The Most Blessed Trinity
We celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Our God is a Communion of Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is Community of Love – the community of loving Father, loving Son, loving Spirit – each equal to one another, sharing a life of mutual and never-ending giving and receiving.
Today’s gospel reading from Matthew is called “the Great Commission.” Jesus gives this instruction to his disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This is baptism in the name of the Trinity.
For many Christians, baptism is just a ceremony or a ritual they have to go through. It is just something that must be done to them. But baptism is much more than this. It has a profound meaning and great implication on who we are and to whom we belong. For St. Paul, baptism is a sacrament of faith. By faith, we start belonging to God. So, baptism as a sacrament of faith is an event of belongingness.
As baptized in the Trinity, as baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we belong to God. Baptism defines who we are now, and defines to whom we belong. The moment a person is baptized in the Trinity, he or she does not own himself or herself anymore, for he or she now belongs to the One in whose Name he or she is baptized.
We are baptized and consecrated to God – and we must live as such. We are beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, we are brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus, we are temples of the Holy Spirit. We belong to God for his purpose and for his glory; hence, our whole life must be about God, about doing his will and obeying his commandments. Since we are baptized in the Trinity and we belong to God, we are to conduct ourselves in such a way that our true identity inspires and directs everything we are and everything we do.
Today’s great feast reminds us that we are sent to “make disciples of all nations” – we are commissioned in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And Jesus ends his commission with the comforting words: “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” We can stand on this promise. For, indeed, he is with us as we carry on his mission.
To be a disciple of Jesus is to share in the mission of Jesus:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” The Lord Jesus is sending each of us to be a channel of God’s blessings and a conduit of his love to the world.
“Go into your family, into your circle of friends, into your neighborhood, into your parish, into your social network… Bring the Good News and become good news yourselves to others.”
“Go and show goodness and kindness, manifest generosity and magnanimity, demonstrate gentleness and tenderness, show genuine empathy and practical charity… be the face of God’s mercy and compassion.”
“Go and affirm your sisters and brothers, appreciate their goodness and good deeds, encourage them to strive harder, inspire them to become better persons, help them to know, to love and to serve the Lord.”
“Go and be an instrument of meaningful dialogue, foster understanding, acceptance and harmony, be a channel of forgiveness and reconciliation, promote truth and peace based on social justice, work for good governance, social transformation and total human development.”
Our parish, OLMMP is giving us an opportunity to respond to the Lord’s Great Commission. in a more personal and more meaningful way. The mission partnership program of our parish is an opportunity for us to concretize stewardship. How? Through our personal involvement and active participation in the life and mission of Christ and of his Church – and of our Parish. How? By sharing our time, talents, and resources in the ministries and pastoral programs of our Parish. Let this be our love offering – in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Parokya ni Osong 