This Week Letter – May 27, 2018
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit … I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit … Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit … Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, through all eternity … Often without realizing it, we confess our faith in the Holy Trinity. Many theologians, such as St. Augustine in his work “On the Trinity”, tried to explore ways in which such a mystery could be made more understandable for us. Yet, we still are unable to comprehend how one God can exist in Three Persons.
We believe this truth because God himself revealed it. But not at first. It really is only the coming of Jesus into the world and the descent of the Holy Spirit that gave us people the certainty of faith, that the Holy Trinity really exists. However, it is fruitless to look for the word “Trinity” in the Scriptures. This is a word invented by people.
“The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, recalls the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Thus, in the Holy Bible, we easily can find references where the three Divine Persons are mentioned. For example, at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angel clearly says that God sent him to announce to her that she would give birth to the Son of God and that this would happen through the action of the Holy Spirit. During the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, the entire Holy Trinity is revealed: the Son of God stands on the shore, God the Father voices His testimony and the Holy Spirit appears over Jesus in the form of a dove. Before the Ascension, Jesus instructed his disciples: “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Also, in announcing the Coming of the Holy Spirit, Christ spoke precisely of the Three Divine Persons.
One theologian explains it thus: “The three Persons of God do not form three gods. As length, width and height do not form three bodies; as the spring, stream and river do not form three rivers; as the power of the sun, which heats, shines and moves, does not constitute three suns; as a root, trunk and branches do not form three trees; as shape, color and smell do not form three flowers. ”
By the grace of baptism, the Divine Persons themselves have created heaven in the human soul, to live in it always, if man so allows. Today, be open to the action and love of the Holy Trinity.
I invite everyone to come to Mass on “Memorial Day”, our day of remembrance of the dead and those killed during various wars fought for our freedom. We also will pray for our deceased relatives resting in our Chicago cemeteries. This Mass, concelebrated for the deceased, will take place in our church on Monday, May 28, that is tomorrow at 9:00 am. God bless!