The feast of the Most Holy Trinity is providential in more ways than one. The statement I am about to make about it might sound outlandish and preposterous: this feast is providential because a good number of believers tend to reduce God to a manageable size which would make our brand of religiosity convenient and God somewhat “controllable.”
Let us put this unwise thought to rest right away: Our God is in heaven; whatever God wills is done. (Psalm 115:3)
Already in the Old Testament, Moses tried to get the Israelites to cease attempting to comprehend God’s greatness and infinitude.
“Did anything so great ever happen before? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god take venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation?” (Deuteronomy 4:32-34)
Even if we could adequately appreciate how God revealed himself in the Old Testament and could increase our trust in him by pondering on his wondrous deeds, such appreciation would still be very little when compared to God’s thoughts put into action in the New Testament.
Try to understand the Incarnation if you will. Microbiology can reveal to us a world of life’s secrets that leave scientists speechless or woefully short on honest, unbiased answers. At the other extreme of creation, we have an ever-expanding universe in which, by comparison, our tiny earth is much smaller than a grain of sand compared to Mount Everest. The Incarnation means that the God who is infinite and who has given a beginning and an ordered progression to this world teeming with life, even in seemingly impossible situations, makes himself as tiny as a human embryo in the womb of his obedient handmaid Mary.
But this would be just the beginning of the wilting of our puny minds as they try to digest all this. If our earth is like a tiny grain of sand when compared to the ever-expanding universe, how can we feel about our “invisibility” when compared to the earth? How many zillions of us people have walked, are walking and will walk on this earth?
Now, let us blow our minds with this ageless question from Psalm 8:5: What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?
Then listen to Jesus’ answer to that question. Far from being invisible and insignificant with regard to the zillions of humans ever on this earth, the Father has a most detailed knowledge of each one of us:
“Even all the hairs of your head are counted.” (Matthew 10:30)
Think of God’s Word; think of Jesus spoken by the Father in such way that his message, although the same for a whole group, is personalized to the need of each listener and made relevant at the same time to a variety of unrelated situations!
Then we move to think of the Eucharist, of our God so madly longing for intimacy that he makes himself a humble, fragile wafer so that all his power, mercy, light, comfort, strength are packed in it without risking intimidating or frightening us.
Think of all the paradoxes that fill the Gospel and of how, through the gift of faith, these paradoxes are welcomed by Jesus’ disciples, accepted as a new way of life, and implemented by many with incredible courage and resolve, even if to the world, they look senseless, impossible, unrealistic.
Think of the infinite ways that are available to the Lord to reach the hardened hearts of his people.
Think of his mercy that has no boundaries.
Think also of how his Spirit can sustain Christ’s disciples and enable them to endure considerable amounts of suffering and see value in what horrifies your average individual who cannot think about such love.
We cannot end this list without mentioning the power to forgive sins which is strictly reserved to the Lord alone and, yet, which he has bestowed on some men.
Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)
Perhaps the best way to end this impressive list of wonders stemming from the heart of our God would be to mention that, through Baptism and the Eucharist, we are inseparable from Christ Jesus, from the second Person of the Holy Trinity and thus, God has, so to speak, allowed himself to be contaminated by our sinfulness!
And yet such is the size of God’s mad love for us! We can call him Abba (Daddy) anytime, anywhere and he will respond not with a wrathful disposition but with patience, compassion, and a healing touch. How wonderful is this humble contemplation of God’s infinite love vis-à-vis our miserable condition and very limited mind!
Let us catch our breath after this incredible contemplation of the Holy Trinity. The worst and very offensive thing we can do is to doubt that the Holy Trinity dwells in us and, thus, the extent of God’s mercy for us and to live in fear. Let us face it: Almighty God and Father of us all cannot do more than sacrificing his only Son Jesus on the cross to show us how much he loves us!
Thus, we shall resolve in earnest: 1) to cooperate trustingly with the Holy Spirit, so that our only fear is to be cavalier about sinning. 2) to fall in love with Jesus and 3) to find our joy in generous self-serving to our brothers and sisters, especially the neediest ones, in hope that our joy will be endless when sealed in the embrace of the Holy Trinity.
