Dear beloved parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and visitors,

After the Easter Season, which culminates in the Feast of Pentecost, the liturgy presents us with three additional Solemnities of the Lord: today is Trinity Sunday, followed by Corpus Christi next Thursday (though it will be celebrated on the following Sunday) and, finally, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, commemorated the following Friday.

These solemnities are significant aspects of the one mystery of salvation, reflecting the entirety of Jesus's revelation-from His Incarnation to His Death and Resurrection, and finally to His Ascension and the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Today, our focus is on the mystery of the Trinity. You may have heard the apocryphal tale of St. Augustine and the boy at the seashore. While Augustine was working on his book "On the Trinity," he encountered a child who was scooping water from the sea into a small hole in the sand. Curious, Augustine asked what the child was doing, and the child replied that he was trying to scoop all the seawater into the tiny hole. Augustine explained that it was impossible due to the size difference. The child then responded, "It is no more impossible than for you to understand or explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity with your small intelligence." Astonished, Augustine turned away, and when he looked back, the child had vanished. It was God's angel sent to remind Augustine that he was attempting the impossible.

Augustine concluded that the ocean symbolizes the boundless nature of God's mystery, while the tiny hole represents the limitations of the human mind. He realized that some divine mysteries are too vast for us to fully comprehend; humanity can only approach these mysteries with faith and wonder, humbly accepting that complete understanding may be beyond our reach. This is especially true for the mystery of the Trinity, as human minds and language are inadequate to explain the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Trinity took His abode in us on the day of our Baptism, as we were all baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Every time we sign ourselves with the sign of the Cross, we remember God's name in which we were baptized. This sign, which is based on the Trinitarian formula, is a very powerful symbol whose significance we sometimes take for granted. It means, among other things, the Confession of our faith in the Trinity and the saving work of Christ on the Cross. Also, when we sign ourselves in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, we invoke the Power of God's name in moments of temptation; we renew our baptism; we ask for support in our suffering; we pray for defense against the devil; and we claim ourselves for Christ. That's how powerful the sign of the Cross is. It is vital to keep all this in mind every time we sign ourselves with the Trinitarian formula, and to avoid doing so routinely.

The Holy Trinity has been at work throughout human history and was gradually revealed. All things come from the Father, are known through the work of the Son (Divine Word), comprehended in the Holy Spirit. In Biblical Theology, we learn that the Old Testament portrays the acts of God the Father, the Gospels depict the acts of God the Son (Jesus), and the Acts of the Apostles, along with the rest of the New Testament, illustrate the acts of the Holy Spirit. This understanding is highlighted in the readings for today's solemnity.

For example, in the first reading, we witness the revelation of God's Name. It is God the Father Himself-Eternal and Invisiblewho proclaims it as He passes before Moses in the cloud on Mount Sinai. His Name is revealed as: "The Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in kindness and fidelity" (Exodus 34:6).

In the second reading from the New Testament, the apostle Paul greets the Corinthians using a Trinitarian formula: "The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14). In the Gospel, Christ speaks about Himself, saying: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life."

This shows how God gradually and systematically revealed to us the Three Persons of the Trinity.

Our faith in the Holy Trinity teaches us that our God, though One, is not a solitary God. He is a community of Three Persons (hypostatically united) and maintained by the transparency, understanding, and deepest communication that exists among them. Jesus expects the same qualities in our families and in our parish community.

We can truly emulate the life of the Holy Trinity within our families and community only when we have nothing to hide from one another. This means sharing our joys, sorrows, feelings, experiences, and even our weaknesses. In our worshiping community, it is essential that mutual understanding, cooperation, and the sharing of our talents, time, and resources through volunteer services take precedence over unhealthy criticisms, gossip, discord, conflict, or personal interests. When we embrace this approach, people will come to recognize that our life reflects the life of the Trinity.

May we glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit by cherishing and transmitting the Trinitarian values and virtues now and forever. Amen.

In God's service and yours.

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