There is a popular story about how we can't fully understand God the Most Holy Trinity. But it doesn't mean that we can't have a relationship with God.

St. Augustine, who was instrumental in our faith, a bishop of North Africa in 4^th century, who was walking by the seashore one day. He was attempting to conceive of an intelligible explanation for the mystery of the Trinity. As he walked along, he saw a small boy on the beach, pouring seawater from a shell into a small hole in the sand. “What are you doing, my child?” Asked St. Augustine. The boy responded: “I'm trying to empty the ocean into this hole.” St. Augustine said: “But that is impossible.” The boy stood up and looked straight into the eyes of St. Augustine, and replied: “What you are trying to do – comprehend the immensity of God with your small head – is even more impossible.” Then the boy vanished. The child was an angel sent by God to teach Augustine a valuable lesson. Later on, Augustine wrote: “You see the Trinity if you see love.” In other words, we can understand something of the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity more readily with our hearts, than with our feeble minds. God cannot be grasp with the mind so much as with the heart.

Last Monday, as I was driving, and was late to an appointment, actually a tee time. And I was pulled over, and was given a speeding ticket for going 75 in a 60 zone. Yes, even priests can get caught speeding. The police officer was kind enough, and he reduce my speeding, reporting that I was going 70 over 60. When he gave me the speeding ticket, I can assure you that I was not very happy, but I thanked the police officer, and apologized, and continued on my way. It was very interesting as I shared the story about my speeding ticket with some of parishioners, there were various reactions. Some asked: “Did you wear a roman collar? Did you tell the officer that it was an emergency, and that you had to visit someone in the hospital? Did you promised that you would hear his confessions and forgive his sins?” Believe me, I was tempted to do those things. But I didn't do any of that, because I was at fault, mea culpa. There was no one else to blame. I had to take full responsibility for my actions. As I reflected upon this experience, I thought about how none of us are above the law. The laws are there to help protect us. Who knows, what may have happened, because that event may have prevented something much worse. God who sees all things and knows all things can see that, but I don't. In many ways, I'm thankful that it has happened. I also prayed for the police officer, his name was James. And even though I'm a priest, it doesn't give me the right to do something wrong. As disciples and followers of Christ, it doesn't give us the right to do wrong. But since we belong to God the Most Holy Trinity, in fact, it puts us at a higher standard. I shared this story with Margie, and she gave me a good insight. If you think about how many times, we have broken traffic laws, but we were never caught. That was a good perspective. The Police Officer helped protect me from becoming a danger to others and to myself. I'm more mindful as I drive now, conscious of speed allotment. As I drive much slower now, it's amazing to see how many people pass me by like I'm standing still. I also wonder about the people who drive slower and obey the laws. And wondered if they're in the same boat and have learned their lesson. Next week, is priest days convention, so all the priests will be gathered at ocean shores with the Archbishop Peter Sartain, and also our new Archbishop Paul Etienne. As we gather, we will talk about future plans as an Archdiocese. It takes about 3 hours to drive there, I usually can get there in about 2.5 hours. But now, it may take me a little longer, maybe about 4 hours. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we will for you.

The Archbishop Peter has launched a campaign called Called to Serve as Christ Campaign. It is a campaign to help raise money for retired priests and nuns. The goal for the Archdiocese is to raise 100 million. And our parish share is about 881,000. But this campaign will go for about 3 years for our parish. Thus far, the retirement plan is pay as you go plan, sort of like our nation's social security plan. The Archbishop wants all of us to help contribute towards the campaign. One of the things that we can do is to raise awareness, so that there is no surprises when the campaign begins. Also, to think about all the priests and nuns in our lives who have helped us along our faith journey, and the sacrifices that they have made. They have baptized us, helped us be welcomed into the church, help us to receive Christ at Holy Communion, confirmed us with the Holy Spirit, nuns who have helped catechized us, and grow in our faith, and the daily prayers that they say for us. They were there for us in the good times and in the bad times. Those positive experiences can help more readily contribute towards the Called to Serve as Christ Campaign.

Story: I remember when I was much younger, and on one Christmas day, we receive a phone call. It turns out, my uncle took his own life. That is why Christmas is always a bittersweet time for the family. I remembered growing up, and being taught that suicide is a mortal sin, and we can go straight to hell. We now know a bit more about mental health, and it gives us more understanding and empathy. Despite my uncle's suicide, our parish priest visited our family. And he celebrated the Funeral Mass for us, and then he was also there at the burial at the cemetery. He made a positive impression on me, and his presence was very comforting and consoling. It is like God is with us, and everything will be ok for my uncle. He is with Christ, and Christ will take care of him. This is one of the experiences that formed me and inspired me to become a priest. Think of the Priests and Sisters that have been part of our faith journey. They are with us in the good and happy moments of our lives. The Baptisms, Eucharist, Confirmations, Matrimony. They have also been with us in the difficult moments of our lives. When someone is ill in our family. When someone died in our family. When we need a funeral service. When we need counsel for an issue that we're dealing with. When we need to experience healing and forgiveness from God. They are with us in the good times and the bad times. Let's return the favor by helping them, and contributing towards the upcoming Called to Serve as Christ campaign.

Today's readings from Proverbs, Romans and St. John, are about “pouring out.” God pours out self in word. God and Word pour out the Spirit to help us pour ourselves out. The Spirit pours forth faith and strength and character. The book of Proverbs reflects on wisdom, a quality that is identified with God, of which God wants to pour out upon us. The Letter to the Romans, St. Paul said that the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel, the work of redemption doesn't end at the Ascension of Christ, but continues to be poured forth through the working of the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul, despite the struggles to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, remains optimistic and hopeful. He writes: “We even boat of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” The readings today calls to mind God, and God's outpouring and generosity.

Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday

God the Most Holy Trinity is present throughout the entire Mass.  We begin Mass by invoking God's name: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  

The priest greets the Faithful with a Trinitarian formula: The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.  

The Gloria is a time to join the angels in heaven praising the Holy Trinity. 

The readings recall God's work in creating, redeeming and sanctifying the world. 

We profess our faith in the One True God who is three Divine Persons during the proclamation of faith (creed).  

At the Eucharistic consecration, we ask the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine to the Corpus Christi and present the perfect sacrifice to God the Father.  

At the end of Mass, the priest closes with a Trinitarian Blessing: May almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  

When we pray the entire Mass, God the Holy Trinity is invoked, praised and glorified.  Trinity Sunday is not just today but every Sunday and every time we gather for Mass.  

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed was a formulation dated back to the fourth century (325AD).  The Nicene Creed was very significant for the early church because if you did believe what the creed says, you couldn't be baptized.  

The Nicene Creed was also a way to clarify church doctrine especially the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.  It was necessary for the Church to have a creed.  There were many heresies or opponents at that time.  Some opponents were Gnosticism (dualistic worldview) and Arianism (Christ had a beginning), and many others.   But the creed laid out some important things that we need to focus on.  The underlying point is that we can't worship a God if we don't know about God.  

I believe in One God...

We don't believe in Three Gods, but One God who is Three Divine Persons.  This is the Mystery of the Holy Trinity.  Although we can't fully understand God because of our limit intelligence and knowledge, it doesn't mean that we can't know anything about God.  

I believe in God, but here's an interesting question: Does Satan believe in God?  Yes.  Does fallen angels believe in God?  Yes.  But believing also demands a right response.  The fallen angels believe in God, but their response is not correct because they don't trust in God's will and God's plan for redemption.  Let me give an example: I may believe that exercise is good for me, but if I don't exercise, then the response doesn't align with the belief.   Believing and right response must go hand in hand.  

We begin to recite the Nicene Creed by calling God as "Father".  This may seem normal for us today, but in the ancient times, it was rare to have that close of an intimate relationship with God.  Even the Jewish people would not dare to say God's name (YHWH), so they replace it with another word like Adonai which means Lord.  Christ taught the disciples to address God as ABBA, or Father.  He taught the "Our Father" prayer.  Christ shows us how to relate to God as Father.  The word "Father" doesn't denote his masculinity or gender, but to the personhood of God.  

God is Father because God is creator of all things, visible and invisible.  God is Father because God created humanity.  God is Father because of His care and providence.  God is Father because he gives an eternal inheritance through the Sacrament of Baptism.  

I believe that God is almighty or all powerful because God can do everything.  God can do things that are impossible such as creating something from nothing. 

Here are some tricky questions: If God is all powerful, can God lie or sin?   No, God wouldn't do that because it would go against God's nature as truth and goodness.

If God is almighty or all powerful, can God turn a square into a circle or a triangle into a square?  No, because these things are contradictions and God is not a God of contradictions.  Can God make a number one equal a number two?  These would also be contradictions.  But then one equals three and three equals one.  That's the mystery of the Trinity.  Three divine persons but shares in the same divine nature.  

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ.  The word "Lord" in Hebrew is Mashiac and in the Greek is Christ.  By calling someone "Lord" means that they are the Master.  They have full control of your life.  It also denotes exclusivity.  Technically, we can't have two Lords or two Masters.

Normally, the word "Lord" was used only by his disciples.  Other people would call him 'teacher' or 'Rabbi'.  Interestingly, when Judas betrayed Christ as reported in the Gospel of Mark chapter 14, this is what it says: "Judas came and immediately went over to Jesus and said "Rabbi".  And he kissed him."  Notice that Judas doesn't call him Lord anymore at the time of betrayal.  

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father.  This phrase is a response to the Arian Heresy at the time who taught that Christ had a beginning.  

The word consubstantial is new word in our revised creed but it is from the Greek word homoousion which means consubstantial.  The Arians preferred the word homoiousion with an extra "I" which means of similar substance, not of the same substance.  The controversy was over one iota.  The creed reaffirms that Christ had no beginning and no end.  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  He was always present with the Father at the beginning.  

By the power of the Holy Spirit he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.  The greatest work of the Holy Spirit is not just the Baptism or the resurrection but the Incarnation, uniting divinity and humanity in Christ, where sin has once divided that union.  

He shall come to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom shall have no end.  Sometimes we may worry about when Christ will come again.  But we should not be so worried about the parousia, the second coming of Jesus.  Rather, we should always focus more on the current status and condition of our soul.  If he returns today, is our soul ready?

The Holy Spirit is Lord meaning that he is fully God.  The Holy Spirit is not an "it".  Christ uses the pronoun "he" to refer to the Holy Spirit.  "He is the Spirit of Truth and he will guide you in all truth."  The pronoun "he" doesn't refer to his gender since he Holy Spirit doesn't have a body like the second person.  The Greek word for Spirit is Pneuma, which is neutral, neither masculine or feminine.  The pronoun "he" doesn't refer to the gender but to his personhood.  

The Holy Spirit is the giver of life.  He is the giver of life through the creation of humanity (Genesis 2) and new life through Baptism and forgiveness of sins.  "One must be born again by water and the Holy Spirit."

Happy Feast of the Most Holy Trinity!