14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Once a puzzled Irish asked St. Patrick about the doctrine of Trinity, when he was preaching the Gospel to them in the 5th century AD. “You tell us that there are three Gods and yet one. How can that be?” The saint bent down and plucked a shamrock. “Do you not see, how in this wildflower three leaves are united on one stalk, and will you not then believe that there are indeed three persons and yet one God.? Talking about Trinity, C.S Lewis said” All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that “God is Love”. But they seem not to notice that the words “God is Love” have no meaning unless God contains at least two persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, He was not love.” Even today, with all the advancements of the age, the concept of Trinity is unfathomable to many of us.
These words of St. Paul to conclude his 2nd epistle to the Corinthians,( 2 Cor. 13:14 ) is the most used benediction/ grace prayer by many for religious service or meetings. He narrated this blessing after expressing his ardent love, warning, wish and hope for the Corinthians. It emphasizes the Trinity (Matt.28:19) one of the distinctive doctrines of our faith. One God in Three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that they are united in essence: love, justice and purpose but distinct in some respects.(Mark1:9-11). In our Christian faith, Grace is concerned with the nature of God’s love, the unmerited favor of God. The parable of the prodigal Son/ loving father gives us an insight into the kind of love that God showers on us. Also it reminds us of His Son Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for our sake became poor, so that we might become rich. (2 Cor.8:9). The Love of God sent His only son, to Calvary to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins. (John3:16). The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit reminds us of the day of Pentecost, when Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Spirit of God and it marked the beginning of the New Testament Church. (Acts.2) Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish Jesus’ mission in His absence.(Acts1: 8) .
The qualities of the Trinitarian nature of God are what God expects from His children whom He has created in His own image. (Gen1:26). This refers not to our physical nature but to our spiritual attributes, true righteousness and holiness of God. (Eph.4:24). God is the author of peace and a lover of concord. He has loved us and is willing to be at peace with us. Peace is not just conformity or absence of war: peace is a way of following Jesus, standing for justice and helping the poor, needy and the neglected in our community. He wants His children to work towards perfection. (2Corin.13:11.) . In 1 Peter 1:15-16 we read, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
In the mutual relationship of the three persons in Trinity we find the model for a true human community. The love, the members of Trinity have for each other, help us to understand how we as human beings are to relate to God,( Mark12:30, John14:15),then to our family members(Gen.2:18) and to other fellow human beings in the community.(Lev.19:9-18, Mark 12:31). In a world, where morality is based on what one feels good and right, we need lots of God’s grace to fulfill this daunting task. According to 1 Corin.12, the Church is the body of Christ, a unity, composed of many parts functioning together for a single purpose. As we are the Church, let us use our God given gifts and talents for the spiritual nurturing and well-being of others following the model set before us by the Trinitarian community.
Let our private and public lives and worship services reflect the Grace of Jesus Christ, Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit and let us give glory to God, recognizing and glorifying each person of the Trinity and the amazing role each enacts in restoring our salvation.
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