{"id":11537,"date":"2012-06-03T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2012-06-03T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?p=11537"},"modified":"2015-03-19T15:30:08","modified_gmt":"2015-03-19T22:30:08","slug":"holy-trinity-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2012\/06\/03\/holy-trinity-sunday\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Lectionary: Holy Trinity Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fairly terse notes today, I’m afraid…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: June 3, 2012<\/h2>\n

Last week we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost and this week we have another great celebration: Trinity Sunday<\/a>. The Holy Trinity is one of the central truths of the Christian faith, declaring that there is only one God and in that Godhead there are three persons: Father, Son and Spirit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The truth of the Trinity was something which was revealed by Christ, although there are hints<\/span> found in the Old Testament. For example, the use of the first person, plural pronouns found in the Creation account:<\/p>\n

Then God<\/span> said, \u201cLet us\u00a0<\/span>make mankind\u00a0in our<\/span> image,\u00a0in our<\/span> likeness,\u00a0so that they may rule\u00a0over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,\u00a0over the livestock and all the wild animals,\u00a0and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>So God<\/span> created mankind\u00a0in his own image,\u00a0in the image of God\u00a0he<\/span> created them;\u00a0male and female\u00a0he created them.<\/em> –\u00a0Genesis 1:26\u201327<\/span><\/p>\n

Some Fathers also saw a hint of the Trinity in the call of the angels before God’s throne:<\/p>\n

\u00a0I saw the Lord,\u00a0high and exalted,\u00a0seated on a throne;\u00a0and the train of his robefilled the temple.\u00a0Above him were seraphim,\u00a0each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,\u00a0and with two they were flying.\u00a0And they were calling to one another:\u00a0\u201cHoly<\/span>, holy<\/span>, holy<\/span> is the\u00a0Lord\u00a0Almighty;\u00a0the whole earth\u00a0is full of his glory.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0–\u00a0Isaiah 6:3<\/span><\/p>\n

Although revealed in the New Testament, the word “Trinity”<\/span><\/em> is not found in Sacred Scripture. However, the word “Trinity”<\/span><\/em> does describe the truth which is found in Scripture. The word is first used to describe God in the third century by Tertullian <\/a>(although the word first makes its\u00a0appearance\u00a0in Christian theology in 170 AD through the writings of\u00a0Theophilus of Antioch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

At every Mass we confess the truth of the Trinity in the Nicene Creed when we confess that Christ is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance (homoousios) with the Father”<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

This Trinity is one God from Whom, through Whom, and in Whom all things exist<\/em> – St. Augustine\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reading I:\u00a0Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40<\/h3>\n

Moses ponders the great participation of God in the salvation of Israel.<\/p>\n

Moses said to the people:\u00a0<\/span>“Ask now of the days of old, before your time,<\/span>\u00a0ever since God created man upon the earth;<\/span>\u00a0ask from one end of the sky to the other:<\/span>\u00a0Did anything so great ever happen before?<\/span>\u00a0Was it ever heard of?<\/span>\u00a0Did a people ever hear the voice of God<\/span>\u00a0speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?<\/span>\u00a0Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself<\/span>\u00a0from the midst of another nation,<\/span>\u00a0by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,<\/span>\u00a0with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,<\/span>\u00a0all of which the LORD, your God,<\/span>\u00a0did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?<\/span>\u00a0This is why you must now know,<\/span>\u00a0and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God<\/span>\u00a0in the heavens above and on earth below,<\/span>\u00a0and that there is no other.<\/span>\u00a0You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,<\/span>\u00a0that you and your children after you may prosper,<\/span>\u00a0and that you may have long life on the land<\/span>\u00a0which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • What is the main question Moses asks?<\/li>\n
  • How should we respond to the revelation of God?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Commentary:<\/p>\n

    Moses said to the people:\u00a0“Ask now of the days of old, before your time,\u00a0ever since God created man upon the earth;\u00a0ask from one end of the sky to the other:\u00a0Did anything so great ever happen before?\u00a0Was it ever heard of?\u00a0Did a people ever hear the voice of God\u00a0speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    These rhetorical questions are designed to inspire awe at God’s grace and to inspire gratitude and praise.<\/p>\n

    Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself\u00a0from the midst of another nation,\u00a0by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,\u00a0with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,\u00a0all of which the LORD, your God,\u00a0did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    Moses asserts God’s power.<\/p>\n

    This is why you must now know,\u00a0and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God\u00a0in the heavens above and on earth below,\u00a0and that there is no other.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    In response to His great works, He alone must be worshiped as the one, true God.<\/p>\n

    You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,\u00a0that you and your children after you may prosper,\u00a0and that you may have long life on the land\u00a0which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    In addition to this, in response to God’s saving work, Israel must obey His commandments. They are told that, if they do this, they will have a long and happy life.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Responsorial Psalm:\u00a0Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22<\/h3>\n

    A psalm of praise to God for his kindness and strength.<\/p>\n

    R. (12b)\u00a0Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    Upright is the word of the LORD,<\/span>\u00a0and all his works are trustworthy.<\/span>\u00a0He loves justice and right;<\/span>\u00a0of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.<\/span><\/em>
    \n
    \n<\/span>By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;<\/span>\u00a0by the breath of his mouth all their host.<\/span>\u00a0For he spoke, and it was made;<\/span>\u00a0he commanded, and it stood forth.<\/span><\/em>
    \n
    \n<\/span>See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,<\/span>\u00a0upon those who hope for his kindness,<\/span>\u00a0To deliver them from death<\/span>\u00a0and preserve them in spite of famine.<\/span><\/em>
    \n
    \n<\/span>Our soul waits for the LORD,<\/span>\u00a0who is our help and our shield.<\/span>\u00a0May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us<\/span>\u00a0who have put our hope in you.<\/span><\/em>
    \n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Questions:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • What are the themes found in this psalm?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Commentary:<\/p>\n

      R. (12b)\u00a0Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      Israel had the\u00a0privileged\u00a0position of being the Lord’s “chosen”, to be a light to the nations.<\/p>\n

      Upright is the word of the LORD,\u00a0and all his works are trustworthy.\u00a0He loves justice and right;\u00a0of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      Both the justice and kindness of God are asserted.<\/p>\n

      By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;\u00a0by the breath of his mouth all their host.\u00a0For he spoke, and it was made;\u00a0he commanded, and it stood forth.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      Everything that was made was made by God and therefore good.<\/p>\n

      See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,\u00a0upon those who hope for his kindness,\u00a0To deliver them from death\u00a0and preserve them in spite of famine.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      God is our source of rescue.<\/p>\n

      Our soul waits for the LORD,\u00a0who is our help and our shield.\u00a0May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us\u00a0who have put our hope in you.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      God is our source of protection.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Romans II: Romans 8:14-17<\/h3>\n

      In this short passage from Romans we find Trinitarian themes of Father, Son and Spirit.<\/p>\n

      Brothers and sisters:<\/span>\u00a0For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.<\/span>\u00a0For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,<\/span>\u00a0but you received a Spirit of adoption,<\/span>\u00a0through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”<\/span>\u00a0The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit<\/span>\u00a0that we are children of God,<\/span>\u00a0and if children, then heirs,<\/span>\u00a0heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,<\/span>\u00a0if only we suffer with him<\/span>\u00a0so that we may also be glorified with him.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

      Questions:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • According to Paul, who are “sons of God”<\/span><\/em>?<\/li>\n
      • What does Paul say we did not receive? What did we receive instead?<\/li>\n
      • What does “Abba”<\/span><\/em> mean?<\/li>\n
      • Who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God?<\/li>\n
      • What is the chain of logic that Paul presents?<\/li>\n
      • What must we do to “be glorified with him”<\/span><\/em>?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Commentary:<\/p>\n

        Brothers and sisters:\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        The Church is a family.<\/p>\n

        For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.\u00a0For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,\u00a0but you received a Spirit of adoption, …<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        We have been adopted into God’s family. We are no longer slaves to sin or simply servants of God, we are His sons and daughters.<\/p>\n

        …through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        Literally, “Daddy!”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

        The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit\u00a0that we are children of God,\u00a0and if children, then heirs,\u00a0heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, …<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God.<\/p>\n

        If we are children of God then we are heirs, we inherit the blessings of our Father, as children do.<\/p>\n

        …if only we suffer with him\u00a0so that we may also be glorified with him.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        There was nothing lacking in the suffering of Christ. However, as the Head He suffered so, therefore, as the Body we suffer with Him. In this we truly become His disciples:<\/p>\n

        Then Jesus said to his disciples, \u201cWhoever wants to be my disciple<\/span> must deny themselves and\u00a0take\u00a0up their\u00a0cross<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0follow\u00a0me.<\/em> – Matthew 16:24<\/span><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20<\/h3>\n

        In today’s Gospel passage we hear the Great Commission:<\/p>\n

        The eleven disciples went to Galilee,\u00a0to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.\u00a0When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.\u00a0Then Jesus approached and said to them,\u00a0“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.\u00a0Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,\u00a0baptizing them in the name of the Father,\u00a0and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,\u00a0teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.\u00a0And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

        Questions:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Why are there only “eleven disciples”<\/span>?<\/li>\n
        • Why do they go “to Galilee”<\/span><\/em>? When did Jesus order them to that mountain?<\/li>\n
        • What did they do when they got there? Why do you think “they doubted”<\/span><\/em>?<\/li>\n
        • What does Jesus say? What is this commonly known as?<\/li>\n
        • What three things does Jesus command in this Great Commission?<\/li>\n
        • What promise does He make? Why do you think He does this?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Commentary:<\/p>\n

          The eleven disciples went to Galilee,\u00a0to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          The text refers to “The eleven”<\/span><\/em> because by this point Judas was dead.<\/p>\n

          They go to Galilee in obedience to Jesus and the message of the angels:<\/p>\n

          For when coming to His Passion the Lord had said to His disciples, “After I am risen I will go before you into Galilee”; and the Angel said the same to the women. Therefore the disciples obey the command of their Master.<\/em> – St. Bede<\/span><\/p>\n

          Mountains feature regularly in Scripture. For example, the following events took place on mountains:<\/p>\n

          …the giving of the Ten Commandments
          \n…Elijah’s encounter with God in the “small, still voice”<\/span><\/em>.
          \n…the Sermon on the Mount
          \n…the Transfiguration
          \n…the Crucifixion
          \n…the Ascension<\/p>\n

          St. Bede gives us more information about the symbolic meaning of mountains:<\/p>\n

          The Lord appeared to them in the mountain to signify, that His Body which at His Birth He had taken of the common dust of the human race, He had by His Resurrection exalted above all earthly things; and to teach the faithful that if they desire there to see the height of His Resurrection, they must endeavor here to pass from low pleasures to high desires.<\/em> – St. Bede<\/span><\/p>\n

          When they all saw him,\u00a0they worshiped, but they doubted.\u00a0<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          St. Augustine deals with the complicated timeline, harmonizing all the Gospels:<\/p>\n

          But it is to be considered, how the Lord could be seen bodily in Galilee. For that it was not the day of the Resurrection is manifest; for He was seen that day in Jerusalem in the beginning of the night, as Luke and John evidently agree. Nor was it in the eight following days, after which John says that the Lord appeared to His disciples, and when Thomas first saw Him, who had not seen Him on the day of the Resurrection. For if within these eight days the eleven had seen Him on a mountain in Galilee, Thomas, who was one of the eleven, could not have seen Him first after the eight days. Unless it be said, that the eleven there spoken of were eleven out of the general body of the disciples, and not the eleven Apostles.<\/em><\/p>\n

          But there is another difficulty. John having related that the Lord was seen not in the mountain, but at the sea of Tiberias, by seven who were fishing, adds, This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after he was risen from the dead. So that if we understand the Lord to have been seen within those eight days by eleven of the disciples, this manifestation at the sea of Tiberias will be the fourth, and not the third, appearance. Indeed, to understand John’s account at all it must be observed, that he computes not each appearance, but each day on which Jesus appeared, though He may have appeared more than once on the same day; as He did three times on the day of His Resurrection. We are then obliged to understand that this appearance to the eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee took place last of all. In the four Evangelists we find in all ten distinct appearances of Our Lord after His Resurrection.<\/em><\/p>\n

          1. At the sepulcher to the women.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n2. To the same women on their way back from the sepulcher.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n3. To Peter.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n4. To two disciples as they went into the country.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n5. To many together in Jerusalem;\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n6. when Thomas was not with them.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n7. At the sea of Tiberias.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n8. At the mountain in Galilee, according to Matthew.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n9. To the eleven as they sat at meat, because they should not again eat with Him upon earth, related by Mark.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>
          \n10. On the day of His Ascension, no longer on the earth, but raised aloft in a cloud, as related by both Mark and Luke.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          But all is not written, as John confesses, for He had much conversation with them during forty days before His ascension, being seen of them, and speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God\u00a0<\/em><\/span>– St. Augustine<\/p>\n

          Then Jesus approached and said to them,\u00a0“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          St., Jerome notes the contrast of the power Jesus now speaks of in contrast to the recent events:<\/p>\n

          Power is given to Him, Who but a little before was crucified, Who was buried, but Who afterwards rose again…\u00a0Power is given in heaven and in earth, that He who before reigned in heaven should now reign on earth by the faith of the believers.<\/em>\u00a0 – St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n

          “…Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, …<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          The mission is now to the entire world:<\/p>\n

          He who before His Passion had said, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, now, when rising from the dead, says, Go and teach all nations. Hereby let the Jews be put to silence, who say that Christ’s coming is to be for their salvation only. Let the Donatists also blush, who, desiring to confine Christ to one place, have said that He is in Africa only, and not in other countries<\/em> – St. Bede<\/span><\/p>\n

          As the disciples go preach to the world, the world is re-created<\/p>\n

          Thus all nations are created a second time to salvation by that one and the same Power, which created them to being.<\/em> – St. John Chrysostom<\/span><\/p>\n

          During His earthly ministry, Jesus generally limited his mission to the people of Israel. However, now though His Church, the mission is to the world. This is to\u00a0fulfill\u00a0the promise made to Abraham:<\/p>\n

          “…and through your offspring\u00a0all nations on earth will be blessed,\u00a0because you have obeyed me.\u201d<\/em> –\u00a0Genesis 22:18<\/span><\/p>\n

          “…baptizing them in the name of the Father,\u00a0and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, …<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          The disciples are to baptise in the name of the Trinity (notice, it is “name”<\/span><\/em> singular):<\/p>\n

          And though some one there may be of so averse a spirit as to undertake to baptize in such sort as to omit one of these names, therein contradicting Christ. Who ordained this for a law, his baptism will effect nothing; those who are baptized by him will not be at all delivered from their sins. From these words we gather how undivided is the substance of the Trinity, that the Father is verily the Father of the Son, and the Son verily the Son of the Father, and the Holy Spirit the Spirit of both the Father and the Son, and also the Spirit of wisdom and of truth, that is, of the Son of God. This then is the salvation of them that believe, and in this Trinity is wrought the perfect communication of ecclesiastical discipline.<\/em> – St. Jerome<\/p>\n

          “…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          Obedience should follow:<\/p>\n

          For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also<\/em> – James 2<\/span><\/p>\n

          This completes the commands of the Great Commission:<\/p>\n

          Observe the order of these injunctions. He bids the Apostles first to teach all nations, then to wash them with the sacrament of faith, and after faith and baptism then to teach them what things they ought to observe; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you<\/em> – St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n

          “…And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          Christ encourages His disciples:<\/p>\n

          And because what He had laid upon them was great, therefore to exalt their spirits He adds, And, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. As much as to say, Tell Me not of the difficulty of these things, seeing I am with you, Who can make all things easy. A like promise He often made to the Prophets in the Old Testament, to Jeremiah who pleaded his youth, to Moses, and to Ezekiel, when they would have shunned the office imposed upon them. And not with them only does He say that He will be, but with all who shall believe after them. For the Apostles were not to continue till the end of the world, but He says this to the faithful as to one body<\/em> – St. John Chrysostom<\/span><\/p>\n

          This is also to spur them on:<\/p>\n

          He brings before them the end of the world, that He may the more draw them on, and that they may not look merely to present inconveniences, but to the infinite goods to come. As much as to say, The grievous things which you shall undergo, terminate with this present life, seeing that even this world shall come to an end, but the good things which you shall enjoy endure for ever<\/em> – St. John Chrysostom<\/span><\/p>\n

          He then who promises that He will be with His disciples to the end of the world, shows both that they shall live for ever, and that He will never depart from those that believe<\/em> – St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n

          For by ascending into heaven He does not desert His adopted; but from above strengthens to endurance, those whom He invites upwards to glory.<\/em> – St. Leo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Fairly terse notes today, I’m afraid… The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: June 3, 2012 Last week we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost and this week we have another great celebration: Trinity Sunday. The Holy Trinity is one of the central truths of the Christian faith, declaring that there is only one God and in that Godhead there are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1145,1136,2969,1137,1146,595,1138,143,903],"class_list":["post-11537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-lectionary","tag-commands","tag-eleven","tag-featured","tag-galilee","tag-great-commission","tag-moses","tag-mountain","tag-st-augustine","tag-st-bede"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11537"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56498,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11537\/revisions\/56498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}