PART OF THE MYSTERY
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Mt 28:16-20
Today we celebrate a mystery. There is something unusual about our celebration today. Usually, we do not celebrate a mystery. We try to solve it instead. Yet we gather together today as Church not to solve a mystery but to celebrate it.
We celebrate today’s mystery because it is the mystery of God Himself. We acknowledge the three Persons in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. We have a great reason to celebrate because God revealed Himself to us. We could have not known God unless He Himself took the initiative in making Himself known by us. He revealed Himself to us through deeds in the whole economy of salvation: the Father creates, the Son redeems, and the Spirit sanctifies. While each has His own role, they are nonetheless together in bringing about the great original plan for us: that we share in His divine life. He revealed Himself to us through words as well. In the Gospel today, Jesus Himself mentions the name of the Holy Trinity. It is very interesting to note here that while Jesus mentions the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, He uses the word “name” in its singular form only. The Most Holy Trinity is not only about who God is but also what God is all about. Our celebration today, therefore, is not only acknowledging the three Persons in one God but is also thanking God for making Himself known to us.
We cannot, however, know God fully. Otherwise, we are gods ourselves. Our finite minds cannot contain the infinity of Him who created us, redeemed us, and sanctified us. God’s fullness will remain a mystery to us. This does not, in any way mean, that we do not know anything about God. Mystery is not ignorance. This means, on the contrary, that we know something about God but not everything about Him. Even in heaven, St. Thomas Aquinas, once said, God will remain a mystery to us. Thus, celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity and being confronted by God’s tremendous mystery do not only teach us something very important about God but also remind us of something very significant about our selves. We are not God. We cannot replace God. We cannot contain God. God contains us instead.
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, therefore, is not about numbers. It is, as Fr. Jerry Orbos, S.V.D., a well-known Marian priest in the Philippines, said, about members. Confronted by the truth about having three Persons in one God is not about counting numbers but, more importantly, striving to be counted as members of God’s community. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity teaches us that God is a community in Himself. Are we part of that community?
By baptism, we become part of the divine community of the Most Blessed Trinity. However, we go against our incorporation into the community of the Most Blessed Trinity if we do not love, simply because God is love. Love is the essence of God. The Most Blessed Trinity is all about love. It is the love among the three Divine Persons. It is the love of the three Persons in one God to us. Thus, while baptism makes us part of the divine community of the Most Blessed Trinity, our love bears witness to the reality of that membership.
The solemn feast of the Most Blessed Trinity is, therefore, our feastday, too. Happy feastday! Happy loving!
Mt 28:16-20
Today we celebrate a mystery. There is something unusual about our celebration today. Usually, we do not celebrate a mystery. We try to solve it instead. Yet we gather together today as Church not to solve a mystery but to celebrate it.
We celebrate today’s mystery because it is the mystery of God Himself. We acknowledge the three Persons in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. We have a great reason to celebrate because God revealed Himself to us. We could have not known God unless He Himself took the initiative in making Himself known by us. He revealed Himself to us through deeds in the whole economy of salvation: the Father creates, the Son redeems, and the Spirit sanctifies. While each has His own role, they are nonetheless together in bringing about the great original plan for us: that we share in His divine life. He revealed Himself to us through words as well. In the Gospel today, Jesus Himself mentions the name of the Holy Trinity. It is very interesting to note here that while Jesus mentions the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, He uses the word “name” in its singular form only. The Most Holy Trinity is not only about who God is but also what God is all about. Our celebration today, therefore, is not only acknowledging the three Persons in one God but is also thanking God for making Himself known to us.
We cannot, however, know God fully. Otherwise, we are gods ourselves. Our finite minds cannot contain the infinity of Him who created us, redeemed us, and sanctified us. God’s fullness will remain a mystery to us. This does not, in any way mean, that we do not know anything about God. Mystery is not ignorance. This means, on the contrary, that we know something about God but not everything about Him. Even in heaven, St. Thomas Aquinas, once said, God will remain a mystery to us. Thus, celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity and being confronted by God’s tremendous mystery do not only teach us something very important about God but also remind us of something very significant about our selves. We are not God. We cannot replace God. We cannot contain God. God contains us instead.
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, therefore, is not about numbers. It is, as Fr. Jerry Orbos, S.V.D., a well-known Marian priest in the Philippines, said, about members. Confronted by the truth about having three Persons in one God is not about counting numbers but, more importantly, striving to be counted as members of God’s community. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity teaches us that God is a community in Himself. Are we part of that community?
By baptism, we become part of the divine community of the Most Blessed Trinity. However, we go against our incorporation into the community of the Most Blessed Trinity if we do not love, simply because God is love. Love is the essence of God. The Most Blessed Trinity is all about love. It is the love among the three Divine Persons. It is the love of the three Persons in one God to us. Thus, while baptism makes us part of the divine community of the Most Blessed Trinity, our love bears witness to the reality of that membership.
The solemn feast of the Most Blessed Trinity is, therefore, our feastday, too. Happy feastday! Happy loving!
posted by Fr. Bobby @ 3:00 PM
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