Reflection for June 15, 2025

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (C)

​Proverbs 8:22-31 | Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 | Romans 5:1-5 | John 16:12-15

​Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, “the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life” (CCC, 234). The Trinity means that there is one God in three divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t mean three gods, or three different qualities, phases, or forms of God. Rather, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons, yet each is fully and completely God. At the same time, they are perfectly united—one God in three Persons. It’s a deep mystery—not something we can fully grasp, but something we can begin to understand with faith and reflection. And of course, I wouldn’t be forgiven if I forgot to recognize our earthly fathers and father figures today. Let us thank God for the gift of their love, care, and presence in our lives.

​The children were lined up for lunch in the cafeteria of Malate Catholic School. At the start of the table sat a large pile of apples. An RVM sister had placed a sign beside the tray that read, “Take only one. God is watching.” As the children moved further down the line, they came across a generous heap of chocolate chip cookies at the other end. One child leaned over and whispered to a friend, “Take as many as you want. We only have one God—and He’s busy watching the apples.”

Our first reading today from the Book of Proverbs reminds us of the eternal nature of God and points us to a foundational truth of our faith: there is only one God. We are not a people who believe in many gods. We do not believe in three gods. As we profess each Sunday in the Creed, we believe in one God in three divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are consubstantial—a word that means they share the same divine essence. God is one. God is unique. God alone is God. And yet, within this perfect oneness, there is a mystery: three distinct persons in one God. This is not easy to understand—and that’s okay. The Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be entered into with reverence and faith. Still, it helps sometimes to use images to draw us closer to its meaning. Think for a moment about a family. In one family, there are different persons—a father, a mother, and a child. They are not the same person, but they are united by love. They live in relationship, give of themselves, and form one household. In a similar—but infinitely greater—way, the Trinity is a communion of love: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Saint Augustine once described it this way: the Father is the Lover, the Son is the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit is the Love between them. This is the God we worship: not a distant power, but a living relationship of love who invites us into communion with Him. We were made in His image—not just to exist, but to love, to relate, to live in unity. And every time we love selflessly, forgive generously, or serve humbly, we reflect the Trinity at work in our lives. So today, let us not try to solve the Trinity—but rather, let us enter into the love of the Trinity. Let us be drawn into the divine relationship that created us, saved us, and continues to guide us every day.

Don Tatay had three sons—Pedro, Pablo, and Pepe—who all wanted to be his favorite. Pedro bragged, “I’m the strongest! I chased a chicken for him!” Pablo said, “I’m the smartest! I edit his Facebook posts!” Pepe grinned, “I cook his eggs and charge his phone!” To win his love, Pedro built a statue, Pablo made scholarship shirts, and Pepe trained parrots to shout, “Tatay is the best!” Don Tatay saw it all and called them in. “My sons,” he said, “I send you to the same school, take you all out to lunch, and provide everything you need. I love each of you fully. Not because of what you do—but because you’re mine. You don’t need to compete. You’re all equally loved.” The boys looked at each other, then laughed. “Can we still keep the parrots?” Pepe asked. “Only if they don’t shout during Mass,” Tatay winked. Just like God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—true love is shared fully, not earned. You’re already loved.
​
St. Anthony reminds us, “There are no degrees in the Trinity... What the Father is, that the Son is, and that the Holy Spirit.” There is no competition in the Godhead—only equal love and shared glory. Likewise, Romans 5:1–5 tells us that through faith, we have peace with God and that God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. This love binds us not only to God but to each other—as equals. In our community, no one is higher or lesser in dignity. We are co-pilgrims of hope, equally called to reflect God’s love. Yet, it can be tempting to seek status, recognition, or control in parish life. Let us reflect: Do I treat others as equals, or do I see myself as more entitled because of my role, background, or years of service?Humility is the path to unity. On this Jubilee, may we rediscover the grace of seeing one another through the eyes of the Trinity—with shared dignity and mutual respect.

Back in 1971, an astronaut named Alfred Worden, who was very vocal about being an atheist, joined the Apollo 15 mission to the moon. After orbiting the earth and floating in space, he came back and said something that caught a lot of attention. He said he looked out of his space capsule and didn’t see God anywhere—so for him, that meant God must not exist. But a wise and witty bishop, Bishop Louis Reicher of Austin, had the perfect comeback. He said, “You think God’s not on earth or the moon? Just try stepping outside that space capsule for one second—trust me, you’ll meet God face-to-face real quick!”

The Gospel today offers us a beautiful and hopeful promise: the Spirit of truth will lead us to the fullness of truth about God. Interestingly, the Gospel does not say when this complete truth will be fully known. Perhaps that’s because even the early Church understood what we still wrestle with today—that the God revealed by Jesus Christ is not a puzzle to be solved once and for all, but a living mystery to be entered into with faith, love, and humility. In John 16:12–15, Jesus tells His disciples that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. But the Spirit does not speak on His own; He speaks what He hears from the Son, and the Son receives everything from the Father. This points to a deep and beautiful reality: the ongoing cooperation and unity of the Holy Trinity. The work of God did not stop with Jesus’ earthly ministry. Rather, through the Holy Spirit, God continues to speak, to guide, and to reveal His truth to each generation. It’s like this: imagine a school or workplace. The founder (like the Father) establishes the mission. The leader (like the Son) lives out that mission and shows everyone how to embody it. And then, there is the team member (like the Holy Spirit) who continues the mission with fresh insight, adapting it for the present and keeping it alive. They each have a role, but they work as one—united in purpose. In the same way, the Trinity continues to guide the Church today. The Father sends, the Son reveals, and the Spirit enlightens. Through prayer, Scripture, and acts of service, we tune our hearts to the Spirit’s voice. And in doing so, we stay rooted in the truth passed on by Christ, anchored in the Father’s eternal love. So I ask you today: Have you taken steps to seek God? Have you taken steps to love as God loves? The Spirit is already at work, leading you into deeper truth, deeper love, and deeper unity with God and with one another. All we have to do is follow.

<enrique,ofs>