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!

One of my favorite lines from sacred scripture comes to us in the Acts of the Apostles (17:28). “For in Him, we live and move and have our being.” St. Paul is quoting from one of the ancient Greek poets about the God from whom we come but cannot see. He uses the words, “grope for”, in describing man’s efforts to know the “Unknown God”.

What Paul is struggling to describe is the subtle way God reveals Himself to us. The image is almost like a fish in water. Like that water, God is all around us. He holds us up. Wherever we go, he is there. We breathe him in. We live in him and he lives in us.

But, how do we see God or feel him if he is all around us like water or air? This is where we need help. We need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes of faith. We need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the quickening of love (“Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7)

St. John in his first letter tells us, “No one has ever seen God.” So, then how will we come to know him by the Holy Spirit? Lacking physical evidence we turn to “Signs of the presence of God”. Scripture again points us in the right direction by giving us signs to look for. They are called the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit.

The Gifts are generally intellectual and spiritual abilities helping us apply the teachings of Christ to everyday life. The Fruits are generally observable states of goodness that have as their source the presence of God.

They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faith, gentleness and chastity.

To each of these I’ll highlight some human moment that gives us a sign of the Holy Spirit.

Love. Any act that places the well being of the loved one before oneself. “Love does not seek its own”. 1 Cor. 13.

Joy. That deep happiness that comes, when in spite of hardships, you’ve “done the right thing”.

Peace. When someone has devoted themselves to reconciling with someone who is estranged. Conversely, to be won over by the loving concern of a “Peacemaker”.

Patience. Your child/spouse/friend disappoints you for the hundredth time. You smile and assure them things will be right someday.

Kindness. So simple; pure goodness for its own sake. Speaks for itself.

Generosity. Giving more than is necessary . . . because you want their happiness.
Faith. Knowing God loves all of us, and as a result, “All will be well.”

Gentleness. A largeness of spirit that can afford a kind word in the face of harshness. Large like God is large.

Chastity. Honoring another person in their body. Requiring sexual desire to serve its Godly purpose (the gift of children and the bond of love) because that is what true love demands.

Here’s hoping you’ve caught a glimpse of the Holy Spirit in your life!!

A blessed Pentecost. 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!

Parents, you have the toughest job in the world. Challenges in the priesthood are small by comparison.

First of all, you and your spouse had the courage to have a family. You took the plunge and brought your babies into the world. You knew your life would be forever changed.

Then you washed them and fed them and held them close to your heart. You protected them with your own life in the balance sometimes. You taught them right from wrong as best you could. You wondered, painfully at times, if they had any idea just how much you loved them.

And then . . . they went away. They took that first step out of your arms. They got on the school bus for the first time. Later they were embarrassed to be seen with you by their friends. They met someone whom they loved as much as you (maybe more). They married; they started a new home (away from yours); and now, you see that was the plan from the beginning.

And, to all this you parents said, “Yes!” Because you knew they had to go away in order to become more than your child. They had to become what God wanted them to be . . . an adult. It isn’t easy, but it’s the way it’s supposed to be. Fr. John and I think you are heroes.

Well, guess what? It’s the same with Jesus but in reverse. Your child had to leave you to become a full person. Jesus has to leave us so we can become “fully mature in Christ . . . no longer infants.” Ephesians 4: 13.

Think, if Jesus had stuck around here for over 2000 years; generation after generation would have been born, lived and died while Jesus, (who had already died and then raised to new life) would not have aged a day.

Every day social media would follow him to see if he had done any miracles. Politicians would stand in line to get his blessing or maybe even his endorsement. The United Nations would be calling him 24/7 to settle this or that dispute. Court rooms would be empty as everyone stood in line for Jesus to render judgements about what is just.

The worst part is we would most likely be standing around waiting for Jesus to do it all. Want justice? Want an end to war? Want food for the hungry? Want someone to care? “That’s not my job. You’ll have to see Jesus about that one. He’s the Son of God.”

But, that’s not how Jesus wanted us to be. Rather, he calls us his friends (because, unlike slaves, we know what our Master is about. He’s shared with us everything he received from his Father, John 15:15) and now as he goes away he sends us into the world with his message and the power of God – – – the Holy Spirit.

He instructs us to do as he has done to us: to wash the feet of the poor, to forgive our enemies, to turn the other cheek, “to love one another as I have loved you.”

We are no longer children tied to mom’s apron. We are the grown children of God. St. Paul calls us “Ambassadors for Christ – God as it were, appealing through us.” 2 Cor. 5:20.

Jesus wants you and me to partner with him. We’re called to share in his sufferings and experience his joy. But, in order for that to happen, Jesus has to go away.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

Yours in Christ, Fr. Tim

Medical studies have revealed so much about our physical make-up, social scientists are discovering the hidden impulses for human behavior. Even human consciousness has been traced in part to a chemical reaction between the receptors in our brain.

For all of that, science has been unable to fully understand what a human being is. Human beings are a mystery. Every other creature can be explained and understood by virtue of its function, namely to live and reproduce. That’s it. “Gee another minnow, there’s another robin. Big deal.” To exist is enough. There is no identity crisis for a toad.

That’s not the way it is with humans. To exist is not enough. We need to have at our core a “reason for living”. Our brain seeks to understand what its thinking is ultimately about. Science can’t give us that. The reason is, part of our existence is spiritual. Science doesn’t have the tools to examine things spiritual.

The spiritual component of us humans is what makes us a “person”. (The classic definition of person is “a creature possessing reason and will”.) The human being has enormous gifts to look out and understand the world all around. He can understand everything but himself!! We are a mystery to ourselves (Who am I? Why am I here?).

And, guess what? We don’t have the answer to who we are because our meaning lies outside ourselves. Humans are the one creature whose meaning and purpose resides in relationship to the Other . . . to God, in whose image we were created.

As if that’s not enough, these thinking humans come in two forms: male and female. Each of them add to the mystery of the human creature. Today, Mothers Day, we honor women in a special way.

What does she bring to the world by virtue of her womanliness? Her motherliness? She and she alone is a “person creator”. Her husband helps start the process of course but, only mother can put our bodies together in such a way that we can live our life here on earth.

Given this, can we not see how a woman inherently holds the preciousness of life? She sees every person as some woman’s child. As she brings a person safely into the world, so now she constantly searches for what will bring that life to full stature and yes, happiness.

This “Nurturer of Life” is in every woman not just biological mothers. Her heart beats for others in a way that makes a life of kindness and gentleness a reality. In my opinion, it is what has conquered the sometimes violent heart of men and civilized the world. Do you remember the women of North and Southern Ireland (their men be-ing mortal enemies) coming together in 1988 to seek peace so their children would have a life free of violence and fear? A mother’s heart has conquered the fierceness of the IRA and brought peace to a country wracked by hatred and prejudice.

Thank you Woman, Mother, Mystery. God bless you always.

Fr. Tim

The Greeks had two different words to refer to what we call “time”. Chronos, which describes the “time of day” or time elapsed (hours/minutes) and Kairos, which means “a time when . . .”, a period of time where something important or life changing happens. These kinds of times are not limited by minutes or seconds. It’s a time when “time stands still.” A friend of mine calls them “moments”.

Every once in a while life serves up an event which breaks through the chronos, the “everydayness” of existence. Familiar happenings: appointments, meetings, sleeping and rising, eating, washing, gassing the car, shopping, telephoning, suddenly give way to…..a moment. Most times it comes very simply, so if you’re not looking you can miss it. But, what happens can be wonderful….these moments punch a hole in the routine of life and for a second, I believe we can see and feel something of the presence of God.

One of these happened to me some years ago. It was Thursday (my day off!). I was hanging around the rectory doing nothing in particular. A call came from Rochester General. A man had been brought to emergency; he was Catholic and the family was requesting a priest to anoint him. I remember driving to the hospital thinking, ‘How long will this take? I’ve got things to do.’

Well, it was serious. A heart attack. He had died. Fr. Endres, the hospital chaplain (a great priest by the way) was there already and had anointed the man. I was shown to the waiting room to be with the family (mother, daughter, son and granddaughter). They were devastated, of course. But, even in this terrible moment, there was a quiet dignity – even the beginnings of thankfulness. “He was a good man.” “He went without suffering.” “Now he is in peace.”

But then, “the moment” I was telling you about, we all went to the trauma room and said a prayer over the deceased. That’s where it happened. The granddaughter (a women in her 20’s I think) stood by the bed, her face a bright red from holding in the tears. After our prayers and as we were about to leave, she put her cheek to her grandfather’s forehead and between sobs of tears she said, “Oh grandpa! I love you!”

Everything stopped. There it was. The beauty! She was at that moment a picture of the human heart as it was created by God – to be full of love. (How blessed we are to be able to love; forgetting ourselves we are poured out for the beloved.)

Suddenly, all the mundane, mean little experiences of life stood redeemed in this one moment of pure tenderness. She reminded me of Mary Magdalene weeping for love beside the tomb of Jesus.

How beautiful are those who love. Their hearts point to their Creator, the source of love. “When will we see you face to face, Oh Lord?” Her tears sort of washed me clean. I was wakened to love which will last forever . . . because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
It was a good day off.

Easter joy.

Fr. Tim

PS. This all happened 12 years ago . . . chronos time. I still feel that moment now in Kairos time.

The Gospel this Sunday has that iconic image of the Good Shepherd. Kind of piggy backing on this, the US bishops have called this World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Get it? The shepherd calls the sheep. The sheep hear his voice and they follow. Jesus calls us (vocare), we hear (or feel) his voice, and we follow in his path (vocation).

What can get in the way of this image (shepherd and sheep) is our discomfort with being likened to sheep. Rather than seeing the privilege of belonging to this especially loved and protected group, we might chafe at the thought of being likened to a dumb animal.

Personally, I find comfort in the thought that Jesus knows me and counts me among his flock. But there is more happening here. The image works both ways: yes, we are the sheep of his flock but, we are also called to be Good Shepherds ourselves.

And, what does that look like? “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jn. 10:11. Unlike someone for hire, (rent-a-shepherd) the good shepherd faces down the wolf.

He or she stays to protect the flock (their child, their students, friends, etc.) threatened by violence, injustice, ignorance, lies, false rumors, etc., the good shepherd stands as a pillar of safety and goodness.

So, how are you doing? Are you laying your life down for your little flock?

Holy Trinity Seniors

Any thoughts regarding possible activities for seniors here at H.T.? Your Parish Council would like your ideas.

Stop by the Gathering Space after Mass next week and share your ideas/interest in activities that may appeal to our seniors; or call or email Cathy Imes at 315-524-7351 or cimes@rochesster.rr.com.

There is a scene in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland where Alice eats a mushroom and grows to enormous proportions. She out grows her bed, and bedroom. She must get on her knees so as not to hit her head on the ceiling. Her arms get stretched out the windows. She doesn’t fit her world anymore. It’s too small for her.

Silly as it sounds that image keeps coming to me as we think about the great mystery of Christ’s Resurrection. This world is too small to fit our hope.

Here’s what I mean. Prior to Christ being raised up to the life of the Resurrection this world was all we knew. You were born. You grew up and did a bunch of things (it really didn’t matter what you did). And you died. Everything was all part of the giant wheel of life. Spring to summer, summer to fall, fall to winter and then it starts all over again.

We all fit into the ever repeating pattern of nature – – birth to death. Like a giant Etcha A Sketch nature would lift the page and our scribblings would be lost . . . forever. The best we could hope for was a good growing season, a healthy baby, a little comfort in our last years.

The best pre-scientific minds reflected this static, never changing universe. The sky was thought to be a giant dome (think Sky Dome in New Orleans). The stars were stuck into the dome like spot lights. Each day, the biggest light, the sun, followed a path etched in the dome. As the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us “What has been, that will be; what has been done that will be done. There is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

That all changed when God sent his son into nature (space and time). Jesus, by virtue of who he is (God in human flesh), removed the dome over the earth and opened the night sky to the infinite reaches of the galaxies. No longer are we humans caught on the mindless, ever turning wheel of life. No longer are we like leaves that bloom in spring and return to the earth each autumn.

We are Children of God. God, who Jesus tells us to call “Father”. We now have reason to hope for a life that unites us to God forever in Jesus Christ. Without this hope were stuck in Alice’s tiny house. “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ . . . we are the most pitiable of people.” 1 Cor. 15:19.

Christ has freed us from the Eternal Return that held us captive and so now “we look forward to the Resurrection of the Dead and the life of the world to come.” The Creed.

Still we live in time. There’s not enough it seems. We run out of it. We come to our end. Jesus died, so do we. This fact has not changed.

But . . . as the women at the tomb tell us today, HE IS RISEN! God is not defeated by death. He lives in Eternal Life. And He’s coming to get you. Christ wants us to be with him. Why? Because he love us. Why does He love us? Because that’s how God is.
Oh Lord, increase my faith. Please say “yes” to Christ’s love.

Once again, happy Easter.

Fr. Tim

Typical Americans, we try to cram every possible self indulgence into one day’s time frame. We do this at Christmas, St. Paddy’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc. Egging us on for these days of celebration are the greeting card, chocolate and beer companies.

The Church has a much better idea as to how to celebrate important events . . . Take your time. Savor it. So Lent lasts for 40 days, and in that time we fast and sacrifice. Okay. So now Easter is 10 days longer, and we are encouraged to do wonderful things to remind us of the goodness of life as it comes in light of the Resurrection. Joyful things done in His honor; actions done to show our appreciation of life as God has given it to us.

In that spirit may I suggest a few Easter Events you might consider for you and/or your family? (Remember, I am very corny so these may not be your cup of tea. My purpose is to get you to take seriously your own celebration of the Easter Season.)

This Easter Season why not say “thank you” to God by doing some fun, joyful activities like:

See that good movie you’ve been wanting to catch.

• Take a long walk in the springtime.
• Visit some special place on a day trip.
• Listen to a piece of beautiful music (listen like you were in church).
• Food. Make a special meal for you and loved ones.
• Visit some person you know can’t get out to see people. Think up some excuse to tell them why you’re coming by – – – in the area, need some advice, etc.
• Find a way to tell your co-workers what a wonderful Easter you had and how blessed you feel by God to be alive.
• Visit the graves of the one’s you’ve loved and lost. Ask them to pray for you. You pray for them.
• Buy a goldfish. God made that.
• Really sing out at Mass.
• Read a book where good triumphs over evil.
• Do something with and for a child. Something fun, something silly.
• Dedicate a day to speaking only positive words about others.
• Spend 5 minutes looking out a window at a tree or a bush or people . . . thank God for making you with eyes that can see.
• Dedicate a day to listening, really listening to people. Hear their joy, sadness, hope, frustration, excitement, disappointment. Take them into your heart.
• Start your day with God. Throw the covers off in the morning, but before your feet touch the floor tell God, “Lord, I give this day to you. All that I say and all that I do, let it be for you.” Then put your foot on the floor to start the day.

Finally, we do all these things in joy and thanksgiving . . . because we are going to live with God forever in the Mystical Body of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter Joy, Fr. Tim

Take a big nose full of air today. A long breath into your nostrils. Notice anything? The air is still dead. It’s fresh and clear but it’s dead. The hard winter has kept the spring from coming to Western New York. The snow is still melting in our parking lot. The only sure signs of spring have been the geese returning overhead and the crocuses in their crazy purple and yellow. There is no life in the air.

But that is all about to change. An absolute revelation is about to happen. The earth is about to come to life. Green will cover the ground everywhere. Trees will bud, flowers of all kinds will be every-where. And, filling the air will be this brand new smell (I’ve forgotten just how it smells – – – it’s been almost five months). Life.

Imagine, if we had to pay our town government for Spring 2015 . . . “Let’s see now. . . it’ll be $5 mill for the air conditioning, $19 mill for the flowers, and $27 mill for the grass and trees.” It’s all free!! You see God has designed it to happen that way- – -so you could have a garden and greet your neighbor and work on your putting or just let your mind wonder at the beauty of it all. New life.

I wonder if there is a tree or bush anywhere that says “no” to this new life. “No, leave me alone, it’s to hard here.”

“Waking up again to all that happens—drought, wind storms, insects, losing leaves, winter, ice storms. . . I just don’t want anymore.” It’s hard coming to life again. It’s easier to stay dead sometimes.

Friends, today we celebrate the hope of what we call Eternal Life. It is a life that nature cannot produce and for which this springtime is only a glimmer. Eternal Life can come only from He who is eternal.

And, so God like a good farmer, has sent His Son into nature. And like a seed Jesus entered the earth to die (“Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains just a grain of wheat”).

Having died and been buried in the earth, Jesus is today raised from the dead!! God has begun the New Creation.

Now the question remains, —- do you want this new springtime? Do you want to risk the uncertainties of life for the sake of the prize—Life on high with Jesus Christ? I do!

A Blessed Easter.

With Love, Fr. Tim

(Below you will find a description of the Triduum)

HOLY THURSDAY OR MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER: 7:00 pm.

With this Mass, begins the Easter Triduum. The Church recalls the Last Supper, when Jesus on the night He was betrayed, displays His love for His disciples (and us) by giving them His Body and Blood, under the species of bread and wine. He commands the apostles to perpetuate this offering, the Eucharist. In this liturgy, through the signs and sacraments of this Mass, we remember that Christ accomplished three major objectives: He instituted the Eucharist; he instituted the priesthood; and He commanded us all to love our brothers and sisters. The Eucharist is celebrated.

GOOD FRIDAY OR PASSION OF THE LORD: 3:00 pm.

This is a day of strict fast and abstinence. Its liturgy begins and ends in silence. Decorations in the church are sparse. The church is meditating on the Passion of the Lord. Celebration takes place in the afternoon. When the priest and ministers enter, they do so in silence without any singing. A significant part of this liturgy is veneration of the cross, when each person is invited to move up to a cross of wood, displayed or held up for this purpose, and either kiss it, bow or touch it reverently. Usually the cross that is adored is not a crucifix, (with a body on it) be-cause the church is not looking at just a moment in history, and because the acclamation is, “Behold the wood of the Cross.” Holy Communion, which had been consecrated on Holy Thursday is distributed. When post-Communion prayers are completed, the people and ministers leave in silence, with no dismissal or formal ending. The cross itself is left in the church for meditation on the Paschal mystery (Christ’s cross and resurrection).

EASTER VIGIL: 8:00 pm.

For many people, this is the favorite liturgy of the year. It commemorates the Holy Night when Jesus rose from the dead. This symbol-packed liturgy, which does not take place until nightfall, is full of excitement. The church awaits the Resurrection. The sacrament of initiation (of entrance into the church) is distributed to the catechumens who have been studying and preparing for months for this joyful acceptance by the church. People assemble in church in darkness. At the appointed time they hear the Easter proclamation. Then they participate in the service of the light. A fire is started, preferably outside, but sometimes in a grill within the church, and the paschal candle, representing Christ, is blessed and lighted.

A procession into the church is led by the light of the paschal candle. From this candle the small candles held by the people in the pews are also lit, one by one, until the church is a beautiful picture of candles brightening the darkness. During the procession, the “Light of God” is proclaimed and the people respond with, “Thanks be to God.” The implied message is: just as the children of Israel were guided at night by the pillar of fire, similarly Christians follow the risen Christ.

The people hear seven readings from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament, all telling of the wonderful works of God. When the “Gloria” is sung, candles on or near the altar are lit, lights are turned on, and church bells are rung to ring out to the world the good news. A homily follows the joyful reading of the Gospel. Excitement intensifies for those who have been waiting to be initiated into the church.

Water is blessed by the celebrant by plunging the paschal candle into the water once or three times. The assembly recites the profession of faith, and catechumens are baptized. Standing, the assembly renews its baptismal vows, and is sprinkled with water. The celebration of Eucharist follows. As people leave this uplifting liturgy, they greet each other with “Happy Easter” and smiles of joy.