Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
Exodus 34: 4-6 & 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13; John 3: 16-18

“Moses called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed ‘Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness. And Moses bowed down to the ground and worshipped.”

There is, within us all, an almost instinctive fear of isolation. Only when we are in communion with each other, and above all, with a loving God, are we truly alive. It was to this hidden wilderness of the heart that the God of Israel revealed himself to Moses as a Lord of tenderness and compassion, a God of kindness and faithfulness.

Originally these words were spoken to a people on a journey that had taken them from the abundance of Egypt to the desert wilderness of Sinai. It was in the strength of this reassuring presence that the people were enabled both to enter that wilderness, and in that wilderness grow in the love of their Lord.

In the face of Covid-19, we have entered a very different kind of wilderness. The same Lord speaks to our fears and loss. In the words of the prophet Hosea, spoken to a sinful people, it was in such a wilderness that He begins to speak to our hearts, claiming them for Himself.

“I am going to lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of Egypt.” (Hosea 3:14)

In many ways, the Trinity is a mystery beyond comprehension, but at its heart is a truth that speaks to the heart. In Jesus, the Word made flesh, the God promised as tenderness and compassion, became something more than words. He dwelt amongst, speaking directly to that inner wilderness that must accompany sinners from time to time.

He spoke words of healing and forgiveness, words of healing communion.

“God (the Father) so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.”

This truth, at the heart of the Trinity, and revealed in Christ as the Word made flesh, is a truth to be lived throughout our lives. In the words of St Paul, our lives grow to perfection as we help one another, as we are united and live in peace together. It is then that the God of love and peace dwells in our hearts, embracing us in a Trinity that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

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