Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday
by Al Lazaga

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.... Amen.

Do you know what you have just done? You have just invoked the full presence of God into your lives. With the Sign of the Cross, we trace the Trinity on ourselves. We bring God the Father into our minds first. Then we bring Jesus into our hearts. And, with our hearts filled with the compassion of the Holy Spirit, we move the Trinity across our bodies to our shoulders and arms to better bear the burdens of our fellows.

God is acting in your lives right at this moment. And my friends make no mistake about it, God ACTS in our lives. The reading from the Book of Exodus very clearly lets us know that our God is not a hands-off God, but one that very clearly and very concretely gets involved with His people.

Sometimes, we get Fourth of July fireworks type experiences, like the Jews received coming out of Egypt. But, most times, the presence of God is through people acting in our lives. He certainly uses us, and the people around us to show Himself, and to act upon our world. And when we invoke the Holy Trinity with our greeting, we invite God's presence into our lives and His action upon ourselves.

How many of you have seen the sign during football games that says "John 3:16"? The sign is simply a verse from today's Good News. It is just the basis for our entire faith life. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son for us." That is exactly how God shows us His incredible love for us.

I know that this story is true. I was that boy. A father allowing his heart to break, letting go of his son, for the greater good. Sound familiar?

Our God knows what it is to have His heart break by allowing His own son to go to His death for the good of all of us. That is what the Good News of our Gospel is all about. That God so loved us that he gave His own son for our salvation, and then he gifted us with the Holy Spirit to maintain us on the road to that salvation.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(Comments to Al at ALazaga@mac-eng.com.)