Posted on 06/02/2007 11:09:07 PM PDT by Salvation
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The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
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Reading 1
Prv 8:22-31
Thus says the wisdom of God:
"The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;
before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world.
"When the Lord established the heavens I was there,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
when he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
when he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
then was I beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (2a) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
Reading II
Rom 5:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions,
knowing that affliction produces endurance,
and endurance, proven character,
and proven character, hope,
and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Gospel
Jn 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
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Brief Reflections on the Trinity, the Canon of Scripture, and the Protestant idea of Sola Scriptura
Why Do We Believe in the Trinity?
We believe in one only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Trinity Sunday (and the Trinity season)
HaSheeloosh HaKadosh: The Holy Trinity
The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.
INVOCATION
O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude
FOR THE CHURCH
O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.
A PRAYER OF TRUST
O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal
ACT OF LOVE
Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val
MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
June Devotion: The Sacred Heart
Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
From: Proverbs 8:22-31
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[22] The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
[23] Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
[24] When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
[25] Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
[26] before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
[27]When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
[28] when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
[29]when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
[30]then I was beside him, like a master workman;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
[31]rejoicing in his inhabited world
an delighting in the sons of men.
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Commentary:
1-36 The first part of the book ends with this third, splendid poem in praise of
personified Wisdom. As in the first poem (1:20-33) Wisdom speaks in public, for
all to hear (vv. 1-3); her message is not meant for a privileged few; it is addressed
to everyone (vv. 32-36).
Wisdom has every reason to call for attention, for the tuition she offers is about
noble things, and highly useful; there is nothing twisted or false about it (vv. 4-
14). Interpersonal relations work well if wisdom is allowed to do her work; if kings
and magistrates seek her sincerely, she guides them to rule evenhandedly (vv.
15-21). But she also operates outside the sphere of human relationships; we see
her present when order was imposed on chaos, to form the universe as we know
it; from the very start she was there with God (vv. 22-31).
This poem, with its solemn language, and imagery taken from traditional Israelite
cosmogony, shows the relationship between wisdom and the creation of the
world and of man. Wisdom is present with God at the creation and what delights
her most is her relationship with mankind. Here she is depicted as having the
features of a person: this prepares the way for us to grasp, later on, as Revela-
tion progresses, the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
The prologue of the Gospel of St John will use language similar to that used here
to describe the relationship between God and the Word (vv. 22-30, cf. Jn 1:1; v.
35, cf. Jn 1:4). There status held by Wisdom in this poem will be attributed to
Christ in New Testament texts: in the Letter to the Colossians he is described as
“the first-born of all creation (Col 1:15) and in the book of Revelation as “the
beginning of God’s creation” (Rev. 3:14). It is with this meaning that the Church’s
liturgy uses Proverbs 8:22-31 on the solemnity of Trinity Sunday (cycle C).
>From the sixth century onwards, this passage appears in the Mass of the Birth
of Mary (8 September) – showing that the Church recognizes that, just as the
Word is God for all eternity, and is active in the creation of the world, the Mother
of the Saviour must have been in some way present in the mind of God “at the
beginning” (vv. 22-23). “Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the
masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For
the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the
Father found the dwelling-place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among
men. In this sense the Church’s Tradition has often read the most beautiful
texts on wisdom in relation to Mary (cf. Prov 8:1-9:6; Sir 24). Mary is acclaimed
and represented in the liturgy as the “Seat of Wisdom” (Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 721).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Romans 5:1-5
Reconciliation Through Christ’s Sacrifice, the Basis of our Hope
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Commentary:
1-5. In this very moving passage God helps us see “the divine
interlacing of the three theological virtues which form the backing
upon which the true life of every Christian man or woman has to be
woven” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 205). Faith, hope and
charity act in us in turn, causing us to grow in the life of grace.
Thus, faith leads us to know and be sure of things we hope for (cf.
Hebrews 11:1); hope ensures that we shall attain them, and enlivens our
love of God; charity, for its part, gives us energy to practise the
other two theological virtues. The definitive outcome of this growth
in love, faith and hope is the everlasting peace that is of the essence
of eternal life.
As long as we are in this present life we do have peace to some
degree—but with tribulation. Therefore, the peace attainable in this
life does not consist in the contentment of someone who wants to have
no problems, but rather in the resoluteness full of hope (”character”)
of someone who manages to rise above suffering and stays faithful
through endurance. Suffering is necessary for us, because it is the
normal way to grow in virtue (cf. James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:5-7); that is
why it is providential (cf. Philippians 1:19; Colossians 1:24) and
leads to joy and happiness (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
“A person who hopes for something and strives eagerly to attain it is
ready to endure all kinds of difficulty and distress. Thus, for
example, a sick person if he is eager to be healthy, is happy to take
the bitter medicine which will cure him. Therefore, one sign of the
ardent hope that is ours thanks to Christ is that we glory not only in
the hope of future glory, but also in the afflictions which we suffer
in order to attain it” (St. Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on Romans, ad.
loc.”).
A person who lives by faith, hope and charity realizes that suffering
is not something meaningless but rather is designed by God for our
perfecting. Perfection consists “in the bringing of our wills so
closely into conformity with the will of God that, as soon as we
realize He wills anything, we desire it ourselves with all our might,
and take the bitter with the sweet, knowing that to be His Majesty’s
will [...]. If our love is perfect, it has this quality of leading us
to forget our own pleasure in order to please Him whom we love. And
that is indeed what happens” (St. Teresa of Avila, “Book of
Foundations”, Chapter 5).
5. The love which St. Paul speaks of here is, at one and the same time,
God’s love for us—manifested in His sending the Holy Spirit—and the
love which God places in our soul to enable us to love Him. The Second
Council of Orange, quoting St. Augustine, explains this as follows: “To
love God is entirely a gift of God. He, without being loved, loves us
and enabled us to love Him. We were loved when we were still
displeasing to Him, so that we might be given something whereby we
might please Him. So it is that the Spirit of the Father and the Son,
whom we love with the Father and the son, pours charity into our
hearts” (Second Council of Orange, “De Gratia”, Canon 25; cf. St.
Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 102, 5).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 16:12-15
The Action of the Holy Spirit (Continuation)
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Commentary:
13. It is the Holy Spirit who makes fully understood the truth revealed
by Christ. As Vatican II teaches, our Lord “completed and perfected
Revelation and confirmed it...finally by sending the Spirit of truth”
(Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”, 4). Cf. note on John 14:25-26.
14-15. Jesus Christ here reveals some aspects of the mystery of the
Blessed Trinity. He teaches that the Three Divine Persons have the
same nature when He says that everything that the Father has belongs to
the Son, and everything the Son has belongs to the Father (cf. John
17:10) and that the Spirit also has what is common to the Father and
the Son, that is, the divine essence. The activity specific to the
Holy Spirit is that of glorifying Christ, reminding and clarifying for
the disciples everything the Master taught them (John 16:13). On being
inspired by the Holy Spirit to recognize the Father through the Son,
men render glory to Christ; and glorifying Christ is the same as giving
glory to God (cf. John 17:1, 3-5, 10).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| Other Articles by Fr. Jerome Magat Printer Friendly Version |
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| Reflecting the Trinity’s Inner Life | |
When speaking with Catholics and non-Catholic Christians, one can almost always assume that God is understood as a Trinity of persons. For the Jews, our forefathers in faith, this basic understanding of God is untenable. Therefore, when Christ revealed that God is not only Father (He told His hearers to call him "Abba"), but also includes Christ Himself as the Son and the existence of the Spirit, the majority of the Jews of our Lord's time were incredulous at such a claim. The idea of God sharing the same substance but in three distinct persons was a complete departure from the Jewish understanding of God's nature. Moreover, the claim that any man could make himself to be God's son was blasphemous to the Jews.
The gospel passage relates this mystery and the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity. Jesus reveals some of the characteristics of that inner relationship and provides us with insights into how we should interact, since we are made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus' words remind us that the Trinity is a communion of persons. As such, the Trinity always acts in perfect unity. Jesus describes how the Spirit will communicate to the apostles that which belongs to the Father and to the Son. Whenever one person of the Trinity acts, the other two persons are surely conjoined to that divine activity.
Similarly, this concept of the Trinity as a communion of persons (communio personarum) reveals our vocation as believers to act in communion with one another. This is particularly important to recall in an age where society glorifies individualism and a preference for human activity that is insular and avoids person-to-person contact. Imagine that in most of the United States, one could accomplish most of their Saturday-morning errands without ever speaking to another human person. A visit to the bank ATM, the self-checkout line at the grocery store and the pay-at-the-pump gas station (with or without automated carwash) alienates us from human contact. The proliferation of iPods and similar devices allows us to escape from human interaction. We observe many teens listening to music on earphones while riding in a car with their parents, rather than developing conversational skills and fostering family communication. In business, we often find ourselves preferring to write e-mails or leave voicemails rather than speak directly to another person. While none of these technological advances are inherently evil, of course, they do tend to de-humanize us by providing us with reasons not to interact with one another. And yet, we are called to reflect how God interacts within Himself. In other words, we were made for one another and we need each other. When modern man becomes alienated from his fellow man, ideas like the common good or public decency or good manners are devalued.
As we meditate upon this fundamental mystery of our faith, we do well to ask our gracious God to help us live in a manner that best reflects our vocation to live in communion with one another never forgetting that in doing so we also strive to live in the image and likeness of our Trinitarian God.
Year C- The Most Holy Trinity
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will teach you all truth. John 16:12-1512 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. |
The wisdom that I give is like an ocean of living water that can not be taken by the soul in an instant, therefore it is given drop by drop to quench the thirst for knowledge of God and his Kingdom. Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
| Sunday, June 3, 2007 The Most Holy Trinity (Solemnity) |
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| First reading | Proverbs 8:22 - 31 © |
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| The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded, before the oldest of his works. From everlasting I was firmly set, from the beginning, before earth came into being. The deep was not, when I was born, there were no springs to gush with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I came to birth; before he made the earth, the countryside, or the first grains of the world’s dust. When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there, when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep, when he thickened the clouds above, when he fixed fast the springs of the deep, when he assigned the sea its boundaries – and the waters will not invade the shore – when he laid down the foundations of the earth, I was by his side, a master craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence, at play everywhere in his world, delighting to be with the sons of men. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 8 |
| Second reading | Romans 5:1 - 5 © |
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| We have seen that, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we are judged righteous and at peace with God, since it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace in which we can boast about looking forward to God’s glory. But that is not all we can boast about; we can boast about our sufferings. These sufferings bring patience, as we know, and patience brings perseverance, and perseverance brings hope, and this hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. | |
| Gospel | John 16:12 - 15 © |
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| Jesus said: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.’ |
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O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 8 |
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| The greatness of God, the dignity of man |
| How wonderful is your name over all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! How exalted is your glory above the sky! Out of the mouths of children and infants you have brought praise, to confound your enemies, to destroy your vengeful foes. When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you set in their place – what is man, that you should take thought for him? what is the son of man, that you should look after him? You have made him but one step lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour; you have set him over the works of your hands. You have put everything beneath his feet, cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the waters. How wonderful is your name above all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 32 (33) |
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| The Lord provides |
| Rejoice in the Lord, you just: it is good for the upright to praise him. Proclaim the Lord on the lyre, play his song on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song to the Lord, sing out your cries of triumph, for the word of the Lord is truly just, and all his actions are faithful. The Lord loves justice and right judgement; the earth is full of his loving kindness. By the Lord’s word the heavens were made, and all their array by the breath of his mouth. He gathered the seas as if in a bag, he stored up the depths in his treasury. Let every land fear the Lord, let all the world be awed at his presence. For he spoke, and they came into being; he commanded, and they were made. The Lord confounds the counsel of the nations, throws the thoughts of the peoples into confusion. But the Lord’s own counsel stands firm for ever, his thoughts last for all generations. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 32 (33) |
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| Happy the nation whose lord is God, the people he has chosen as his inheritance. The Lord looks down from the heavens and sees all the children of men. From his dwelling-place he looks upon all who inhabit the earth. He moulded each one of their hearts, he understands all that they do. The king will not be saved by his forces; the abundance of his strength will not set the strong man free. Do not trust a horse to save you, whatever its swiftness and strength. For see, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, upon those who trust in his mercy, hoping he will save their souls from death and their bodies from hunger. Our souls praise the Lord, for he is our help and our protector, for our hearts rejoice in him, and we trust in his holy name. Lord, show us your loving kindness, just as we put our hope in you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Reading | 1 Corinthians 2:1 - 16 © |
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| As for me, brothers, when I came to you, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God. But still we have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity: not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ. |
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| Reading | A letter by St Athanasius |
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| Light, radiance and grace are in the Trinity and from the Trinity | |
| It will not be out of place to consider the ancient tradition, teaching and faith of the Catholic Church, which was revealed by the Lord, proclaimed by the apostles and guarded by the fathers. For upon this faith the Church is built, and if anyone were to lapse from it, he would no longer be a Christian either in fact or in name. We acknowledge the Trinity, holy and perfect, to consist of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In this Trinity there is no intrusion of any alien element or of anything from outside, nor is the Trinity a blend of creative and created being. It is a wholly creative and energising reality, self-consistent and undivided in its active power, for the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity of the holy Trinity is preserved. Accordingly, in the Church, one God is preached, one God who is above all things and through all things and in all things. God is above all things as Father, for he is principle and source; he is through all things through the Word; and he is in all things in the Holy Spirit. Writing to the Corinthians about spiritual matters, Paul traces all reality back to one God, the Father, saying: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of service but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone. Even the gifts that the Spirit dispenses to individuals are given by the Father through the Word. For all that belongs to the Father belongs also to the Son, and so the graces given by the Son in the Spirit are true gifts of the Father. Similarly, when the Spirit dwells in us, the Word who bestows the Spirit is in us too, and the Father is present in the Word. This is the meaning of the text: My Father and I will come to him and make our home with him. For where the light is, there also is the radiance; and where the radiance is, there too are its power and its resplendent grace. This is also Paul’s teaching in his second letter to the Corinthians: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. For grace and the gift of the Trinity are given by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Just as grace is given from the Father through the Son, so there could be no communication of the gift to us except in the Holy Spirit. But when we share in the Spirit, we possess the love of the Father, the grace of the Son and the fellowship of the Spirit himself. |
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| Hymn | Te Deum |
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| God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God and Father, by sending the Word of truth and the Spirit of holiness into the world you revealed to mankind the great mystery of your being. Grant that we may profess the true faith, acknowledge the eternal glory of the Trinity, and worship your Unity of majestic power. 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. |
Trinity Sunday
The fundamental dogma on which everything in Christianity is based, is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name all Christians are baptized. The feast of the Blessed Trinity needs to be understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII. But the cultus of the Trinity is, of course, to be found throughout the liturgy. Constantly the Church causes us to praise and adore the thrice-holy God who has so shown His mercy towards us and has given us a share in His life.
Why is this feast celebrated at this particular time? It may be interpreted as a finale to all the preceding feasts. All three Persons contributed to and shared in the work of redemption. The Father sent His Son to earth, for "God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son." The Father called us to the faith. The Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, became man and died for us. He redeemed us and made us children of God. He ever remains the liturgist par excellence to whom we are united in all sacred functions. After Christ's ascension the Holy Spirit, however, became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, our Consoler. On solemn occasions a thanksgiving Te Deum rises spontaneously from Christian hearts. The feast of the Most Holy Trinity may well be regarded as the Church's Te Deum of gratitude over all the blessings of the Christmas and Easter seasons; for this mystery is a synthesis of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost. This feast, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, should make us mindful that actually every Sunday is devoted to the honor of the Most Holy Trinity, that every Sunday is sanctified and consecrated to the triune God. Sunday after Sunday we should recall in a spirit of gratitude the gifts which the Blessed Trinity is bestowing upon us. The Father created and predestined us; on the first day of the week He began the work of creation. The Son redeemed us; Sunday is the "Day of the Lord," the day of His resurrection. The Holy Spirit sanctified us, made us His temple; on Sunday the Holy Spirit descended upon the infant Church. Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity. Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Symbols of the Trinity: Equilateral Triange; Circle of Eternity; Three interwoven Circles; Triangle in Circle; Circle within Triangle; Interwoven Circle and Triangle; Two Triangles interwoven in shape of Star of David; Two Triangles in shape of Star of David interwoven with Circle; Trefoil; Trefoil and Triangle; Trefoil with points; Triquetra; Triquetra and circle; Shield of the Holy Trinity; Three Fishes linked together in shape of a triangle; Cross and Triangle overlapping; Fleur de Lys; St. Patrick's Shamrock. Things to Do:
Collect:
Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us to worship you, one God in three Persons, by proclaiming and living our faith in you. We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, for ever and ever.
Recipes:
June 03, 2007
expression of our faith in this triune life of the Divine Persons, to which we have been given access by Baptism and by the Redemption won for us by Christ. Only in heaven shall we properly understand what it means, in union with Christ, to share as sons in the very life of God.
Trinity Sunday
The dogma of faith which forms the object of the feast is this: There is one God and in this one God there are three divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! The Father is not more God than the Son, neither is the Son more God than the Holy Spirit. The Father is the first divine Person; the Son is the second divine Person, begotten from the nature of the Father from eternity; the Holy Spirit is the third divine Person, proceeding from the Father and the Son. No mortal can fully fathom this sublime truth. But I submit humbly and say: Lord, I believe, help my weak faith.
Depending on the ages of family members, research symbols of the Trinity and create something for the centerpiece of your family table, or something for your family altar, such as a small banner or poster. It can be as little as a 4 x 6 photograph or something to use every year as a backdrop or wall hanging.
Think of different foods to serve that can reflect the symbolism of the Trinity. One example is clover leaf rolls. These rolls are formed with three balls of dough put into one hole of the muffin tin for each roll. They are easy to make. Use your favorite roll recipe (you can even buy frozen bread or roll dough), or search on the Internet for one of many examples.
The Directory on Popular Piety explains some of the pious exercises related to the devotion of the Holy or Blessed Trinity. Three very simple prayers are the Sign of the Cross, Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, etc.) and the Trisagion (meaning "thrice holy"): "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us." This is just one version, there are many others, and it is usually found in the Eastern liturgies.
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Three Steps of Faith
Trinity Sunday John 16: 12-15
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you have called me to the faith and to share that faith. I trust that you will fill me with your spirit of courage and truth so that I might faithfully absorb and transmit the faith. I love you. I want to love you more with my prayer and with my life, and so grow in the unity of the love you share with your Father and the Holy Spirit. Petition: Reveal yourself to me, Lord. 1. Learn the Truth The Blessed Trinity is a mystery that far surpasses my comprehension. Yet it also reveals the most basic process of faith, of Christian maturity. When we receive faith, it is like a seed that needs development: “You cannot bear it now.” The Holy Spirit guides us to a fuller understanding so that our faith can show itself in our lives. We come to a better understanding of God, ourselves, our lives and others, especially in a world that tends to distort it. We must be convinced that we need to grow, to deepen our faith and widen it to encompass all the dimensions of our lives. To stop learning my faith (that which I believe) and to stop growing my faith (that by which I believe) is to thwart the Holy Spirit’s plans over my life. He has more to tell me! Do I believe it and seek it? How? 2. Make It Your Own Jesus here identifies the truths of faith – as well as what the Father “has” – as “his”. So the faith is something personal to be possessed. It must be made my own! Faith is not made my own by reducing it to mere sentiment or subjective conviction. It is the same for everyone. We must adjust to it, not adjust it to ourselves. It is personal but not therefore different for each, like choices on a cafeteria menu. As Pope Benedict XVI clarified in the homily before his election: “An ‘adult’ faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ” (Homily, April 18, 2005). Do I fully possess my faith? Or do I feel it forced upon me, as though something foreign? Is my faith heartfelt as well as accepted by my intellect? Do I make it my own by accepting it, embracing it, loving it, growing in it, exercising it, defending it, sharing it? 3. Declare It Faithfully The unity of the Trinity is not static, but a living dynamism. They live and act in unity. “He will take from what is mine.…” This has two implications. The mission of the Holy Spirit is precisely to remind us of what Jesus taught (Cf. Jn.14:26). He is faithful to his mission by teaching Christ. For us too, possessing the faith leads to sharing it. What is alive tends to grow. Pope John Paul II put it simply: "Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him. This proclamation must not be imposed but proposed ‘with confidence…’" (Address of June 5, 2001). Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, send me your Holy Spirit so that I might better know and love you. Grant me a hunger to know you better, to experience you more deeply. May my knowledge of you set my heart on fire so that I cannot keep you to myself. Aid me in faithfully communicating you and your message of love. Resolution: I will (re-) commit myself to a regular study of my faith using the Catechism or the Compendium to the Catechism. |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 62 (63) |
|---|
| Thirsting for God |
| O God, you are my God, I wait for you from the dawn. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you. I came to your sanctuary, as one in a parched and waterless land, so that I could see your might and your glory. My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself. Thus I will bless you throughout my life, and raise my hands in prayer to your name; my soul will be filled as if by rich food, and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice. I will remember you as I lie in bed, I will think of you in the morning, for you have been my helper, and I will take joy in the protection of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Daniel 3 |
|---|---|
| All creatures, bless the Lord | |
| Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever. |
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| Psalm 149 |
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| The saints rejoice |
| Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its maker, and the sons of Sion delight in their king. Let them praise his name with dancing, sing to him with timbrel and lyre, for the Lord’s favour is upon his people, and he will honour the humble with victory. Let the faithful celebrate his glory, rejoice even in their beds, the praise of God in their throats; and swords ready in their hands, to exact vengeance upon the nations, impose punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings in fetters and their nobles in manacles of iron, to carry out the sentence that has been passed: this is the glory prepared for all his faithful. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Short reading | 1 Corinthians 12:4 - 6 © |
|---|---|
| There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
|---|---|
| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| O God and Father, by sending the Word of truth and the Spirit of holiness into the world you revealed to mankind the great mystery of your being. Grant that we may profess the true faith, acknowledge the eternal glory of the Trinity, and worship your Unity of majestic power. 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. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
The Old Testament Trinity, Icon written by St. Andrei Rublev, 14th Century
1. All glory be to God on high,
Who hath our race befriended!
To us no harm shall now come nigh,
The strife at last is ended;
God showeth His good will to men,
And peace shall reign on earth again;
Oh, thank Him for His goodness!
2. We praise, we worship Thee, we trust,
And give Thee thanks forever,
O Father, that Thy rule is just
And wise and changes never.
Thy boundless power o'er all things reigns,
'Tis done whate'er Thy will ordains:
Well for us that Thou rulest!
3. O Jesus Christ, Thou only Son
Of God, Thy heavenly Father,
Who didst for all our sins atone
And Thy lost sheep dost gather:
Thou Lamb of God, to Thee on high,
From out our depths, we sinners cry,
Have mercy on us, Jesus!
4. O Holy Ghost, Thou precious Gift,
Thou Comforter unfailing,
O'er Satan's snares our souls uplift
And let Thy power availing
Avert our woes and calm our dread.
For us the Savior's blood was shed;
We trust in Thee to save us.
The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #237
Text: Luke 2:14
Author: Nikolaus Decius, 1525
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled:"Allein Gott in der Hoeh' sei Ehr'"
Composer: Nikolaus Decius, 1539, asc.
Beautiful readings today. Thanks, Salvation, I sure appreciate your always posting these for us!
1. O Trinity, most blessed Light,
O Unity of sovereign might,
As now the fiery sun departs,
Shed Thou Thy beams within our hearts.
2. To Thee our morning songs of praise,
To Thee our evening prayer we raise;
Thee may our glory evermore
In lowly reverence adore.
3. All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Hymn #564
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 16:9
Author: St. Ambrose, 397, asc.
Translated by: John M. Neale, 1852, alt.
Titled: “O Lux beata, Trinitas”
Composer: Nikolaus Herman, 1560
Tune: “O Heilege Dreifaltigkeit”
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