TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR A

Exodus 34:4-6.8-9
2 Co. 13:11-13
John 3:16-18

HOLY TRINITY: THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S LOVE

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” We are undoubtedly familiar with these words of St Paul, which express unequivocally the mystery that we are celebrating today: the Holy Trinity. It is one of the foundational mysteries of our Christian faith, for we believe in One God who exists in Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, without pretending to make us understand fully this mystery, today’s readings reveal that the Triune God is a God of Love.

In the first reading, God reveals himself to Moses as “the LORD, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.” This story may be surprising, given that it occurred right after the story of the golden calf. In effect, few days after the covenant on Mount Sinai, the people of Israel turned from the Lord making a golden calf and worshipping it. And yet, instead of abandoning or destroying this stiff-necked people, God forgave them and decided to continue the journey with them, thanks to the intercession of Moses.

This revelation of God shows that God is Love. As the gospel reading tells us, the fullness of this merciful love of God is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. For out of love God gave his only Begotten Son to the world, so that anyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. “For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” Thus, God’s love and mercy are greater than our sins and unfaithfulness. He did not only send us his Son but also poured out into our hearts his love through the Holy Spirit that has been given us.

Therefore, by celebrating the Holy Trinity, we are invited to enter into the story of this love of God and radiate it around us. In this perspective, St Paul exhorts us saying: “Brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you…”

 May the Lord help us transform our parish communities, our families and our workplaces into communities of love so as to experience his unfailing presence in our lives. Amen