Homily for Trinity Sunday

St. Vincent de Paul Church 30^th May 2021

Today's Gospel reading is the conclusion of St Matthew's gospel. Jesus, after his resurrection, appears to his disciples on a mountain and sends them out to all nations. Jesus commands his disciples to go and baptise people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit: we speak of three persons in one God, the Trinity.

The Trinity is whom we are celebrating this Sunday. We might have expected this weekend, readings which would explain the Trinity to us. No, there are no readings in the Bible which explain God. The Bible does not give algorithms to solve the mystery of God. Holy Scripture gives us stories of events which reveal something about God; events in which the people of God discovered something of God.

What do today's readings reveal about God?

In the first reading, Moses reminds the people that God has been pro-active in their history: by speaking from the burning bush and by liberating them from slavery. He asks the people: Do you remember all that the Lord God did for you before your eyes in Egypt?

In the second reading, St Paul tells us that God has sent his Spirit, the Spirit which frees us from fear and makes us God's children. Last Sunday, on the feast of Pentecost, we celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples.

And today's Gospel tells us that God sent Jesus, his Son, who now in turn is sending us.

What do today's readings reveal about the Trinity, about God? They reveal that God is a God who reaches out to his people in love.

God reaches out in the events of our lives, God reaches out by visiting us in Jesus, The Father and Jesus reach out by sending us the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity does not withdraw cozily into the heavens. God comes to us in love, through the people we meet and live with, in our daily lives, through his Word, through the Eucharist we celebrate. God comes to us in love and will never abandon us. At the end of today's Gospel, Jesus promises: I am with you always, yes to the end of time.

It is 'proper' to God to reach out. Saint John writes: God is love. Love is not self-centred, love does not seek itself, but reaches out and crosses barriers.

God continues to reach out in love. We can become the channels through which God reaches out to others. That is why in today's Gospel reading, Jesus is sending his disciples: Go, therefore make disciples of all the nations, baptise them and teach them. Now we are called to reach out, in love and respect, to our brothers and sisters, whoever they may be, to cross boundaries.

God does not withdraw cozily into the heavens. So  we, as church and as parish community, should not withdraw cozily and focus on ourselves. Rather, we are sent by Jesus to reach out and be a sign of his love and friendship to those around us.