The readings for this feast do not directly explain the doctrine of the Trinity as we have come to know it. Rather, they offer us glimpses into the nature of our Triune God. The psalm response suggests that our primary response to God should be one of praise for the love that God has for us.

The God who is beyond our comprehension is also the God who has saved us. We see this theme in both the first reading and the gospel. The covenant language in the reading from Exodus underscores God’s unfathomable goodness. God’s graciousness and mercy are not rewards for our fidelity. They are extended to us in our sinfulness. It is God’s saving grace that transforms us, not any merit on our part. In the gospel we are assured that Jesus was sent into the world to save it, not to condemn it.

The Trinitarian phrase found in the letter to the Corinthians is so expressive of the love that God has for us that it has been incorporated regularly into the liturgy. It declares that through his death and resurrection, Jesus has opened for us the treasury of divine grace. It also proclaims that the love of God has forged the bonds of community that unite us. Created in the image and after the likeness of this God, we are called to unity among ourselves. As incomprehensible as it may seem, it is primarily through the unity that we share that we will manifest the unity that exists in God.

© Dianne Bergant CSA