Shikrot Mpwi – Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Trinity Sunday – June 04, 2023
Readings: Ex 34:4B-6, 8-9; Responsorial Psalm Dn. 3:52, 54, 55, 56;
2 Cor 13:11-13 & Gospel John 3:16-18.
Theme: Trinity as Holy Kiss
Sunday Synopsis
The first reading details how the Lord descended on Moses at Sinai when he took the tablets of stone. It recounts that he called on the name of God who comes across as “The Lord – of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness.” In the second reading, St. Paul wishes the Corinthian community perfect happiness, unity and peace. He adds that they should “Greet one another with the Holy Kiss.” The gospel presents the dramatic encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus wherein the Lord said, no one who believes in him will be condemned. Holy Trinity remains a metaphor which urges us to embrace “a holy kiss” that ends strife and unites the Church towards the beatific vision.
Introduction
Trinity Sunday reminds Christians all over the world that there are 3 divine persons in one God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is called God in (Cf. Phil. 1:2), the Son is called God in (Cf. John 1:1, 14), and the Holy Spirit is addressed as God in (Cf. Acts 5:3-4). It further demonstrates that the Church is the mystical body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit remains our sanctifier. On top of that, the celebration underlines the hypostatic union, Trinitarian communion, and the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
Background and Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Ex 34:4B-6, 8-9) details how the Lord descended on Moses at Sinai when he took the tablets of stone. It recounts that he called on the name of God who comes across as “The Lord – of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness.” God’s servant then pleaded with the Lord to adopt the sons and daughters of Israel as his heritage.
In the second reading (2 Cor 13:11-13), St. Paul wishes the Corinthian community perfect happiness even as he urges them to “be united, [and] live in peace.” He adds that they should “Greet one another with the Holy Kiss” while praying that the grace and love of the Lord, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit dwells with them.
The gospel (John 3:16-18) presents the dramatic encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus wherein the Lord said, no one who believes in him will be condemned. It summarizes the story of salvation in trinitarian details by stating that God loved the world and sent his son that whosoever believes him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Holy Trinity: The Metaphor, the Mystery
One of the simplest metaphors for explaining the Trinity is the relationship that exists in the life of a married woman who has children – she has to relate with her biological parents as a daughter, to her husband as his wife and her children as a mother with the same degree of love, care and affection. The mind, soul and spirit have also been used to describe the Trinity. These human analogies only present us with a glimpse of what constitutes the Trinity – for the most part, it remains a mystery.
St. Augustine was said to have been contemplating on how to describe the Trinity to his flock – upon going to the sea-shore, he saw a boy trying to empty the water into a small hole he had dug. When the Saint told him that it was an exercise in futility, the boy retorted, it is also impossible for you to explain the Trinity and the boy vanished.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Be tender, compassionate: In a world of vendetta and cruelty where wars such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are reminded who emulate the triune God who comes across as “The Lord – of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness” even as we exemplify St. Paul’s call to “a holy kiss.”
2. Seek for mercy: Just as Moses pleaded with the Lord to adopt the sons and daughters of Israel as his heritage, we are encouraged to jettison Judas’ kiss of death while we approach God in his tribunal of mercy and forgiveness.
3. Embrace unity: Amid a looming schism from the German Church seeking for radical reforms against magisterial teachings, Trinity Sunday obliges us to “be united, [and] live in peace.”
4. Reflect God’s creative power: The devastating effect of global warming urges us to respond to the demands of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si by avoiding sins against creation such as destruction of the ecosystem which causes changes in its climate contaminating water, land, air, and life by reflecting God’s creative power in all we do.
5. Worship the Lord: Biblical allusions to the Trinity (Cf. Phil. 1:2; Acts 5:3-4 & John 1:1, 14) further reveal the hypostatic union – the doctrine that Jesus is fully man and fully divine espoused in “In the beginning was the Word…” – (Cf. John 1:1, 14) and Trinitarian Communion (Cf. John 3:13; Matthew 28:20) which invite us to worship and serve the Lord alone, in the Trinity.
Summary Lines
1. The first reading details how the Lord descended on Moses at Sinai when he took the tablets of stone.
2. It recounts that he called on the name of God who comes across as “The Lord – of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness.”
3. In the second reading, St. Paul wishes the Corinthian community perfect happiness.
4. He urges them to “be united, [and] live in peace [adding] that they should “Greet one another with the Holy Kiss.”
5. The gospel presents the dramatic encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus wherein the Lord said, no one who believes in him will be condemned.
Conclusion
In the spirit of our common fellowship, we are once again urged to greet one another with the Holy Kiss. Being a metaphor for the Trinity, the Holy Kiss reminds us of the Trinitarian romance which came to fore at Jesus’ baptism (Cf. Matthew 3:16-17) and transfiguration (Cf. Matthew 17:1-13). May our celebration have effects in our lives as the Blessed Trinity spurs us on to a greater nation, united under God. Have a terrific week!
