Feast of the Holy Trinity Year A

Exodus 34:4-6,8-9
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
John 3:16-18

How does the Holy Trinity build and grow our faith?

This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity teaches us that there is One God who manifest Himself as Three Persons – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Why do we call this a mystery? It is because we can never fully understand how One God can exist as Three Persons. Rather than trying to understand it, the more pertinent question is: How does is the Holy Trinity relevant to my faith life? How can the Holy Trinity help me grow in faith?

Firstly, we need to learn to appreciate the notion of communion. A communion is a deep intimacy and a sharing of being. The Holy Trinity is a communion of Three Persons. Communion is the way God models Himself. It is how we should model our life – our life with God and with each other. Indeed, this is the secret to a life of fulfilment. In our vertical relationship with God, being in communion means our will is aligned with God. We live a higher purpose of existence than ourselves. It means that we do not just live just for ourselves, but we live the way He lives, love the way He loves, serve the way He serves and forgive the way He forgives. But communion also applies to our lateral relationships with each other. Think of our families, friends, colleagues and even strangers. As sons and daughters of God, we are called to be in communion with each other. So we ask: Do we love and serve each other in a way that befits a communion? But this is easier said than done. Maintaining communion with our friends and loved ones is challenging at the best of times. Even more challenging is our relationships with strangers. For example, when a stranger is inflicted with an illness or misfortunate, do I feel the pain and extend my compassion? How do I feel when I see a sick person in a hospital? How do I feel when I see a homeless person? Indeed, communion is a high call to us – to not just exist but live a full life.

But the truth is, most of us find it difficult to stay in communion with God and with each other. But we must not be discouraged. For what God teaches us on communion and shows us through the Holy Trinity is an ideal model. So, even though we may fail from time to time to live up to the ideal, we must keep trying and keep striving.

Why do we fail to live up to the ideal? It is on account of our sins, which leads us to the second significance of the Holy Trinity in our faith life. We ask: In a sinful world and with our sinful tendency, how can the Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit each helps us to grow and walk in faith? In the First Reading this week, recognising the weakness of the people in clinging to their sinful ways, Moses remarked, “Although this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” (verse 9) Thankfully, God the Father came to us as the epitome of love. From this love flows the forgiveness of God, and His desire to redeem us from our erroneous ways. In the First Reading, God the Father proclaimed Himself to be “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”. (verse 6) That our God wishes to redeem us from our sins is the undeserved grace that God extends to us.

While we may understand the grace of God at an intellectual level, this grace often remained elusive from our hearts. To move from the head to the heart, we need to invoke the Person of the Son. In the Gospel this week, Jesus the Son uttered these famous words which perfectly summarise the central message of the Bible and His mission: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.'” (verse 16-17) Jesus is the grace of God in a Person. God loves us so much that in order to lead us back from our erroneous ways, rather than have us suffered from our sins, He allows Himself to be inflicted with sufferings. Jesus suffered so that, having witness the extent of His love expressed through the cross, we the “stiff-necked people” may soften our hearts and come back to Him.

Last week, we celebrated the coming of the Person of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day. We reflect how the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit are the keys to the breaking down of barriers between people, so that we can be in communion with each other again. We reflected on how the barriers to communion are not just that we speak different languages (Acts 2:4), but also barriers such as culture, life circumstances, education level, etc. And it is through the Holy Spirit’s gifts of understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord that we may overcome these barriers. Who is the Holy Spirit? In Christian theology, the Spirit is the unconditional and self-giving love between the Father and the Son. It is the “glue” that the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit, form a communion of Three Person in One God. In the same way, just as the Holy Spirit binds the Holy Trinity, He binds us to God and us to each other. He is the glue to our communion with God and with each other.

So, to realise the efficacious effects of the Holy Trinity in our faith life, let us reflect: Am I touched by the love and grace that God the Father is extending to me? Have I encountered this love and grace intimately? If not, let us look to Jesus on the cross, and reflect especially at these words of His: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) And once we experience God’s love and grace intimately, we must then invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit. To conclude, let us take to heart the Trinitarian blessing that St Paul bestowed upon the people in the Second Reading: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (verse 13) Amen.

Pentecost Sunday Year A

Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13
John 20:19-23

How do I break down barriers? How can the Holy Spirit help?

The period immediately following Jesus’ Passion was a rather uncertain period for the disciples – through the Resurrection, Ascension and right up to Pentecost, an event we celebrate this week. We read a few weeks ago on the Second Week of Easter, even in the post-resurrection period, the disciples were afraid when they met in the room. We read, “the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews” (20:19). Then Jesus appeared among them, and the disciples were filled with excitement once more. Then, Jesus went away again! In the last week’s Scripture, we read how Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven” (Acts 1:9-10). The disciples might be feeling somewhat forlorn. Jesus was taken away from them once again. How would they fend for themselves?

My dear friends, let us ask ourselves: like the disciples, do I too feel forlorn sometimes? The fact is, many of us do. So, what do we do? The answer lies in this week Feast of Pentecost, in the coming of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we need to look to the Holy Spirit.

In the First Reading this week, we read how, when the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost Day, there was a dramatic transformation in the disciples. We read, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (verse 4) The ability to speak in another language can be seen in both physical or figurative terms. In both cases, the ability to speak another language means that one is able to communicate with another person where previously there were barriers. And barriers may not be just physical, like the other person speaking in another language. Barriers can also be figurative. For example, barriers such as culture, life circumstances, education level, etc. On accounts of one or more of these, communication is broken. While overcoming language barriers is important, with modern technology, AI and translation apps, such barriers are now often surmountable. Indeed, it is the figurative barriers that are more challenging.

In Isa 11:1-3, the prophet enumerated seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. My brothers and sisters, let us reflect: what gifts has the Holy Spirit bestowed upon me? The world is in need of better communications, between nations, community groups and individuals. How has God called me to use these gifts to break down communication barriers? This calling of God can take different forms to all of us. Writing to the Corinthians in the Second Reading, St Paul said, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (verse 4-7) For example, depends on out gifts and circumstances, we might be called to act as mediators between people; promoter of social causes (like charities); evangelist of our faith; implementors and facilitators of social programs; and so on.

Specifically on the seven gifts:

• Understanding: Perhaps I am given the ability to understand the perspectives of different people?
• Counsel: Perhaps, I am given the ability to speak the words of peace, to help counsel people?
• Fortitude: Perhaps I am given fortitude and strength, to persevere in my mission of peace, even as things become uncomfortable for me?
• Wisdom: Perhaps, I have the wisdom to comprehend difficult concepts, so as to help mediate between the informed and uninformed?
• Piety: Perhaps I am given a heart of devotion, that I am not easily swayed by social trends and the latest fad, that I can strengthen my wavering brothers and sisters with my sense of piety.
• Fear of the Lord: And ultimately, underpinning all other gifts, perhaps in my reverence and my holy fear of God, I am able to inspire, motivate and draw others closer to the truth and to God.

The truth is, the gifts of the Holy Spirit is vital in promoting better communications among people. And unless there is better communication between people, groups and nations, there can be no peace. This was precisely what Jesus charges His disciples in the Gospel this week. Post-resurrection, when He appeared to the disciples, He did not utter a single word of blame to the disciples for having abandoned Him at His Passion. Instead, our Lord’s first words were, “Peace be with you.” Why? Because, like many of us, the disciples did not abandon Jesus because they were inherently evil. Rather, there were barriers in their understanding of Jesus’ mission and God’s plan. Jesus’ Passion was the way God breaks down those barriers. My brothers and sisters, what barriers in our family, community and society are we called to break down? And like Jesus, are we sometime called to endure discomfort or even injustice, in order to break down those barriers?

This week, let us meditate on the Holy Spirit and take this command of Jesus to heart: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (verse 21) Shalom.