by Fr Dumisani M. Mazibuko OSM
Prior to Pentecost Sunday, we listened to the prayer of Jesus, “that they may be one like you and I are one”. This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, a Feast where we celebrate the unity of Three diverse persons who are intrinsically united as one. This is what we profess in the Creed of Nicea when we say, “We believe in God….”. the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity presents a plethora of themes of God’s mysterious union , togetherness and creative love for His people. The readings present us with the three dynamic dimensions of God equally present in our lives and in the Mission of the Church.
1st Reading
The first reading is from the Book of Deuteronomy, the last book of the Pentateuch. Israel is reminded that there is One God and no other. Already on Mount Sinai, Israel had been given the Law of which the first is; I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, you shall have no other gods but me, Ex 20:2-3. In this book the people of Israel have reached the Promised Land, God has fulfilled His Promise. A brief yet important history of God’s presence from Creation is recalled to Israel with an emphasis that there is no other god but One God who has been and who will be. The prayer Glory be to the Father ends with. ..’as it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be world without end Amen’. This is a beautiful and important reminder today in a world where different ‘powers’ and ‘gods’ have emerged as authoritative. There is only One True God and only Him shall we serve. Indeed the gist of Deuteronomy is One God, One people and One Sanctuary.
2nd Reading
It is worth noting that in the Old Testament, we rarely hear of the Holy Spirit in a vivid way like we do in the New Testament. Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of many other letters he wrote to Communities of the Early Church. This is a letter written by Paul on his way to Rome. The gist being we are justified by Faith. In Chapter 8, Paul talks about the Spirit. This is the same Spirit that we received at Baptism, a spirit that makes us sons and daughters of God equally. We hear that the Spirit is of God within us makes us cry out ABBA FATHER. This is a call a little child makes to their Father at home. Interesting how close God is His people so much so that we even coheirs of God’s kingdom. This is the creativity and selfless giving of the Triune God through the Holy Spirit that every Baptized person is called to witness. It is worth noting that the Most Holy Trinity Solemnity comes just after Pentecost, where we celebrated the outpouring of the Spirit and immediately the Apostles “went out” to witness. And this is the same Spirit that St Paul is referring to in the 2nd reading.
Gospel
The gospel is from Matthew, who had a Jewish background. He presents Jesus as the King of the Jews and as one who comes from a family of Kings going back to King David. This is attested to by. The genealogy account at the beginning of the gospel. At the end of his narrative Matthew presents Jesus with his Apostles where Jesus commissions them. They are to teach and make disciples of all nations and Baptize them in the Trinitarian formula. Our Mission as a Church draws inspiration from these words..and these as we hear the same words we are commissioned again “to go” and evangelize ALL NATIONS. This is a clear statement of the Trinity. In fact liturgical activity of the Church is Trinitarian, addressed to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity is a model for a united community of diverse person who have a common Mission and Vision. They do not surpass each other but complement each other in every aspect, their coexistence is mysterious but effective and an example for us today.