Trinity Sunday 2015
An elderly couple received – by mail – two ringside tickets for the NBA Finals. The mail was
anonymous. They did not know who sent them and they did not understand why they were given such
expensive tickets. Nevertheless, they were very glad. They hurriedly left and went to watch the game.
They returned home late at night only to find their home ransacked, and their cash, jewels and all their
valuables gone. They found a note posted on the bedroom door: “Now you understand.”
We cannot say this about the Most Holy Trinity. We will never fully understand this most
profound and unfathomable mystery. At the same point in time – just because we may not understand
something or someone – for that fact – this does NOT give us permission to throw in the towel on those
things or persons who puzzle us.
Bishop Richard Higgins was conducting a confirmation ceremony at Fort Campbell KY. In his
homily, he quizzed the young confirmands about their cell phone usage. When he asked how many
minutes the confirmands spoke on their phones, most just said, “a lot.” He told the congregation that,
when he asked the question at another Confirmation, a young lady responded that she talked on the
phone over 5,000 minutes a month! This is about three-and-one half days per month spent on a phone!
“Whom do we talk to the most on our cell phones?” the bishop asked. “Our friends” the students
responded. “And why do we talk to our friends?” He asked. “To get to know them better,” or “to find
out what they are doing,” or “to tell them about the stuff in our lives” were among the answers. “And is
Jesus a friend?” Bishop Higgins asked. “Yes!” they replied. “And how much time do you spend talking to
Jesus?” he asked. There were a lot of blank looks. The point was made. We work very hard to get to
know our friends and harder to keep our friends. Very few people spend 5,000 minutes a month in
prayer trying to get to know God (about two hours and forty-five minutes per day), but this amount of
time is given to our friends.
God is a mystery. Unlike a murderer in a mystery novel who does not want to be found, God
wants to be discovered. Throughout the Scriptures He has revealed himself to us. Our task is to open
our eyes and discover God present in our lives. We must read the Scriptures, we can study theology, but
truly discovering God comes down to one thing and that is: prayer. In the same way we discover who
our friends are by spending time with them and watching their actions, we can discover who God is.
The solemnity we celebrate this Sunday is a reminder to us that the Most Holy Trinity is not just
an unfathomable mystery – nor – is it a mere doctrine of faith, which we have to profess and believe in.
Rather, it reminds us that the Holy Trinity is the way of life of God. And the best news is that God invites
us all to share in this way of life. This way of life is love. It is true that the mystery of the Most Holy
Trinity is impossible to fully comprehend. We are not expected to understand this mystery anyway.
Rather, we are called to live it. And, in fact, we are expected to live it, for to love is the most vivid mark
of every Christian. Jesus said: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for
one another.”
Every time we make the sign of the cross, let us renew our faith in the One God and three Divine
Persons. Let us also renew our commitment to live the life of the Trinity by loving one another as His
children and as He continues to love us.