First Reading – Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40;
Second Reading – Romans 8:14-17;
Gospel – Matthew 28:16-20
On the feast of the Most Holy Trinity the church invites us to reflect on the central and most unfathomable mystery of that faith, which she has been sent to announce and make present: the mystery of who God is. In our practice of Christian Life, the Trinity is remembered often in prayer and during the daily routine by every Christian. Each time we make the sign of the cross, as we did at the beginning of this celebration, we say: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Trinity is the mystery of God in himself – a God who is “one but not solitary” as a fourth-century Creed says. Even though we remember the Trinity several times a day, as we invoke its presence before we begin any activity, yet it is difficult to comprehend the full meaning because the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit we invoke constitute a great Mystery. Our God is a Trinity, a God of love and forgiveness. In the Gospel of today Jesus commissions his disciples to carry on his mission to all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and promises to be with them till the end times.
In our understanding of the Trinity specific roles however are attributed to them, namely, Father as the Creator, Son as the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit as the Sanctifier. Jesus explicitly teaches us about his close union with the Father and the Spirit, which is a bond of love. John in his Gospel tells us that the Word, Jesus was present at creation. We see the Trinity at work at the incarnation when Gabriel announces that Mary is having favor with God and the Spirit will come and Jesus will dwell in her womb. In the Holy Eucharist is manifested the fullness of the Blessed Trinity. As the Father and the Holy Spirit remained in Jesus while he was on earth, the Father and the Holy Spirit dwell in Jesus in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist bodily. At the Holy Mass the priest begins the celebration of the sacrifice in the name of the Trinity concludes the Holy Mass with a solemn blessing, again in the name of the Holy Trinity.
All prayers in the Church begin in the Name of the Holy Trinity and end glorifying the Trinity. All Sacraments are administered (we are baptized, confirmed, anointed, our sins are forgiven, our marriages are blessed, and our Bishops, priests and deacons are ordained) in the name of the Holy Trinity. When Church bells ring thrice daily, they remind us to give glory to the Holy Trinity for the Incarnation of Jesus and His Redemption of all of us. We bless ourselves, and the priest blesses us, in the Name of the Holy Trinity.
Biblical basis: There are only vague and hidden references to the Trinity in the Old Testament. But the New Testament gives clear teachings on the Holy Trinity. At the Annunciation, God the Father sent His angel to Mary, God the Holy Spirit came upon her, the Power of the Most High overshadowed her, and God the Son became Incarnate in her womb. At the baptism of Jesus, when the Son received the baptism of repentance from John the Baptist, the Father’s Voice was heard, and the Holy Spirit appeared as a Dove and descended upon Jesus. At the Ascension, Jesus commissioned his disciples to baptize those who believed, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In John’s Gospel, chapters 15–18, we have a detailed account of Jesus’ teaching of the role of each Person of the Holy Trinity: a) God the Father creates and provides for His creatures. b) God the Son redeems us and reconciles us with God. c) God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, strengthens us, teaches us, and guides us to God.
We need to respect ourselves and respect others. Our living belief in the presence of the Triune God within us should help us to esteem ourselves as God’s holy dwelling place, to behave well in His holy presence, and to lead purer and holier lives, practicing acts of justice and charity. This Triune Presence should also encourage us to respect and honour others as “Temples of the Holy Spirit.”
We need to be aware of God as the Source of our strength and courage. Our awareness and conviction of the presence of God within us give us the strength to face the manifold problems of life with Christian courage. It was such a conviction that prompted the early Christian martyrs being taken to their execution to shout the heroic prayer of Faith from the Psalms: “The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge ” (Ps 46:7,11).
We need to see the Trinity as the model for our Christian families: We are created in love to be a community of loving persons, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One in Love. From the day of our Baptism, we have belonged to the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How privileged we are to grow up in such a beautiful Family! Hence, let us turn to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in prayer every day. We belong to the Family of the Triune God. The love, unity, and joy in the relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be the supreme model of our relationships within our Christian families. Our families become truly Christian when we live in a relationship of love with God and with others.