Today one week after Pentecost the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the feast which commemorates the mystery at the heart of the Christian faith, our belief in one God as three divine persons, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. We profess our belief in this unfathomable mystery each time we make the Sign of the Cross and say the Creed at Mass on Sundays. The scripture readings today speak of the Trinitarian love of God for his people. In the Gospel Jesus leaves his disciples with a message of profound of hope before his death on the Cross when he tells them that they will never be alone because the Holy Spirit will come and will lead them into the complete truth.
The apostles depended on the strength of the Holy Spirit to continue the mission of Jesus in the world and we are no different. We are called to be like Christ – to love as he loved and that is why we need the Holy Spirit – we are not capable out of ourselves to do it on our own. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism and are transformed into children of God which means that his love is really present in our hearts. The Holy Spirit gives us the courage and the strength to say yes to God in our lives, guiding us into the way of truth and love. But do we recognise God’s love? Do we open our hearts to our Father in heaven just as a little child does to their mother and father? By being attentive to the Spirit we can begin to see with the eyes of a child again and treasure the simple things in life, recognising that we are indeed loved and cherished as God’s children.
Perhaps this week we can ponder on the deep love the Father has for us each time we make the Sign of the Cross, and pause to offer our thoughts and prayers to him through this simple act of faith. In this way we can open our hearts to the Holy Spirit who will direct, shape and mould us into missionaries of God’s love if we listen to his presence in our hearts.
”The Holy Spirit teaches us to look with the eyes of Christ, to live life as Christ lived, to understand life as Christ did. That’s why the living water that is the Holy Spirit quenches our lives because it tells us that we are loved by God as His children, that we can love God as his children, and that by his grace we can live as children of God, as did Jesus. And us? Do we listen to the Holy Spirit who tells us: God loves you? Do we really love God and others as Jesus did?” (Pope Francis, 8 May 2013)
(PM 2013)
