Fr. Simon explains how this Holy Feast of the Trinity is about our destiny - to become members of an Eternal Family.  It is about the very basis of our Roman Catholic faith - the nature of God - the Oneness of God. Jews and Muslims tend to think we really have three Gods as Christians.  Well, Jesus taught us that the unity of God is not a solitude, but a solidarity. The Oneness of God is not aloneness, but a unity. Our destiny is more than to go Heaven - it is to become united with God.

Topics Presented 

	St. Irenaeus of Lyon said: "God became man so that we might become God."
	God made you so that you might share in the Divine Nature with God.
	The Bible states that God commands us to "Be Happy" and "Be Not Afraid" which is easier said than done - probably the two toughest commandments in the Bible.
	God wants you to be happy. The first observation that God makes about humanity is in the book of Genesis where God says: "That it is not good for man to be alone."  You were meant for love.
	You cannot be authentically happy until you are in right relationship to God, your Father, and right relationship to those whom God has given you to love.

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	1st Reading
	Psalm
	2nd Reading
	Gospel
	Written Transcript of Homily
	Footnotes

Today, of course, is Trinity Sunday, which is always a feast I love.

We kind of forget about it --- it's just sort of there.

But, I'm always conscious of Trinity Sunday...

Because this the paternal feast of the town that my mother's mothers family comes from in Germany.

And I remember this is the feast on which I said my first German Mass.

And in Norstat they celebrate this with parades and rides and a week long carnival.

And lots of beer and sausage.

So, it stands out in my memory.

Also, today is the day, the feast, that we celebrate the very basis of our faith...

The nature of God.

You know we take that for granted.

The idea of the fatherhood of God.

I'm always telling you, I'm sure you have all heard it by now, but I'll tell you again.

Pope John Paul the Second said that God isn't like a family...

God is a family.

Your family and mine are like a family.

Which I always think --- on a good day....

You know, that God is a family....

That this is the major difference between us and Jews and Muslims.

It's about the nature of the Oneness of God.

Jews and Muslims tend to think we really have three Gods as Christians....

I mean.... how can you have three in one?

Well, Jesus taught us that the unity of God is not a solitude, but a solidarity.

The Oneness of God is not aloneness but a unity.

And this isn't just about us, or rather about God.

This feast is about us, because it talks about our human destiny.

Our destiny is more than to go Heaven.

Our Jewish and Muslim friends will be happy with Heaven.

But Jesus promised us more than Heaven.

He said that we could be adopted by God....

That we could be a part of the family - - - which is God.

And. it may sound bold to say, but....

You're to become God.

Not like the Mormons say --- "'a god with your own private planet" --- not that.

And it's to remember that if you think you're God already.... well.... not yet.

I've known many people who think they're God....

But, they're not yet.

But Saint Iranaeus of Lyon  [2nd century bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul which is now Lyon, France]  200 years after Christ said:

"He became Man so that we might become God."

So that we might share the Divine Nature.

And that's the purpose for which God made you.

It's a breath-taking idea.

That most of us we go, when we're left to our own devices....

As it's been said.... we go straight to the small potatoes.

We have cross purposes with God.

In other words, God has this wonderful plan for us.

A destiny, not a fate, but a destiny.

To be adopted by God....

To be a part of the Divine Family.

We however --- we will be content with just stuff.

You know - - - when we pray.....

I need this.....

Give me that....

Help this....

Help my kid....

Help my mom....

Whatever.

We want the stuff that God can give....

And yet --- He wants to give us --- Himself.

So we're at cross purposes with God....

Just the way that you parents are at cross purposes with your children.

Isn't that true?

I mean.... your kid says: "Mom, I want this."

Or "Dad, can I do that?"

You say: "No --- you can't possibly do that --- you'll kill yourself."

"You never let me do any of the fun stuff!"

These are conversations that are regular in your home, right?

"You never let me.... you're just mean...."

"You never let me do any fun stuff."

"No, kids, the reason why we say 'no' is because we used to be 17, and 16, 18 and 10."

"And, we remember how really stupid that was...."

"And how we were almost killed doing it."

"So trust us - - - We have your best --- your well-being in mind."

"You just don't want me to have any fun."

"No, I'd like you to have fun.... but manage to survive until old age."

We're at cross purposes with our children, aren't we?

So, how much more so with God?

You know in that second reading....

There's a verse that reminds me of my mother:

"Brothers and sisters rejoice!"

That's kind of a fancy biblical way of saying:

"Be Happy..."

I mean.... this is a commandment of God - - -  "Be Happy"

That's a difficult commandment.

You know, there are two commandments in the Bible....

That are not one of the Big Ten - - - that are really tough....

They're really tough commandments.

You know, we think of "Thou Shalt Not...." as being tough .

Thou shalt not steal....

Thou shalt not commit adultery....

Thou shalt not bear false witness....

Boy, those are tough things.

These two commandments are a lot tougher.

"Be Happy" - - - that's one of them.

And, the other one is - - - "Be Not Afraid"

Those are commandments of God.

How do you manage not to live your life in fear and unhappiness?

Well, this sounds pretty grim, doesn't it?

Well - bear with me....

It's not so grim....

Oh.... maybe it is.....

Well.... bear with me anyway.

We worry....

I worry....

I remember we used to ask my mother:

"What do you want us to be when we're grown up, Ma?"

And she'd say: "Happy."

That's all she'd ever say --- "I want you to be happy."

That's what God is saying:  "I want you to be happy."

So many of us have had the idea that God doesn't want us to be happy....

Just as when we're little kids - - - we think:

"'Ahh.... mom and dad - - - they don't want me to have any fun."

You see what I mean?

We're at cross purposes with God.

Well.... He wants you to be happy,

And He wants you to live a life free from anxiety.

My gosh - - - we live in anxiety, don't we?

I mean...

You worry about retirement....

You worry about what the doctor is gonna say....

You worry about how the kids are gonna work out....

You worry, if you're a kid, if you're gonna pass....

There's so much great stuff to worry about ! ! !

And the Bible says:

"Be Happy"

"Be Not Afraid"

Well, that's easier said than done....

Those are the two toughest commandments in the book, I think.

Well.... the Gospel explains it....

This Gospel.... it's kind of good news....

And, well.... it sounds like bad news.

"God so loved the world..."

Well.... that's a good thing.

"He did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world...."

Well.... that sounds good.

"But that the world might be saved through Him...."

Well - - - that's nice.

But then it goes on to say:

"Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned...."

"But, whoever does not believe has already been condemned...."

"Because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

Ohhh.... that sounds pretty narrow minded....

In other words.... if you are not in my Church, you're condemned.

That's not what the text says.

Remember - - - I'm always telling you that language changes.

And the root word here.... for believe....

What that word really means....

Is not to simply to say "yes" to a set of doctrinal assumptions.

That's part of it....

But in its root - - - it means "trust."

And if you put that word....

Wherever you see the word faith or believe in the Bible....

You can take that word out and put trust in....

"Whoever trusts in Him will not be condemned...."

"But, whoever does not trusthas already been condemned...."

"Because he has not trusted in the name..."

In the the name?

Well.... I told you this, too....

If you come to me saying:

"I come in the name of the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

I will ask to see your badge.

And if you've got it - - - I will say: "Come in please."

When I say "the name" - - - what I really mean is the authority.

"Whoever does not trust has already been condemned...."

"Because he has not trusted in the authority of the only Son of God. "

What authority is the Bible talking about?

Earlier on in the Gospel of John, in the first chapter we read:

"But to those who did receive Him...."

"He gave authority to become the children of God."

That's what God wants to do in your life....

He wants to adopt you!

And.... He's giving you that authority - - - if you can trust Him.

The idea of trust defines childhood, doesn't it?

You are a child as long as you can trust your parents.

You know - - - think about it.....

Dad comes home from work....

Mom comes from work these days....

But, in the Land of Beaver Cleaver that I grew up in...

Dad comes homes from work, and...

The little three year old runs out and starts hollering 'daddy' or 'papa' or whatever....

And dad takes that kid, and he's tired, but he still takes that kid....

And throws him over his head and catches him....

Throws him over his head and catches him.

If somebody who was two or three times taller than I was....

Picked me up and threw me in the air....

I would be thinking one of two things:

The name of a good lawyer....

And the name of a good chiropractor.

But.... that kid....

You throw him up in the air - - - and he trusts you.

I love the story that Jose Perez tells.

He's shared it a couple of times during our Seven Last Words on Good Friday.

When he was a little kid in Cuba....

And they'd go to this certain beach at the sea....

And there were these rocks....

And dad would be in the water....

And Jose - - - little Jose - - - would be up on the rocks....

And dad would say: "Jump!  I'll catch ya!"

And the kid would look at the water and the rocks....

And he'd say:  "Come on!  Trust me!  Jump!"

And Jose would jump.

And every time his dad would catch him.

That's what it means to be a child, doesn't it?

It means to trust.... that your father will catch you....

Or that your mother will catch you.

To be a child is to trust.

And all of you who are parents - - - especially parents of older children....

Remember the day when your kids stopped trusting you.

"Well, where are you going tonight?"

"How come you're always asking me questions?!?!"

"Well, I need to know where you're going and who you're going with."

"What! What?  Like this is like third degree!  What are you --- the cops?"

You've had that conversation in your life, I bet.

You've been on one end of it --- or the other end of it.

Well, to trust....

It's an awful day when the kids stop trusting you.

God wants you to be happy.

The first observation that God makes about humanity....

In the book of Genesis is:

"That it is not good for man to be alone."

You were meant for love.

And by that, I don't mean just the emotion....

I mean true love.... sacrificial love....

The way God defines it in the Bible.

And, you cannot be happy without love.

You cannot love without trust.

You see these two commandments are at the very heart....

"Be Happy"

That's God's purpose for you.

And trust....

In other words - - - become His child.

Trust God.

That's a tall order.... in this world that's so full of problems.....

Understand....

You were meant to live in relationship - to one another of course - but to God.

Your destiny, as I said a few minutes ago, is to become part of that family which is God.

And, unless you are in right relationship to your Heavenly Father....

You will never be happy....

No matter how much you accumulate....

No matter how famous you become....

No matter what degrees are after your name....

Until you are in right relationship to God, your Father....

And right relationship to those whom God has given you to love.

You cannot be authentically happy.

You know.... this is a hard world.

I'm sure so many of you have had the experience, you know....

As I said a few moments ago....

There comes a time when your children stop being children.

They stop trusting you.

And that hurts more than you can understand unless you're going through it, I think.

You know.... we try being brave about this....

You know.... the kid is in his last year of high school and is looking at colleges....

And he finds some wonderful college in Wyoming that's going to offer him a great scholarship.

"Mom, Dad, this is really the college I wanna go."

You say:

"Oh that's great, that's wonderful."

"You're really growing up - - - It will teach you independence."

But, you know as well as I do.... that inside - - - your heart is breaking.

You've spent eighteen years trying to protect this kid.

And the moment comes when not only do they not want you to protect them....

But you can't protect them......

And they go off to this college....

And call back home - - - usually when they need money....

I remember the first time I called my mother from college....

It was when I first did my own laundry - - - it made me think of mother.

Well.... they call home....

Then you get the call one day that says:

"Mom, I met this really great girl."

Or "Dad, I met this really nice guy."

"Oh, how nice... when do we get to meet him?"

And.... you're putting on the brave face....

But, inside you're thinking:

"Ohhh noooo...."

"They're gonna marry somebody who comes from the West Coast...."

"And they're gonna move out there!"

Darn....

It hurts!

You try to fool yourself - - - but you can't fool God.

You know the pain of it - - - when your child becomes alienated from you....

We try to pretend.... oh it's all about life....

But.... you were meant to live in a relationship.

And, you know the pain of it....

Well, I say all that to direct your thoughts....

I don't know if this is right to say....

But it directs your thoughts to God's pain.

If it breaks your little heart that the apple of your eye is far away....

How does it pain God.... when the children for whom He gave so much....

For whom He gave his only Son....

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son....

How much more does it pain Him....

When His children are far away?

Or, even worse, when His children are dead in sin?

You were meant to be at home with God.

To repent simply means.... to come home again.

So, this feast of the Trinity - this holy Feast of the Trinity - is about our destiny.

That with Father, Son and Spirit....

We are to be at home....

And members of an Eternal Family.

Let us, as we celebrate this feast, pause and remember....

That we need always.... always....

Always to be as close to the God who loves us, as possibly as we can be.

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

Amen.