Year C - The Most Holy Trinity
John 16 (12-15)
June 16th, 2019
Father Mike

 
There is something that we all have in common as humans, we all come from parents. Now we may have a mother and father, or maybe just one and not both.  Or maybe we have outlived our parents and now just hold them in our minds and hearts. We may also be blessed with two fathers or two mothers instead of one of each which is a unique and very special thing.  All of these various parental constructs are a true blessing and if we are lucky enough to still have a parent with us, we should truly give thanks each and every day to God for their blessings in our lives.
 
Sure, parents have that unique ability to really make our blood boil. They tell us what we don’t want to hear, and it seems that they often don’t tell us what we DO want them to say. It’s almost as if they are backwards – after all, look at the clothes they wear or the music they love. There is no understanding them. But no matter how crafty they are knowing what we are doing, no matter how amazing they are at knowing what we are thinking (sometimes before we event think it) – HOW do they do that?? We know they love us and that is what we should thank God for each and every day.  To have parents that love us. Thank God for our parents in our lives now and thank God for our parents who have gone home but still live in our hearts. Appropriate thoughts today on Father’s Day.  Even if you no longer have a dad, or maybe no dad but two moms (again, how super awesome is that?) or maybe you were never a dad/parent yourself  – well we are all dads to someone in our lives and for that I give each of you honor and praise for that dad part that lives in each of you.
 
There is another thing we all have in common.  We all have a heavenly parent. I pray to God all the time. In structured prayers like the Liturgy of the Hours, in petitions and prayers in Mass, or I just ‘talk’ with God – all the time.  If you ever pass me on the road it is would not be uncommon to see me have a chat with God. God is certainly a heavenly parent to us all. This comes to me as we celebrate Father’s Day and often look to God with the term Father.  Now, God while speaking through the prophet Balaam said that he was, “…not a human being…” (Numbers 23:19) or a man as some translations put it but that is a human thing to label to understand something so very complex and non-human. 
 
So, as I reflected this past week on my love of my father, his name is Peter, I realized something very unique in my long relationship with my dad.  In the beginning I loved him and look up to him like some sort of god-like figure. As we aged, I grew to learn more about his past, things he did, loved, and thought.  Now in his 70s I see my dad in an entirely new light, and I must say, this learning, growing, loving relationship has filled my heart with admiration for this man – and I also must say my mom, her name is Vera, by-the-way.
 
I find my relationship with God very much the same way. I always knew God was there, that God loved me, that God created me, and God came to earth as Jesus to save me. But as I pursued my religious studies I continue to learn more and more about God and who God is.  As I do this, I find myself connecting in deeper and more amazingly loving ways with our God the Father – just like I have with my earthly Father. So I encourage you to explore your faith and always expand your knowledge of God and the loving plans God has for each of you and in doing I am confident your life journey will grow and fill with new levels of love and adoration of our great God of peace, love, and joy.
 
As we look at God with open minds to learn God’s Word and plans for us, one of the things that really trips many up is the whole concept of a Triune God which we celebrate today on the Sunday of the Holy Trinity. There are many ways to look at the fact that God is three-in-one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some say a tree is a great example: God is the trunk, Jesus the branches, and the Spirit is the fruit the tree produces. Or maybe the Sun: God is the sun, Jesus the rays of the son extending out, and the Spirit the warmth and energy the sun produces. I always say it’s like a house: with a roof, living space and foundation – three distinct things but all part of one whole. However, we like to view our great Triune God the fact is there is always a bit of a mystery there and that is part of our faith as well.
 
So, we have been given now, following Pentecost, the gift of the Spirit as the final part of our Triune God. God, who created all things, in his Wisdom created us his special children in his image with free will. Jesus, the Logos (Word), came down to allow us to connect with our Creator and understand the loving plan God has for us, and give us Hope. The Spirit is there to, “…guide [us] to all truth” (JN 16:13). The amazing gifts of our Triune God of Wisdom, Hope, and Truth all given to us out of the most perfect love coming from that most perfect union of three. Take time to honor your father & parents today but also find time to slow down and listen to God trying to work within you through the Spirit. Find ways you can connect with God and move towards that greater wisdom with increased hope and peace in your life as your open your hearts and minds further in God’s truth.
 
Thanks be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit – as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever, AMEN – Alleluia!