Word to the Wise
Sunday, June 3, 2007 - Most Holy Trinity
[Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15]"[W]hen he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth." "[H]ope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."
The celebration of the feast of the Most Holy Trinity brings us face to face with the reality of God! For most of us, this truth about God shows up when we consciously or unconsciously make the Sign of the Cross! Otherwise we leave it to the theologians! It's a shame because the community of love represented in God's very being is within us and we are so often unaware of it. THAT God is ONE in THREE we believe. HOW God is this way remains a profound mystery. As St. Augustine put it: "Non est mendacium, sed mysterium." (It's not a lie but a mystery!) Some find it easier to adopt the traditional distinction between the "immanent" Trinity (the reality in itself) and the "economic" Trinity (how it works in and through us). The latter is expressed in St. Paul's words in Romans in today's second scripture: "Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, etc" In short, it is often easier to speak of love than of truth - to talk about a relationship instead of the persons in the relationship. However, we cannot ignore the truth about God: One God, Three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Centuries of Christian reflection have yielded some insights about the relationship of the three persons in the Trinity. When all is said and done, it is a community of complete love - that is its "truth." When that truth lives in us, we are able to accomplish what St. Paul speaks about. The Gospel of John makes it clear that through faith we have that community of love living in us. This is no pious abstraction. If our faith gives meaning to our lives, it is because of God's presence. If we are able to love someone else, it is because of the community of love that animates us. The truth about God - Father, Son, Holy Spirit - is that God is love. Without that truth and love, we are at the mercy of our own desires and those of others. With that truth and love, we can transform the world around us. AMEN