Saints + Scripture: The Most Holy Trinity — Sun, 27 May

The Long Road Back

Sunday, 27 May was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: Trinity-link, Wikipedia-link Trinity, & Wikipedia-link Trinity Sunday.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit.

Scripture of This Week
Mass Readings—Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter four, verses thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-nine, & forty;
Psalm Thirty-three, verses four & five, six & nine, eighteen & nineteen, & twenty & twenty-two;
The Letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-eight, verses sixteen thru twenty.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, here is the curious thing about the Trinity: at one and the same time, it is the most extraordinary and the most ordinary of Christian doctrines, simultaneously the most inaccessible and the most obvious.

On the one hand, there is a highly developed, technical language regarding this great mystery. On the other hand, the most ordinary Catholic simply and regularly invokes the Trinity every time he crosses himself.

Our Gospel for Trinity Sunday is taken from the very end of Matthew’s Gospel. The risen and glorified Lord speaks to the new Israel of the Church: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me." This is not an ordinary prophet speaking. This is the very Word of the Father, the exact replica of the Father’s being.

Jesus then tells them to go forth and to do the work of gathering in, of drawing people into the very dynamics of the divine life. Now, how all of this fits together theoretically is indeed a fascinating question, but we should never allow the arcane language of theology to obscure the revolutionary meaning of the Trinity: it is a summons to mission, a call to action.

Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Video reflection by Jeff Cavins: Encountering the Word.

Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D.: Breaking the Bread.

Mass Journal: Week Twenty-two
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:

When making a decision, the Native Ameican people used to ask themselves how their decision would affect their people seven generations from now. One hundred years from now, none of us will be here. Let us always remember that in the whole scheme of things, the Church is on loan to use for a very brief time[; &] yet in that brief time we determine the Church our children & grandchildren will inherit. In this way, God has appointed us to take care of the vineyard—the Church. This is a responsibility we should take seriously In Matthew's Gospel (Mt. 21:33-41) we are given a vision of what happens when servants are overcome with pride & arrogance.

†

Otherwise, 27 May would have been the festival of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop & Abbot, O.S.B. (died circa 605, the "Apostle to the English," also spelt Austin), abbot of the Abbey of Saint Andrew: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, YouTube-link The True Enlightenment, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Bruno of Würzburg, Bishop (circa 1005-1045, A.K.A. of Carinthia): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Great-nephew of the bishop & martyr St. Bruno of Querfort [15 October].

'Twould also have been the festival of Blesseds Edmund Duke, Richard Hill, John Hogg, & Richard Holiday, Priests & Martyrs (died 1590, A.K.A. the Dryburne Martyrs), martyred in the reign of the English queen Elizabeth I, four of the Eighty-five Martyrs of England & Wales: Martyr-link Echo Delta, Martyr-link Romeo Hotel-India, Martyr-link Juliett Hotel, Martyr-link Romeo Hotel-Oscar, & Wikipedia-link Dryburne; Martyrs-link LXXXV & Wikipedia-link LXXXV.

Papal Quote o' That Day

"Today we praise God, not for a specific mystery, but simply for Himself, 'for His immense glory,' as declared in the liturgical hymn. We praise Him & we thank Him because He is Love, & because He calls us to enter into the embrace of His communion which is eternal life."
—Pope Francis (born 1936, reigning since 2013)

Little Flower Quote o' That Day

"I seek the beauty of heaven. I was ready to become a prisoner in order to give this heavenly beauty to other souls."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)

Saint Quote o' That Day

—St. Caesarius of Arles (468-542, feast day: 27 August)