Sharing the gift of the Holy Trinity

As Catholics, we begin and end most of our prayers by saying, “In the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” not in the names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in the doctrine that God though three persons is one.

This is perhaps the most central mystery of our faith, along with our belief in the body and blood of Christ coming from the consecration of bread and wine.

This Feast of the Trinity, celebrated this weekend, is to make us aware of how fortunate we are to be in relationship with God. St. Paul in our second reading, wants us to know how by baptism we are God’s sons and daughters by adoption and our Gospel, tells us that Jesus is with us always even until the end of the age.

Jesus commissions us to go forth and share this gift of the Trinity with others as we are to make disciples of all and be brothers and sisters to all.

This week, we might take some time to reflect on how well, with devotion, reverence and meditative respect, do we make the sign of the cross?

How often have you stopped to reflect and act with the creative, saving and sanctifying gifts of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The Trinity is a mystery to be lived out by word and example in the best way possible, not a mystery for us to solve. A little girl asked her mom to explain how as a baptized Christian she might live the gifts of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Her mom replied, “Well, when you obey and do as dad and I ask you, you are a good daughter.

When you share your toys and the TV and your favorite clothes with your sister, you are a good sister and when you go out and play fairly and with all, you bring the spirit of a friend. Hence, you are one person but acting in three different ways.”

This story does not solve the mystery of the oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but it gives us a good redeeming example to claim some knowledge of this doctrine.

The Trinity, three but one, reveals the importance of relationship.

The intimate, eternal importance of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is an essential part of God’s identity. From the beginning of time God has been in relationship and He has never been alone.

Our challenge is to redeem and reclaim this gift of relationship.

In a real way on this Memorial Day weekend, we do just that as we remember those men and women who sacrificed themselves to serve the nation, to give us all freedoms and grant us a spirit of love and truth. These men and women both of the past and present have made the Trinity a reality for all of us, and given us the gift of continuing to redeem and reclaim true, loving, caring relationships as brothers and sisters.

We have all been created by one God redeemed or saved by His son, Jesus and are called to live the best gifts of the Spirit with one another in love, justice, forgiveness, mercy and relationships.