Reflections of the Trinity

 

Deacon Dave · Reflections of the Trinity

Homily for Trinity Sunday, June 12, 2022. Readings: Letter to the Romans 5:1-5; Gospel of St. John 16:12-15. Theme: Reflections of the Trinity 

Today’s liturgy reminds us that as Christians we have received a revelation about God that sets us apart from all other world religions. I am referring, of course, to what we have come to call the Most Blessed Trinity; the mystery of the One True God being a plurality or communion of persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And yet, somehow, this doesn’t mean that we have three gods who are intimately related, but only One Divine Nature shared equally and fully by three distinct Persons. 

How can this be? We’ll never really know because it’s something that our human minds simply cannot comprehend. That’s why we call it a mystery. We only know of it because it was revealed to us by God himself, when he came down among us as Jesus of Nazareth. And so, we accept it and we profess it by faith alone, trusting in the fact that Jesus speaks the truth. So, no matter how much time we spend thumbing through the pages of the Bible, we will never find any explanation whatsoever as to HOW God can be a Trinity of Persons…but what we will find is WHAT this means for us as Christians. 

Jesus taught that we who are baptized in the Name of the Trinity have a unique mission on planet Earth. We are given both the privilege and the obligation to reflect God’s image in all that we are, in all that we do. Just as God is a Trinity fueled by love which spills over out of itself and gives life, so too must our lives be motivated by love which is expressed in our behavior towards others. The New Testament tells us clearly that the only way others can come to know God whom they cannot see is by observing us whom they can see. This means that we Christians must consciously choose to live and act as images of God for others to see. It’s a big challenge but we are not left to our own devices in order to figure out how this can be done or to find the power to accomplish it. 

All three Persons of the Trinity empower us to carry out this mission of love by coming to live within us. Jesus said that he and the Father would dwell within those who love him and obey his Word. Today’s second reading reminds us that the Spirit is poured into our hearts as the connecting bond that brings us into the love-relationship of the Trinity. And so, as long as we strive to live in prayerful communion with God, as long as we try to do our best to obey Christ’s Word, the Spirit will be present and working within us. God will be reaching out to others through us. 

If we are truly living the Gospel as Christians, then when people hear our words or observe our behavior, it might make them wonder or even ask questions about the God who inspires us. When we choose to treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated, then they might hopefully see what it means to believe in a God who is love. And when we intentionally choose to be kind and compassionate then hopefully people might see what it means to believe in a God who gives life. The Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Works of Mercy show us how to speak and act as reflections of the Trinity for they have been given to us precisely as blueprints, so to speak, for building our lives after the image of God and the pattern of Jesus. 

So, I think we can sum it all up by saying that today’s feast of Trinity Sunday is meant to remind us that we are called to be tangible reflections of God’s love that gives life. By our prayer, example and encouragement we hope to help others turn or return to God, who alone can reach deep inside the human person to touch and transform the heart. This is how real and lasting change comes about. This is how we can work towards real social harmony and peace. Not by laws and words and behavior enforced from the outside; those things cannot change anyone. They can only bring about a kind of fake or superficial external conformity. 

Real change, genuine transformation, begins on the inside. It happens as people turn their lives over to Christ, person by person, heart by heart, and then it spreads out from individuals into the homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and cities of our nation. And, you know, this is precisely what our troubled, divided, confused and violence-torn society needs from us right now. We truly cannot absolve ourselves of this noble yet demanding responsibility that flows from our firm belief that God is a Trinity and we are his reflection.