trinity: A Model of Perfect Love and Unity

The relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one of perfect love, unity, and mutual self-giving. This divine communion is the model for our relationships and our life within the Church. We are called to reflect the unity and love of the Trinity in our families, communities, and the world. Catholic theologian Fr Karl Rahner SJ wrote so beautifully: "The Trinity is the mystery of God’s inner life, a life of communion and self-giving love that flows outwards to creation."

Understanding the Trinity goes beyond intellectual comprehension; it invites us into a lived experience of God’s love and presence. Through prayer, worship, and the sacraments, we enter into the mystery of the Trinity, allowing God to transform us and draw us deeper into His divine life.

3. Embracing the Divine Mystery of the Trinity

Most Holy Trinity Sunday calls us to embrace the mystery of God’s triune nature with awe and gratitude. In the words of English poet Jesuit Gerard Manley Hopkins, it is the "Grandeur of God." It is an invitation to deepen our relationship with each person of the Trinity and to allow their love to transform our lives. As we contemplate the Father’s love, the Son’s sacrifice, and the Spirit’s indwelling, may we grow in our understanding and experience of the boundless love and unity that is the heart of the Trinity.

Jesus commissions his disciples to embrace the mystery of the Trinity. In fact, to go out and preach in the name of the Holy Trinity. The words of Jesus are so encouraging and full of energy when he says to his disciples: "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" (Matthew 28:19). We enter into the Church in the name of the Trinity. We make our life possible through blessings of the Trinity and at the end we return to the Trinity. We pray that by contemplating on Holy Trinity, we may grow in our appreciation of the profound mystery of the Holy Trinity and allow it to shape our faith, our relationships, and our lives.

Questions for self-reflection

1. How do I respond to Jesus’ call to go where He directs, even when I have doubts or uncertainties?
2. In what areas of my life is Jesus calling me to step out in faith and trust Him more fully?
3. What steps can I take to share the love and message of Jesus with those around me, in the family and community?
4. What steps can I take to deepen my personal relationship with God and to rely on Him more fully in my daily life?

Prayer

Holy and Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we worship You, three in one, bound together in perfect love and harmony. Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, we thank You for the gift of life and for calling us Your children. You are our source and sustainer, and we are humbled by Your infinite love and wisdom.

Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, we praise You for Your sacrifice on the cross and Your victory over sin and death. Through Your life, death, and resurrection, You have opened the way to eternal life and brought us into the embrace of the Father’s love.

Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Comforter, we beg You to dwell within us, guiding and empowering us each day. You unite us with the Father and the Son, filling us with grace and truth. Bend our hearts and minds to Your will, and help us to live in the unity and love that reflects the Holy Trinity.

Triune God, may Your presence transform us, leading us to reflect Your love in our words, actions, and relationships. Fill us with Your peace and joy, and strengthen us to be witnesses of Your divine love in the world. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

May 24, 2024