Feast Of The Holy Trinity
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: June 16, 2019
Do you believe in God? A More valuable question is, who is the God that you believe in?
When we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity, there is a vision of God that is seen. This vision tells us something about God, but also tells us something very important about ourselves. For we were created in the image and likeness of God. So, our vision of God is also a vision for how we are to live as human beings.
God is a Trinity. God is one, yet a communion of persons, unity in diversity. We human beings are also very diverse. Different races, different cultures, different ages, different languages, different in many many ways. Yet, to be like God we are called to live in unity with our fellow human beings, to see ourselves as one human family.
This says something about our politics, about how we see refugees, how we see people of other countries, people who are different from us. Despite our differences, there is something deeper that unites us.
God is a Trinity. God is not another being but embraces all. God is not a distant separate being, God is near to us, among us, embraces everything. You cannot be away from God. You might feel far from God, but that does not change that you could not even breath for a moment without the presence of God.
This is the God who came among us in Jesus, suffered, loved, cried, and died. This is a God who understands intimately the suffering, the struggles, the hungers we human beings have. This is why you can always turn to God with complete honesty, cry with God, be angry with God, laugh with God.
God is a Trinity. God is a communion of persons, exists in relationship. Relationship, connection is the very reality of our universe. We as human beings are to see ourselves in relationship to everyone and everything.
It is for this reason that we necessarily must care about creation. All of creation is connected to us, from the smallest life form to the largest life form. From the smallest plant to the life in the deepest ocean. We are all connected to nature so must also care for it.
God is a Trinity. Lives as a community. So, we human beings are being most like God when we live in community, when we form family. The family is an image of God the Trinity. The Church is also called to be an image of God the Trinity.
This offers a big challenge to each of us to try to live in peace and harmony within our families, offers a big challenge to each of us to try to live within the church in peace and harmony like a family. We are to support one another.
So, who is the God you believe in? Each time we make that sign of the cross, we are expressing our vision of God. The God who is a communion of persons, unity in diversity. The God who is a communion of love. The God who exists in relationship. The God who lives in community.
This calls us human beings to be like this God. Live in unity within one human family including with those who are different from us. Live in faith, turning to this God trusting that this God is so close to you including in your suffering or struggles or joys. Live in connection and relationship with all creation, caring for our environment. Live with others in your family, in the church, always striving to be in peace and harmony.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This simple prayer, expresses so much about God and calls so much from us.
