Homily for Feast of Holy Trinity (30 May 2010)

Fr. James McTavish, FMVD

Living with the Trinity

Today we celebrate the great mystery of our faith, the Holy Trinity. In some ways so familiar, as we begin every mass ‘In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’ but in other ways so mysterious and unfathomable. The story is told of St Augustine walking along the beach trying to figure out the mystery of the Trinity. He came across a little boy (an angel in disguise) trying to put the seawater from the ocean into a small hole he had dug in the sand. When Augustine inquired as to what he was doing the boy told him that it is easier to put all the waters of the ocean into the small hole than for the human mind to understand the mystery of the Trinity! Where does that leave us? Perhaps our primary focus is not to understand the Trinity but to know them and love them. As Fr Jaime Bonet, the founder of the Verbum Dei community wrote “It is useless to know the doctrines of the Trinity if we do not first savour, drink from and enjoy the fountains of divine love which spring up from deep within us”. It is one thing to try and describe what an ice-cream is and it another thing to taste it!

One of the best explanations I have ever heard of the nature of the Trinity was not in the great theological lecture halls of the universities in Rome but from an 11 year old girl giving her testimony here in the Philippines. She shared how every day she spoke to God the Father and thanked him for the gift of life, how she tried to live her school days in the presence of her good friend Jesus, and how she always felt accompanied by the Holy Spirit as her helper and companion. Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God, they shall see the Trinity. The Trinity are not far from us. In fact if you did a survey and asked where do we find the Trinity most people would point vaguely to the sky and say ‘in heaven’. But as St Alphonsus Liguori was fond to remark “Heaven for God is the human heart”. From baptism we receive the in-dwelling of the three divine persons. When asked where is God it is more correct to point to our heart. In his exhortation to the faithful St Alphonsus encouraged to foster their relationship with God in prayer – to talk to him as a close and dear friend and to love him as spouse which is in effect to grow in a loving relationship with the Trinity. They live in us so how crazy we would be if we did not enjoy their delightful company.

They live in us but the question is ‘do we live with them?’ Do you share with them? Sometimes they are living in us but we ignore them and never speak to them. Sometimes our thoughts are on many other things, many worries and anxieties and we are so busy we do not have time to pray. Anyone who has no time to pray is actually a very inefficient person because the best secretary and organizer is none other than the Holy Spirit. There is no one better for putting order in the chaos. What a pity that instead of our lives revolving around the Trinity, we make the Trinity revolve around our schedule. Is it not time to put God in the centre? Once Jesus got angry in the temple because instead of being a sanctuary, a place to encounter God it had become a place of business and negotiations. Jesus said “Stop making my Father’s house a market place!” (John 2, 16). We are meant to love God and use money, not the other way around.

Having the Trinity dwell in us means we also must care for and take care of our bodies. That is why it is wrong to get drunk because our body is a temple of the Spirit. And excess alcohol leads to all sorts of shenanigans. We need to take care what we put in our hearts and minds. If you opened a tabernacle and found it full of rubbish you would be shocked and scandalized. And if they open the tabernacle of our mind and heart? What would people find?

Each one of us is called to be a manifestation of the Trinity. To be a reflection of their love, to be a visible sign of their communion. When others meet us they have the right to encounter God in our lives. This is not only for those who are ‘holy holy’ but every Christian is called to reveal the face of the Trinity within them. When Nelson Mandela gave his 1994 South African Presidential Inaugural Speech he reminded us all that we are children of God. He said “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others." It is a call to manifest the greatness of the Trinity within us. Imagine all that power and love in us! Next time we gaze at an awesome scene, a towering mountain, the raging ocean, the stars twinkling just remember that the Trinity who made it all is within us – God the Father speaking through his Son, the Word, in the Spirit and all things came to be.

The Trinity can be seen in so many ways if we have eyes to see. When we come to pray and meditate upon Sacred Scripture, the Trinity is present. In what way? Well the whole of scripture, as St Gregory the Great reminds us, is a love letter from the Father. Jesus himself tells us that the Word of God refers to him and to understand what we listen to we need the assistance of the Holy Spirit. So looking at the Scriptures we can in some way discover the face of the Trinity - “Truly dedicated servants always pay attention to the facial expressions of their masters so as to hear and follow out commands with promptness. So too the righteous focus their minds on the presence of Almighty God and gaze upon his Scriptures as upon his face” (St Gregory the Great).

Let us enjoy this feast day today. It is an opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a good question to ask ourselves “Who are they each for me?” They live in us. May they not remain as unwanted guests but let us welcome them in our hearts and grow in this loving relationship with them. Amen.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity, REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

“Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”

(Fr. James McTavish FMVD)

Today the Church celebrates the Trinity Sunday. We have a God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God yet three persons, co-equal, united and living in perfect communion. I am attracted by the unity in the Trinity. One of the great theologians of the early Church, Gregory of Nazianzen stated “I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendor. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me…”. One of the tasks of the Church is to reveal the face of the Trinity. Every gathering of the community in the Eucharist is an external manifestation of the Trinitarian union. I find this concept of unity very much related to the words of Jesus “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28, 16-20). 

What does it mean to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Obviously there is the sacrament itself when the baptized person receives the indwelling of the Holy Trinity. In some countries in the world such as China there are many with a strong desire for baptism and those recently baptized live with a fervent faith that desires to be nourished. In other countries such as Philippines the vast majority of people have already received the sacrament. What would the words of Jesus mean here? The greek word for Baptism means dip or immerse. It gives the sense that we are called to be immersed in God’s presence, to be immersed in the presence of the Holy Trinity. To know that they dwell in us and to live with them. They are the best travelling companions! How many are you on this journey Sir? Four. Myself, God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Oh and Mother Mary too. No need to be lonely when we are travelling! Moses talks of this closeness in the first reading of today (Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40). “Was anything ever heard? Was ever a people able to hear the voice of the living God? Has any god took to his own heart one nation or people?”

We have a God so close to us. A Father who desires that all be saved and come to know the truth. Who wants to run out and embrace all his children and shares his maternal and paternal desires with us. Go and make disciples! Go and form people who know how to connect with my fatherly heart. Who can talk to me and listen to me. Jesus who asks us to keep his Word and in this way he and the Father will come and make their dwelling place in us. Imagine! Of all the fancy basilicas in the world and the many gold tabernacles, the favourite dwelling place of the Trinity is the human heart. And the Spirit always accompanies us, a Spirit of power and love not of timidity. A Spirit that makes us free, that makes us children of God “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’” (St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 8, 14-17). How great to live in the company of the Holy Trinity in all the situations of our life. The other day I had to go and make some photocopies. The weather was terrible so I took the local jeepney (a small bus here in the Philippines). I was heading for Mendez crossing but the jeepney was going to Mendez. I didn’t know there was a difference. After 30 minutes travelling I began to see that I was lost as the journey should have taken only 5 minutes! I was getting worried until the Holy Spirit started to ‘nudge me’ and remind me of his presence! I was not alone. I was travelling with the Holy Trinity. How comforting. It gave me the courage to practice my Tagalog (the local dialect) and ask for help. 

Many are baptized but how many live in the presence of the Trinity? It is like a neighbor of ours who has so many worries. Her health is not do good and I was concerned as she is excessively worried about may things that cannot be changed. Too much worrying is bad for her health. I was reminding her to live all the situations in the presence of the Trinity. To share with them, to dialogue with them. I know that sharing with the Trinity helps us to live so many situations. Not to ignore them or treat them as strangers. But to live each day immersed in their loving presence. 

And of course as Christians to make them known! This is our mission! As Fr. Jaime Bonet the founder of the Verbum Dei congregation never tires of announcing “Live with the Trinity. Dialogue with them. Listen to them.” From this loving dialogue with the Father, Son and Spirit dwelling in us we will desire to make them known and loved. Their loving presence urges us to go and make disciples, to form Christians capable to live in the presence of the Trinity. 

Let us try to know this loving trying God more. Perhaps we can live this day more conscious of their presence within us. Father, I feel like this. What do you think? Jesus, how are you? How can I make you happy this day? Spirit thank you because you are the giver of life. Help me today to share this life with others…

Blessed Trinity,

If we expected today’s readings (John 16:12-15)to give us a clear and elaborate presentation of the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, we have found out that they simply do not. The doctrine of three persons in one God, equal in divinity yet distinct in personality, is not explicitly spelt out in the Bible. In fact the very word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible. Rather early Christians arrived at the doctrine of the Trinity when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. 

Jesus spoke about the Father who sent him (the Son) and about the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. He said that the Father had given him (the Son) all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father. In this we see the unity of purpose among the three persons of the Trinity. In the story of salvation we usually attribute creation to the Father, redemption to the Son and sanctification to the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, though they are distinct as persons, neither the Father nor the Son nor the Holy Spirit ever exists in separation or acts in isolation from the other two persons of the Godhead.

The inner relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God, yet there are not three Gods but one is incomprehensible to the human mind. It is a mystery.

The story is told of St Augustine of Hippo, a great philosopher and theologian who wanted so much to understand the doctrine of the Trinity and to be able to explain it logically. One day as he was walking along the sea shore and reflecting on this, he suddenly saw a little child all alone on the shore. The child made a whole in the sand, ran to the sea with a little cup, filled her cup, came and poured it into the hole she had made in the sand. Back and forth she went to the sea, filled her cup and came and poured it into the hole. Augustine went up to her and said, "Little child, what are doing?" and she replied, "I am trying to empty the sea into this hole." "How do you think," Augustine asked her, "that you can empty this immense sea into this tiny hole and with this tiny cup?" To which she replied, " And you, how do you suppose that with this your small head you can comprehend the immensity of God?" With that the child disappeared.

Like Augustine we may not be able to understand the how of the Trinity but I think it is very important to understand the why. Why did God reveal to us this mystery regarding the very nature of the Supreme Being? The importance of this doctrine lies in this: we are made in the image of God, therefore, the more we understand God the more we can understand ourselves. 

So the more important question for us to ask today is: What does the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity tell us about the kind of God we worship and what does this say about the kind of people we should be? And here I have two points to share with you.

1. God does not exist in isolated individualism but in a community of relationships. In other words, God is not a loner or a recluse. This means that a Christian in search of Godliness (Matthew 5:48) must shun every tendency to isolationism and individualism. The ideal Christian spirituality is not that of flight from the world like that of certain Buddhist monastic traditions where the quest for holiness means withdrawal to the Himalayas away from contact with other people and society.
2. True love requires three partners. You remember the old saying "Two is company, three is a crowd." The Trinity shows us that three is community, three is love at its best; three is not a crowd. Taking an example from the human condition we see that when a man A is in love he looks for a woman B so that together they can produce a baby C. Father, mother and child — love when it becomes complete becomes a trinity. Over and above that, each one of us becomes fully human only when we are in relationship with God and in relationship with others. In that way our life becomes Trinitarian like that of God. Then we discover that the I-and-I principle preached by Bob Marley and practised by the society at large leaves much to be desired. The doctrine of the Blessed Trinity challenges us to adopt rather an I-and-God-and-neighbour principle. I am a Christian insofar as I live in a relationship of love with God and other people. May the grace of the Holy Trinity help us to banish all traces of selfi shness in our lives and to live in love of God and of neighbour.