Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I was perturbed with a friend of mine because he never asked me about my mom when her dementia got worse, and I couldn’t understand why. So finally, I asked him why he didn’t ask about her, thinking he had something against me or her. The answer he gave me was totally surprising. He said I didn’t want to bother me by having me repeat one more time about her declining health. I was floored by his response and how far off I was from the truth. Then he said his mother and siblings were all praying for her.
I was totally convinced that I assessed the situation correctly, that I was right, and I had the truth, but I could not have been more wrong. Every fight or judgment between two people has the same dynamic: one or both think they are totally correct and cannot imagine the point of view of the other. The gospel on this Most Holy Trinity Sunday reminds us of a fundamental point: that the Holy Spirit guides us into all the truth; he knows every truth, and most of the time we don’t.
In Jesus’ passion he tells Pilate that his mission was to testify to the truth and Pilate cynically asks, what is truth? Jesus does not respond. He is silent. In front of the injustice done to him, he is quiet, doesn’t say one word in defense. In front of their false accusations, violence, and cruel death, Jesus is silent. This is the truth, the only truth. He suffered and died for us; this is the truth. He entered hell for us; this is the truth. He sent the Holy Spirit for us; this is the truth.
On this feast of the Holy Trinity, it is fundamental to see that Christ did not come to teach me about three persons in one God or to reveal to me the inner workings of the Trinity, or any other technical knowledge of God. He came only for one reason: to set me free, especially from any slavery that I was in. He came so that it would be possible for me to love, in some way as the Trinity does. This image and likeness of God is deep within all of us, even the worst criminals.
Oh, how I wish everyone could have such an experience of this divine love. The apostles had no formal education and were simple fisherman, for the most part. Yet this love led them to go to the corners of the world to announce this good news, this kerygma, to anyone who would listen. Thousands believed I what they were saying and were baptized and lived in a much different way.
What does a parent say to a child who is hooked on drugs or alcohol or some bad habit that will surely hurt, or even kill him or her? In the end the only thing that they can say is to announce this good news, that he or she is loved even if they never change. But it cannot be just sweet words; it has to be seen in deeds, in actions which are beyond the ability of those involved. How else can you get someone to live soberly, or chastely, or faithfully to the other spouse? It can only come when that person has an experience of this unconditional divine love.
This kind of love does not come from us. It can only happen if God is within us. Maybe you still have some resentment towards your mother or father or sibling. Or maybe you just have never said to them, I love you, I ask your forgiveness for the stupid judgments I had of you all my life. Only if you have Christ within can you do this simply and sincerely, in such a way that the other accepts it.
It is a good feast for us to reflect on who God is. He is the one who says, I love you, te amo!! And he says it always to us and often we don’t hear it. He cannot help but say it because he is love. Let us not be afraid to enter this love. He is not disgusted by us or by our mistakes, in a way he loves us even more. Call out to him and ask that we open our eyes to this love and forgiveness that only comes from him.