Dear Friends,
This weekend we celebrate Trinity Sunday. We reflect on the sublime mystery of the God revealed to us in the Scriptures, and especially by the Son of God himself, Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians, we hold a unique understanding of God as ONE God in THREE divine Persons, who have been revealed to us as the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we speak of the Trinity as a mystery, not in the sense of a puzzle to be solved, but in the sense of a truth that has in itself so much depth and meaning that we can never fathom it completely, certainly not in this life, and perhaps not even in the next when we hope to be graced to see God face to face.
As a help to us as we reflect on the mystery of God today, I share these words from Kevin Kho: “What we see in the Trinity are three distinct persons in one God. Just like in marriage when the two become one flesh, each distinct person in the Trinity is so intimately united in love with the others that they become one. Each person loves so perfectly that they give of themselves completely to the other while also receiving the love of the other completely. In the Trinity, we have the perfect manifestation of love. This love is so intense and so great that the love cannot be merely contained between the members of the Trinity. This love boils up and swells from the Trinity and overflows and bursts forth into creation. This love is shown with the personal God that we see described in the first reading when Moses says, ‘Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself?’ We believe in a God who is love and whose love overflows into creation. Once received, love cannot help but be spread and shared. This is the example we have in the Trinity, a love that we are not only created out of but also created to be. We are called to be like the Trinity in our complete outpouring of love in our marriages, our friendships, and our families. We are called to completely receive the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. Just like our trinitarian God, our love cannot and should not be contained within ourselves or our closest relationships. This true love must burst forth into the life of the community, the church, and the world.”
This weekend, we return, after a long time of using the Apostles’ Creed, to using the Nicene Creed. You may need to pick up the hymnal as a help in praying it. We appreciate the flexibility and understanding shown by just about everyone in continuing to wear masks and facial coverings in church for the time being. We must remember that not everyone is vaccinated yet, especially children under the age of twelve. Those over the age of twelve, after a discussion with your health care provider if need be, should seriously consider vaccination for the sake of their own health and that of others, if you have not yet been vaccinated. I, like most of you, long for the day when we can say that masks are no longer needed in church or just about anywhere else.
Next weekend, we will welcome new parishioners to our parish community, coming from Christ the Redeemer Parish, as that community of faith is merged into our own on June 1, and Christ the Redeemer Church no longer has regularly scheduled Masses.
Have a good week!