TRINITY Sunday (“A”)
June 19, 2011

Q. 637: It seems to me that the Gospel today (John 3:16-18) doesn’t speak of the Holy Spirit. Why is this gospel used on Trinity Sunday?

A. 637:
Our first impulse or reaction to this text in John probably must be resisted. I suspect that the first image that pops into our minds might be a distracting one, namely, a fan at a football game flashing a sign that proclaims this scripture passage, “John 3:16.”

To probe and enjoy the richness of the meaning of this passage, we need to put it into its proper context. Nicodemus has come to Jesus at night, and he is confused about what Jesus tells him—that he needs to be born of water and Spirit (John 3:5). We also remember the promise of Jesus in Luke 11:13 that the Father would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Jesus concludes his teaching to Nicodemus with the core of our faith: those who believe in the Risen Jesus as the Son of God will have eternal life. The expression of this belief, and the reception of the promised Spirit, is actualized in the Sacrament of Baptism.

The Holy Trinity, of course, remains a mystery, meaning that we will never understand its complete depths until we are united with the Trinity in heaven. But to specifically answer the question today, our gospel passage today does indeed refer to the Holy Spirit. “God so loved the world...” The very love of the Father is, indeed, the Holy Spirit—a love given continually to all within the Godhead. It is our call to share in the mystery of that love, to invite the Holy Spirit to come dwell within our hearts. This occurs through our conversion, our belief in Jesus and the Holy Trinity, and our Baptism. We need to continue daily to call upon the Holy Spirit, begging the Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ.

KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him (CCC 689).

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha

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