Most Holy Trinity Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima
Theme: The Blessed Trinity: the Loving God that lives with us
Readings: Ex 34:4b-6,8–9; 2 Cor. 13:11–13; Jn. 3:16–18
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, we celebrate the solemnity of one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith, the mystery of the Holy Trinity. It is a celebration that reminds us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. It teaches us that there are three distinct Persons in one God, sharing the same Divine Nature, they are co-equal and co-eternal. Each Person of the Trinity is God, yet there is still only one God; they are one in substance, yet distinct in Persons and functions, but in their functions, there is unity of purpose.
Though the word ‘Trinity’ cannot be found in the Bible, the teachings of Jesus pointed to the reality of the existence of the Blessed Trinity, especially when He instructed us: Go into the world and baptize them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Also St Paul in the second reading of today showed us the unity of the Blessed Trinity when he said: “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
The teaching of the Blessed Trinity is one that no amount of philosophical and scientific research can fully explain or even deny. It is indeed a mystery; it is beyond the full grasp of the human mind. In reality, the nature of our God is beyond the full grasp of the human mind. That was why God, in the prophet Isaiah (55:8–9), said that: “my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways. For as the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”
Thus, the Trinity is a mystery and can best be appreciated only with the “eyes of faith.” As a dogma, “it is an article of faith revealed by God, which the Magisterium of the Church presents as necessary to be believed…” Hence, St. Paul’s prayer in Eph. 1:18 becomes necessary for us today. It says: “May the Lord enlighten the eyes of your minds so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”
The readings of today teach us some beautiful things about the nature of this our Trinitarian God. The first reading presents us one of the scenes of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. In this episode, God revealed his name and nature to the people of Israel and to us. He said: “I, the Lord, am a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” We may not understand the impact of these words on the people of Israel if we are not aware of the kind of gods the countries that surrounded the Israelites had. The people of Israel lived among nations whose gods were unapproachable, fearful, unforgiving, vindictive, wilful, and full of terror. So, the nature which God revealed about himself to Moses filled the people of Israel with the joy that they have a God that is different from the gods worshipped by people of other religions and nations. He is a God that is full of love for all his creatures, a God that can be approached and spoken to, a God who is a loving Father. This is the nature of our God. We are blessed to have a God who loves us.
The gospel reading of today expanded the teaching on this nature of our God. It told us that God’s love for us is so deep that he joined his life with ours by coming down to live with us in the person of his Beloved Son, so that we will not perish but have life eternal like him. He is a God who is both transcendent and immanent. He is a God who lives with us and wants to share His divine nature with us; He is not a selfish God. He is a God who is not withdrawn from the existential situations of his beloved children, rather, He lives in the highest heavens and in our midst too. He is Emmanuel, God is with us. He lives with us not to condemn us but that we may be saved through him.
To continue to experience the constant presence of this God among us, in our families and in our communities, St Paul tells us what we must do in the second reading of today. He said: “Brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Dear friends, the only thing that can stop us from enjoying the beautiful presence of God in our midst is living a life that doesn’t reflect the nature of our Trinitarian God. The nature of our God is love, compassion, peace, graciousness, and faithfulness. St Paul challenges us to live according to these qualities of God so that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit will be with us all. (2 Cor. 13:13)
Happy Feast Day. Peace be with you.
Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima