In the second and third part of the programme John and Ann are joined by Fr. John Mockler who gives us an insightful explanation of the Most Holy Trinity. You can listen to the full programme podcast HERE.
The Most Holy Trinity
Fr. John began by explaining that first and foremost, the Trinity is true God. When we are baptised we receive Three Persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in divinity, power, love, knowledge, peace, etc. This means that each Person of the Trinity is the source of all that is good. The communication between God the Father and God the Son is love. There are no limitations or obstacles to the flow of love between the Father and the Son and between the Son and the Father. This flow of love is infinite.
Everything that the Father grants to the Son, the Son returns perfectly to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is also a Person with His own intellect and will (we often think of the Holy Spirit in terms of the form of fire which He assumed at Pentecost).
Each Person of the Trinity always existed. At the beginning of the Bible we read: 'Let us make man in our image...' not 'let me make man in my image.' The Trinity created the angels and humankind to share in what they have as a Trinity of Persons. God created us to share into eternal happiness in this life and the next. Those who will share in the eternal happiness of the Trinity are those who share in the happiness of the Trinity in this life. We pray to the God of love and mercy in us (which we received at Baptism), not the God of love and mercy outside of us. The Trinity we pray to has to be the Trinity in us. If the Trinity is in us that is the assurance or insurance policy of happiness in the next life. With the Trinity we have the power to overcome anything life can throw at us.
What's the best way we can help our relationship to grow with the Trinity? The greatest means is what Jesus has provided, which is the Mass. A person who goes to Mass goes to heaven, because heaven and earth unite during the Mass. It is the most powerful, direct encounter with the Trinity. Jesus does not leave the happiness, joy, peace etc. of heaven when He comes to us in the Mass with all the angels and saints. That is what we are receiving into our soul in the Eucharist. We are increasing that life of heaven in us. Yes, we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, but it is equally true to say that we also receive the life of heaven into our souls when we receive Holy Communion. The other good things we do, daily prayer, doing our work/duties every day, and all the good we do, also help to increase this life within us too, but nothing compares with the Mass.
Fr. John also reminded us that Mass will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Well Grotto in Dromin-Athlacca parish on Trinity Sunday at 7.00pm. Trinity Well is about a mile from Dromin Church.
You can listen to the interview with Fr. John excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.
What's the best way we can help our relationship to grow with the Trinity? The greatest means is what Jesus has provided, which is the Mass. A person who goes to Mass goes to heaven, because heaven and earth unite during the Mass. It is the most powerful, direct encounter with the Trinity. Jesus does not leave the happiness, joy, peace etc. of heaven when He comes to us in the Mass with all the angels and saints. That is what we are receiving into our soul in the Eucharist. We are increasing that life of heaven in us. Yes, we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, but it is equally true to say that we also receive the life of heaven into our souls when we receive Holy Communion. The other good things we do, daily prayer, doing our work/duties every day, and all the good we do, also help to increase this life within us too, but nothing compares with the Mass.
Fr. John also reminded us that Mass will be celebrated at Holy Trinity Well Grotto in Dromin-Athlacca parish on Trinity Sunday at 7.00pm. Trinity Well is about a mile from Dromin Church.
You can listen to the interview with Fr. John excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.
Gospel - John 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.’
Fr. John said the first thing that strikes us from this Gospel is that we have to be led. 'When the Spirit of Truth comes He will lead you...' We cannot lead ourselves - we have to be led. Jesus sends us the same Spirit who led Him. Jesus never did one thing which wasn't illuminated, inspired and directed by the Spirit. God's Spirit will lead us safely, because He leads us to 'the complete truth,' i.e. the Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus, who is 'The Way, the Truth and the Life' (John 14:6). What's the truth Jesus teaches us: the truth about where we came from, why we are here, where we are going, what is the purpose of human life. God created us in the hope that we would live as His children, containing the Holy Trinity within us. The Holy Spirit will lead us to enter into that life of the Trinity where we will have happiness and joy forever. In the meantime, we can overcome anything with the power of the Spirit in us who will lead us through anything. If people turn more and more to speak to the three Persons they have in them they would have much greater joy and happiness and their burdens would be lightened.
Reflections on this week's gospel:
Liturgical odds & ends
Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter Week 4
Saints of the Week
May 25th - St. Bede the Venerable
May 26th - St. Philip Neri
May 27th - St. Augustine of Canterbury
Notices
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: - continues to take place in Ardagh Church each Monday from 11.00am to 1.00pm and 5.00pm to 9.00pm.
The Annual Sacred Heart Novena: - takes place in St. Senan's Parish (Shanagolden/Foynes/Robertstown) in Robertstown Church from May 26th to June 3rd with Mass at 8pm each evening.
Thank you for this great insight into the Holy Trinity especially regarding the Holy Mass before reading this I would not linked the Trinity with the Mass.I would always have thought only of the Eucharist as this is the summit of Holy Mass
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