Sunday June 7th, 2009

Deacon John King

THE HOLY TRINITY

LAST NIGHT, AT THE 5PM MASS, FR. RILEY TOLD A TRUE STORY OF WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION. ALL THE CHILDREN WERE IN A CIRCLE ON THE ALTAR WITH THE BISHOP IN THE MIDDLE. THE BISHOP ASKED SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN THE TRINITY. THE YOUNG MAN WHO ANSWERED SAID THERE ARE THREE PERSONS, THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST AND THEY ARE ALL GOD. THE BISHOP ASKED HIM TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. THE YOUNG MAN SAID……. IT IS A MYSTERY; YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND.

FR RILEY WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE INFORMATION HE JUST SHARED WITH YOU IS A REVELATION, SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE ABOUT HIM.

THE FIRST READING FROM THE BOOK OF DEUT HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US. THIS BOOK INTERPRETS HEBREW LAW AS EXPRESSIONS OF GOD’S INTIMATE AND SPECIAL LOVE FOR THE ISRAELI PEOPLE. NOT ONLY DOES DEUT LEAD US PROFOUNDLY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE GODHEAD, BUT IT ALSO KEEPS US AWARE OF GOD’S EXPANSIVE LOVE.

THE CONCLUSION OF THESE SACRED SCRIPTURES IS VERY OBVIOUS:::::YOU MUST NOW KNOW AND FIX IN YOUR HEART, THAT THE LORD IS GOD IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE AND ON EARTH BELOW, AND THAT THERE IS NO OTHER.   YOU MUST KEEP HIS STATUTES….THAT YOU MAY HAVE A LONG LIFE ON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD. YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU FOREVER.

IN THE SECOND READING OF ST PAUL TO THE ROMANS, THIS CHAPTER IS SOMETIMES CALLED THE “GOSPEL OF THE SPIRIT”; LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, WE ARE TRULY CHILDREN OF GOD. THEREFORE WE CRY OUT “ABBA—FATHER!” WE ARE TRULY GODS CHILDREN. THE SPIRIT GIVES WITNESS, WITH OUR SPIRIT. COMPARED WITH JESUS, WE ARE ADOPTED CHILDREN. GOD’S LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT REACHES INTO THE FIBER OF OUR EXISTENCE TO FORM US INTO THE PERSON WE ARE.

IN MATTHEWS GOSPEL WE HEAR THOSE BEAUTIFUL WORDS, “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. WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING, TO KNOW THAT OUR LORD IS WITH US, GUIDING US AND LOVING US FOREVER.

WE KNOW THAT THIS PARABLE IS REFERRING TO JESUS HIMSELF. THE OWNER IS THE FATHER WHO SENDS A LONG LIST OF EMISSARIES, (THE PROPHETS) BUT THEY ARE NOT LISTENED TO OR ARE SILENCED.        GOD IS STILL SENDING HIS EMISSARIES, ……..WHO ARE NOT ALWAYS PERSONS, BUT ARE SPECIAL MOMENTS OF GRACE THAT INVITE US TO RESPOND; ……MOMENTS OF DIVINE GRACE WHICH INVITE US TO OVERCOME JEALOUSIES, HATRED, GOSSIPING OR INDIFFERENCE IN THE FACE OF HUMAN SUFFERING. AT TIMES IT IS A SPECIAL MOMENT OF TIME, AT TIMES IT IS A PERSON, OR IT MAY BE A SERIES OF IMAGES THAT CROSS OUR TV SCREENS. GOD CALLS US TO RESPOND, TO NOT REJECT HIS “EMISSAIRIES.”

          THIS BRINGS US TO THE READING OF PHILIPPIANS. HERE THE SCRIPTURES TELLS US HOW WE CAN BE…. AND ACCEPT THE MISSION OF BEARING FRUIT….. IT FOCUSES ON THE GOOD WE CAN DO AND THE GOOD WE CAN SEE IN OTHERS….. CERTAIN ATTITUDES MAKE US NOBLE AND JUST, CERTAIN WAYS OF LOOKING AT OTHERS INVITE US TO COMMUNION AND SHARING. IN A WORLD AND NATION SO OFTEN DIVIDED BY INADEQUATE SHARING OF RESOURCES, OR DIVIDED BY POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES, OR DIVIDED BY FAMILY QUARRELS, THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ASKS US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

          THE CHALLENGE IS INDEED LARGE, AS IT HAS BEEN SINCE GOD CREATED THE FIRST VINEYARD. WHAT IS CLEAR IN TODAY’S READINGS IS THAT INDEFFERENCE AND INACTION IS NOT THE RESPONSE THAT GOD LOOKS FOR IN LIGHT OF THE MANY GIFTS HE GIVES US AS INDIVIDULES AND AS A NATION. WE ARE CALLED TO PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF JUSTICE INSTEAD OF SELFISHNESS, OF PEACE INSTEAD OF WAR, OF COMMUNION INSTEAD OF INDIFFERENCE, OF RECONCILIATION INSTEAD OF RANCOR, OF DIALOGUE INSTEAD OF SHOUTING WITH THE LARGEST VOICE.

          GOD INVITES US TO THIS MISSION TODAY. AS WE HEAR HIS WORD AND EAT FROM THIS TABLE ….MAY WE GO FORTH NOURISHED AND STRENGTHENED TO FACE THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING OURSELVES AND OUR COUNTRY EVER MORE NOBLE, DECENT AND WORTHY OF PARISE.

Deacon John King