Father Michael Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 (edited) June 12th, 2022 Feast of the Blessed Trinity The Blessed Trinity A Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “The Indefinable Mystery of God” Reflections on Today’s Scripture Our First Reading is taken from the latest part of the book of Proverbs, written well after the return from the exile of the Jews in Babylon—a time when Israel had to come to understand more deeply her perception of “Wisdom” (Proverbs 8:22-31.) From an initial concept of practicality—how to succeed in life; acceptance of suffering and loss—it became the realization that wisdom was the power by which God acts in the world; and thus, the essence of God, Himself. Often personified, “Lady Wisdom” is claimed to be God’s first-born child, delighting in the Supreme Presence, as well as at home in the company of human beings. Through Her, God’s creation becomes an act of communication; through Her, He “delights in the children of men”; through Her intimacy with God, She reveals the key to the ultimate meaning of life to humankind. ~~~ †Paul’s epistles, of the past several weeks, have discussed the human condition without Christ, and the act of justification by faith in Jesus. In today’s Second Reading he illustrates the first consequence of justification: “peace with God,” defining a proper relationship with Him and the enjoyment of His divine blessings (Romans 5:1-5.) Hostility and alienation, earlier outlined, has everafter been overcome through the passion, death and resurrection of our Blessed Lord. His grace gives rise to the firm hope of our sharing in God’s glory. This builds character, and enables us to persevere despite all odds—with the power to resist evil…because “character” produces hope. The Holy Spirit is not only a gift, but stands as witness to the outpouring of God’s divine love. ~~~ In today’s Gospel selection the Holy Spirit becomes “the Spirit of Truth” (John 16: 12-15.) This Spirit carries on the work of Christ after He departed to the Father. Differing from Jesus, in that He is “not corporeal,” (lacks a “body,”) the Spirit is present, dwelling within the disciples, as our teacher. Only after Jesus’ glorification could they have understood what was said and done during His ministry. Ever since that time, the Paraclete has continued to guide all successive generations of mankind, in the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings. Images of God If we take the time to appreciate all the wonders around us, we can readily observe God’s handiwork. But to actually “see God,” one cannot simply look at “things,” rather, we must look “within ourselves” to find Him. Until we discover Him, He will always be remote from us, and appear unfriendly and uncaring. One God in three persons denotes a God, Who is within us, and yet utterly beyond us. This is a great mystery, but it is one of love. God is greater than all of creation. We can never fully comprehend God. We struggle to understand even earthly things, so how can we grasp heavenly things? Only the gift of Wisdom can help us understand the ways of God. It’s a sad state of affairs, that people can know the truths of the faith, and yet not know God…. It is very important to have the correct image of God. If we get that wrong, everything else will be “out of focus.” We wouldn’t be able to pray properly or have a proper relationship with Him if we have a false or inadequate image of Him. The Christian properly sees life as a response to God’s love. To tell what God is like, we only have to look at Jesus. In fact, this is the very reason Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. God knew our feeble human minds could not understand the unfathomable existence of a Supreme Being, any more than a dolphin could do calculus! However, He knew we would be able to relate to a human being, like ourselves. So, Jesus was made “incarnate,” (that is, “made flesh,”) in a human body. “Jesus is the temporal image of the invisible God,” to paraphrase †Paul. One of our most endearing personifications of Jesus is that of the Good Shepherd, Who was willing to “give His life for His sheep.” In Him, we see the Father’s love vividly demonstrated for us. And so also, is the Holy Spirit—"the bond of love between the Father and the Son,” in the words of †Augustine. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is not something about which we should argue or even study. It is more something to “pray about,” and to “live.” The Christian lives in the world of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This world is not a place “somewhere out in space,” but it is our same world, where God manifests Himself to us, every day. A Sense of God We can think of faith as the grace of a mysterious encounter with someone, beyond reasoning and emotion—realizing, however, that these may be also be present. WE can grasp God with our minds and our senses—in fact, with our whole being. In this way, we gain a “sense of God,” a true feeling, not just an intellectual conviction about Him. Tolstoy tells of a night when he was praying, when he went out into the dark night. Looking up, he beheld the multitude of stars, some bright, some dim, arrayed in a maze above him. There was a sparkle in the heavens, and all around him he saw dark shadows and silhouettes of trees. He writes: “It was a marvelous night. How can one fail to believe in the immortality of the soul when one feels such immeasurable grandeur within one’s self? That’s when I heard an inner voice say to me, ‘He is here. Kneel to Him and be silent.’ ” Happy those who have a sense of God and of His presence in their lives—it is the only true wealth worth having! As a wise person once said, “Lord, I don’t need to believe in You. It’s not a matter of belief any more. I just know it.” When people know something—really know it, deep, down in their hearts—they don’t have to argue about it, or prove it. They just know it and that’s enough for them. Faith is truly a gift from God, wherein a person believes with their heart, without knowing why or even seeking to know. The intimate certitude that fills one is sufficient. When we have sense of God’s presence in the world, we need no longer feel alone…we can look with admiration and love at creation as the work of an Artist who is our friend. For many, however, God’s “silence” presents a big problem. But a “loud and evident God” would be a bully, an insecure tyrant, instead of as He is, a bottomless encouragement to our faltering and frightened being. “His answers come in the long run, as the large facts of our lives, strung on that thread running through all things” (John Updike.) May God Richly Bless You! "God is the only One to Whom we can surrender without losing ourselves...." ~~Anonymous~~ Hymn of Promise.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: https://youtu.be/VgyV0LYypWY Edited June 12, 2022 by Father Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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