John 3:16-18
Look up a high mountain, consider the vastness of the ocean, feel the strength of the wind. When we appreciate the beauty of nature we can imagine the beauty of the Creator, but God is so much more. Impossible to capture the essence of God in words; but we try when we say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the closest revelation of who God is. The Trinity is the most fundamental teaching in the hierarchy of the truths of faith. In the Hebrew Scriptures God was not seen, only heard. Moses saw the back of His face. Sacrifices were offered to keep God happy and to convince God to love us because the presumption was that He did not love us. How can God love us if we are sinful? How can God love us if we are unworthy? Then came Jesus Christ who is the perfect revelation of who God is because He is God. The 1st chapter of St. John’s Gospel is clear about His identity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is Jesus Christ who had no beginning but was born in time as One like us. The Last Gospel was read at every Holy Mass when the Church celebrated the Tridentine Mass, until 1965. Anyone who questions the divinity of Jesus is not a Christian. Without mentioning any names, those who come knocking at the door promote a false Bible with a false translation—the translation has been changed to accommodate their teaching. It reads, “the Word was ‘a’ god.” However, the original Greek is clear and cannot be changed. False teachings have been around since the beginning of time. The Church is our Teacher, our Mother, She holds the fullness of Truth. In 381 the Dogma of the Trinity was officially declared during the 1st Council of Constantinople.
The Lord was requested, “Show us the Father, that will be enough for us.” Jesus was disappointed at the request. “I have been with you so long a time and you still do not know me. When you see me, you see the Father. The Father and I are one.” No doubt that the things Jesus explained helped to formulate the Dogma of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit didn’t get invented at Pentecost. He was also without beginning. The Spirit of God breathed upon the waters at the moment of creation and without Him nothing came into being.
The Holy Spirit is present and continues to guide the Church. “I am with you always until the end of time.” Dogmas about God are more readily believed than the fact that Jesus did not come to condemn us. Lots of guilt floating around, especially with all the bad stuff humanity has done and will do. Yet, the Lord is not our accuser, He is our Savior. We condemn ourselves. Many have stopped believing in the goodness of humanity. Not God. God never looses hope in us. The salvation that was won on the cross is realized at every Holy Mass—during every Sacrament. The Eucharist is suppose to cause a change in us—supposed to make us more like Christ. To be like Christ is to be like God—to be Community. After all, we are created in His image and likeness. Means we have to try to get along with each other in spite of our differences. Caring only for ourselves, building walls, being suspicious of others does not build community. Peace has to happen here first, within our family.
God wants to us be happy. He gave us personal example by not condemning anyone. We want to imitate God’s love by loving each other.
Look up a high mountain, consider the vastness of the ocean, feel the strength of the wind. When we appreciate the beauty of nature we can imagine the beauty of the Creator, but God is so much more. Impossible to capture the essence of God in words; but we try when we say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the closest revelation of who God is. The Trinity is the most fundamental teaching in the hierarchy of the truths of faith. In the Hebrew Scriptures God was not seen, only heard. Moses saw the back of His face. Sacrifices were offered to keep God happy and to convince God to love us because the presumption was that He did not love us. How can God love us if we are sinful? How can God love us if we are unworthy? Then came Jesus Christ who is the perfect revelation of who God is because He is God. The 1st chapter of St. John’s Gospel is clear about His identity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is Jesus Christ who had no beginning but was born in time as One like us. The Last Gospel was read at every Holy Mass when the Church celebrated the Tridentine Mass, until 1965. Anyone who questions the divinity of Jesus is not a Christian. Without mentioning any names, those who come knocking at the door promote a false Bible with a false translation—the translation has been changed to accommodate their teaching. It reads, “the Word was ‘a’ god.” However, the original Greek is clear and cannot be changed. False teachings have been around since the beginning of time. The Church is our Teacher, our Mother, She holds the fullness of Truth. In 381 the Dogma of the Trinity was officially declared during the 1st Council of Constantinople.
The Lord was requested, “Show us the Father, that will be enough for us.” Jesus was disappointed at the request. “I have been with you so long a time and you still do not know me. When you see me, you see the Father. The Father and I are one.” No doubt that the things Jesus explained helped to formulate the Dogma of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit didn’t get invented at Pentecost. He was also without beginning. The Spirit of God breathed upon the waters at the moment of creation and without Him nothing came into being.
The Holy Spirit is present and continues to guide the Church. “I am with you always until the end of time.” Dogmas about God are more readily believed than the fact that Jesus did not come to condemn us. Lots of guilt floating around, especially with all the bad stuff humanity has done and will do. Yet, the Lord is not our accuser, He is our Savior. We condemn ourselves. Many have stopped believing in the goodness of humanity. Not God. God never looses hope in us. The salvation that was won on the cross is realized at every Holy Mass—during every Sacrament. The Eucharist is suppose to cause a change in us—supposed to make us more like Christ. To be like Christ is to be like God—to be Community. After all, we are created in His image and likeness. Means we have to try to get along with each other in spite of our differences. Caring only for ourselves, building walls, being suspicious of others does not build community. Peace has to happen here first, within our family.
God wants to us be happy. He gave us personal example by not condemning anyone. We want to imitate God’s love by loving each other.
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