But what we do know about God? Has anyone ever seen Him? Not many people I know had Moses’ experience of meeting God in the form of a cloud on the mountain, as we heard in the first reading. Sometimes we have an idea of God that seems to be straight out of a comic – a nice story for children. God is not just a concept up in the sky that is beyond our reach. We believe that Jesus has revealed God to us and when we look to Christ we see the face of the Father. So what did Jesus tell us? The first thing he revealed was the Father’s endless love for us all. God is love. That is a tremendous statement - God is Love! Jesus tells us in the Gospel that not only does God love us, but that He sent His Son, Christ himself, into the world not to condemn the world but to save it, in other words to bring the world back into the very life of God, despite our sins and failings. Jesus also says that he does not leave us alone, he has asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us to keep us on the right track. Our faith tells us that God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is near, within our very being, we become living temples of God by the gift of baptism.
The Trinity can be experienced in a million ways. One of the most special moments of my life, so far, was the birth of my first little niece last December. In the middle of the cold and hardship that we experienced before Christmas little Hayleigh Rose came into to world. Every human life is sacred, and this is most clearly seen in the life of baby. When she was born, just like any little one, there was only one to communicate with her – simply by love. I remember marveling at how her first time parents, took so naturally to their new role. Passing the child to each other, holding her, welcoming her into life – every action was action love. Our very nature calls us to live in family, community and love – a love which reaches out to embrace, holding everything in being. The ultimate experience of community is the life of God.
From all eternity the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit live in the happiness of their own presence. In the mystery of creation God opened life to us all, and in Jesus we are invited to share that very life; we become part of the mystery of the Trinity
You know, more than anything in the world we want to be happy. If we had every material thing we ever wanted and did not have happiness my might as well have nothing. Our true happiness is found in love. What is love? Love is the very nature of God - real love that gives life in all its fullness. The Trinity’s invitation to you and me is to live forever in the happiness of Heaven where all our longings will be fulfilled. We can spend a lifetime desiring happiness, seeking it on the out side. Happiness begins in the depths of our own souls; in our own hearts where God has made his dwelling.
As a society, we have taken a huge knocking. Prosperity and economic success has been replaced with much hardship. No doubt many of you have your own worries and fears – fears for yourself and your loved ones, particularly the young. So much is beyond our control. Life can very hard and despair can seem to be a very easy option.
Today’s feast is a source of great hope. We come face to face with God who is love, not just of Himself, but every human being that is made in God’s image and likeness. Our destiny as God’s children is nothing less than being part of God’s very life. Our hearts are restless until they rest in God, St Augustine famously said, but already in this life we can rest in faith that Father who created us, the Son who redeemed us and the Spirit that makes us holy is with us – in the depths our very being.
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