The Most Holy Trinity, Our Model Of Unity
Readings: 1st: Deut 4, 32-34. 39-40; Ps 32; 2nd: Rom 8, 14-17; Gos Mt 28: 16-20
This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canóvanas, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments contact him at canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.
(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)
Today we celebrate one of the greatest mystery of our Christian faith, the Holy Trinity. This celebration reminds us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are working together. They are never separated, though, each one of them is a distinct divine person. There is unity of essence and relation within the three divine persons.
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No amount of philosophical debate or scientific research can fully explain it. It 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, Paul’s prayer becomes important today: “May the Lord enlighten the eyes of your minds…” (Eph 1, 18).
In our first reading, Moses reminds us, of the wonderful and mysterious nature of the works of God. In order words, that it takes a loving and mysterious God to accomplish such a wonderful and mysterious task of salvation. Hence, he encourages us to strengthen our faith in God by simply obeying his commandments.
In the second reading, though without offering any systematic teaching on the Holy Trinity, Paul presents the three divine persons in their concrete forms and actions: “Led by the Spirit, we are sons of God…And we are heirs with Christ.” It is the same spirit that proceeds from both the Father and the Son that helps us to call God Abba Father.
In today’s the gospel, Christ himself revealed the mystery of the three divine persons to us. He revealed this with a mandate: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is the trinitarian formula. So, any sincere prayer offered in the name of the Holy Trinity bears a mark of excellence.
Today, the church reminds us that the three divine persons are not divided in their actions of grace. Instead, they work and walk together. They have the same mission, which is, the salvation of the world. The Father sent the Son to redeem the world (Jn 1, 1-3). And the Father and the Son sent us the Holy Spirit as our Counselor and Advocate (Act 1, 8. 2). None of them have absolute dominance of a particular period or time. This is because, in spite of being three distinct persons, the have one essence. They are eternally one and united.
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So, the prayer of Christ to the father: “May they be one, as we are One” (Jn 17:22), is a prayer that arises from Trinitarian love. Therefore, the whole church, and each family that forms the universal Church is the sacrament of the Trinity, and as such must be characterized by love and unity.
Therefore, what we celebrate today is a model for our unity. We have many lessons to learn from the Holy Trinity. The most important is that, like the Holy Trinity, we can live and work together as one family of God. This is because, we bear one and the same image of God, and were baptized by the same Spirit of God whose mark we bear (Eph 4, 30). So, in spite of our individual personalities and differences unity is possible and a fundamental option.
Hence, today’s celebration has much to teach us about unity in our relationships, friendships, marriages, families, communities. It also reminds us that in spite of our different talents, gifts, social, and economic levels, we can live and work together for our salvation and our salvation of the world.
Finally, the celebration of the Holy Trinity reminds us that if we remain united, our different personalities would become our strength, rather than our weakness or the cause of our disintegration. For their love and unity, let us praise the Most Holy Trinity: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Peace be with you!
Maranatha!
frcanicenjoku 