Trinity Sunday (2024)

Pope Francis said The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity tells us that we do not have a solitary God up there in heaven, far away; no, He is the Father who gave us his Son, who became man like us, and who sends his own Spirit to be even closer to us.

Making the sign of the Cross daily is our reminder about that fact - that God makes the steps toward you.

Let us acknowledge that we are sinners and invoke God’s mercy upon ourselves.

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There is an old legend about St. Augustine of Hippo. While walking on the beach contemplating the Trinity, St. Augustine saw a young boy frantically digging a deep hole in the sand. The boy ran out into the waves, scooped up a bucket of water, and ran back to pour it into the hole. He did this a few more times until St. Augustine approached him and asked, “What are you doing?”

“See that ocean out there?” The boy asked. “I’m going to pour that ocean into this hole.”

“That’s impossible,” said Augustine. “You cannot fit the entire ocean into that tiny hole.”

The boy said, “And neither can you, Augustine, fit the Trinity into your mind.”

The legend says the boy then disappeared, as he was an angel in disguise.

Sometimes, people ask me, “What is my favorite part of being a priest and a pastor?”

Well, for sure I am not a fan of administrative work.

First, it is definitely celebrating the Eucharist, especially when I lift the Host and the Chalice, it is a very moving moment for me, and the second favorite thing is baptisms.

Well, at our Parish, we can slowly see we are getting more of these.

It is such an amazing feeling that, because baptism gives the divine life, cleanses us from sin, and initiates us as members of the God’s Family. It is the foundation for the sacramental life.

It is so much joyous moments, even more that the weddings in my opinion.

Do not get me wrong, at a wedding, more often than not, it’s all about the dress and the cake.

But at a baptism, it’s all about the baby.

A new life being welcomed into the Church, a great inspiration for all of us to renew and live according the dignity of the child of God.

There are many things happening during the baptismal ritual, prayers, words.

But there is one particular and very specific moment, if would be missed or said wrongly the person would need to be baptized again with the right words?

Anybody guess?

We call it the Trinitarian Formula.

Which is:  “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

In the Catholic Church, a Baptism is considered valid if these words are used.

When people come to us for OCIA and want to become Catholic, one of the first things we need to check is if that person was baptized, and how.

If those words were not a part of the ritual, the Catholic Church does not recognize those baptisms.

Another thing that would make the baptism invalid, and it happened so often here in USA, when a priest or deacon used a plural form - “We baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It is not about legalism, but to protect the Sacraments.

They are not magic, or just external ceremonies. The Sacraments confer the grace they signify.

To be a valid sacrament, we need four things: proper matter; proper form; the right intention of the celebrant; and the right intention of the recipient.

There is something that we call emergency Baptism, meaning there is no priest or deacon and a person is dying, for adults - a person needs to be conscious and asking for it) - and that is becoming interesting, because even a non-baptized person, with the required intention, can baptize, by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula can perform the valid baptism. (CCC 1256)

That reminds us how important the Trinity is, and our Day today as well.

From the very beginning of our lives as Christians, we are sealed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

It signifies the extraordinary importance the Church places on this singular belief, this one great dogma: one God, in three persons.

But this homily is not the first time we mention the Trinity at this Mass. A Few minutes ago, we began this Mass, It the Name of the Holy Spirit, probably we do not think often about it.

It’s the sign of the cross.

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

It’s not just a gesture that we use to punctuate prayer.  It’s not just a sign of our Catholicity.

So what is it?

It is a re-statement of our baptism.

When you were baptised it is what a priest said over each of us as water was poured over our heads…the first words that made us members of the Body of Christ.

Those words we speak again, and in effect, re-Christen ourselves.

We brand ourselves with God in His three persons.

And whatever we do or say after is in the name of the father…and the son…and the Holy Spirit.

We become icons of the Blessed Trinity.

What an incredible gift but also it is an incredible responsibility.

This small gesture we do daily is our prayer and a reminder that we become the icon of the Blessed Trinity and act in the name of the Trinity.

the name of the father…and the son…and the Holy Spirit.

This is to acknowledge that all our faculties, mind, heart, soul, and all our strength is dedicated to God, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God created us in His image and likeness, He did so that we could be like Him living in a communion of love with Him and with each other.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity said: Our primary vocation is to be loved by God.

“Letting ourselves be loved” means allowing the Holy Trinity to fill us with Their presence, transforming us in the communion of love. This enables us to joyfully offer God to a world desperately in need of true love.