HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY, YEAR A 

 Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai

THE TRINITY AND BASIC LESSONS

Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; Psalm – Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

 The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity is a celebration of a vital aspect of our faith that was gradually revealed to us. The readings today help us enter into this sacred mystery of our faith. While the first reading tells us God is different from the god worshiped by people of other religions, the gospel tells that God the Son is the Redeemer and the He was sent to redeem the world by God the Father. Lastly, the second reading gives us a fuller revelation of the nature of God as Trinity: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  God is a family, a family open to us all and man is created in this image and likeness.

The Trinity is used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct Persons. This word is derived from the Greek word Trias, which was first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168-183), or from the Latin word Trinitas, first used by Tertullian (A.D. 220), to express this doctrine. The doctrine holds that God is one God, but three coeternal, consubstantial persons or hypostases. The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit as “one God in three Divine Persons”.

Though the term “Trinity” is not mentioned in the Bible; the Old Testament gives a glimpse into the Trinity in Gen.1:26 God said, let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves.  “Us, Ourselves”  these words reveal to us the nature of God.  In addition, the Old Testament has also been interpreted as foreshadowing the Trinity, by referring to God’s word (Ps. 33:6), his Spirit (Isa.61:1) and Wisdom, (Prov. 9:1).

More so, in the New Testament we have a clearer “triadic” understanding of God. We shall look as some passages Matthew 28:19 says “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Take note, the word “name” as used is singular not plural, indicating ‘God’ and not ‘Gods’. In Luke 1:35 the Bible says “And the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”; John 14:27 says “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things. Acts 7:55 says “But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…”; Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power… and 2Cor. 13:13, the second reading today says  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

In our liturgical celebrations we continue to use the Trinitarian formula, from the beginning of the mass (sign of the cross) the conclusion of the collect, the Eucharistic prayer through to the conclusion of the mass is all centered on the Trinity. So one can say every mass is a celebration of the trinity. This Sunday is just set aside to celebrate this great gift of love gradually made known to us through the Bible and the teaching of the Church fathers. 

Two basic lessons from this great mystery.

1. TRINITY IS A COMMUNITY OF PERSONS. Beloved in Christ, the Trinity is the model for our lives. We are made in the “image of God,”in the image of the Trinity. The Trinity is a community of persons. There are no isolated, self-sufficient, rugged individual. The Trinity is three equal divine persons, distinct in function and lives in community. Each Person needs the other two Persons to be God. Our souls strive for union; we have innate need for companionship, and for love. This gives indirect testimony to the Trinity. God is relationship and God is love. Precisely because of this it is so hard to live in isolation. It is good to love yourself but love is fruitful only in relation to others. The Trinity is a community and we are created in the image and likeness of God, let us live in relationship with each other.
2. TRINITYIS A COMMUNITY OF LOVE. The essence of the Trinity is a personal relationship of love between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Love should also be characteristic of the Christian community. Jesus says in John 13:35, by this all men will know that you are my disciples. We all have a need to love and be loved. Love is creative, fulfilling and healing. It heals both the one who gives it and the one who receives it. No doubt many of us Christians find it difficult to live in love. There is high rate of jealousy, envy and hatred. People are into unhealthy competitions; even laity and clerics alike. The Trinity is a model of shared power, shared functions and shared loved.  We should learn to live in harmony with one another in spite of our individual differences and uniqueness. Racism and tribalism have eaten deep into our lives and has reduced efficiency, credibility, and competence needed for development and progress. Let us learn from the Holy Trinity how to love and respect one another; compliment and appreciate the efforts of one another.
3. LET US PRAY God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. AMEN.