Do you remember when you experienced something for the first time as a child? A roller coaster ride, hiccups, bouncing on the bed (yay!), measles, the mysterious taste of beer . . . What a strange world this is, we thought.
One of those “moments” came to me in about third or fourth grade. There was a catechism lesson about God. I was amazed to hear that God never was made. “He always was,” Sister said. I was left to wrestle with a new word – “infinite.” No beginning, no end . . . always was, always will be. My tiny brain went spinning. How can that be?
But, the next lesson (these are gauzy memories after almost 60 years!) was just as surprising. Not only is God forever, in both directions, past, present and future, but God is three persons. Each of them was God, (full and complete) but united to each other as one God.
“The Trinity is a mystery we will never fully understand.” Sister told us. Boy that’s for sure, I thought. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, hmmm! The only picture of the Trinity that made sense to me was “God the Pitcher, God the Catcher, and God the Batter”, kind of an eternal ball game going on. After that my thoughts turned to more pressing matters – – girls.
Today we often hear “Oh, don’t worry about that Trinity stuff. Just love God and love your neighbor and you’re covered.” This is true. God is not requiring you to become a theologian to be saved. But, if we just leave it because it’s a mystery, we miss out on some really big truth for our lives.
The Trinity is good news for you and me. You see, God the Father sent God the Son into creation as a human being. By the power of God the Holy Spirit and the “Okay” from Mary, God the Son “became man”. He became one of us.
Our relationship with God is forever changed. God shares in our humanity forever. He will never undo what happened to him when he became a human being. He can’t turn his back on the human race, because he walked the same earth we walk. In fact, God the Trinity is so in love with the human race that he has “adopted” us as his children.
St. John writes, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called ‘Children of God’. Yet that is what we are.” 1 Jn 3:1,2. St. Paul proclaims the same thing when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . he chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . he (God) destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his (Trinitarian) will.” Ephesians 1: 3-6.
Do you begin to see how you and I are involved in the life of the Trinity? We are part of God’s inner life. It’s almost scary how close God wants us to be to him. Scripture goes on to say, “We are God’s Children now. What we shall later become has not yet been revealed. When Christ is revealed, we shall become like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 Jn. 3:2
So, what are we to make of the Trinity? It is our home. It is our communion, our participation in the very life of God. We are adopted into God because we belong to Jesus Christ who is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
This awesome vision — humanity united with God the Trinity for all eternity is a cause of hope as we live our lives here on earth. It can help us when this world hurts or disappoints. It can move us to spend our lives loving others because we are about to inherit a great treasure, life with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
May you meet Christ this week.
Fr. Tim
“Let’s Talk Again”
Please join us Saturday night, May 30, at 6 pm. in the Gathering Space for “Let’s Talk Again“.
There will be a dish to pass. Friendly conversation will follow about the Catholic Faith.
Fr. John will talk about changes in the Church over his 50 years as a priest. Fr. Tim will point us to the Synod of Bishops on the Family to be held this October in Rome. Come with your questions and observations. It’s going to be informative and fun!
All are warmly invited. Register online or call the Parish Office to register by May 28th. Bring a dish to pass!!!
Thank You!
