Homily

  
Fr. Jose Kallukalam, Pastor

Holy Trinity – C – 2019

Today’s feast of the Most Holy Trinity reminds us that there are three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, sharing the same Divine Nature in one God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is central to Christian faith and life.”

How it is central to our faith: We believe in the Father who is the creator, the Son who is the redeemer and the Holy Spirit who is the sanctifier. The doctrine of three Persons in one God, equal in Divinity yet distinct in Person, is not explicitly spelt out in the Bible. The very word “Trinity” is not found even in the New Testament.

Based on what Jesus has revealed to us on several occasions, the early Fathers of the Church and several Saints have tried to explain this mystery. While St. Patrick compared the Trinity to shamrock – three leaves on one stem, St. Ignatius of Loyola compared it to a chord played on an instrument: three distinct notes forming one perfect harmony. We are familiar with the picture of a triangle with rays radiating from it and in the middle an open eye representing ‘Providence of God.’

In our Liturgy: The doctrine of the Trinity underlies all major Christian feasts, including Christmas, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. All the official prayers of the Church, especially the Holy Mass and other sacraments, begin acknowledging the Holy Trinity: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We are baptized, absolved of our sins and anointed in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

Can we have some understanding about the Holy Trinity or do we have to set it aside just as a mystery we can never grasp?  Even though we may not understand HolyTrinity really well, we can have enough awareness in order to believe in it. Mostly it is based on what we see in the New Testament.

In today's Gospel, Jesus mentions the role of the Holy Spirit, his close relationship with God the Father and what the Holy Spirit does for us as we go about our daily tasks.

1.  The Triune God as seen in the Old Testament: Since Yahweh, the God of Israel, was careful to protect His Chosen People from the pagan practice of worshipping several gods, the Old Testament books give only indirect and passing references to the Holy Trinity.
2.  Clear doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament. a) The Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38) describes how God the Father sent the angel Gabriel to Mary, to announce to her that God, the Holy Spirit, would "overshadow" her, and that God, the Son, would be made flesh in her womb. b) During the Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:  16-17), the Holy Spirit was shown descending on Jesus in the form of a dove, while the voice of God the Father was heard from the clouds. c) The Gospel of John (Chapters 15 through 18), presents the detailed teaching of Jesus on the Persons of the Holy Trinity. d) In the preaching mission the risen Lord gave to the disciples, Jesus commanded them to baptize people “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

A good illustration of the Trinity comes from world-renowned scientist Dr. Henry Morris. He notes that the entire universe is Trinitarian by design. The universe consists of three things: matter, space, and time. Take away any one of those three and the universe would cease to exist. But each one of those is itself a trinity. Matter = mass + energy + motion. Space = length + height + width. Time = past + present + future. Thus the whole universe witnesses to the character of the God who made it. It is not a proof for the Trinity, but it helps us understand how three realities can be in one essence.

How it is central to our life:  1) We need to respect ourselves and respect others.  Our conviction of the presence of the Triune God within us should help us to esteem ourselves as God’s holy dwelling place and lead pure and holy lives. This Triune Presence should also encourage us to respect, honor and love others as "Temples of the Holy Spirit." 

2) We need to be aware of God as the Source of our strength and courage. The awareness and conviction of the presence of God within us gives us the strength to face the manifold problems of life with courage.  It was such a conviction that prompted the early Christian martyrs, when taken to their execution, to shout the heroic prayer of faith from the psalms: "The Lord of might is with us, our God is within us and the God of Jacob is our helper" (Psalm 46).  When we go through the toughest moments of our life, we too can say, "The Lord of might is with us, our God is within us and the God of Jacob is our helper."