May 30, 2010 Most Blessed Trinity Prov. 8:22-31; Rom. 5:1-5; Jn. 16:12-15 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:   http://www.usccb.org/nab/053010.shtml       ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     Belief in a triune God is fundamental to the life of every Christian, not simply a topic for theological speculation. We begin every liturgy invoking the name of the Trinity and are sent forth with a blessing from Father, Son and Spirit. God as “three persons,” shapes every aspect of our faith from liturgy to concerns about social justice. The deepest meaning of the Trinity rooted in Scripture is not “God beyond us,” but “God for Us.” Simply put, the Trinity expresses “the essential truth that the God who saves through Christ by the power of the Spirit lives eternally in the community of persons in love.”   The doctrine of three persons in one God, equal in divinity yet distinct in personality, is not explicitly spelt out in the Bible. In fact the very word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. Early Christians arrived at the doctrine when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. Jesus spoke about the Father who sent him (the Son) and about the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. He said that the Father had given him (the Son) all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father. In this we see the unity of purpose among the three persons of the Trinity.   Why did God reveal to us this mystery regarding the very nature of the Supreme Being? The importance of this doctrine lies in this: we are made in the image of God, therefore, the more we understand God the more we understand ourselves. Experts in religion tell us that people always try to be like the god they worship. Therefore, the more important question for us to ask today is: What does the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity tell us about the kind of God we worship and what does this say about the kind of people we should be?   We are made in God’s image and likeness. Just as God is God only in a Trinitarian relationship, so we can be fully human only in a relationship. The self needs to be in a horizontal relationship with others and a vertical relationship with God. In that way our life becomes Trinitarian like that of God. The doctrine of the Blessed Trinity challenges us to adopt an I-and-God-and-neighbour principle. I am a Christian insofar as I live in a relationship of love with God and other people. May the grace of the Holy Trinity help us to banish all traces of self-centeredness in our lives and to live in love of God and of neighbour.     <<   Previous: Pentecost  | Next: Corpus Christi >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)