2019 June 16 • TRINITY SUNDAY • • Proverbs 8:22-31 • Psalm 8
• Romans 5:1-5 • +John 16:12-15 •
Title:
Trinity Sunday: 3 R’s. Relationship. Reminder. Remembrance.
[_01_] This is Trinity Sunday and I’d like to touch
on [►RELATIONSHIPS
& the Trinity] / [►REMINDER
about the Trinity] / [►REMEMBRANCE
& the Trinity]
[_02_] First. “RELATIONSHIPS”. In this
“relationship” example, my father’s brother – my uncle – is a retired NYC
firefighter (FDNY)
At about 7:30 am on a Monday morning in 1994,
as my brother was leaving the 72nd Street subway station in
Manhattan on the upper east side, he fell to the ground and, therefore, needed
stitches and was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital E.R. emergency room. He was on his way to work. Actually, he did
not fall, but was rather knocked down and assaulted by someone. We do not know
who
Yes, it was traumatic, but also very
brief and he recovered completely and quickly. He did require immediate medical
attention. Therefore: E.R.
At Lenox Hill Hospital E.R., just
before the anesthesia was administered and he fell asleep “went under” and
asleep, a nurse ran up to his stretcher and told him…”I know your uncle who is
a NYC fireman in the Bronx.”
The hospital nurse told my brother: ”I know your uncle, who is in the Fire
Department in the Bronx.”
This was a strange coincidence and a
nice consolation. Hey, I’m in this hospital and someone knows me! Great!
Reflecting on this later, my brother
later learned that firefighters and nurses have their own little “dating app”
and matchmaking network and they socialize a lot. But, at the time, my brother
was surprised that this nurse – in Manhattan – knew our uncle of the Fire
Department – in the Bronx.
[_03_] You
and I cannot control how any 2 people are going to get along or whether they
know – or want to know – each other.
I have had the experience of
introducing 2 people who know me – as a mutual friend or acquaintance – but
they still do not get along. I presumed they would – or wish they could be
friendly …but it just does not happen.
It does not have to be a matchmaking
scenario, but any 2 individuals who – just because they are now my friends – does not mean we will all become friends. It does not
always work out. It could go either way.
That’s the “RELATIONSHIP” and the
Trinity.
[_04_] Here
are some REMINDERS about the
Trinity.
RELATIONSHIPS, of course require
commitment and respect, mutual self-giving. Even if 2 people have a mutual
connection, it does not mean they will get along or click.
The reminder about the Trinity is that
God is not only perfectly committed to you (me) …but also God is perfectly
committed in himself as a community of 3 persons.
Jesuit Father James Schall, S.J.
reminds us that nowhere in the Bible does God declare himself to be the
Trinity. The logic of understanding God
as “Trinity of Father Son and Holy Spirit ” is based on our understanding that
God is love.
That God exists not only exists to
RELATE to us, but also to relate perfectly to himself and in himself, then he
relates to us. God relates perfectly to himself and in himself, then he relates
to us.
As an analogy, is it not beautiful and
important for mothers and fathers not only to love their children but also to
love each other? It is said that the greatest gift a father can give his
children is to love their mother and so also… it is a gift of a mother to love
the father of her children.
This does not mean husband and wife –
mother and father – are getting along swimmingly & perfectly at all times.
They may have differences and distance and difficulties. Yet, the way that
mothers and fathers treat each other and forgive each other and even correct
each other, “speaks volumes” …teaches the children about love and unconditional
love and forgiveness and correction.
That they love in this way not only for the sake of each other but also
for God who called them together.
So, the family is a kind of TRINITY
local version, TRINITY on earth. TRINITY at your address, behind your front
door.
God the Father and God the Son love
each other in a similar way to give us a unity and harmony for us to emulate
..and given the fact that Jesus gives up his life – for love and we are also
called to give up our lives – this love is attainable.
“There is no greater love than to
lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13)
In every sacrifice 3 “friends” are connected
… you + the person you are sacrificing + Jesus.
Jesus is your mutual friend: That’s just a REMINDER about the Trinity.
And, regarding “RESPECT” and our
prayer/worship as Catholics, we always STAND – or KNEEL – at church for the
Trinity. We stand as we begin Sunday Mass, we stand to make the sign of the
cross – the sign of the Trinity “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” – you stand to
begin Mass & procession, not because the priest is here but because God –
Trinity – is here and we stand at the end of Mass to bless ourselves in the
sign of the Trinity – “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”
[_05_] We’ve touched on RELATIONSHIPS and the
Trinity; REMINDERS about the Trinity…
Now, REMEMBRANCE
& Trinity. This “REMEMBRANCE” is
also entitled “West Orange, West Point, and West Orange.”
[_06_] This past Tuesday, I attended the
REMEMBRANCE / memorial for the passing away – for the death – of West Point
Cadet Christopher Morgan, beloved member of our West Orange community. He was
22 years old.
A 2015 graduate of West Orange H.S.,
Cadet Christopher Morgan went off to the U.S. Military Academy – the
prestigious West Point in 2015.
Last week, Cadet Morgan died tragically in
military training exercises last Thursday June 6 in New York state near the
West Point campus.
Christopher Morgan is remembered now as a star
student, student-athlete, football player, star on wrestling mat, and musician
and the first African-American student from West Orange High School to attend [United States Military Academy-West Point]
At such a time, a family and community
naturally asks why such a death? Why…such a short life?
I just suggest that while this is not
an easy ANSWER, there is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in our faith and belief in the Trinity
that we are made to love and for love.
God loves us simply because we are not
because of what we do or for how long we live.
We are made to love and we are made
for love. This is why people come to a Memorial Service, to a funeral service
for their own loved ones, why we come and mourn deeply, why 2,000 plus were at
West Orange High School gymnasium on Tuesday evening.
We are made to love and we are made
for love, before we are born, while we live and even after we die. We are made
to be loved, to be prayed for, to be remembered.
We are capable of remembering that our loved
ones remain a part of us after we die.
[*** PAUSE***]
This was certainly the theme/tone at West
Orange H.S. for Christopher Morgan, a star student & faithful friend to
many.
However, the life of Christopher Morgan did
not have meaning simply as a list of achievements and accolades. His life had
meaning because he was loved and is still loved by God, by Christ, by his
family.
God the Trinity loves so much that he is also
a community of persons and this love overflows into a second person – the Son –
the love of Father and Son overflows into the Holy Spirit.
Our lives and love also overflow and also are
interconnected to other persons, these may be children we love, students we
teach, parents, brothers, sisters, neighbors, co-workers.
We can only keep love can by giving it away. That’s the paradox.
[_07_] On Tuesday night at West Orange High, there
were many eloquent speakers and tributes. Sitting in the crowd, I was proud to
be part of the West Orange community and witness the tributes, though I do not
know Cadet Christopher Morgan myself.
The eloquent tributes included – the
Governor’s office from Trenton, Hayden Moore, Robert Parisi, Ronald Bligh – the
West Orange High Principal, May and A.D respectively.
Chris’ 2 wrestling coaches – both West Orange
& West Point, a wrestling teammate of West Orange now studying and
wrestling at U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis.
A delegate from West Point.
All tributes were eloquent and well
prepared. But, I could not help but notice that while the applause and clapping
were sincere, no one got a standing ovation.
That is, no one got a standing ovation until
the family of Christopher Morgan stood and spoke at the microphone.
Then, everyone stood and applauded for the
brother and mother and father of Chris. Then, there was a standing ovation. Were not
these individuals the real reason for our RESPECT, why we pay our RESPECTS?
And, were not these individuals –
Chris’ family – the reason we were there – to remember not only his
achievements and excellence but simply to acknowledge his existence and place
in their family and that he came from
their heart and will always be there.
West Orange family à
West Point family and return home to West Orange.
We celebrate the trinity as our
family, as our core image and existence and remember that we are also made for
love in the image of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [_fin_]
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