God Loves You!

Holy Trinity June 12th 2022 John 16:12-15 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. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you." Take a moment to call to mind someone who has passed away. Someone that you loved who has gone to Jesus. Maybe a spouse or a parent. One of your children, a sibling, or a very good friend. Do you have this person on your mind? Or better in your heart? I am thinking of my mom who will be gone 8 years this month. As you think of this person, I wonder what it is that you would like to say to them. If they were sitting next to you right now, what would you tell them? As you call them to mind tell them what is on your heart. Now take another moment and allow them to speak to you. What is it that they want to say to you? What message do they want to share with you? In the Gospel Jesus says, “I have much more to tell you.” Jesus has so much to tell us. Like the loved one that you called mind they have so much more to tell you. I keep thinking of the 19 kids and 2 teachers in Uvalde. I think of what their parents, brothers, sisters, and friends might want to tell them. I think of what they want to tell their parents. I think of what they want to tell me, what they want to tell the world. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Trinity: One God, in three persons. This great theological mystery of the faith that really can never be explained or completely understood. The mystery of the Trinity I don’t think is so much about theology. Since we can’t understand it why even try? No, I think the mystery of the Trinity is about love. Again, we can’t understand love, but so just take it as pure gift. I don’t know what the loved you called to mind had to say to you. I don’t know what their message might have been. I don’t know what the 19 kids and two teachers would like to say to their parents and friends, but I can make a guess. I’d be willing to bet that 95% of the messages would be messages of love. Quite simply, “I love you.” If you remember 9/11 you know that many of the people who lost their lives that day had the opportunity for one last call. They called and either said or left a message. “I love you.” The Gospel says that Jesus told his disciples, “I have much more to tell you.” I’d be willing to bet that Jesus’ message wasn’t one explaining the Trinity. I don’t think that Jesus reminded the disciples about the miracle of transubstantiation. I doubt that Jesus’ message was, “Don’t forget about the hypostatic union.” I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jesus’ message to the disciples and to each one of us wasn’t as simply as “I love you.” I also don’t think that Jesus wanted to tell them something like Gays won’t go to heaven or women who have abortions are terrible sinners, or that divorced people shouldn’t go to communion. I would be willing to bet that Jesus’ message was simply, “I love you!” As a Church we have doctrines and teachings and mysteries. There are revealed truths and dogmas. All these things are important, but they aren’t what it is all about. To be a good Catholic you don’t have to know that there is 1 God with 2 natures in 3 persons, you don’t have to know the names of the 4 gospels or the 5 books of the Torah. You don’t need to memorize the 6 precepts of the Church or even know all 7 sacraments. You might not know that there are 8 beatitudes or 9 days in a Novena. But if you know that God loves you that is enough. To be a good Catholic all you really need to know is that God Loves You. That is what the mystery of the trinity is all about, it is about God’s love for each and everyone us. This is the mission of the Church as well. To let others, know that God loves them. If we do this, this is enough. God loves you!

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