Normalcy and Supernatural with our Father, Son and Holy Spirit: 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Holy Trinity)

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

In January in 2011 I was honored to go to the Holy Land for three weeks with my classmates at St. Paul Seminary

·      On one day, we visited the Jordan River (between Israel and Jordan)

·      One of my first thoughts was that is a river?  In northern Minnesota, it looked like a ditch!  (BTW, the Jordan river decreases each year as it is used for people with agriculture)

·      We were able to spend a few minutes to pray at that presence, where Jesus Christ was baptized

·      Some pillars were broken down, there were some garbage, it looked muddy and it seemed “normal”

·      Then I read one of the passages when Jesus Christ was Baptized almost 2,000 years ago

o   Matthew 3:16-17: “After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”

·      A first nugget today: we can see God in both normal places, though God is always supernatural

Today is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

·      As we have begun our Ordinary Time, we focus on God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

·      Trinity: three persons, one God

·      A paradox…but true

For a second nugget today

·      We listened to the last verses in Matthew 28 as Jesus was preparing to return to Heaven and he told his disciples:

o   "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father,and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

·      Here is the nugget which each of us must remember: each Christian denomination not only believes in our Holy Trinity, but also serves new Christians through the sacrament of baptism

As it is important to learn about God, in theology and philosophy realms which can be very deep or brand new thoughts, it is God who has given us to be baptized to be in His family

So here is for food for thought:

·      How have you talked with other people of your relationship with God?

·      How have you invited new brothers and sisters into God’s family?

·      How can you inspire other people to come to church to fish for people to promote your own gift of being baptized?

Pray with these two nuggets and some questions to discern your spiritual journey