Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
Cycle C
May 26, 2013 7:30 and
9:00am
Saint Margaret Parish,
Bel Air
In the Image of God
At
the very beginning of the Bible, the Book of Genesis says that God made us “in his image and likeness.”
Today,
we honor God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This morning, I want to reflect with you on the Trinity, but in a
different way.
I
am not going to start with the Trinity as a doctrine of our faith and try to
explain it. Instead, I want to start
with us and our very own experience.
My
idea is that if we are made in the image and likeness of God, then there must
be signs or traces of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit right within us or in
our experience of living. So, just try
to be with me on this and I hope what I am getting at will make some sense.
The Father
First, let’s be aware of our desire to give life.
For many of us this desire gets fulfilled by
bringing a child into the world. Or, as
in my own case, we have this desire fulfilled by instilling and nourishing faith
in others and assisting others in living a happy life.
Also, think of the pleasure we have in bringing life
from the earth by growing tomato plants or by seeing petunias flower in our
gardens. Think of the pleasure we get in
tending our dog or cat.
Also, be in touch with our satisfaction in repairing
the clothes’ washer. Or be in touch with
humanity’s satisfaction in discovering new horizons of healing maybe through
adult stem cells.
So let’s be aware of all of this within us. These are all reflections of God, the
creator, God the Father.
The Son
And then, let’s be aware of our thirst to restore.
There is something within you that wants to restore your
marriage to the feeling of love it once had.
There is something within us that wants to patch up a friendship that
has grown distant.
Also, if we are honest with ourselves, look at our
undeniable need to forgive and our restlessness when we do not forgive. Or look at our lack of peace when we have not
asked for forgiveness, even though we know we ought to do that.
Also, notice the pain and suffering we have had to bear
and the surprising, mysterious strength that seems to come from beyond us to
bear this. Or notice our search for
meaning and purpose and the way to live our lives fully.
Let’s be aware of all of this within ourselves. These are all reflections of God, our Savior
Jesus, God the Son.
The Holy Spirit
And last, let’s be aware of our
passion for certain things.
Look at your passionate love for
your spouse or children or parents or close friends. Or look at our passionate care for victims of
violence and injustice.
Also, notice our ardent faith in
God or our strong commitment to the environment or to human life. Or notice whatever it is that we will skip a
meal for or even die for.
Also, think of our excitement at
a new insight, maybe the simple insight that God is love and that God loves me unconditionally. Or think of our growth over the years in
wisdom, understanding, and patience – or at least our desire for that!
Let’s be aware of all of this
within ourselves. These are all reflections
of God, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
So, we
have to recall the basic revelation that we are made in the image and likeness
of God. And with that, we believe that these
human experiences reflect God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
They confirm
or even lead us to our belief in the Trinity.
Let’s remember this whenever we make the Sign of the Cross and right now
as we offer our Profession of Faith.
