Three in One

Photo by Enver Güçlü on Unsplash

What do we know about God?

And how do we know it?

Many philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas, have argued that

Through reason and observation, we can know that there is a God.

Yet, 10% of Americans say they don’t believe in any God or higher force.

And there are even more agnostics, who aren’t sure.

So, maybe there’s some element of faith, or intuition, or openness,

That we need before we accept that God exists.

Just knowing or believing that God exists doesn’t tell us a lot about God.

Reason and observation take us only so far.

Some cultures have ended up worshiping idols and trees and animals.

Some believe in wrathful gods, and gods who demand human sacrifices.

Even the great thinkers of Ancient Greece missed the mark.

For any substantial understanding of God, we need trusted revelation.

That does require an element of faith—

Not blind unquestioning faith, 
But faith tested by reason and observation.

Much of our understanding of the One True God was handed down to us

Through Jewish Scripture—the Old Testament.

God revealed a lot about himself through His statements and actions.

And through the rewards, punishments and Commandments he gave.

We learned still more about God through Jesus’ revelations.

We learned about the surprising extent of His love for us.

Jesus taught us to call Him Our Father—even Abba—

A more intimate term like, Daddy.

We learned more about what He expects from us.

More about the plans he has in store for us.

We learned more about His very nature.

An intimate glimpse into His internal being.

And that brings us to the Feast we celebrate today.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Without Jesus’ revelations, we’d have no idea that God is Trinity.

In fact, God spoke of Himself in the singular—I AM WHO AM.

And He declared in His First Commandment that he alone was God.

Jesus never used the actual term Trinity, in reference to God.

But he spoke often of his intimate relationship with the Father.

How he and the Father were one.

How he was in the Father and the Father was in him.

How if you’d seen him, you’d seen the Father.

He referred to himself as the Son.

And said that he was with the Father before the world began.

He said no one knows the Son except the Father.

And no one knows the Father except the Son,

And anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.

Jesus also spoke numerous times of the Spirit.

As he did in today’s Gospel.

And he linked the three of the Trinity, and implied their equality.

As when he gave the Great Commission:

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave us those facts regarding the relationships within God.

But he didn’t pull out shamrocks or triangles 
And offer to solve the mystery for us.

Maybe because the details weren’t really critical.

Or maybe because he knew we couldn’t grasp it yet.

And he was leaving us something to work on.

How could a creature think he can fully comprehend the creator anyway?

But we’ve tried, and we continue to try.

And it’s been a big deal.

We’ve had debates and heresies, and excommunications, and schisms.

But finally, by the 400’s,

Through Councils in Nicea, Chalcedon, Ephesus and Constantinople,

The Fathers of the Church reached the inescapable conclusion

From their study and reflection on Jesus’s teachings.

The One True God, the God of Abraham, is One God, one Divine Being.

But, at the same time, a Trinity of three—Father, Son and Spirit—

Equal, distinct but fully united, divine persons.

The dogma was settled, and expressed in the updated Nicene Creed.

As we recite that creed in a few minutes, notice how it

Emphasizes the oneness of God.

But also emphasizes the seemingly-contradictory truth of the Trinity.

Full understanding of God is clearly beyond our comprehension.

But we can get to know Him better.

By the same ways we get to know anyone better.

We might hear more about them.

We might read more about them.

We might converse with them on social media, or email or text.

But the best way is to sit down with them and talk with them.

We have that opportunity to sit down with God.

We have a Heavenly Father, Abba, Daddy, who’s always available.

The Trinity and other mysteries are good conversation starters.

We can try expressing what we think we understand.

Asking for greater insight.

Listening for any response.

On this Father’s Day, we might pray especially to the Father.

Knowing that the Son and the Spirit are included as well.

We might add a prayer for our earthly fathers.

Those of us who are fathers ourselves

Might ask God to help us become more like our Heavenly Father.

Being always available to our children.

Being always, along with mothers, 
Ready to do what’s best for our children.

The Fathers group includes,

Not just those of us who are called Dad more often than Father.

But also our priests, who we all call Father.

And while we’re on the topic of Fathers, we should note and give thanks

That yesterday ten new Fathers were ordained for our diocese.

And one of them was Deacon Stefan, now Father Stefan Megyery,

Who served us here at St Josephs for the past year.

Our Fathers’ Day prayers just might lead to responses

That boost us along the road to greater understanding of the mysteries.

But even with limited understanding,

Our faith lets us accept the great mysteries.

I don’t know which is the greatest or most mysterious.

The Trinity—with three persons in one Supreme Being.

The Incarnation—with two natures in one person.

Jesus fully God and fully Man.

The Transubstantiation—with Christ’s true presence, in body and blood, Under the appearance of bread and wine.

Or some other mystery.

We are familiar with these mysteries.

We accept them, we believe them.

Yet they remain mysteries.

We can benefit from exploring these mysteries.

There are many who don’t explore at all.

Some simply dismiss them as foolishness.

Clearly, they say, this is impossible.

Others simply accept the mysteries as Truth without much concern.

Their faith tells them to simply accept it.

It’s good to be in that faith-filled group.

We’re blessed to be there, with our gift of faith.

But it’s also good to step back 
And struggle with the mysteries now and then.

Each time we do that, we might get a flashing glimpse of that Truth.

Each time we might advance a little.

Get a boost and a reassurance that we’re on the right track.

That, even though we lack full understanding,
We can hope to—someday— understand more fully.

And, as St Paul says in today’s Scripture, hope does not disappoint.

On our ultimate Someday, we’ll stand before God,

And enjoy the beatific vision.

We’ll be given the fullest understanding a glorified human can achieve.

Then, we’ll know all that we can possibly know about who God is.

Trinity Sunday

Jn 16:12-15  Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Help Wanted - Prophets

Where can God find prophets today?

It’s not an enticing job posting.

In Jesus’ parable we hear of the landlord’s servants.

And their unfortunate fate.

One-by-one they’re beaten and killed.

In the parable, the servants represent the prophets.

And indeed, the prophets were killed for being prophets.

Their missions usually pitted them against powerful leaders.

Leaders powerful enough to do them in.

And they often did.

In the story of Jonah, he was called to be a prophet.

To go to Nineveh and confront the king.

Rather than do that, he fled—hopped into a boat to get away.

But it’s not so easy to refuse the call to a prophet’s duty.

He eventually found himself delivered to Nineveh—by whale.

And as it turned out, he actually had success with the king.

Where can God find people today who have committed to be prophets?

People who won’t run away from the mission.

Right here—all of us.

At our baptism we were each called to be priest, prophet and king.

Prophets to spread the Good News.

Prophets to provide guidance when things are going off track.

Spreading the Good News may be the easier portion of the job.

We can do that by our words.

And we can also do it by our actions.

Living a good life, setting a good example.

Keeping the world on track is definitely the harder part.

Years ago in Baptism Preparation class, I used to say:

At least, now days, we won’t be killed for being prophets.

But in more recent years we see there’s still a great risk

In some parts of the world—just for spreading the Good News.

But at least it’s not very likely here in the U.S.

More likely than physical death, is a social death—or social injury.

Think of high schoolers.

Someone says, Hey there’s a party tonight, all the beer you can drink!

Let’s go!

It takes courage, there’s risk in saying,

Hey, ya know what’s better, let’s go bowling!

Even for us, as more socially confident adults,

It takes courage—and a good sense of balance—

To offer guidance to others.

Especially if it isn’t requested.

There are risks in trying to deliver fraternal correction

To family or friends or others.

Strongly enough to be effective.

But gently enough t0 avoid destroying the relationship.

Or, worse yet, driving that person further in the wrong direction.

This is Lent.

A special time for prayer, fasting, and alms giving.

A time for good works, and service to others.

So, let’s pray that we might become better prophets.

Let’s fast and give alms.

Let’s do good works to help others.

We’ll be spreading the Good News by our actions.

Glorifying the Lord by our lives.

Drawing others to God.

Not only those we help.

But also those who quietly notice.

Our actions will be the work of prophets.

Friday, 2nd Week of Lentt

Mt 21:33-46  Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Light Cast on the Past

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Last Christmas, my daughter gave me one of those DNA genealogy kits.

It was from a joint project with National Geographic Society

And a company called Helix.

Their project aims to show how mankind 

Has migrated around the planet.

You send a saliva sample and they trace your ancestors 

Back 140,000 years.

Everyone traces back to Africa, to that fertile crescent area.

The land of the Tigris and Euphrates and Nile Rivers.

That’s where the Bible indicates human life began.

Science agrees.

And our DNA shows how our ancestors migrated

From that common beginning point.

Mine went from that fertile crescent, up though Turkey and Asia.

And then into Europe and Northern Europe, and then to America.

The report they send helps to satisfy our curiosity about our roots. 

But it seems that the project also has some additional goals.

The report stresses that we all came from the same place.

That we’re all related.

That we all carry some trace of ancestors we probably didn’t expect.

When Matthew reported the Genealogy of Jesus,

He didn’t have the benefit of DNA analysis.

He had Jewish Scripture and Jewish History.

His list wasn’t meant to be a complete and precise physical lineage.

But to show that Jesus was the culmination

Of a flow of notable Jewish ancestors—leaders and kings.

Some scholars question whether all those listed by Matthew

In that genealogy were people who actually existed.

Or were just names from Jewish Scripture stories. 

Names and stories that weren’t meant to be taken 

As historically accurate.

Many even questioned whether King David was a true historic figure.

Whether he actually existed 3,000 years ago—1,000 years before Jesus.

There were no records of him other than in Jewish Scripture.

It wasn’t until 1993 that archeologists found some confirmation.

A 3,000-year-old broken stone monument 

Erected by a king of Damascus.

It referred to his ally in battle—the House of David in Judah.

So now, most historians accept David as a true historical figure.

Maybe the genealogy presented by Matthew will someday 

Prove to be historically accurate.

Although it disagrees greatly with the genealogy presented by Luke, 

The only other Gospel genealogy.

Some have tried to reconcile the differences between those two lists.

And there are interesting, plausible explanations that both are accurate.

The explanations typically involve requirements of Jewish Law.

Such as the law that if a married man should die before fathering a son,

The deceased man’s brother (if he has one) should marry the widow

And father a son—an heir—for the deceased brother.

One scenario could be that this is what happened in Joseph’s family.

Joseph’s grandmother may have had two sons who were half-brothers.

Heli the son of Matthat, and Jacob the son of Matthan.

Jacob married a woman but died before producing a son.

So Heli married Jacob’s widow

And together they produced Joseph—an heir for Jacob.

That situation would leave two different men

Who could accurately be called Joseph’s father. 

A natural father Heli, who Luke says begot Joseph. 

And a legal father, Jacob, who Matthew says was the father of Joseph.

That would not be a particularly unusual life situation.

And maybe something like that does explain the different genealogies.

But the main point Matthew and Luke were making to their audiences,

And the main point for us Christians today,

Is that Jesus was the culmination and fulfillment of Jewish Scripture.

The ultimate Word in God’s revelations and interactions with His people.

Monday, 3rd Week of Advent

Mt 1:1-17  Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Coming Soon

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! 

Indeed the Lord is near.

We heard those words in the opening of today’s Gaudete Sunday Mass—

And again in our reading from the Letter to the Philippians.

This Sunday is a special day of rejoicing.

Gaudete is Latin for Rejoice.

In just nine days we’ll celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We’ll commemorate God’s full physical entry into human existence,

Into this world of ours.

His entry, as a human person, into that nature

And this material world that he created.

Our first reading from Zephaniah picks up the theme.

Shout for joy, the Lord is in your midst!

The Psalm continues the theme.

Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is

The great and Holy One of Israel.

And then we get to our Gospel and its report on John the Baptist.

It does end on an up note;

He preached the Good News to the people.

But what’s all that other stuff about winnowing and unquenchable fire? 

How does that fit our special day of rejoicing?

The people are really impressed with John.

They think he might be the Messiah, the Christ.

But John humbly tells them that he’s just preparing the way.

Someone greater is coming.

That is good news, and in keeping with the theme of

Rejoicing that the Lord is near.

And John goes on …

When the Christ—the Lord—gets here,

He’s going to gather the wheat into his barn.

More good news.  Rejoice!

But John doesn’t stop there; he continues:

While the wheat is carried into the barn,

The chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.

How can we rejoice at that?

Should we rejoice that justice will triumph?

Maybe; but that also leaves a real chance

That we could find ourselves among the chaff.

Or that, as we’re being carried into the barn,

Our loved ones are being thrown into the fire.

Why are we hearing that today?

Where’s the Good News in that?

This seems more of a mixed message—

A good-news / bad-news story.

Maybe this isn’t just a time for rejoicing,

But also a time for a reality check.

Time to look at where we are now and where we hope to be.

Good and evil are real.

Time magazine has published its 2018 Pictures of the Year.

One is the photo of little Amal Hussain, a child in Yemen.

It’s a haunting picture of an entranced, starving, skeletal child.

Just a few days after the picture was taken, she died.

Don’t Google it if you don’t want to be deeply … disturbed.

This is the world we live in.

And similarly-evil acts of crime and war and neglect

Happen every day in this world.

But there’s also great good in the world.

The Kingdom of God continues to grow.

We often see acts of goodness

In the very midst or the aftermath of the evil.

Heaven and Hell are real too.

Jesus spoke frequently and definitely of Heaven and Hell.

But he never described them in complete detail.

At least not in terms we can fully understand.

All we really know are the basics.

Heaven is very good; better than we can imagine.

Hell is very bad; somewhere between eternal unhappiness

And eternal torture.

Christians don’t so much debate the existence of Heaven and Hell,

As they debate their population figures.

Some focus on Jesus’ references to the difficulty of entering Heaven.

And believe that few enter Heaven and many go to Hell.

Others focus on the limitless power of Jesus’ self-sacrifice,

And God’s abundant mercy.

And believe that most enter Heaven and few go to Hell.

Maybe even, none go to Hell.

Should there be a special depth of Hell for the most despicable humans?

The torturers; the masterminds of genocide?

Those who massacre defenseless, innocent children like Amal?

Are they purely evil humans?

Or mentally defective humans?

Can God deal with them without sending them to Hell?

And what if they sincerely repent?

Does their evil go unpunished?

All we can do is leave it to God to deal with them.

This is most definitely not a perfect world.

It’s in between Heaven and Hell.

Evil does exist here—along with uncertainty and confusion.

Faced with the hope of Heaven and the threat of Hell,

We might ask the same question the people asked John the Baptist.

What should we do?

We have John’s answers.

Care for others; share your cloaks and your food with the poor.

Treat others fairly.

And Jesus has also given us answers.

Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.

We also have Jesus’ assurances.

We have a God who does not want even one of us to be lost.

We have a God who has prepared many rooms for us in Heaven.

We have a God who cares so much about humankind

That he humbled himself to become one of us.

So that he could suffer for us and die for us; teach us and save us.

A God who remains with us, dwells within us—

Even when this seems a most evil world.

A God who loves each one of us, pursues us, and calls us by name.

We’re preparing to celebrate our annual commemoration 

Of God’s coming.

His sending His Son to us on that first Christmas.

His opening of the gates of Heaven for us.

We know that Indeed the Lord is near.

That he remains truly in our midst today.

Even more present now than when he physically walked the earth.

We know that he has stayed with us, to lead us and guide us.

We know there is eternal life, and a far better place than this world.

We know that innocent children are taken there.

We know that we have great reason to hope that we’ll all be taken there.

So, yes—Rejoice!

3rd Sunday of Advent

Lk 3:10-18  Read this Scripture @usccb.org