REFLECTIONS: FR. JUDE'S -- TRINITY SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2005

[Pdesousa3@cs.com]

17-05-05
Dear Friend,
                In the light of the recent events of the death of John Paul 
and the election of Pope Benedict, there seems to be a renewed interest in 
spirituality and religion. Book publishers have come out with a spate of 
books dealing with classics of theology as well as new approaches to God. 
Can God be known by us? Can we do anything to know God? Today's celebration 
of Trinity Sunday reminds us that God himself takes the initiative to reveal 
his inner life to us. May his word reveal and renew his life in us. Have a 
discerning weekend! -Fr. Jude

Sunday Reflections: Trinity Sunday           Living as the family of God!                       22-05-05
Readings: Exodus 34: 4-6, 8-9;                                           2 
Corinthians 13: 11-13;                       John 3:16-18;

Today's first reading from Exodus speaks of the intimate relationship 
between Yahweh and Moses as he approaches Yahweh on Mount Sinai. Yahweh had done much for his chosen people: He had led them out of slavery from Egypt, 
fed them as they journeyed through the desert, accompanied them as they 
crossed the red sea, and provided constant signs of his protection, and care 
for them. In spite of this the people forgot Yahweh and preferred to worship 
a molten calf, a creation of their own hands. Moses besought the 'merciful 
and gracious God' to pardon this 'stiff-necked people' for their wickedness 
and sins. God reveals himself to Moses as the forgiving God ever 
compassionate to his people. The Hebrew Scriptures reveal God as the creator 
and Father who cares for his people and has adopted them as his own. Our 
Father-God loves to include us into his family.

Welcome in!
There is a beautiful Russian icon of the Blessed Trinity painted by a monk 
by the name of Rublev.  It depicts the three Divine Persons sitting at 
table. A dish of food lies on the table. But the thing that immediately 
strikes you is the fact that at the front of the table there is a vacant 
place. The vacant place is meant to convey openness, hospitality and welcome 
towards the stranger and outsider. That vacant place is meant for each of 
us, and for all the human family. It signifies God's invitation to us to 
share in the life of the Trinity. God doesn't exclude us. He invites us to 
come in and sit at his table. He wants to share his life with us.
Flor McCarthy in 'New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies'


In the second reading Paul is addressing the people of Corinth, who, in 
spite of being converted to the Lord, abandoning the precepts and 
commandments of God, lead sinful lives. After chiding them, Paul at the end 
of this letter assures them 'of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.' He not only wishes them 
God's grace and blessing, but the unique 'fellowship', the deep 
participation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Since they share God's 
life, Paul asks the Corinthians to respect and care for each other.

In his book The Theology of the Trinity, Lawrence Cantwell devotes a chapter 
to interpreting the Trinity in the light of the universal religious sense of 
mankind. This sense first makes itself felt in a feeling of awe at finding 
ourselves in a world we did not make. We see evidence of God's hand in 
creation, but we don't see God himself. Our awe expresses itself in worship. 
Second a religious sense is felt by an insight into God's presence at the 
heart of the world. Poetry, music, art and human love awaken in us an 
awareness of divine presence in our very midst. We perceive that human 
activity has a divine dimension. If the first religious sense can be 
characterized as vertical, pointing beyond the world, then the second way 
can be characterized as horizontal, pointing the way within the world. There 
is a third dimension to the ways a religious sense is felt, a depth 
dimension whereby we detect a presence within ourselves. Great artists, for 
example, testify to an inspiration from within their very being which moves 
them to creative activity. That divine spark within us we call the Holy 
Spirit. -Albert Cylwicki

In the Gospel we have yet another facet of God revealed by Jesus in his 
encounter with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was impressed by what he saw and heard 
from Jesus yet he was a cautious disciple, who did not want to be identified 
as a Jesus-follower and so he comes in the darkness of the night. He wants 
to follow Jesus but in secrecy. For Nicodemus, as for so many people, 
religion should be a private affair. Jesus' response to this caution is not 
more caution but a clear and open declaration of God's attitude to the 
world. At the very heart of the Gospel is God's declaration of love for all 
peoples. "God so loved the world that he gave his only son.. For God sent 
his son not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be 
saved." God is a God who openly reveals his commitment to His people, even 
when they have abandoned the covenant and repeatedly gone away from him. It 
is the nature of God to give and forgive, just as it appears to be the 
nature of men to get and forget. The feast of the Trinity is truly the 
celebration of a God who reveals himself as a God who shares his life and 
wishes to include all into his family, with no terms and conditions.

We experience something of the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit when 
it is communicated in simple ways through the people of grace we meet in our 
lives. Most of us experience it first in the generosity of our parents' 
love, one that is so important in the growth of every child of God.

The Irish writer Clare Boylan reflected in a radio interview on the lasting 
power of her parent's love:  "My parents did two things for me: they gave me 
a sense of my own importance and they let me know that I was loved. I think 
that a lot of parents don't give to their children a sense of their own 
importance in case it becomes over-inflated; but we were always told that we 
were absolutely marvelous and that if anyone said otherwise they were wrong. 
That gives you tremendous confidence -and it lasts. If your parents have 
given you these two things - a sense of self and the love -you have them all 
your life. If not you are forever looking for them. I don't think anything 
else matters."

The gospel concludes with Jesus inviting Nicodemus to believe and accept the 
unconditional love of the Father revealed through His son Jesus Christ. "No 
one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is 
condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God's 
only son." If we believe in God's love, our whole life is changed forever, 
if not, we are forever searching and struggling to merit that love from 
human beings, seldom finding it.

May we realize the privilege of being included in the love of the Father the 
Son and the Spirit!

Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net

PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been 
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and 
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever 
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you 
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in 
these reflections.  These reflections are also available on my web site 
www.netforlife.net Thank you.