Reflection on the Readings

The Feasts of the Holy Trinity (which we celebrate this weekend) and the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (which we celebrate next week) are what we would call “idea feasts.”

Most feasts celebrate an event – like Christmas, Easter, Pentecost – “idea feasts,” however, celebrate a theological truth. The Church places these feasts here to ensure that we remember certain truths about God.

The feast of the Holy Trinity reminds us that we believe in one God in three persons.

The story is told of a priest who was summoned to offer the Sacrament of Anointing to a man who had collapsed in a store. The priest knelt beside the man and began with question: “Do you believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit?”

The man opened one eye and said to the priest, “Here I am dying, and you ask me a riddle.”

That may reflect how some of us think about the Trinity, God as three persons in one.

A mystery that has been explained in many ways down through the ages:

• St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover,
• I’ve heard it explained using water – water can take three forms – ice, water, and steam – yet it remains H2O.
• Think of yourself – you may be a mother, a daughter, sister – one person three different identities.
• A more modern example: We all know when our computer freezes on us, we simply hit CTRL, ALT, DEL. Three keys one function.

No matter how we describe the Trinity, our examples will always fall short and miss the mark, because examples/analogies are imperfect.

Again, the theological “idea,” the theological truth is this – there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – three persons, One God.

So, what does it really have to do with us?

How do we make this more than just an idea?

The answer, simply and profoundly, is in today’s feast.
We are made in the IMAGE and LIKENESS of God. And God is communion. That’s it!

The fact we are made for relationship reveals something about the Divine Artist who fashioned us. If we are made in the image of God, then God must be relational – thus, we are as well.

Fr. David C. Santos, Pastor