2024/05/26 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
- Fr. Brett Williams, Assoc. Pastor & Dir. of Worship and Prayer Ministry
The feast this week is one that celebrates the distinguishing marks of our faith – the Most Holy Trinity!
We are taught that God is three in one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The scripture readings the Church gives us for this feast are meant to help us understand this central fact of our faith. It is still really tough for us to get our minds around this teaching though!
The book of Proverbs (8:22-31) speaks about the Father and his creative work and so maybe we can look at nature to try to find an understanding of the mystery of the Trinity. Father Thomas Berry a priest who is also an ecologist wrote: “Why do we have such a wonderful idea of God? Because we live in such a gorgeous world!”
Think of the harmony that exists between root, leaf and fruit of your favourite tree, or the uplifting joy that fills us when we contemplate the horizon of earth, sea and sky from the beach. But, sometimes when reflecting on what happens in our world or in our own lives, we might think that the universe is the result of chance; that all is confusion and chaos; that there was no purpose or meaning to any of it!
But the story of God and his creation which we read in the Bible tells us that everything comes from a wise, good, creator God! In many ways, we are just children who, although joyful and happy in the garden, do not understand how it was laid out, how much work goes into keeping it neat and tidy or beautiful. And we know that God’s care does go on – He did not abandon the world to its own fate.
This creator Father God sent his Son into his creation to justify – to save – us! And so faith in the Father means also faith in God the Son who loves us with an infinite love!
Sometimes it is very difficult for us to see, appreciate or even understand this love of God because our God is not like a god who loves the good and punishes the sinner. Instead, creation is for everyone; the Son came to justify everyone!
Only the Holy Spirit can convince us of this! Only the Holy Spirit can help us to accept the Father’s plan and the work of the Son.
The readings we have for this Sunday’s feast are not meant to confuse us – how can one be three? – but to give us a glimpse of God, of the love and the plans He has for our salvation!
Signs of God can be found all around us:
In creation,
In our suffering, and
In our hopes and joys.
As Christians we are called to reflect the Trinity to our world:
When we work to create a community that is beautiful, joyful and hopeful then the world glimpses God!
When we love ourselves and our neighbour as much as we love God then the world glimpses God!
When we share with those seeking faith, the plans God has for their salvation then the world glimpses God!
Just as Jesus told his disciples that he would remain close to them, encouraging them and strengthening them, so he is close to us in our search for a greater understanding of the Trinity in our lives!