Most Holy Trinity, Cycle A

How will you bring someone back to Church today? 

Visit dphx.org/christ-in-our-neighborhood for free Scripture reflections for small groups. Then, invite a friend, family member or neighbor to join you and break open God’s Word together!

Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Commentary

1st Reading: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9

The relationship between Moses and the Lord is one of love, honor and trust. Here Moses is once again the mediator for the impatient and eventually sinful people who at this point are looking for a god who can get things done. They are tired of waiting!

Moses had to share with them the Lord’s message that they were a “stiff-necked” people more than once. It comes up again in this reading. It is definitely not a compliment! None of us would like to be called “stiff-necked,” but at some time in our lives, we may have exhibited the behavior of being hard to get along with, obstinate, stubborn, or refusing to be led. Who was it who mediated for you with the love that Moses had for his fallible and impatient people? How was God present in those times for you?

God’s kindness and mercy is forever present to us. We just need to ask like Moses did time after time for his people. It was answered. Certainly, the relationship grew deeper for the two of them through this relationship, as it will for us. This is the part of Exodus that is truly hopeful. It is revelation of God’s love for us at almost its best.

Questions

    • How do you best deal with your impatience with others who continually repeat the same mistakes?
    • Can you put into words how God must feel with our own continual stiff-necked behavior?
    • Are you a Moses or a “people” in your life?

2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13

The Holy Trinity is difficult to fully understand for us, right? Certainly, St. Patrick’s shamrock comes to mind as he used that to teach the pagans about the One-ness of the Three Persons. Other explanations used in teaching young ones are the 3 parts of an apple: skin, fruit, and seeds. A chocolate milkshake with the ice cream, chocolate and milk, blended together works for me! All make one.

But for adults in the journey to grasp the true meaning of the Trinity, we will have to agree that it is a Mystery that will be solved when we arrive at the Pearly Gates.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work together as ONE God, but three distinct, Divine Persons. The Divine Persons may be understood relative to one another. The divine unity cannot be divided, the distinction of their Persons resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another.

Although inseparable in what they are, and in what they do, each person “shows forth what is proper to him in the Trinity, especially in the divine missions of the Son’s Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 267).

A beautiful way to remember the joy of the Holy Trinity is this:

God FORMED us.

Jesus came and INFORMED us.

The Holy Spirit TRANSFORMS us. (Every day, by the way!)

Questions

    • Does the above help you understand a little better the work of the Trinity?
    • Which Person of the Trinity do you best relate to?

Gospel: John 3:16-18

Remember the guy behind the baseball plate with the crazy, colorful wig and the sign, “John 3:16”?

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”

Referring back to the first commentary… this is not almost the best, but THE best revelation of God’s love for us… the Good News! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

Good, huge news!!! And we are the receivers of that Good News to be sure. He never stops loving us. He never gives up on us. This loving, gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. Our Awesome God!

Wouldn’t you say it might be worth putting on a colorful wig and carry a sign that says John 3:16?

Question

    • Jesus died for you, knowing you might never love him back. When do you die to self for others, knowing they may not even appreciate your selflessness?
This Week’s Task

Not that you will be expected to wear that colorful wig and carry the John 3:16 sign this week, but how will you share the Good News?

Group Prayer

The following St. Patrick’s prayer is said together:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

The prayer continues with the responsorial.

Psalm

Response: : Glory and praise forever.

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
Praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
Praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R: Glory and praise forever!

Blessed are you
in the temple of your holy glory,
Praiseworthy and glorious
above all forever.

R: Glory and praise forever!

Blessed are you
on the throne of your kingdom,
Praiseworthy and exalted
above all forever.

R: Glory and praise forever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
From your throne upon the cherubim,
Praiseworthy and exalted
above all forever.

R: Glory and praise forever!

Conclude with an Our Father

Used with permission. All rights reserved. Christ in Our Neighborhood is a Scripture program designed by Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix.