Trinity Sunday – Cycle A – June 7, 2020
Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3: 16-18.
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16)
Prologue: If you were to ask any person in India about ‘who’ Jesus Christ is, s/he is likely to say: ‘Premavatar’ or something similar, meaning, Jesus is regarded as a model of divine love not only by Christians but by people of other religions. So, we could use central themes from all three readings of today that point to God being Love—more clearly seen in the Second Testament in Jesus’ life.
Three Scriptural Signposts from the Three Readings:
- The gospel passage’s central line: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” gives us an indication not only of the nature of God but also of Jesus’ mission—the outcome of God’s love. This line from John’s gospel is often quoted by many Christian churches to show God’s love. The context is a conversation between Nicodemus—a wise and wealthy Pharisee—who is a leader in his community (3:1). Impressed by Jesus’ words and works, he comes to Jesus by night, presumably for fear of being spotted by his fellow Pharisees. Rather than discuss theoretical matters of the Law which Nicodemus is well-versed in, after mentioning the need to be born again “in the Spirit” (v.5), Jesus speaks of a ‘Person’: God. This God does not only loves the ‘chosen people’ Israel and the Pharisees (who considered themselves the crème de la crème of the Jews), but God loves the world. God embraces the whole world and cares for it so much that God ‘gave’ or ‘sent’ his only Son, Jesus, to reveal Godself and God’s plans so that “the world may be saved” (v.17).
Put simply, Jesus is God’s selfgift to the whole world. In Jesus, the world sees, hears, touches and tastes God’s love. Moreover, Jesus calls Christians to be witnesses to the whole world of how God’s love, translated into concrete love-filled actions, will ensure salvation and life everlasting. Though this passage specifically speaks of the relationship between Father and Son, it also has a Trinitarian angle. Preceding this passage is Jesus’ saying: “The Spirit blows where it wills” (v.8) indicating that there are no confines and conditions to the work of the Spirit.
- Much as Jesus clearly reveals God the Father’s love for the whole world in the gospel, although there are only ‘faint traces of the Trinity’, so to say, in the First Testament, today’s first reading from Exodus offers a beautiful symbol of God’s presence: a cloud. Cloud is a symbol of God’s mysterious presence from within which Yahweh “proclaimed the name of the Lord,” namely, “a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (v.6).
This revelation describes Moses’ second meeting with Yahweh atop Mount Sinai after his first meeting resulted in him shattering the tablets of God’s Law since the people had fashioned the golden calf and indulged in idolatry (Ex 32:19). The attributes of God—namely, merciful, gracious, slow to anger, lavish in love and faithful—are consoling to a sinful, idolatrous people. On their behalf, Moses bows before God in worship, confessing the communitarian sin of “a stiff-necked people” and begging of God: “take us for your inheritance” (v.9). The central point here is that there is no comparison possible between God, most holy and the idolatrous Israelites. Yet, God forgives them, loves them and reiterates his covenant with them.
- The seeds of the growth and development of an understanding of the Triune God—what today we would call a ‘Trinitarian theology’—is found in today’s second reading concluding Paul’s second Letter to the Corinthians. This is, incidentally, the most familiar opening greeting at every Eucharist: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” Grace, love and fellowship are three key attributes describing the ‘persons’ in God. Paul wrote this Letter during his third missionary journey (approx. 53-58 AD) probably from Ephesus where he was from 54-57 AD. After imparting advice to the community at Corinth as to how to live good Christian lives, Paul breathes a blessing upon them. God is love; and, from this divine love flows the ‘grace’ or ‘gift’ who is Jesus, God’s Sent One; and in whom communion or fellowship is made possible through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Mystery and History of the Trinity:
Trinity Sunday confounds many a homilist: “What shall I preach about the Trinity?” The Trinity is certainly not maths reconciling oneness with threeness like 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Sure, God is One; and yet, the three ‘persons’ Jesus revealed as Father, Son, Spirit are not the same as, say, three ‘persons’ with different wills. Entering into this mystery is a pilgrimage: moving from God-in-history to God-in-Godself, from head to heart, from ideas to action. In sum, more than merely telling us about God, the Trinity provides a ‘social programme’ for building families and communities in the “image and likeness” (Gen 1:26) of God who is Love.
Rooted and Grounded in the Invisible God, the Father-Creator: The Father, the first person of the Triune God, is invisible, often compared to the source of a spring or the root of a tree. In religious consciousness there is the popular idea of the parenthood of God who creates the world and is the source of all life.
Modelled upon and moving in the footsteps of the Incarnate God, the Son-Saviour: The Son, the second person of the Trinity is God incarnate, visible, Emmanuel who became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus fully discloses who God is and gives us the greatest commandment of love. He is like the tree that grows up from the root or the rays that proceed from the sun. Jesus is the saviour of the world, sent by the Father to redeem the world. Energised and Empowered by the Indwelling and Inspiring God, the Spirit: The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God is the indweller, the Antarayami, who abides in us as well as blows through all of creation: sanctifying and sustaining, counselling and comforting, energising and empowering.
The early Church worshipped, blessed, baptized and sang hymns to the Tri-une God. They rejoiced that, in Jesus, and through the power of the Spirit, they were adopted as daughters and sons of God (Gal 4:6). Thus, the Trinity bids us not to try to condense God into formulae but to love and live like the Trinity – one love, yet three; united, but different.
In Lighter Vein:
To his group of clever, yet proud, disciples, the Master said, “I have a book that paints a perfect picture of God!” The disciples yearned to get that book and understand God fully. But the Master kept it under lock and key. Once, when the Master was out, a disciple stole the book and hurried to read it. Every single page was blank. On the Master’s return, he protested, “Your holy book says nothing about God!” “Ah, yes!” replied the Master smiling, “But, don’t you see how much it indicates?” Knowledge of God is not manifest in words but in deeds. Of love!
Fr. Francis Gonsalves is a Gujarat Jesuit, former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi, and currently Dean of Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.