Schooler's Sagacity and Senility: Homilies from Fr. Bill

 

THE MOST  HOLY TRINITY

4 JUNE 2023

 

          What we heard in today’s Gospel is the end of a long conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.  Nicodemus is a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jerusalem ruling body.  He is intrigued about Jesus and has many questions to ask.  He comes at night, because he does not want the other members of the Sanhedrin to know of his interest in this teacher from Galilee.

            This conversation follows the account of Jesus driving out the money changers in the Temple.  This action rendered Temple sacrifice obsolete.  The sacrifices of animals and first fruits of the earth are no longer needed.  So, people want signs to establish his authority.

            By the time this Gospel was written, the Romans had destroyed the temple in Jerusalem.  Earlier, they had destroyed the physical temple of Jesus’ body on the cross and laid him in a tomb.  But the Father had raised Jesus from the dead.  In the Ascension, the transformed body of Jesus had returned to the right hand of the Father. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent to the Apostles and formed them into the Body of Christ, the Church.

            This last part of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus contains the Paschal Mystery.  God so loved the world that he gave his only Son in the Mystery of the Incarnation.  He gave his only Son so that those who believe in him may have eternal life.  The Mystery of the Incarnation does not end in the death of Jesus.  It continues through the Mystery of the Resurrection and is made present through the Holy Spirit in the Sacramental life of the Church. 

            We have celebrated the fullness of the Paschal Mystery in the Sacred Paschal Triduum, surrounded by forty days of Lent and fifty days of Easter.  Today, we reflect on the Trinitarian nature of God.  There is one God in three distinct persons.  It is a mystery which we cannot understand.  But the absolute love of the Trinity draws us to a deeper love in our world.

            That is why Saint Paul challenges the members of the Corinthian Church to live their baptismal promises.  They had been incorporated into the Mystery of the Trinity when they were baptized.  Now, they need to mend their ways and stop arguing with one another and bragging about who is holier.  They need to encourage one another, even in their differences.  They have many varying opinions about any number of topics.  But they must agree on the essence of their faith:  they are one Body in Christ.  If they work at living in peace, the God of love and peace will be with them.

            Saint Paul gives us the same advice.  As the Triune Godhead draws us to share a more perfect love, we can do a better job of imitating the oneness of the Trinity in the midst of our distinct differences.  Saint Paul tells the Corinthians to greet one another with a holy kiss.  We do that when we offer one another the Sign of Peace at Mass before the Communion procession.  Like the Corinthians, we have disagreements and deep difference of opinion on any number of issues.  We disagree in politics.  We can be jealous of what others have.  Young people are tempted to bully others to get their way.  It is easy to ignore those with whom we disagree and put them down.  In exchanging the Sign of Peace (the holy kiss), we express our intention do what we can to reconcile what divides us.  We can be kind to someone we do not like.  We can speak with someone who has a different opinion.  Brothers and sisters can stop arguing with one another.  We who are the members of Saint Pius will never fully imitate the love shared in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.  But if we are willing to mend our ways and encourage one another, we can make more of a difference than we think.