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. John 16:12
What are some things you consider a mystery? How God made the human body to function with cells, bones, tissue…everything in harmony. That is an engineering mystery that cannot be made by man. The stars, planets and heavenly bodies in the universe…how did they get there? I'm sure you can think of other mysteries.
This weekend we celebrate a mystery and a reality …the Holy Trinity. One God, three persons. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Man has never seen God. Moses saw a burning bush and a voice saying I AM. But we saw Jesus, God made flesh, on the earth. Historical and biblical accounts say that he existed and walked. We have proof. What about God the Holy Spirit? The disciples felt the wind and saw tongues of fire above heads. But how did all of this come about and how can three be one and one be three? For the early Christians who wanted to properly worship and celebrate, they created a liturgy, or service, to follow. But there was some disagreement as how to do this. Church leaders met as councils and developed a statement of beliefs we call today, the Nicene Creed. Today we baptize in using what we call the Tridentine formula, that is, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We cross ourselves and use these same words at the start of our services. It serves as a reminder of our baptism and of our focus that everything we do, we do in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. We should not so much be focused on the "how," but the "what" the Trinity does for us and how we should be guided by their presence in our lives. It is God that gives life, Christ redeemed us through his blood, and the Holy Spirit guides and leads us. God made his presence known throughout the Old Testament. God sent his son to die for us on the cross as we read in the gospels, and the Holy Spirit was sent to see us through the Acts of the Apostles, the martyrs through the centuries all the way to today. The Holy Trinity is our living heritage of faith that continues to grow. The Holy Spirit is always with us but we must be open to recognize and hear that voice of the divine. Take some time this week to listen to what the Holy Spirit says to you, so that your heart might be a light to the world!
