Holy Trinity  May 30, 2010  Cycle C                                                            
Proverbs 8:22-31  Romans 5:1-5  
John16:12-
15                                                                                                                                      
  As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity this week, it reminds us that
over the years there have been a number of “big 3’s” we’ve come to know. I
always love to begin with the famous three of Moe, Larry, and Curly, the
timeless three of laughter and slapstick. And for the elder folks here I’m sure
you remember the three of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin at Yalta. For sports
fans in the local area we had the “Big Three” of Bird, Parish and McHale for
the Boston Celtics. Today, the same uniform is worn by a newer “Big Three” by
the names of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen.                                        
For movie fans we can never forget The Three Musketeers, along with that
other famous three from Clint Eastwood’s western called The Good, The Bad,
and The Ugly. For cereal lovers I’m sure you remember snap, crackle, and pop.
And for music lovers  we had from the 1960’s the group known as the Kingston
Trio, along with that other famous folk group known as Peter, Paul, and Mary
(and they weren’t disciples of Jesus).                 
And for those who love religion, like myself, there’s Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Also Malchior, Caspar, and Balthasar, also known as the Three Wise Men. And
last, certainly not least, but most important, is the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.                 
One important thought to remember is that the Trinity does not compete
against all the other three’s. rather, most of these other three’s are an
expression of the life, breadth, width, and dimensions of the three Persons in
one God. The God who is love. The God who is generous. The God who
embraces us. The God who empowers us to be the best that we can be. The
God who rejoices in our talents. The God who lifts up this ensemble week
after week. The God who smiles at our hard work and success, especially
when the Red Sox win the World Series.                                                                
Celebrating the meaning of this wonderful feast day of the Most Holy Trinity is
to celebrate the many expressions of talent and goodness within us used and
displayed for the purpose of glorifying God. I wonder if one of the images of
God we have is one where God is sort of detached from the actions of our
everyday lives. Trinity Sunday reminds us otherwise. Trinity Sunday is about
uniting these numerous treasures within us with the true presence of God,
who gives us these treasures, displaying them for the world to see. And to say
that any good that we can do reflects the true presence of God within us is to
live in ways of humble sacrifice and honest surrender. Which perfectly
reflects the life of Christ.                                                                                
Listen to the words of Jesus again in this Gospel; “The Spirit of Truth will
glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” And
then Jesus continues, “Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason
I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to
you.”                                                         
The great music that stirs our soul; that well done movie that we become one
with as we watch it; a Thomas Kinkaid painting of a country scene that we can
see ourselves in midst of. The Spirit of Truth takes these common, everyday
events from Jesus – and so much more – and declares them to us. Like
Mother Teresa said about herself, “I am a pencil in the hand of God.” And for
those who wish to be disciples we say, “Lord, write your story with our lives.
Declare yourself to us through the Father and the Spirit. Write our story
through the Father who created us, through the Son who redeemed us, and
through the Spirit who empowers us according to our faith.” The greater our
faith, the greater we perform in declaration of
God.                                                                
I finish with the words of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, appropriately
enough, a Carmelite Nun who died in 1906 at the young age of twenty-six and
was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984, being one step away from
canonization. The young religious scholar wrote, “My God, Blessed Trinity!
Draw from my poor being what most contributes to your glory, and do with me
what you wish both now and in eternity.”                 
Such beautiful words of sacrifice and surrender that sort of fly in the face of
today’s worldly approach to life.                                                                        
This future saint is giving all of us the words, “Lord, draw from this poor body ,
this body that is in the process of dying, but also in the process of living with
you; draw from these poor bodies of ours the hidden treasures you have
planted within. And make our poor bodies rich expressions of your eternal and
abiding presence.”                                 
This great feast day of the Most Holy Trinity – the greatest of all the trios –
reminds us that the Spirit continues to take from Jesus all that is good and
declares it to us, especially everlasting life. And that the Father continues to
take from Jesus all that is good and declares it to us. Continue to be in tune
with the workings of God in our lives, because much treasure has been
declared to us. Treasure that reveals that the Most Holy Trinity is ever present
to us, and working through our poor bodies. The same bodies that will be
raised from the dead. The same bodies that will become forever
rich.