Gospel Reflection for Trinity Sunday

27th. May – A Community of Love and the call to Mission

 Today is not the day to try and explain how three goes into one! The Feast of the Trinity is not a matter of facts, figures and numbers. We can’t explain this with a calculator! We can’t ‘Google’ this and find a nice neat explanation for it. The Trinity is not a puzzle or riddle that we can solve with our brains. The Trinity is a sacred mystery that we are called and invited to experience in our hearts through prayer and reflection. When we use the ‘mystery’ we are not talking about something that we can understand and with conversation and logic. When we use the word ‘mystery’ to talk about The Trinity, we are talking about a reality that is so endlessly rich and profound that it will never be exhausted. The more we pray about the power and presence of The Trinity, the more of it will be revealed to us. Through The Trinity, God creates and loves us, Jesus liberates and saves us and the Spirit encourages and strengthens us. The Trinity is a community of love and life that we are invited to be part of and share in.

The Trinity is not passive, silent or static; in fact it is the very opposite. The Trinity is alive, vibrant and dynamic. In our gospel this Sunday, Jesus sends out and missions his disciples in the name of the Trinity. This is often called ‘The Great Commandment.’ They are to announce and proclaim the Good News of the gospel in the name of The Trinity, not their own name! Jesus calls them together and then sends them out as his messengers and ambassadors.

Today, we are the people who are called to be Christ’s disciples and messengers. Today we are the people who are to proclaim and share with others all things that Jesus has done for us and told us. We are to live our daily lives conscious and aware that is through the sacred name of The Trinity that each of us has been baptised and confirmed. When a child or adult is baptised and become a member of God’s family, the church, the very same words that Jesus says in the gospel are used, ‘Go, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.’ Through our baptism and confirmation, we are called to be active, vocal and visible members of the missionary church.

When we begin our prayer, whether alone or in church with others, we do so by making the sign of the cross and calling on the Trinity to guide us. Perhaps, today and during the coming week, we could do this a little slower. This will help us to become more aware that it is through the sacred name of The Trinity that we are members of missionary church and that we are all called to live and proclaim the Good News of the gospel and the message of Jesus.

• Michael Moore OMI