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Reflections
for Sunday, May 26, 2013
It is Jesus Himself who teaches us the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.
The Gospel today, from Saint John, is clear that Jesus understood both
Father and Spirit. The development of this doctrine takes time because
Jesus was not a teacher of philosophy or of theology. Jesus lived the
mystery and spoke in such a way that we are able to come to understand it.
All of the Gospels tell us the same story. Jesus speaks so clearly to the
Father and so clearly tells us that the Father and He are one. Jesus
claims this relationship so strongly that He is accused of blasphemy
because no one can claim such a relationship with God. Only God Himself
could speak in such a way.
All of the Gospels also speak of the Spirit and of Jesus sending His
Spirit, who is also the Spirit of the Father. For us, it is not a matter
of trying to sort out the philosophical and theological relationships. The
challenge is to love Jesus and to understand Jesus from His own words.
In order to understand Jesus, we must come to understand the Jewish
Scriptures. Jesus is a Jew and speaks from that tradition. In order to
understand the Spirit, we must understand how Jesus could have understood
spirit. Thus the first reading today comes from the Book of Proverbs and
speaks of Wisdom. Jesus Himself comes to be seen as the Wisdom of God. Yet
it is clear from the letters of Saint Paul that the gift of wisdom is the
gift of the Spirit. Again, we do not need to have a text book, but simply
to listen and to allow the statements of the Lord to form us.
The Letter to the Romans again affirms that the Holy Spirit is given to us.
Already by the time of this letter, it is clear to the early followers of
Jesus that the Spirit is divine and is given to us by Jesus. It is the
Spirit of the Father and it is the Spirit of Jesus.
My sisters and brothers, we are invited to live in this mystery. It is a
mystery that we contemplate every day as we seek to love the Lord Jesus and
to do the will of the Father and to live in the Holy Spirit.
This mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is so much a mystery to contemplate
and adore, rather than to reason out. Yet in our contemplation and
adoration, we come to know the Most Holy Trinity and to give thanks for the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To the One and Triune God be glory forever.
Amen.
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Proverbs 8.22-31
Second Reading: Romans 5.1-5
Gospel: John 16.12-15
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