How Many Are You? / Trinity Sunday (2014-06-15)

[__01__]   How many are you?  How many will you be?

This is the question we would be asked if we were to sign up for a table reservation, if were to rent a room or apartment…or if were to come to the Lourdes parish picnic.

How many are you? And… can you play goalkeeper, defense, midfield … can you score?  This would be the question about the soccer game.

Nevertheless, how many are you?

[__02__]    “How many are you”  / How many persons are you is also a question related to this Sunday, to Trinity Sunday?

It may seem to be a quiz show/Jeopardy style response to Christian doctrine.  That is, we are familiar with this style of answering in the form of a question à If the answer is “trinity” the question is à who are the three persons of God?

“I’ll take Christian doctrine and teaching for five hundred.”

[__03__]   We believe that the 3 persons of God are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Through baptism, confirmation, and Holy Eucharist, this trinity of persons dwells within us.

How many are you?  The trinity of God dwells within each of us.

[__04__]    This means that all of us – parish priests , parish leaders, staff, sisters, religious, members of commiteees, the finance council, the parish council … in all of our building, rebuilding, fundraising efforts  for our parish anniversary of 100 years in West Orange … all of this is God’s project.

Lourdes just happens to the home field, home stadium in which we “play”– and also work and labor.

As we read in Psalm 127 about construction of both our home and the church –

“if the Lord does  not build the house, in vain do the builders labor.” (Psalm 127:1)

[__05__]   How many are you? How many are we?

The Lord builds the house – and works with each of – not only as a single helper, but as trinity – a team – of 3 persons – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

These 3 are often right behind us, trying to pass through the door, the street, the conversation in which we happen to be inhabiting… or one of these trinity-team-persons may trying to pass something – some virtue, grace, mercy, element of integrity and honesty to you and to me.

This does not mean the Trinity is trying to overwhelm us or pass us by, but rather to work through us and in us.

How many are we?

[__06__]    First ..there is God, the Father.

CCC 239 à “By calling God "Father", the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children. God's parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood,(Isaiah 66:13, Psalm 131:2) which emphasizes God's immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. The language of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God—“we learn about the mystery of the trinity at home as well… ” for man. But this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood. We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard(Psalm 27:10, Ephesians 3:14, Isaiah 49:15) no one is father as God is Father.”

God the Father, as creator things seen and unseen, visible and invisible, calls us also to be attentive both the visible and the invisible.

To have confidence in God’s invisible providence when we feel anxious, uncertain about the VISIBLE difficulties, and struggles.

How many are you ? How many am I?

We are 1 plus three persons.

[__07__]    Also present in the Trinity, are the God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The presence of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

That is, Jesus the Son gives himself – or as we read in John 3:16 à “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all who believe in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

This gift is delivered through the death and resurrection of our Lord.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

However, his death was not the end. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus not only breathed his last.. but also breathed his Holy Spirit upon us, gives up his Holy Spirit to us.

This is also the challenge to all of us.

[__08__]    The Kingdom of God is located, built, and rebuilt in our families when we die to ourselves, repent of our sins… and seek God’s grace.

Not only as individuals ..but also as individuals in relationship with God.

We allow him – as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – to pass through us and work through us.

How many are we ...  [__fin__]