The Revelation of God's love

Reflection on Today's Readings and Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Sunday 7th June, 2020

Texts: Ex. 34:4b-6,8-9; Dan. (Ps.)3:29-34; 2Cor. 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

 Today is the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a mystery; a mystery because it is beyond the scope of human intellect. It is beyond what man can understand but revealed to us by God out of love for us. Today's celebration, therefore, reminds us of God's love for us, or should I say we are celebrating God's love today. Indeed, we are celebrating the love God has for us that he reveals himself to us. Hence, the first reading reminds us of God's love when it says that God revealed himself to Moses thus: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness". The gospel also says, "God so loved the world that he gave us his only-begotten Son".

God loves us and want us to be like him, to share in his divine life. However, we cannot be like him until we know him, and thus he reveals himself to us. Trinity is the revelation of inner life of God, the relation between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the mystery of one God existing in three persons, not in a distributive manner but fully in each of the persons. Let me express what I mean in the words of the Church: "The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: 'The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God'" (CCC no. 253). Though one in relation to their essence, they are distinct in relation to their persons. Hence, it is written thus: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son" (CCC no.254). 

Having revealed himself to us as one God in three persons, he calls us to share from his trinitarian life that in spite of our individuality, we are to be one in heart and soul. It is said of the first group of christian thus: "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possession, as everything they owned was held in common" (Acts 4:32). In this our time and age, private ownership is unavoidable but private property is not  to be used to oppress others or in a way that is harmful to others, but to be shared with others. Those who use influence or wealth to oppress others are destroyers of human unity. Any action or word that can harm others or affect the common good is to be jettisoned, for it destroys human unity. Hence, St. Paul, in the second reading, says, "Brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you". Jesus Christ expressed the will to make us one, just as God is one, when he prayed thus: "I have given them the glory you gave to me that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you have loved me". When we live in unity, we bear witness to the life of God in us, and to Jesus Christ, his Son. The divine life in us is love, for God is love.

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be always aware of God's love for us and also to bear witness to it by loving one another. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke