Today's Mass Readings - Sunday, May 26, 2013 with Reflection

Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

1^ST READING - Proverbs 8:22-31

22 Thus says the wisdom of God: “The Lord possessed me, the beginning of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; 23 from of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth. 24When there were no depths I wasbrought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; 25 before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth; 26while as yet the earth and the fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world. 27 When the Lord established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; 28when he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; 29 when he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; 30 then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while,31 playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the human race.”

P S A L M - Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

3 [4] When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place — 4 [5] what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (R) 5 [6] You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 [7] You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet. (R) 7 [8] All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, 8 [9] the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)

2^ND READING - Romans 5:1-5

1 Brothers and sisters: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 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. 3 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 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 ACCLAMATION

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

John 16:12-15

12 Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 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. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 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.”

SABBATH

LIFE IN THE TRINITY

I remember coming across a beautiful image of the Trinity in my hotel room when I was in Rome. The Father holds the symbols of the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. Jesus holds the Cross in His hands, the instrument of our salvation. The Holy Spirit hovers above the two figures of Father and Son, encircling them in light. The figures are, as it were, suspended in the air, giving a sense of divinity, awe and wonder. The whole image is surrounded by light in its color and its features. It was a very beautiful image.

I am sure all of us have a favorite image of the Trinity. Another one of my favorites is Rublev’s icon of the Trinity. This is a deep and thought-provoking image of the Father and the Spirit looking towards the Son who was to be sent into the world to save humankind.

Jesus is our peace. He is our access to God and the eternal life we share with the Trinity. The Spirit has been poured into our hearts as a guarantee of God’s loving mercy and acceptance, through the love of Jesus shed on the Cross. One of my favorite prefaces is “God sees and loves in us what he sees and loves in Christ” (Preface VII of Sunday in Ordinary Time). When the Father looks upon us, He sees an image of His Son Jesus. AsJesus suffered for our sake, so too must we offer our trials and afflictions, that we might persevere in the hope that God has given us.

Do you have a relationship with the Trinity? We should all have one, since the Holy Trinity desires relationship. The whole understanding of the Trinity evolves around the concept of relationship.

Spend some time today reflecting on that love poured into our hearts thatenables us access into the life of the Trinity. God desires a relationship of love. Love is being in communion with another, and we see this beautifully expressed in the Trinity. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you relate with the Trinity? How does this relationship impact your day-to-day life?

Father, I thank You for crowning me in honor and glory through Your Son in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. Philip Neri, priest, pray for us

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