Trinity Sunday

TRINITY SUNDAY
June 7, 2009

Readings: Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40 Psalm 33: 4-6,9,18-20,22
Response: My soul waits for the Lord
Romans 8: 14-17 Matthew 28: 16-20

The first and only open declaration of the Trinity in the Bible occurs here in the 28th chapter of Matthew. Jesus told the disciples before," As the Father sent me, I also send you."
Here, before He leaves them to Ascend to His Father and ours, He tells them how He is sending them. Since the Father's authority has been given over to Him, He, in turn, is giving over to them full power. The way they are to make disciples of all nations is to Baptize them in the name of the Trinity.

Originally, they were to go only to the lost tribes of Israel. Now, there are no bounds. Everyone is eligible and capable of the faith necessary to become His disciple and follower.

Matthew, in writing to his Jewish community, compared Moses and Jesus exploits. Not wanting to turn them away from their roots but to channel their faith in a different direction, many of the Mosaic actions were reformulated into actions of Jesus. Moses received the Law on the mountain; Jesus gave the new law of love from the mountain. Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, Moses and the Israelites 40 years. The quantitative numbers aren't compatible; however, the symbolism is the same.

The Psalmist reiterates the power of God. In poetic style, he tells how the world and everything in it was created by the Word.

Paul's Romans is a declaration of justification by Faith. Here in chapter 8, he
tells the Romans and us, we are the adopted children of the Father, through the Spirit given us by our Baptism in Christ; if;;; only we suffer with him.
When we get in the Grace line, to feed on the body and blood of Christ, we are willing to accept the love in large portions, plenty of compassion and forgiveness is in our diet. But, when it comes to the dessert, suffering, we all push ourselves away from the table.
We must be ready, if necessary, to take up the cross of Christ even if it means death. Jesus did not shy away from the horror of the cross, why should we?