The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Lectionary:
165
Moses said to the people:
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time,
ever since God created man upon the earth;
ask from one end of the sky to the other:
Did anything so great ever happen before?
Was it ever heard of?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God
speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself
from the midst of another nation,
by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,
with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,
all of which the LORD, your God,
did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
This is why you must now know,
and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God
in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,
and that you may have long life on the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time,
ever since God created man upon the earth;
ask from one end of the sky to the other:
Did anything so great ever happen before?
Was it ever heard of?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God
speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself
from the midst of another nation,
by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,
with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,
all of which the LORD, your God,
did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
This is why you must now know,
and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God
in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,
and that you may have long life on the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19,
20, 22
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has
chosen to be his own.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own..
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own..
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading 2 Rom 8:14-17
Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
Gospel Mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee ,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Scripture Study
June 3, 2012 Feast of
the Holy Trinity
Although Ordinary Time resumed last
Monday we still won't see green vestments at Sunday Mass yet. We have
"special" celebrations that occur on the next two Sundays. This
Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity also known as Trinity
Sunday. A Catholic Christian's life is marked by the Sign of the Cross. In this
sacramental we profess over and over again that we believe in the "Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The revelation of God as the Father
(origin of all life and being), sending His Son or Word (source of our
salvation) and communicating the Holy Spirit (agent of our rebirth in water and
the Spirit) is the basic subject of the scriptural readings every week. This
week the readings call us to examine more carefully the ways in which we
experience God. Do I recognize God as my Source or Creator, as my Savior and as
the Spirit within me that empowers me for good? If not, am I willing to do so
from now on? It is not too late to begin again and allow myself to encounter
the love of the Most Holy Trinity.
NOTES on First Reading
*
The portion of the text in brackets is not included in the reading. I included
it only for completeness.
*
4:32-40 This speech follows the wisdom tradition Israel
*
4:34 The testings refers to the manifestations of God's power as in the ten
great plagues of Egypt
The author links the unique vocation ofIsrael
The author links the unique vocation of
*
4:35 This is a profession of faith that is also attested in Isa 43:11; 44:6;
45:5,6 among others.
*
4:36-38 Later, Israel
Here the preacher, in his exuberance, has apparently lost sight of the fact that this was supposed to be a speech of Moses that occurred before the occupation of the land byIsrael
Here the preacher, in his exuberance, has apparently lost sight of the fact that this was supposed to be a speech of Moses that occurred before the occupation of the land by
*
4:37 The words translated as "by His power" or "by his
presence" literally mean "His Face." It is an echo of Exodus
33:14.
* 4:40 This verse forms an inclusion with
4:1.
NOTES on Second Reading
*
8:14-17 Although mortification just mentioned in the previous verse is a
necessary part of the Christian life it does not capture its essence. The
essential point of Christian life is a new relationship with God for which Paul
uses the image of "sonship." The new status of the Christian is
modeled on the relationship of the resurrected Jesus with the Father. Both the
new life and the new relationship to God ( that of adopted children and heirs
through Christ) belong to Christians because of the Spirit's presence within
them. As a result they will share both Christ's sufferings and glory.
* 8:15 " Abba" is an Aramaic
term that was used by Jesus as a special way of addressing God with filial
intimacy. The word, abba, seems not to have been used in earlier or
contemporaneous Jewish sources to address God without some qualifier. This
Aramaic word also occurs in Mark 14:36; and Gal 4:6.
Although adoption was not widely practiced inIsrael
and here Paul borrows a word ("huiothesia" in Greek) from the
Hellenistic legal usage of the time, it was used of Israel
Although adoption was not widely practiced in
NOTES on Gospel:
*
28:16-20 This is a climactic scene that is often called a "proleptic
parousia." It gives a foretaste of the final glorious coming of the Son of
Man pictured in Mat 26:64. His triumph will be manifest to all, whereas, now it
is revealed only to the disciples, who, as part of the revelation, are
commissioned to announce it to all nations and bring them to belief in Jesus
and obedience to his commandments.
Since the message to the disciples was simply that they were to go toGalilee (Mat 28:10), some think that the mountain comes
from a tradition of the message known to Matthew and alluded to here. As in Mat
17:1, the significance of the mountain is likely to be theological rather than
geographical, possibly recalling the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus
24:12-18) and to Elijah at the same place (1 Kings 19:8-18; Horeb is the same
as Sinai). It may also be intended to remind the reader of the Mount of
Transfiguration (Mat 17:1-8) which, in its own right, was also a mountain of
revelation.
Since the message to the disciples was simply that they were to go to
*
28:17 The Greek can be translated, as either, "but they doubted," or
"but some doubted." The verb only occurs in one other place in the
New Testament: Matthew 14:31 where it is associated with Peter's being of
"little faith."
The worship of the disciples indicates faith but even here there are some doubts. This mixture of faith and doubt is a very human condition. The fact that even the apostles suffered from doubt ought to give encouragement and hope to those among us today who also have lingering doubts that the Jesus story is too good to be true. In spite of the difficulty, the apostles eventually overcame their doubts and transformed the world. We are called by the words and grace of Jesus to follow in their footsteps and do the same in the modern world.
The worship of the disciples indicates faith but even here there are some doubts. This mixture of faith and doubt is a very human condition. The fact that even the apostles suffered from doubt ought to give encouragement and hope to those among us today who also have lingering doubts that the Jesus story is too good to be true. In spite of the difficulty, the apostles eventually overcame their doubts and transformed the world. We are called by the words and grace of Jesus to follow in their footsteps and do the same in the modern world.
*
28:18-20 The words of Jesus are divided into three sections dealing
respectively with the past, present, and future.
*
28:18 The Greek text here calls to mind the Septuagint (LXX) translation of
Daniel 7:13-14 where one "like a son of man" is given power and an
everlasting kingdom by God. The risen Jesus here claims universal power, that
is power in heaven and on earth. He claims for Himself the power, dignity and
dominion given to the mysterious figure of Daniel 7:13-14. The statement is in
the past tense and in the "theological passive." Power has been given
to Him by God. See also 2 Chr 36:23 and Matt 6:10.
*
28:19 This verse is in the present tense. The mission upon which they are sent
is the concern of the present and it must not be delayed. Because universal power
belongs to the risen Jesus (Matthew 28:18), He gives the eleven a mission that
is universal. They are sent to make disciples of all nations. While scholars
have long argued whether or not this term refers only to Gentiles, it is likely
that it was meant to include the Jews as well. Baptism was seen by the early
church as the means of entrance into the community of the Risen One, the
Church.
This verse contains what may be the clearest expression in the New Testament of belief in the Holy Trinity. It probably expresses the baptismal formula used by Matthew's church, but its primary function here is to designate the effect of baptism which is the union of the one baptized with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By this union we are drawn into the very life of the Trinity.
This verse contains what may be the clearest expression in the New Testament of belief in the Holy Trinity. It probably expresses the baptismal formula used by Matthew's church, but its primary function here is to designate the effect of baptism which is the union of the one baptized with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By this union we are drawn into the very life of the Trinity.
* 28:20 The commands mentioned here
include all the moral teaching found in this gospel, but especially that of the
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The commandments of Jesus replace the Mosaic
law as the standard of Christian conduct, even though some of the Mosaic
commandments have been repeated and continued by the authority of Jesus. The
promise of Jesus' real presence echoes the name Emmanuel given to him in the
infancy narrative (Mat 1:23) even though His presence may not be generally
visible. The reference to the end of the age refers to the future when the Kingdom of God
Meditation: "In the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit "
How can we know God? Jesus
revealed to his disciples the great mystery of our faith – the triune nature of
God and the inseparable union of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus'
mission is to reveal the glory of God to us – a Trinity of persons – God the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and to unite us with God in a community of love.
The ultimate end, the purpose for which God created us, is the entry of God's
creatures into the perfect unity of the blessed Trinity. The Jews understood
God as Creator and Father of all that he made (Deuteronomy 32:6) and they
understood the nation of Israel as God's firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). Jesus
reveals the Father in an unheard of sense. He is eternally Father by his
relationship to his only Son, who, reciprocally, is Son only in relation to his
Father (see Matthew 11:27). The Spirit, likewise, is inseparably one with the
Father and the Son. The mission of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit are the same.
That is why Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will reveal the glory of
the Father and the Son and will speak what is true. Before his Passover, Jesus
revealed the Holy Spirit as the “Paraclete” and Helper who will be with Jesus’
disciples to teach and guide them “into all the truth” (John 14:17,26; 16:13).
In baptism we are called to share in the life of the Holy Trinity here on earth
in faith and after death in eternal light.Clement of
Jesus' departure and ascension into heaven was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time. He assured them of his power – a power which overcame sin and death. Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus promised to give them the power of his Holy Spirit, which we see fulfilled ten days later on the Feast of Pentecost (Luke 24:49 and Acts 2:1-4). When the Lord Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left alone or powerless. Jesus assured them of his presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' last words to his apostles point to his saving mission and to their mission to be witnesses of his saving death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the world. Their task is to proclaim the good news of salvation, not only to the people of
"May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart's vision, that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending succession of ages." (prayer of Origin, 185-254 AD)
(Don
Schwager)
The Great Commission (2012-06-03)
Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went
to Galilee , to the mountain to which Jesus had
ordered them.
When they saw him, they
worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All
power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you have called me
to the faith and to share that faith. I trust that you will fill me with your
spirit of courage and truth, so that I might faithfully assimilate and transmit
the faith. I love you. I want to love you more with my prayer and with my life,
and so grow in the unity of the love you share with your Father and the Holy
Spirit.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to understand better and adore this
great mystery of the Holy Trinity.
1. Standing Between Heaven and Earth: Jesus Christ stands on the mountain of the Ascension,
drawing all creation back to his Heavenly Father. He stands between heaven and
earth as our God, our redeemer, our best friend, and as one who will walk with
us every step of the way. Together with the disciples, let us adore him. Lord,
we worship you, we thank you, we adore you. We thank you for your great
goodness, burning love and unfathomable mercy. Heaven and earth are filled with
your glory.
2. Go Therefore and Make Disciples of All
Nations: What does Jesus do with
his power over heaven and earth? He uses it to unite sinful men with the
all-holy God. How almighty his power must be to transform sinners into children
of God and heirs of heaven. And how does Jesus bring about this transformation?
He empowers his apostles to teach his truth and transmit a participation in his
divine life. Lord Jesus, thank you for the light of truth that dispels the
darkness of our minds. Thank you for the life of grace bestowed upon us in
baptism. And thank you, Lord, for the bishops and priests who bring us —
through your divine power — God’s own truth and a share in the life of the most
blessed Trinity. Thank you for St. Peter and all his successors who keep us
united in one, holy and universal Church as we journey toward the heavenly
kingdom.
3. Baptizing Them in the Name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Without water, we would
die of thirst. Without the Redemption, we would die in our sins, forever
excluded from our destiny — union with God in the eternal happiness of heaven.
How fittingly then, Jesus uses water to give us the fruits of his glorious
Redemption. Not water alone, but water blessed in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Let us bow down in adoration before the
infinite power of Our Lord. Through the ministry of his priests, Jesus raises
the dead to the supernatural life of grace. Thank you, Lord, for the awesome
gift of baptism and for adopting me as your child.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Heavenly Father, you are now my own Father. I am your
beloved child in Christ. Holy Spirit of God, gift of the Father and the Son,
make your home in my heart. Direct my every thought, word and deed to glorify the
most Holy Trinity.
Resolution: I will often repeat with the holy children of Fatima : “O Most Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most Precious Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in
all the tabernacles of the world.”
Father Matthew Kaderabek, LC
(Regnum Christi)
++++++++++++++++++
Happy
the people the Lord has chosen to be his own
The very unpopular theme of obedience runs through the readings
today.
Moses tells his people: ‘Keep God’s laws and commandments as I give them to you today so that you and your children after you may prosper and live long in the country that your God is giving you forever’.
In the gospel reading, Matthew tells us of the very last instructions of Jesus before he ascended into heaven: ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations: baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And, look, I am with you always: yes, to the end of time.’
There must be blessings to be gained from being obedient to the Lord!
THOUGHT FOR TODAYMoses tells his people: ‘Keep God’s laws and commandments as I give them to you today so that you and your children after you may prosper and live long in the country that your God is giving you forever’.
In the gospel reading, Matthew tells us of the very last instructions of Jesus before he ascended into heaven: ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations: baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And, look, I am with you always: yes, to the end of time.’
There must be blessings to be gained from being obedient to the Lord!
A VISION FOR COMMUNITY
Then, in my dreams of the Last Day,
Our Lord will come back and reward us for having, by his grace,
straightened the world out, and having the poor competent and the rich
thoughtful and the well-protected kindly and generous and involved, and the
educated enthralled with the kingdom of God, and the spiritual able to perceive
him in such a way as to make him visible to us.
These are the words
of a Jesuit priest who died in a very poor, black area of Washington DC
From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey by Fr
Christopher Gleeson SJ [David Lovell Publishing 2003]
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
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Displaying
Faith
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Dear God, help us have the courage, tenacity,
and love needed to show the world our faith, never in an obnoxious way but
never shrinking through reticence or fear either.
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June 3
Sts. Charles Lwanga and Companions
(d. 1886)
(d. 1886)
One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, Charles
Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa . He protected his fellow pages (aged 13 to 30)
from the homosexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and
instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing
the ruler’s demands.
For his
own unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts and his efforts to safeguard
the faith of his friends, Charles was burned to death at Namugongo on June 3,
1886, by Mwanga’s order.Charles first learned of Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages.
On the night of Mukaso’s martyrdom for encouraging the African youths to resist Mwanga, Charles requested and received Baptism. Imprisoned with his friends, Charles’s courage and belief in God inspired them to remain chaste and faithful.
When Pope Paul VI canonized these 22 martyrs on October 18, 1964, he referred to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason.
Comment:
Like Charles Lwanga, we are all teachers and witnesses to Christian living by the examples of our own lives. We are all called upon to spread the word of God, whether by word or deed. By remaining courageous and unshakable in our faith during times of great moral and physical temptation, we live as Christ lived.
Like Charles Lwanga, we are all teachers and witnesses to Christian living by the examples of our own lives. We are all called upon to spread the word of God, whether by word or deed. By remaining courageous and unshakable in our faith during times of great moral and physical temptation, we live as Christ lived.
Quote:
On his African tour in 1969, Pope Paul VI told 22 young Ugandan converts that "being a Christian is a fine thing but not always an easy one."
On his African tour in 1969, Pope Paul VI told 22 young Ugandan converts that "being a Christian is a fine thing but not always an easy one."
June 3
Blessed John XXIII
(1881-1963)
Blessed John XXIII
(1881-1963)
Although few people had as great an
impact on the 20th century as Pope John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much
as possible. Indeed, one writer has noted that his “ordinariness” seems one of
his most remarkable qualities.
The
firstborn son of a farming family in Sotto il Monte, near After his ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to
His service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him a firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921 he was made national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith; he found time to teach patristics at a seminary in the
In 1925 he became a papal diplomat, serving first in
Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of
 |
| Papal styles of Pope John XXIII. |
His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth(1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. At his address at the opening of the Second Vatican Council, he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin.” Pope John XXIII set a tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always opposed... errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
On his deathbed he said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.”
He died on June 3, 1963. Pope John Paul II beatified him in 2000.
.JPG) |
| The body of John XXIII. |
Comment:
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many people became silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself.
Throughout his life, Angelo Roncalli cooperated with God’s grace, believing that the job at hand was worthy of his best efforts. His sense of God’s providence made him the ideal person to promote a new dialogue with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as with Jews and Muslims. In the sometimes noisy crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, many people became silent on seeing the simple tomb of Pope John XXIII, grateful for the gift of his life and holiness. After the beatification, his tomb was moved into the basilica itself.
Quote:
In 1903, young Angelo wrote in his spiritual journal: “From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way” (Journal of a Soul).
In 1903, young Angelo wrote in his spiritual journal: “From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way” (Journal of a Soul).
LECTIO: TRINITY SUNDAY (B)
Lectio:
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Resurrection and mission
"I am with you always"
Matthew 28:16-20
"I am with you always"
Matthew 28:16-20
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
The liturgy of Trinity Sunday uses the closing verses of Matthew's Gospel (Mt 28; 16-20). In the beginning of the Gospel, Matthew introduced Jesus asImmanuel, God with us (Mt 1:23). Here, in the last verse of his Gospel, Jesus communicates the same truth: "I am with you always" (Mt 28:20). This was the central point of the faith of the communities in the eighties (AD), and continues to be the central point of our faith. Jesus is the Immanuel, God with us.This is also the perspective for our adoration of the Most Blessed Trinity.
b) The text:
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What drew your attention most in this text? Why?
b) What kind of image of Jesus does this text convey to us?
c) How is the mystery of the Trinity presented in this text?
d) In Acts 1:5, Jesus proclaims a baptism in the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38, Peter speaks of a baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. Here the text speaks of a baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What is the difference among these three affirmations, or are they speaking of the same baptism?
e) What, exactly, is the mission that Jesus gives the Eleven? What is the mission of our communities today as disciples of Jesus? According to the text, where do we find strength and courage to fulfil our mission?
a) What drew your attention most in this text? Why?
b) What kind of image of Jesus does this text convey to us?
c) How is the mystery of the Trinity presented in this text?
d) In Acts 1:5, Jesus proclaims a baptism in the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38, Peter speaks of a baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. Here the text speaks of a baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What is the difference among these three affirmations, or are they speaking of the same baptism?
e) What, exactly, is the mission that Jesus gives the Eleven? What is the mission of our communities today as disciples of Jesus? According to the text, where do we find strength and courage to fulfil our mission?
5. A key to the reading
to enter deeper into the theme.
i) The context:
Matthew writes for the Judeo-Christian communities of Syria and Palestine. They were criticised by the Jewish brethren who said that Jesus could not be the promised Messiah and, therefore, their manner of living was wrong. Matthew tries to uphold their faith and helps them understand that Jesus is indeed the Messiah who came to fulfil the promises God made in the past through the prophets. A summary of Matthew's message to the communities is found in Jesus' final promise to the disciples, the subject of our meditation on this Trinity Sunday.
ii) Commentary on the text:
* Matthew 28:16: the first and last appearances of the risen Jesus to the Eleven disciples.
First, Jesus appears to the women (Mt 28:9) and, through the women, tells the men that they had to go to Galilee to see him once more. It was in Galilee that they received their first call (Mt 4: 12.18) and their first official mission (Mt 10:1-16). And it is there, in Galilee, that everything will begin again: a new call and a new mission! As in the Old Testament, important events always take place on the mountain, the Mountain of God.
* Matthew 28:17: Some doubted.
When the disciples see Jesus, they prostrate themselves before him, the attitude of those who believe and welcome God's presence, even though it might surprise and be beyond the human ability to comprehend. So, some doubt. The four Gospels emphasise the doubt and incredulity of the disciples when confronted with the resurrection of Jesus (Mt 28:17; Mk 16:11:13.14; Lk 24:11.24:37-38; Jn 20:25). This serves to show that the apostles were not naïve and to encourage the communities of the eighties (AD) that still had doubts.
First, Jesus appears to the women (Mt 28:9) and, through the women, tells the men that they had to go to Galilee to see him once more. It was in Galilee that they received their first call (Mt 4: 12.18) and their first official mission (Mt 10:1-16). And it is there, in Galilee, that everything will begin again: a new call and a new mission! As in the Old Testament, important events always take place on the mountain, the Mountain of God.
* Matthew 28:17: Some doubted.
When the disciples see Jesus, they prostrate themselves before him, the attitude of those who believe and welcome God's presence, even though it might surprise and be beyond the human ability to comprehend. So, some doubt. The four Gospels emphasise the doubt and incredulity of the disciples when confronted with the resurrection of Jesus (Mt 28:17; Mk 16:11:13.14; Lk 24:11.24:37-38; Jn 20:25). This serves to show that the apostles were not naïve and to encourage the communities of the eighties (AD) that still had doubts.
* Matthew 28:18: Jesus' authority.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me". This is a solemn declaration very much like the other affirmation: "Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father" (Mt 11:27). There are other similar affirmations by Jesus in John's Gospel: "Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands" (Jn 13:3) and "All I have is yours, and all you have is mine" (Jn 17:10). This same conviction of faith in Jesus appears in the canticles preserved in Paul's letters (Eph 1:3-14; Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20). The fullness of the divinity is manifested in Jesus (Col 1:19). This authority of Jesus, born of his oneness with the Father, is the basis of the mission that the disciples are about to receive and also of our faith in the Most Blessed Trinity.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me". This is a solemn declaration very much like the other affirmation: "Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father" (Mt 11:27). There are other similar affirmations by Jesus in John's Gospel: "Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands" (Jn 13:3) and "All I have is yours, and all you have is mine" (Jn 17:10). This same conviction of faith in Jesus appears in the canticles preserved in Paul's letters (Eph 1:3-14; Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20). The fullness of the divinity is manifested in Jesus (Col 1:19). This authority of Jesus, born of his oneness with the Father, is the basis of the mission that the disciples are about to receive and also of our faith in the Most Blessed Trinity.
* Matthew 28:19-20ª: The triple mission.
Jesus conveys a triple mission: (1) to make disciples of all nations, (2) to baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and (3) to teach them to observe all the commands he gave them.
a) To become a disciple: The disciple lives with the master and thus learns from this daily living together. The disciple forms community with the master and follows him, seeking to imitate his way of living and of living together. The disciple is someone who does not place absolute value on his/her manner of thinking, but is always open to learning. Like the "servant of Yahweh", the disciple strains his/her ear to listen to what God has to say (Is 50:4).
b) To baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: The Good News of God that Jesus brought us is the revelation that God is Father and that thus we are all brothers and sisters. Jesus lived and obtained this new experience of God for us through his death and resurrection. This is the new Spirit that he spread over his followers on the day of Pentecost. In those days, to be baptised in someone's name meant to assume publicly the commitment to observe the proclaimed message. Thus, to be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit meant the same as being baptised in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) and the same as being baptised in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). It meant and still means assuming publicly the commitment to live the Good News that Jesus brought: to reveal through prophetic brotherhood that God is Father and struggle to overcome divisions and separations among people, and to affirm that all are children of God
c) To teach to observe all the commandments that Jesus gave us: We do not teach new doctrines nor do we teach our own doctrines, but we reveal the face of the God whom Jesus revealed to us. It is from this revelation that comes all the doctrine passed on to us by the apostles.
Jesus conveys a triple mission: (1) to make disciples of all nations, (2) to baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and (3) to teach them to observe all the commands he gave them.
a) To become a disciple: The disciple lives with the master and thus learns from this daily living together. The disciple forms community with the master and follows him, seeking to imitate his way of living and of living together. The disciple is someone who does not place absolute value on his/her manner of thinking, but is always open to learning. Like the "servant of Yahweh", the disciple strains his/her ear to listen to what God has to say (Is 50:4).
b) To baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: The Good News of God that Jesus brought us is the revelation that God is Father and that thus we are all brothers and sisters. Jesus lived and obtained this new experience of God for us through his death and resurrection. This is the new Spirit that he spread over his followers on the day of Pentecost. In those days, to be baptised in someone's name meant to assume publicly the commitment to observe the proclaimed message. Thus, to be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit meant the same as being baptised in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) and the same as being baptised in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). It meant and still means assuming publicly the commitment to live the Good News that Jesus brought: to reveal through prophetic brotherhood that God is Father and struggle to overcome divisions and separations among people, and to affirm that all are children of God
c) To teach to observe all the commandments that Jesus gave us: We do not teach new doctrines nor do we teach our own doctrines, but we reveal the face of the God whom Jesus revealed to us. It is from this revelation that comes all the doctrine passed on to us by the apostles.
* Matthew 28:20b: God is with us always.
This is the great promise, the synthesis of all that was revealed from the beginning. It is the summary of the name of God, the summary of the whole of the Old Testament, of all the promises, of all the desires of the human heart. It is the final summary of the Good News of God passed on to us in Matthew's Gospel.
This is the great promise, the synthesis of all that was revealed from the beginning. It is the summary of the name of God, the summary of the whole of the Old Testament, of all the promises, of all the desires of the human heart. It is the final summary of the Good News of God passed on to us in Matthew's Gospel.
iii) The history of the revelation of the Name of God, One and Three:
When one hears a name for the first time, it is just a name. The more we live with the person the more the name becomes a synthesis of that person. The longer we live with the person, the greater the significance and value of the name. In the Bible God has many names and titles that express what he means or what he can mean for us. God' personal name is YHWH. We already come across this name in the second narration of creation in Genesis (Gen 2:4). The deep meaning of this name (the result of long living together through the centuries, which also went through the "dark night" of the crisis of the exile in Babylon) is described in the book of Exodus on the occasion of the calling of Moses (Ex 3: 7-15). Living with God through the centuries, endowed this name of God with meaning and depth.
God said to Moses: "Go and free my people" (cf. Ex 3:10). Moses is afraid and justifies himself by feigning humility: "Who am I?" (Ex 3:11). God answers: "I shall be with you" (Ex 3:12). Even though he knows that God will be with him in his mission of liberating the people oppressed by Pharaoh, Moses tries to excuse himself again, he asks God's name. God replies by simply reaffirming what he had already said, "I Am who I Am". In other words, God is saying I am certainly with you and you cannot doubt this. The text then goes on: "You are to say to the people of Israel I Am has sent me to you!" The text concludes, "This is my name for all time: by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come" (Ex 3:14-15).
This brief text, which is deeply theological, expresses the deepest conviction of faith of the people of God: God is with us. He is Immanuel, an intimate, friendly, liberating Presence. All this is contained in the four letters of the name YHWH, which we pronounce as Yahweh: the One who is in our midst. This is the same certainty that Jesus communicates to his disciples in his last promise on the mountain: "I am with you always, yes, to the end of time" (Mt 28:20). The Bible allows us to doubt everything except one thing: the Name of God, that is, the presence of God in our midst expressed in the name Yahweh: "He is in our midst". In the Old Testament alone, the name Yahweh appears more than 7000 times! It is the wick of the candle around which gathers the wax of the stories.
Something tragic happened (and is still happening) when in later centuries during the exile in Babylonia, fundamentalism, moralism and ritualism gradually presented that living, friendly, present and loved face as a rigid and severe figure, unfittingly hung on the walls of Sacred Scripture, a figure that aroused fear and placed a distance between God and his people. Thus during the last centuries before Christ, the name YHWH could not be pronounced, Instead the word Adonai was used, a translation of Kyrios, which means Lord. A cult centred on the observance of the laws, a cult centred on the temple in Jerusalem and a racially closed system, created a new kind of slavery that stifled the mystical experience and withheld contact with the living God. The Name that should have been like transparent glass which revealed the Good News of the friendly and attractive face of God, became a mirror that reflected only the face of the one who looked into it. A tragic deceit of self-contemplation! They no longer drank at the source, but drank water bottled by the doctors of the law. To this day we go on drinking water kept in storage, rather than water from the source.
By his death and resurrection, Jesus did away with small-mindedness (Col 2:14), broke the mirror of idolatrous self-contemplation and opened a new window where God shows his face and draws us to himself. Citing a canticle of the community, St. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, "God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2: 9-11). On the day of Pentecost, Peter ended his first speech by revealing what the great discovery of the experience of the resurrection meant for him, "Let all the people know: God has constituted Jesus Christ Lord". Jesus who died and rose again, is the revelation that God, the same as always, is and continues to be YHWH (Adonai, Kyrios, Lord), an intimate presence, friendly and liberating in the midst of his people, conqueror of every barrier, even of death. With the coming of Jesus and in Jesus, the God of the forebears, who seemed so distant and severe, gained the features of a good Father, full of kindness. Abba! Our Father! For us Christians, the most important thing is not to confess that Jesus is God, but to witness that God is Jesus! God reveals himself in Jesus. Jesus is the key to a new reading of the Old Testament. He is the new name of God.
This new revelation of the name of God in Jesus is the fruit of the completely free gift of the love of God, of his faithfulness to his Name. This faithfulness can be ours too, thanks to the complete and radical obedience of Jesus: "Obedient unto death, death on the cross" (Phil 2:8). Jesus identified himself completely with the will of God. He says, "What the Father has told me is what I speak" (Jn 12:50). "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me" (Jn 4:34). That is why Jesus is the completely transparent revelation of the Father, "To have seen me is to have seen the Father!" (Jn 14:9). In him dwelt "the fullness of the divinity" (Col 1:19). "The Father and I are one" (Jn 10:30). Such obedience is not easy. Jesus went through difficult moments when he exclaimed: "Let this chalice pass me by!" (Mk 14:36). As the letter to the Hebrews says, "He offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears to the one who had the power to save him out of death" (Heb 5:7). He overcame by means of prayer. That is why he became full revelation and manifestation of the Name, of what the Name means for us. Jesus' obedience is not disciplinary but a prophetic one. It is an action that reveals the Father. Through obedience, chains were broken and the veil that hid the face of God was torn. A new way to God opened to us. He earned for us the gift of the Spirit when we ask the Father for the Spirit in his name in prayer (Lk 11:13). The Spirit is living water earned for us by his resurrection (Jn 7:39). It is through the Spirit that he teaches us, revealing the face of God the Father (Jn 14:26; 16:12-13).
God said to Moses: "Go and free my people" (cf. Ex 3:10). Moses is afraid and justifies himself by feigning humility: "Who am I?" (Ex 3:11). God answers: "I shall be with you" (Ex 3:12). Even though he knows that God will be with him in his mission of liberating the people oppressed by Pharaoh, Moses tries to excuse himself again, he asks God's name. God replies by simply reaffirming what he had already said, "I Am who I Am". In other words, God is saying I am certainly with you and you cannot doubt this. The text then goes on: "You are to say to the people of Israel I Am has sent me to you!" The text concludes, "This is my name for all time: by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come" (Ex 3:14-15).
This brief text, which is deeply theological, expresses the deepest conviction of faith of the people of God: God is with us. He is Immanuel, an intimate, friendly, liberating Presence. All this is contained in the four letters of the name YHWH, which we pronounce as Yahweh: the One who is in our midst. This is the same certainty that Jesus communicates to his disciples in his last promise on the mountain: "I am with you always, yes, to the end of time" (Mt 28:20). The Bible allows us to doubt everything except one thing: the Name of God, that is, the presence of God in our midst expressed in the name Yahweh: "He is in our midst". In the Old Testament alone, the name Yahweh appears more than 7000 times! It is the wick of the candle around which gathers the wax of the stories.
Something tragic happened (and is still happening) when in later centuries during the exile in Babylonia, fundamentalism, moralism and ritualism gradually presented that living, friendly, present and loved face as a rigid and severe figure, unfittingly hung on the walls of Sacred Scripture, a figure that aroused fear and placed a distance between God and his people. Thus during the last centuries before Christ, the name YHWH could not be pronounced, Instead the word Adonai was used, a translation of Kyrios, which means Lord. A cult centred on the observance of the laws, a cult centred on the temple in Jerusalem and a racially closed system, created a new kind of slavery that stifled the mystical experience and withheld contact with the living God. The Name that should have been like transparent glass which revealed the Good News of the friendly and attractive face of God, became a mirror that reflected only the face of the one who looked into it. A tragic deceit of self-contemplation! They no longer drank at the source, but drank water bottled by the doctors of the law. To this day we go on drinking water kept in storage, rather than water from the source.
By his death and resurrection, Jesus did away with small-mindedness (Col 2:14), broke the mirror of idolatrous self-contemplation and opened a new window where God shows his face and draws us to himself. Citing a canticle of the community, St. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, "God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2: 9-11). On the day of Pentecost, Peter ended his first speech by revealing what the great discovery of the experience of the resurrection meant for him, "Let all the people know: God has constituted Jesus Christ Lord". Jesus who died and rose again, is the revelation that God, the same as always, is and continues to be YHWH (Adonai, Kyrios, Lord), an intimate presence, friendly and liberating in the midst of his people, conqueror of every barrier, even of death. With the coming of Jesus and in Jesus, the God of the forebears, who seemed so distant and severe, gained the features of a good Father, full of kindness. Abba! Our Father! For us Christians, the most important thing is not to confess that Jesus is God, but to witness that God is Jesus! God reveals himself in Jesus. Jesus is the key to a new reading of the Old Testament. He is the new name of God.
This new revelation of the name of God in Jesus is the fruit of the completely free gift of the love of God, of his faithfulness to his Name. This faithfulness can be ours too, thanks to the complete and radical obedience of Jesus: "Obedient unto death, death on the cross" (Phil 2:8). Jesus identified himself completely with the will of God. He says, "What the Father has told me is what I speak" (Jn 12:50). "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me" (Jn 4:34). That is why Jesus is the completely transparent revelation of the Father, "To have seen me is to have seen the Father!" (Jn 14:9). In him dwelt "the fullness of the divinity" (Col 1:19). "The Father and I are one" (Jn 10:30). Such obedience is not easy. Jesus went through difficult moments when he exclaimed: "Let this chalice pass me by!" (Mk 14:36). As the letter to the Hebrews says, "He offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears to the one who had the power to save him out of death" (Heb 5:7). He overcame by means of prayer. That is why he became full revelation and manifestation of the Name, of what the Name means for us. Jesus' obedience is not disciplinary but a prophetic one. It is an action that reveals the Father. Through obedience, chains were broken and the veil that hid the face of God was torn. A new way to God opened to us. He earned for us the gift of the Spirit when we ask the Father for the Spirit in his name in prayer (Lk 11:13). The Spirit is living water earned for us by his resurrection (Jn 7:39). It is through the Spirit that he teaches us, revealing the face of God the Father (Jn 14:26; 16:12-13).
6. Psalm 145 (144)
Jesus establishes the Kingdom
I will extol thee, my God and King,
and bless thy name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless thee,
and praise thy name for ever and ever.
and bless thy name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless thee,
and praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud thy works to another,
and shall declare thy mighty acts.
On the glorious splendour of thy majesty,
and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.
Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts,
and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
All thy works shall give thanks to thee,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud thy works to another,
and shall declare thy mighty acts.
On the glorious splendour of thy majesty,
and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.
Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts,
and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
All thy works shall give thanks to thee,
O Lord, and all thy saints shall bless thee!
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
and tell of thy power,
to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendour of thy kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
and tell of thy power,
to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendour of thy kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to thee,
and thou givest them their food in due season.
Thou openest thy hand,
thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to thee,
and thou givest them their food in due season.
Thou openest thy hand,
thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him,
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him;
but all the wicked he will destroy.
and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him,
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him;
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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