First Reading - Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
Second Reading - Romans 8:14-17
Gospel - Matthew 28:16-20
In today’s first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the Israelites, reminding them of their unique relationship with God. He asserts their distinctiveness, not in a spirit of pride, but to highlight the privilege and responsibility of being God’s chosen people. They have been given a better Law by a better God, making them a better people. This distinction is not for self-glorification but a call to live according to the divine Law, reflecting God’s holiness and justice.
For us, this is a reminder that our identity as Christians sets us apart. We are called to live by a higher standard, embodying the values of the Kingdom of God. Our relationship with God, through the Holy Trinity, should transform us, making us witnesses to God’s love and justice in the world.
In the second reading, Saint Paul addresses the early Christians who were struggling with the requirements of the Jewish law. Paul emphasizes that salvation comes through the grace of God, not through our own efforts. He invites them to live “in the Spirit,” allowing God to lead their lives. This reading beautifully illustrates the relationship among the Spirit, the Father, and the Son, as experienced in our relationship with God.
Paul’s message is clear: we cannot earn our way to God. Instead, we are to live in the freedom of the Spirit, trusting in God’s grace. This means surrendering our will to God and allowing His Spirit to guide us. Our lives should reflect the dynamic and loving relationship within the Trinity, characterized by grace, trust, and mutual love.
The gospel today recounts the Ascension of Jesus, where He commissions His disciples to continue His mission. Jesus instructs them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This Trinitarian formula underscores the unity and mission of God. As Jesus returns to the Father, He leaves us with the responsibility to spread the Good News and to live out the love and unity of the Trinity in our lives.
This commission is not just for the apostles but for all of us. We are called to be witnesses to the love of the Trinity, bringing others into this divine relationship through our words and actions. The life of the Trinity should be reflected in our relationships, our communities, and our world.
Dear friends, we are created in love to be a community of loving persons, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One in Love. From the day of our Baptism, we have belonged to the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How privileged we are to grow up in such a beautiful Family! Hence, let us turn to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in prayer every day. We belong to the Family of the Triune God. The love, unity, and joy in the relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be the supreme model of our relationships within our Christian families. Our families become truly Christian when we live in a relationship of love with God and with others.
We are called to become more like the Triune God through all our relationships. We are made in God’s image and likeness. Just as God is God only in a Trinitarian relationship, so we can be fully human only as one member of a relationship of three partners. The self needs to be in a horizontal relationship with all other people and in a vertical relationship with God. In that way our life is Trinitarian like that of God. Modern society follows the so-called “I-and-I” principle of unbridled individualism and the resulting consumerism. But the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity challenges us to adopt an “I-and-God-and-neighbor” principle: “I am a Christian insofar as I live in a relationship of love with God and other people.”
Like God the Father, we are called to be productive and creative persons by contributing to the building up of the fabric of life and love in our family, our Church, our community, and our nation. Like God the Son, we are called to a life of sacrificial love and service, so that we may help Him to reconcile people with each other and with God, to be peacemakers, to put back together that which has been broken, and to restore what has been shattered. Like God the Holy Spirit, we are called, with His help, to uncover and teach Truth and to dispel ignorance.
Let us embrace the call to live out the love, unity, and mission of the Holy Trinity in our daily lives. In happy moments, let us praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God. And in every moment, thank God. By living in the grace of the Trinity, we become true witnesses of God’s love and presence in the world. Amen.
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