Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9

Dn 3:52-56

2 Cor 13: 11-13

Jn 3:16-18

God Is Not Waiting For A Time To Destroy The World.

NO! He Is Working Everyday To Save It.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We may not know everything about the Trinity. We may not understand how three persons become ONE God. But the fact that the Trinity is a mystery does not mean that we know nothing at all about this God. God has revealed all that the human mind can understand about him and all that we need to know in order to become like him. From the Scriptures we know that the Trinity is the God who made us, the God who saved us, the God who continues to sanctify us.  

Our readings today reveal both the essential identity and the mission of the Trinity. In the first reading, God describes himself as “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” and in the gospel John tells us that God did not send his son into the world to condemn it but to save it. In these two statements we know the identity and the mission of the Trinity: God is love and his mission is to save the world.

Beloved, God did not create his world to destroy it. God did not send his son to condemn the world, but to save it. God did not send the Holy Spirit to destroy the world, but to sanctify it. So, our gospel reminds us that God is not sitting somewhere in heaven and waiting for a time to rush into the world to destroy it. NO! God is working everyday to save the world. When God looks at his world, he does not see sinful souls who must be destroyed, but rather precious and beautiful souls that must be encouraged to become better, to bring the best in them. God looks beyond our faults and sees the potential in us. That is why he calls on us every day to become better human beings. Like our God, we Christians, are called not to condemn the world but to help save it. This identity and mission of the Trinity, is what we profess and commit to whenever we make the sign of the cross. We sign our forehead to say: “I believe in the Cross” our hearts to say: “I love the Cross”, and our shoulders to say: “ I am ready to carry the Cross”. In effect, we profess and commit ourselves to live out God’s love, mercy, and fidelity.

This identity and mission of God is what St. Paul, in our second reading, reminds us to develop and carry out. He reminds us that we, Christians, were sent not to go and condemn the world, but to encourage people to see the best in themselves and become the best that God wants them to be. Today, we need to take some time to reflect and ask the question: “When I look at people what do I see? Do I see only their faults or so I also see their potential?” Do your words and actions encourage people, lift them up or bring them down? Today let’s all find some time to ask ourselves: “When I look at people in my family, my friends, my co-workers, people in my community, people from other countries and religions, what do I see? Do I focus more on their weaknesses and faults or do I also see their strengths and the good in them? I pray that as we make the sign of the Cross this week we will reflect more deeply on the identity and mission of God and remember that we care called not to condemn the world but to help save it.

PENTECOST SUNDAY

Acts 2:1-11

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34

I Cor 12: 3b-7, 12-13

Jn 20:19-23

Let us Give the Holy Spirit a Human Face

so that He can Renew the Face of the Earth through us!

 

Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost and bring the Easter Season for the year 2014 to an end. I would like to remind you of a question that I shared with you on Ash Wednesday when we began the preparation for Easter! It was a question that a woman posed to me in an elevator at the hospital when I was bringing ashes to people. She asked me: "What effect will the ashes have on people who receive it?"  Today, and for the rest of the week, let's take some time to answer that "So what?" question.  What effect did the ashes on Ash Wednesday have on your life? What effect did the Lenten Season in general have on your life? What effect did the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of Christ have on your life? What effect did the celebration of the Ascension have on your life? 

What effect will the celebration of Pentecost today have on your life?

In our responsorial psalm today we pray: "Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth" This prayer presupposes that all is not okay with our world! The world needs transformation and the psalm is our cry to God to restore the world to its original form where everything was VERY GOOD because human beings depended totally on God in Paradise and allowed God to influence their thoughts and actions. This work of restoration is something only God can do because he alone is the creator. That is why God sent us his Son Jesus Christ! That is why he sent us the Holy Spirit! However, as the gospel reminds us, the Holy Spirit does not work in a vacuum. He needs human beings in order to restore the world. Jesus tells us in the gospel, that we have received the Holy Spirit in order to help God restore the world. As we receive the Holy Spirit we need to remember that the destiny of our world does not lie only in the hands of God, but that it also lies in our cooperation with God.

Beloved, the Holy Spirit always needs a human face in order to transform the world! We very often talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit to us but we don't talk much about the gift that we need to give to the Holy Spirit. The first reading reminds us that Pentecost is not only a time to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it is also a time to exchange gifts with the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles a renewed power to love and witness and the Apostles, in turn, gave the Spirit their human faces, their minds, hearts, and their human voices. It was in this exchange of gifts that people from all over the world came to hear and feel the power and the presence of God in their lives!  So, Pentecost is not just a time to receive, it is also a time to give your face, your mind, your heart, and your voice to the Holy Spirit so that when people see your face, they will see the Holy Spirit, when they hear your voice, they will hear the Holy Spirit.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, we need to ask ourselves why is that after two thousand years of Jesus' Death and Resurrection, and the first Pentecost, the world still does not have peace? Why are there wars in Syria, Africa, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other places in the world today? Why are there so many hungry children in a world that has so much? Why have so many people in the world lost hope? Why are there so many shooting incidents in our schools, our shopping malls, and movie theaters? Why are there so many broken homes and friendships? Why do brothers and sisters still hold grudges against each other? Is it because God's grace is not enough? No! It's because human beings are not allowing the Holy Spirit to influence their thoughts and actions.

Beloved, today let's not think only about the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit, but also the gifts we need to give to the Holy Spirit so that the Holy Spirit can renew the face of the earth through us! Today, the Lord is saying: I the Lord of  Sea and Sky, I have heard my people's cry. All who dwell in dark and sin, my hands will save! I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my words to them? Whom shall I send? Your response is?.....

Ascension of the Lord

Acts1:1-11

Ps. 47:2-9

Eph. 1:17-23

Mt. 28:16-20

Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. This feast occurred on last Thursday, however, since we know that many of you work on Thursdays and cannot attend the weekday Mass, we in the Archdiocese of Dubuque and many other dioceses in the US, move the celebration to this Sunday so that we can all celebrate it as a family. Our responsorial psalm today tells us to shout for joy and clap our hands! So, Happy Feast Day to you! Won’t you wish me anything?:) Thank You!

Pope Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth provides a wonderful explanation of the Ascension. The Ascension is not a Jesus’ departure into some unseen and remote space. Rather, it means Jesus transcended the limitation of time and space so that he can be at all places at all times. Therefore, the Ascension is a movement from physical to divine presence, a stronger closeness and intimacy with his disciples. If Jesus did not ascend, he would have been limited to Israel or any place that he can humanly be at a time, and all disciples would have to be where he is. For example, that would have meant that if you wanted to attend Mass you would need to travel to where Jesus is at a particular time since only Jesus celebrates the Mass. Can you imagine how difficult and expensive Christianity would have been? That is why the all-wise and all-loving God ascended so that not limited by time and space, he can be with us at all times and in all places. Beloved, this should mean a lot to us, Christians, and bring us great joy! It means that at every given moment in my life, no matter where we are and what is going on, Jesus is with us. It means in joy and pain, in suffering and death, in achievements and disappointments, Jesus is with us.

Our first reading and the gospel today remind us that the Ascension takes place in the midst of unfinished business and a commission that seems impossible. Luke tells us that the disciples asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” As if they were telling him. Okay we have witnessed your death and resurrection. Now tell us, when are you going to take all our troubles away? Beloved, do you feel like asking Jesus that same question today? I do. But let’s listen to Jesus’ response to that question? “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority”. If you pay attention to the response, Jesus did NOT say I will not solve your problems. Rather he said it is not for you to know the time and season when I will solve your problems. Which means he will, but he is not going to tell us how and when.

There are some important symbols in the story of the ascension that we should always reflect on and allow to influence out thoughts and actions.

Beloved in Christ, it is not for us to know the times and seasons but to be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and witness to Jesus in good and bad times and help others to know that, regardless of what is going on, our God is always with us. Beloved, it’s okay to have questions but we should not let those questions make us turn our back on God or others. If we remain faithful and obedient despite the unfinished businesses and the problems in our lives, Jesus will turn our tears into joy. You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst, you shall wonder far in safety, though you do not know the way. You will speak your word in foreign land and all will understand, you shall see the face of God and live… Be not afraid, I go before you always, come follow me, and I will give you rest.