The Feast of Holy Trinity: C: June 15, 2025

THE MOST HOLY  TRINITY: ONE GOD AND THREE PERSONS

Introduction: Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It is the feast of God our Father, the Son Jesus our brother and the Holy Spirit, and the bond of love between the Father and the Son and all of us. For a Christian, every day is a day to love and honour the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible, yet it is so simple when we love it, believing in the promises of God. 

First Reading: Proverbs 8: 22 to 31

Second Reading: Romans 5: 1 to 5

Gospel Reading: John 16: 12 to 15

   *First reading is from the book of Proverbs. It speaks about the Wisdom of the Lord God: The Wisdom of the Lord God came into existence before the whole of creation - the earth and all that it contains and the heavens and everything in it. The idea of the Wisdom of the Lord God is a pre-figuration of the revelations of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Wisdom stands for the Son of God - the eternal Word - who exists from the very beginning. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. The trinitarian aspect of God is elaborated by Paul. He tells us that we experience peace with God through Jesus. This gives us the hope which sustains us even in times of sufferings and pain. Further he explains to us that the love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is the Holy Spirit who helps us to recognize the Father's love for us. 

God the Father,  God the Son and God the Holy Spirit                                                       Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to His disciples. The Lord explains to us that the works of the Holy Spirit are manifold: To guide us into all truth and to lead us to the future where we will realize the presence of the Holy Trinity. Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus the Son of God. The feast of the Holy Trinity reminds us that there is only one God, but there are three persons each living in harmony and in perfect unity. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is not something to argue about or even to study. It is more of something to pray, meditate and to live. A Christian lives in the world of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We need to realize that God is our Father and that we are His children. God loves us even though we are unworthy of His love. Christ the Son of God is our brother. He died for us and brought salvation to all humankind. Through Him all of us are brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son and humankind. John F Kennedy once wrote: "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third." Although there is not much we can do with the mystery of the Holy Trinity, at least we can dispose ourselves to receive their creative influence, gift of love and guidance to all truth. As we celebrate this feast, let our prayer to the Holy Trinity be: That we too may experience the same love and unity which is present in the Most Holy Trinity. In this context St. Thomas Aquinas says: "Given that God the Father is both personal and supremely good, it is proper to think of Him as loving a person from eternity. This other person is the Son and the love between them is the Holy Spirit." T. Wilson says: "The only way to engage God is to meet one of the three in time. We meet the Father as creator, the Son as redeemer and Holy Spirit  as the dispenser of God's grace." 

Conclusion: The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is certainly not easy to understand. The prayer of John Henry Newman may help us: "Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom; lead thou me on; the night is dark and I am far from home; lead thou me on."

May the Most Holy Trinity bless you with the love, the unity and the peace that the Holy Triune God experiences and dispenses. Amen.

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, June15, 2025." Thanks.)