random musings on trinity sunday

GOD is love; the father is love; jesus is love; the holy spirit is love

the second reading:

Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, “Abba (“papa”), Father!” romans 8

when my niece jennifer was learning to talk, the tone with which she called my brother “papa” was pure endearment. i hold that sound in my heart. do i have that kind of relationship with God the father– to call him “papa” with endearment?

a related scripture could be: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” 1 john 4

the father-son-holy spirit casts out fear; we are adopted into the trinitarian life of God. we are on the journey to “perfect” love when we walk with God.

the second reading continues:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him romans 8

how does my spirit and the Holy Spirit– together– bear witness to our divine nature as sons/daughters of God and heirs with christ? must it really be through suffering?

and today’s gospel reading:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted (had little faith.)
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” matthew 28

in matthew, to doubt is to have little/small faith. remember peter trying to follow jesus (walking on the water), becoming afraid and jesus calming the storm (mt 14: 31)? peter’s faith will eventually be strengthened by following jesus and his commands. also, the concept of leaven with the apostles: jesus will provide the sustenance (mt 16: 8). the eucharistic overtone is jesus is the bread of life.

baptize and teach love. given my call in life, how do i do this? during the whole easter season, we renewed our own baptismal promises! show my example first– that’s difficult isn’t it? how can i teach what i do not know?

‘It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching,’ – st francis

trust jesus’ promise: “i am with you always until the end of the age”