June 4

            It is not always easy to be family.  Good parents, the old saying goes, give their children roots and wings, a sense of security and freedom to live their lives.  But achieving such a balance is often accomplished only after years of working at it.  Sometimes children feel smothered by their parents; that they are trying to control their lives.  At other times, children feel neglected, that they are not important, even not loved.

            The readings today remind us that our loving God wishes us to know that we can find our roots in the divine love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that we can also find our freedom there.  Paul’s words to the Corinthians pick up first on the purpose of the gift of the spirit that we celebrated last Sunday.  The Spirit has been given to us to lead us more deeply into the mystery of God, into the love of God, so that we may live in a more perfect harmony and unity with one another.

            The message found in Moses’ words to God relating to the people he is leading centers on God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Moses recognizes the sinfulness of the people but stills asks God to receive them as His own – a chosen race, a people set apart by God – destined for holiness – that is us folks!

            But we are not to stay all curled up in the divine embrace.  We have been sent forth to proclaim to others this good news, to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).  We do this when we allow the Spirit to lead us, to guide us in witnessing to God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – a family we can feel secure in, loved in and cared for.

(only for 9:00 Mass)

                In a few moments I will baptize Emma Lee & Lucas Lee, new members into our Catholic faith.  These two children will also develop a relationship, not only with the Holy Trinity but also with those of us in the Christian Community, and they too will share in our mission to “go forth and spread the Good News of the Kingdom.”  Their parents, as their first teachers in the faith will help them.

                If we are to recognize the three divine persons of the Holy Trinity, then we must also recognize that we are in relationship with one another, thus, we should forgive our hurts, grow and move on from broken relationships, be gracious to one another and be witnesses to God’s love in the world.

            Perhaps this is why the mystery of the Holy Trinity has been revealed to us: as God’s beloved who have been saved by the Son and given life in the Spirit, as those created in God’s image, we can aspire to healing unity.

            As we enter this new week, we may not understand the great mystery of the Holy Trinity any better than last week, but we can recognize that we are created in the image of God, redeemed by the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  This mystery of the Trinity calls us to go both beyond ourselves and deeper into ourselves – to an intimacy with God that turns us outward in mercy and graciousness to others.