May 27, 2018: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-29

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.”

Reflection:

The name of our God is threefold: the Creator; Jesus, the Redeemer and the Spirit. Our God is a community. Think about how Jesus talked about his Father and doing the will of his Father. Jesus even called his Father, Abba, the equivalent of DaDa, the intimate baby word for a father. We can mutter Mama in reminding ourselves of the closeness and intimacy of God. The union we have with the Trinity is something we could meditate on for the rest of our lives. Power is given to us because baptism enfolded us in the Trinity. We like the apostles are commissioned to go out and spread the good news.

Taking the holy water on your way into church and signing yourself is a reminder of your baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Do we ever reflect on baptism? In the ritual of baptism the priest anointed each one of us Priest, Prophet, King. In catechism we learned baptism makes us children of God. Do we live as a King’s kids? Leaving church and signing ourselves again in remembrance of our baptism, we are taking up the challenge to spread good news.

Action:

Years ago I met a woman who said, “I love your church” and then proceeded to make the sign of the cross reverently over her body. She said, “I love that prayer.” Take some time in the course of this day to make the sign of the cross reverently with every ounce of your attention. What a wonderful way to start a day and end it. It is a simple and profound way to dedicate each day. As we collapse into bed at night we can probably manage one Sign of the Cross as a way to lay our responsibilities aside and remind ourselves that God is awake.