Dear Followers of Christ,

On this Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We name the God of our faith united in the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are born again in this relationship with God when we are baptized. We even begin every prayer marking on our human bodies the names of the Trinity— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This gesture bears witness to the world that the mark on our souls reveals itself on our bodies and in every action we perform. We belong to God and God belongs to us. 

The very nature of God is relationship. God is in unity. One name for three persons of the Trinity. We are invited into this very nature. Everything thing we do as Christians is rooted in the Trinity. Our prayer of the Eucharist is an action of the Trinity. We stand along with Christ, offering our lives to the Father, being invited by the Holy Spirit to draw closer to the central mystery of the Trinity.

We also serve in response to God’s longing for unity. We engage in love for the poor and the broken, so to offer the love we experience in faith to those who most need us. The action of the Christian is to bring to the world the unity and harmony of the Holy Trinity. Service is the outcome of our faith. It is the fruit of our prayer. It is the essence of our faith to generate faith, hope, and love in our world. We do not pray by our own will; it is the initiative of the Trinity. We do not serve by our own will; it is the generative action of the Holy Trinity that calls us forth into the world. 

In John 16:12-15, Jesus says to us that there is more to come. The Spirit of Truth will guide us to such a mystery. Even in our lives today, there is more to come in the beauty, harmony, and mystery of God. We are called into such beauty and love. In our prayer as the church, we are called to discern our way in the world. We discern our words and actions, our prayers and service for the common good and the rich harmony of God’s plan in the world. 

In our generation, we rely on God to show us peace, even when we think we are powerless in war. We rely on God to show us the dignity of life, even when abortion and the death penalty are real. We rely on God to show us how to understand one another, even when we live in conflict with our family, our neighbors, and other nations. The common good begins with our reliance on the Holy Trinity. Unity and harmony are revealed on earth only when we truly believe we are God’s beloved. We are caretakers of heavenly love in every action and in every issue on earth. The Holy Trinity forms our lives, our faith, our worship, and our ability to live with others. 

Jesus said to his disciples; “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.”

God give you peace,

Fr. Ron Raab, CSC, Pastor