The Most Holy Trinity 2025 - The Central Mystery that shapes our lives

 In seminary, we spent an entire semester considering the theological writings on the Holy Trinity. We studied the scriptural foundations of the Doctrine of the Trinity, and the writings of the early church fathers from the east and the west, the medieval theologians, especially the summa theologica of st. Thomas Aquinas, modern theologians like Karl Rahner, papal documents and saintly reflections.

About three quarters into the semester, I remember one of the permanent deacons taking the class raising his hand and asking, “when is any of this going to be applicable to parish life and preaching?” In other words, “how are the Trinitarian reflections of the Cappadocian Fathers like St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzan, or the intricate arguments of Thomas Aquinas, or the run-on sentences of Karl Rahner going to actually help us in parish ministry or even the Christian life?”

I can’t remember how the professor answered, but the deacon’s question has stuck with me all these years. Why is seeking to understand the Trinity important? How is this supposed to affect my life? And I think that’s the point. As God’s faithful ones we ought to see understanding of the subject of our Love—God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and to allow that understanding to shape our life. 

Who. Is. God. The answer to that question will shape your life.

It even shapes the lives of Atheists. Atheists treat God as a man-made myth, a lie that believers tell themselves in order to give explanation to the unexplainable. And so they develop an ambivalence toward religion and often a hatred us. 

The question, “who is God” shapes the lives of those who believe in God, but don’t want anything to do with Him. They go from one unsatisfying pursuit of pleasure to the next, because they do not acknowledge that God can be found.

But Christians believe that God not only exists, not only can He be found, not only has He communicated with us and revealed himself to us, but we possess an understanding that God wants us to know him and love him and have our life shaped by our relationship with Him and the truths he has revealed.

Who God is and what God has done is meant to shape our lives. 

Today, on Trinity Sunday, we consider that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a communion of love. In creating the human family, God looked at his own inner life to find the design for humanity. God’s inner life is a loving, life-giving community: the Father and Son love one another, and from their love proceeds the Holy Spirit. If God is communion of love, than humans are made for love and communion and harmony and relationship and peace.

This truth is right there on the first page of the Bible, in chapter 1 of the Book of Genesis: God says, “Let us make man in our image”. A plurality of persons, a community of persons, sharing a nature, says let us make man to be like us. 

God is the source of life, God is love, God is a unity of holiness, and so that means we are made to seek life and love and unity through holiness. 

“Let us make man in our image” also points to the gift of will. God chose to make us—to give us life. And so too, we are able to make choices—to exercise free will, to pursue our highest good, or not. We can choose life or death—goodness or sin—love or selfishness—our highest good or depravity.

Now, the abuse of that free will has gotten us into trouble. Adam and Eve’s choice to separate themselves from the communion of love and obedience has caused ripple effects in every human life and mind and soul.

But even when we abuse our free will, in original sin or every other subsequent sin, God reaches out to reconcile because God desires communion with us. God so loved the world, that he sent the Son, to reconcile us to himself and to each other, and so that means we are to be people who like him, seek to heal wounds, and invite, and reconcile. 

So that students’ question: When will any of this matter?—the answer is: “always” in everything we do. Every sacrament we celebrate flows from who God is, what God desires for us, because he desires life and holiness and communion for us. Every teaching of the Church, every commandment is Scripture, every moment that we are given in this earthly life—all of it is shaped by who God is. 

When we know who God is, we come to know who we are, and how we are meant to live. As the Catechism puts it, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the 'hierarchy of the truths of faith'.  The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men 'and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin'.

God is Trinity, and we are meant to live Trinitarianly—always. We are to live Trinitarianly on earth, so that we may come to share in the Trinitarian life of God in heaven, in eternal glory. 

This is why we begin each prayer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and end every prayer in the same way because it acknowledges that everything we are doing flows from Him, is to be guided by Him, is to be done in union with Him, and directed back toward Him. 

This is why the task of the Church is Evangelization because we recognize that all people are called to share in the divine life. God made us for life and sends us into the world to invite others to communion with Him.

And so, brothers and sisters, we don’t study the Trinity merely to pass a theology exam or fill a homily with lofty ideas. We contemplate the Trinity so we can live in communion with God in this life more fully, and become what we behold—a people of unity, holiness, and self-giving love.

May our homes mirror the unity of the Trinity. May our parish reflect the life of the Trinity. May our lives be filled with the love of the Holy Trinity To Him be glory and praise, now and forever, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Pentecost 2025 - 7 Gifts of the Spirit

 Last week, on the feast of the Ascension, in our scripture readings, we heard Jesus instructing his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father. Well, the waiting is over, we celebrate now the promise fulfilled: the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church 50 days after the Lord’s resurrection 

The Holy Spirit, as we proclaim in our creed each week, is the Lord, the giver of life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit souls are brought to new life in the Sacrament of baptism; they are strengthened in confirmation, healed in the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick, nourished in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and empowered with special graces for unique vocations in the sacraments of marriage and Holy Orders.

The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, helps us to truly live by bestowing upon us special gifts, you may have memorized the list of them as you prepared for your Confirmation. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. The Catechism says, these gifts belong in their fullness to Jesus Christ. Meaning if you wanted to see what wisdom looks like, sounds like, and acts like, look at Jesus. If you want to know the highest form of counsel, piety, and fear of the Lord, look to Jesus. 

So let’s consider each of the gifts. How was Jesus’ life filled with wisdom? Well, what is wisdom? Wisdom seeks what is of the highest importance. To be wise is to recognize that our highest priority in this life  isn’t career or wealth, pleasure or power, but getting our souls to heaven and becoming the person God made us to be: saints.

Jesus taught us not only to be wise, teaching us to “seek first the kingdom of God”,  but his wisdom was evident. He embraced the greatest suffering imaginable the weight of our sins as he hung upon the Cross, in order to achieve the highest good, our salvation. We are fully alive when we, wisely, we embrace the cross with Christ in order to obtain our highest good.

The second gift is understanding. The gift of Understanding enables us to penetrate the mysteries of God and see the deeper meaning of God’s plan. Jesus’ understanding is manifest in his ministry. He explains the deeper meaning of the Scriptures, helping others understand God’s plan of salvation. 

With Understanding comes patience and gratitude. Think of how understanding has changed your experience of Mass. As a young person you may have been restless and impatient for mass to be over, but recognizing what is really going on here, understanding that the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ, that changes things. That understanding enables us to more fully engage in the Mass and appreciate the great gift Jesus has left us, and to encourage others to join us here.

The third gift of the Spirit is Counsel . Counsel means knowing and choosing what is right in difficult situations. Jesus always chooses the Father’s will, even when he was tempted. In the desert, He rebuffs Satan’s temptations with clarity. We are fully alive when we follow not the counsel of the world or the devil, but the counsel of God. 

Like all the gifts, counsel is for ourselves, but also for others. For example, a friend confides in you that they are considering making a terrible decision, like abortion. The Gift of Counsel enables you to speak with compassion, truth, and hope—encouraging them to choose life and offering concrete support.

The fourth gift is fortitude. Fortitude is the courage and strength to  do good and endure difficulty for the sake of what is right. Jesus endured opposition, rejection, betrayal, scourging, and crucifixion without faltering in His mission. He exhibited courage in confronting hypocrisy and injustice, even when it meant risking His life. In His Passion, He reveals fortitude in its purest form—persevering in love to the end.

Fortitude enables us to work for justice despite opposition, to witness to the faith in the face of mockery or persecution, or to persevere doing what is right despite hardship—like taking care of an elderly parent despite their complaints. To be fully alive is to be full of Courage and Strength for doing what is right when it is hard.

The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit is knowledge – Knowing the things of God and how to remain in right relationship to God. Jesus helps people to know the presence of God in their midst. 

This gift helps us to know what is good or bad for our soul and to discern God’s will. Think of a young person discerning that her social media habits are fueling vanity and envy. So, she chooses to limit her use to protect her spiritual health. Or any of us for that matter, when facing temptation, calling to mind the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the Church. We are fully alive when we have that ability to rightly discern between good and evil.

The sixth gift is piety--filial reverence and trust in God as a loving Father. Jesus refers to God as Abba, Father, and teaches His disciples to do the same. Jesus is faithful in prayer, obedient to the Father’s will, and models loving trust even amid suffering. His entire life is an offering of reverent love for the Father. We exercise piety when we cultivate heartful devotion for God and the things of God.

For example, a family gathering together once a week to pray the Rosary, not out of obligation but from a desire to honor and love God together. Or coming to church on Saturday to spend time in adoration, simply to spend time in the presence of the Lord manifests piety. We are fully alive when we desire God and what to live lives pleasing to God.

And lastly, fear of the Lord—we are fully alive when we allow the Spirit to teach us to hate sin and to become humble in God’s presence. Jesus, taught us to hate sin, to seek conversion and drive out corruption from our lives. In the Temple, He drives out the money changers, zealous for the holiness of God’s Temple. 

The Holy Spirit helps us to hate gossip and lying, not simply because they are socially rude, but because they offend God. He teaches us to guard ourselves from perverted images on the internet, lest you fall into sin, manifests fear of the Lord. This gift makes us fully alive by hating what is evil, rightly protecting ourselves from what corrupts us and others.

Dear ones, the Holy Spirit was not poured out on the Church merely so we could decorate our altars with red once a year. The Holy Spirit was poured out so that we might become fully alive—with the very life of Christ.

As I quoted last week, St. Irenaeus wrote, "The glory of God is man fully alive." But not just biologically alive. Not just scrolling and surviving and chasing the next comfort or pleasure. Fully alive means burning with the fire of the Spirit—filled with wisdom, courage, purity, purpose, and joy. Fully alive means no longer being ruled by fear, sin, or confusion, but walking in step with the Spirit, living in truth and love.

It should be a common occurrence for us to ask the Holy Spirit: Which gift do I need to grow in most? What part of me is still half-asleep, half-committed, half-alive? And then pray: Come, Holy Spirit. Awaken me. Fill me. Make me fully alive in Christ— for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

January 28 2022 - St. Thomas Aquinas - Learning how to think about God

 Prior to the second Vatican Council, men being trained for the priesthood were immersed in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas more than any other philosopher and theologian. And this is partially because St. Thomas had the gift of presenting a clear and cohesive vision of reality in which God was at the center—a reality which is not only knowable by mankind, but also capable of being expressed by Word.

Why is this sort of study important for priestly formation. Our priests are tasked with helping us understand our lives with God at the center, and they need to be able to articulate this to kindergarteners, construction workers, phDs, stay at home moms and widows. And Thomas Aquinas’ thought is so clear and cohesive, that he helps you learn how to think and learn how to think about God.

If you want to learn how to think about God, read Thomas Aquinas, especially his Summa Theologica. I know many people who like to take a little daily dose of Thomas; like taking a knife to a whetstone, a little Thomas every day keeps the mind sharp.

And keeping the mind sharp is important for all of us. Prudence, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, these are gifts that God wants to give us, spiritual fruits that God wants to grow in us, but they just don’t appear magically. You have to drink from the font of wisdom in order to obtain wisdom, you have to read in order to obtain knowledge, if you have to exert effort into understanding the meaning of things, it just doesn’t happen. 

And when we grow in wisdom and knowledge and understanding of the truth, we grow in likeness of God, who is full of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding—the source.

Pope St. John XXII, speaking about St. Thomas, said before his canonization on July 18th, 1323 that “his life was saintly and his doctrine could only be miraculous … because he enlightened the church more than all the other doctors. By the use of his works a man could profit more in one year than if he studies the doctrine of others for his whole life.”

St. Thomas helps us to put our lives in perspective, to see the things of the world and the things of God as they are, he teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God, that the highest wisdom comes from sitting at the feat of God, kneeling in front of the presence of God for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Church leaders will faithfully proclaim Christ’s love and truth to the world.

That our parish families and the families of all of our school children will be places where the Christian faith is believed, followed, taught, and cherished. And for the students, teachers, staff, and alumni of St. Ignatius of Antioch School and all of our Catholic Schools.

For the grace to grow in wisdom, knowledge, prudence, and understanding, and put these gifts into practice in our daily lives.

For the sick and suffering among us, for those who care for them, and for all of our beloved dead, especially X, for whom this mass is offered.

3rd Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - "Whoever has ears ought to hear"

One of the most distinctive and well-known characteristic of Jesus’ teaching is his use of parables.  A parable is a short, memorable story or image, usually drawn from nature or daily life, that conveys profound spiritual truths.

And though we are 20 centuries and thousands of miles removed from ancient Israel, Jesus’ parables and teachings speak right to the heart.  Jesus’ parables are simple enough for a child to understand them, yet they have a hidden depth of meaning that it is not always easy to grasp, and only comes to light upon thoughtful, reflection.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus was quite aware that some people would hear and listen to him, but not understand him.  Even the disciples are often very slow in grasping the message, very hard-headed.

So, in the parable of the sower, Jesus teaches us how to listen to parables.  It is a parable about parables.  When you are listening to the teacher you must do your best that your mind and heart are not rocky, or thorny. He urges his listeners cultivate their souls to be like good soil to receive the seed of Jesus’ Word.

The Gospel is seed that is eaten by birds when we fail to reflect upon the Gospel and seek to understand it. Without deep reflection upon God’s Word, it will be like we never heard it at all.

Our souls are rocky grown when we listen to the Gospel without the willingness to live it out through the rocky times of life. Many give up on the Gospel when it gets difficult.

Our souls are thorny when we have too many worldly attachments, too many distractions, too much regard for earthly pursuits over heavenly pursuits. The thorns of the world choke out the goodness God wants to grow in us.

Our souls however are rich soil, when we hear God’s Word, when we accept its ramifications even with the willingness to suffer for it, when we clear out the thorniness of our worldly attachments so we can be more focused on doing God’s will.

The obstinate heart, the cowardly heart, the worldly and materialistic heart, the slothful heart: these are real enemies to the spiritual growth, the growth in holiness, the growth in understanding and truth, that God wants for us.

May our hearts be cultivated into the rich soil that generously receives God’s word and bear fruit that will last into eternity for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That every member of the Church may cultivate minds, hearts, and souls to receive the Word of God more deeply and fruitfully.
That leaders of nations may find guidance in the Word of God for proper governance and the pursuit of justice for all.
That Christian families may be places where the Word of God is studied, understood, obeyed, and cherished.
That the word of God may bring consolation to all those who suffer: for the sick, those affected by inclement weather or political turmoil, the indigent, those who will die today, and those who grieve.
For the deceased members of our families and parishes, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, and for N., for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain.

25th Sunday in OT 2017 - The Mysterious Ways of God

For several weeks, our Gospels have contained some pretty challenging lessons. Where we find forgiving people difficult, Jesus teaches us that God forgives and we ought to forgive without limit. When most people were exalting the flashy faith of the Pharisees, Jesus extols the humble hidden faith of the poor widow, the repentant prostitute, blind beggar. Where most of us run away from crosses, Jesus teaches that his disciples must each take up their own cross.

The New Testament parables challenge us to grow in the practice of our faith, they shake us out of our complacency, and they often show us that God operates in ways quite different from the ways of man. Yes, challenging lessons as of late, yet, today’s parable of the Generous Landowner, is seriously puzzling, if not unnerving and somewhat vexing.

A Landowner goes out to hire workers for his field—a common practice in Jesus’ time, as it is still today. He hires workers in the morning, he hires workers at midday, and then in the evening, he calls more and more people to work in his field. Then the work day ends and he calls the workers together to receive their wages, but strangely those who have been working the least amount of time, he pays first. And he pays these people, who only worked a half-hour, 45 minutes, a full day’s wage. The workers who were there from the beginning of the day are a little upset when they receive the same daily wage.

Most of us hearing this parable would be quite upset if the same thing happened to us. It’s unfair. It seems unjust.

How does the landowner explain this apparent injustice? He says, “Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'
If you were one of the workers, would you be satisfied with that answer? Who in Jesus’ time or in our time would say, “Oh yeah, that makes sense.” No, there is still something unresolved. One person worked nine hours, the other worked nine minutes. Like a little kid who gets the smaller piece of dessert than his sibling: “Not Fair!” It doesn’t compute, it doesn’t make sense.

And that’s one of the points of the parables: to find that place that doesn’t quite make sense. To help us understand things not from an earthly point of view, but from a heavenly point of view. What did we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

Is God’s Wisdom, similar to human wisdom or different? Simply judging by the number of people who do not learn from their mistakes, God’s wisdom is far greater. Is God’s love, similar to human ways of showing affection or is it on a whole different level? The cross shows us, God’s love is greater.

The ways of God are often mysterious for the same reason the ways of parents seem so strange and unfair to their children. The parents sees so much more, they see how the piece of candy will spoil the child’s dinner, they see how a late bedtime will make the child cranky the next morning, they see how failing to discipline the toddler will lead to a spoiled teenager. The child sees from a very narrow point of view and often sees their parents actions as unjust, unfair.

 Analogously, we see from a very narrow perspective, a small point in time. So it is possible that things we see as unjust, aren’t from God’s perspective, who sees the whole of space and the whole of time, who sees all that is, and all that can possible be.

Just in the last month, we live in the wake of multiple hurricanes, earth quakes, floods, innocent people dying at the hands of terrorists. We see the wicked prospering, as the poor grow hungrier.
Today’s parable, challenges us to see even these tragedies from the divine perspective. Why does God allow these things to happen? God’s ways are not our ways. Perhaps all these events are opportunities for faith. Perhaps they are opportunities for the Church to reach out to the hungry with the food they need, to comfort the suffering with Gospel charity.

We may be quick to question the motive and wisdom of the Landowner, but likely knew some things that the indignant workers did not. What if he saw in his compassion that those who waited all day needed to feed their families; as they stood in the hot sun, anxiously, worrying about paying their bills, their debts, they began to be overwhelmed by a sense of failure. Yes they only worked for a half-hour, but doesn’t the landowner, God, see the suffering of the whole day. Who are we to be passing judgment on the mysterious ways of God.

I think that’s one of the problems of our age: it’s very judgmental toward God. Many, who claim to be unjudgmental, are actually quite judgmental toward the rules of the church, the commandments of the bible. They judge the moral teachings of the Church to be wrong, outdated, antiquated or backward. But making such judgments doesn’t make them so.

Our faith is mysterious. As Pope Benedict said, you can only see the beauty of the stained glass, from the inside.

Though his ways are difficult to understand. God promises understanding to those who seek it. He promises peace to those who pursue it, in Him.

When we come to Mass, we open our hearts to listen to God’s word speaking to us in the confusing events of our life. We hear him inviting us to trust in him, to unite our sufferings to him. Whether good or bad things happen around us, we are called to trust, whether certain commandments are easy or hard, whether we understand them or not, we are called to be faithful. Whether we are blessed with abundance, or receive much less than we think we deserve, we are called to give thanks.
Let us resound with the words of the Psalm: The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth”  for the glory of God and salvation of souls.