Reflections from the Heart – May 30, 2021

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” I love to share the story of the encounter between Pope Francis and a young child who approached the Holy Father and asked, “What was God doing before he created the world?” Truly a most profound question. One might think of responding by saying: Who knows? Who cares? We did not exist yet. No one was there. However, Pope Francis having such an intimate knowledge and relationship with God said a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit and responded, “Think of it this way: before creating anything, God loved. That’s what God was doing: God was loving.” What a simplistic yet beautifully profound response. God simply is love. To understand this truth is to believe this reality. To experience this truth requires us to have a childlike relationship with God as parent, sibling and friend. This is a profound mystery that at times can be difficult to understand and perhaps difficult to believe since what is required is the heart and the faith of a child. A friend once asked me to explain The Holy Trinity in simple terms. Like Pope Francis, I found myself praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance and a quick inspiration. Come Holy Spirit, Help! Yes, I could have given him a textbook answer like, “The Holy Trinity is one God but three distinct persons. Each person is distinct from one another in their relation but each of them is God whole and entire.” However, that was not what was asked. What was needed was something simple and understandable. So by the grace of God I said, aren’t you a father to your children, a son to your parents and your wife’s best friend? He replied, yes. I asked, how can you be more than one person? I continued by saying, you have a unique, personal and individual relationship with your parents, your spouse and your children yet you are only one person. At the same time, you are a father, a son and a friend but you are still you. The Holy Trinity is sought of the same way. God is our Father, Jesus is brother and the Holy Spirit is our best friend. God is one yet God is three. He got it! Thanks be to God! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.