Trinity Sunday 2008

Whether you like football or whether you don’t like football, it was unavoidable this week. It was end to end football. Football in the news, football in the papers, football in the TV. As usual, depending on your point of view, in the end some will be rejoicing and others will be crying.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed often at those big games and especially in international matches you will see a single person amidst all the colors carrying a large card which simply says John and then has the numbers 3 and 16. That refers to the Gospel of St John from chapter 3 and verse 16. Those are the words that we have heard in the Gospel of today’s Mass. God so loved the world that he sent his son, not to condemn the world but that through him it might be saved.

I am sure that people often wonder what the card mean. But how enterprising, how inventive of that person. Without spending a single penny, except for his ticket, he sends the message. He takes the message into the market place of life where people are. He doesn’t seek to explain it only to present the message. It is as if he is saying, I have got this message for you, it is only a single line read it!

In our world we are met with all sorts of things, people who don’t believe this message. People who don’t believe in any God. People who believe in the idea of a God but can’t put a name on it. People who once had faith but now seem to have nothing. People who only believe in themselves.

Returning to that message what an amazing thing it is. That deepest longing of the human heart to see the face of God, to know God, as the Psalm says has been answered we can see the face of God in his Son Jesus Christ. We can know what he is like through him. We are led to his inner life through him. God so loved the world that he sent his only son into the world, not to condemn it so that through him it might be saved. We know what he is like –we know him.

What an amazing thing that is. He who is absolutely unknowable has made himself known in a way that we can understand. We know him as he is, not as we imagine him. We are not alone. We are not left to our own devices. We are not carried away by false doctrines, we know him as he is.

When Jesus comes does he not heal. When Jesus speaks does he not comfort. When he teaches does he not teach the truth. When Jesus looks at a person’s hear doesn't he not know what is within them. Nothing can overcome him. In his flesh we see the might power and love of God. We see God as he is.

How curious a thing that is. One man with his placard and John 3:16. We can imagine many people running away to check it out. Many people when they read it simply cannot believe it. But we carry that message with us. We are under no delusion that God doesn’t love us. We are not afraid that he doesn’t exist. We are not people unsure who he is or what he is like. We know him. We have come to know the mind and heart of God.

Intercessions Feast of the Holy Trinity

Priest

Moses the great figure of the Old Testament says The Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments and you shall prosper. And so we pray:

Intercessor

As St Paul says everyone moved by the Spirit is a child of God – we pray that in the spirit of Pentecost we may live a joyful, courageous , faithful and hope filled Christian life

Lord hear us

Jesus commanded his disciples to baptise in the name of the Holy Trinity – may all who are baptised come to know the true and living God

Lord hear us

That we may show respect and reverence in using the holy name of God.

Lord hear us

For peace in Iraq and for an end to the terrible bloodshed

Lord hear us

For all who have died and all whose anniversaries occur at this time

Priest

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the gift of knowing you as you are, and not as the imaginings of our own mind. We thank you for the share that we have in your inner life through your son and in the power of the Spirit. Top Comment on this Homily