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One of my go-to breakfast foods is a bowl of oatmeal. Like many people, when I’m eating, I like to read something during my meal. If the paper is not available, then the cereal box or the oatmeal carton will suffice. Staring at the Quaker Oats guy staring at me as I eat, I start to wonder, is he smiling or frowning? What did he do for fun? Why did he get into the oatmeal business and other important considerations. I did hear an interesting Quaker story recently; as you may know, they were pacifists. In other words, they did everything they could to avoid violence and war. As they settled here in America, it bothered them that most serious crimes were punished either by severe lashing which disfigured the criminal or by hanging which gave offenders a permanent pain in the neck. The Quakers wanted to find a better way so they came up with the idea of solitary confinement in the hopes of offering the criminal a more humane method to pay his debt to society and be reformed. The logic was that solitary confinement would remove the person from bad influences, give them a contemplative environment to repair their relationship with God, and provide a sort of monastic moment to think about what they had done. On paper, it seemed like a great plan; in practice it was a disaster. Criminals who were subjected to this new form of justice often went insane and were profoundly broken, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Even the well-intentioned Quakers, who hoped this could be a non-violent alternative, abandoned the practice after just a couple years. What they forgot, in their effort to propose something new, was a fundamental truth about human beings, something scripture teaches from the very beginning: Man was made in God’s image, and it is not good for the man to be alone. We need each other and are meant to be in community. Once we are isolated and cut off, it doesn’t take long for a person to deteriorate in every way. One of the most damaging parts of the Covid-19 pandemic was the separation of lockdowns and quarantines. Regardless of how you feel about how things were handled, we don’t want to forget how profoundly the isolation affected people of every age group. Even now, years later, the effects are still manifesting themselves. You and I were made for communion; it is not healthy or good for us to be in solitary confinement!
This first Sunday after the Easter season is called Trinity Sunday and we are invited to reflect on the central mystery of our faith, the mystery of Who God is. So often, we talk about what God does, which is fine, but since we are made in the image of God, knowing who he is teaches us important truths about ourselves.
The mystery of the Trinity teaches that within God, there is a perfect, loving community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This divine love doesn’t just stay within the Trinity. The love of the Trinity is what brings about the creation of the world. And in the fullness of time, this same love moved God to send his only begotten Son into the world, to save it from sin and death. Once again, love compels Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to protect and guide the Church until he returns at the end of time. We are never left alone at any point in human history; God is always nearby to heal, help, and save. These examples are just a sampling of the great mystery of the Trinity which teaches us about God who is all-loving and lives in perfect relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This mystery is not meant to be something that remains in our head. The Trinity is meant to transform our lives, our families, and our world. As baptized Catholics, the life of the Trinity actually dwells in our souls through grace.
We might ask ourselves the following questions: does my life reflect the life of the Trinity? Is the perfect relationship of love that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reflected in the way we live our lives? Within our own hearts, do we acknowledge and truly believe that we are made in God’s image and likeness? Do we embody this truth in the way we act, in the words we speak, in the entertainment we enjoy, in the clothes we wear, and the company we keep? Do people look at us and see an image of God’s love and joy? Or do they see things like self-hate, anger, revenge, lust, greed, or jealousy?
How about our families? It is in the home that the mystery of the Trinity is most powerfully reflected. Do our families imitate the loving relationship seen in our God? Are we able to make sacrifices for our family in all things? Are we making sure we love the people entrusted to our care? The love of God holds nothing back; he sacrifices everything for those he loves. We are called to love others in the very same way. So what does this mean in our everyday lives?
Children: love your parents and your brothers and sisters. Be kind and respectful to everyone around you. Make it a habit to take care of others and think of them first. You can do this in simple little ways like cleaning off the table after dinner, unloading the dishwasher, sharing your time and toys, cleaning your room, and so on. Even these little acts of kindness are an opportunity to spread the love of God and help others so they don’t feel alone.
Husbands and wives: love one another with a love that knows no limits. Remind yourselves of the commitment you made to each other on your wedding day. Be patient with each other’s faults and failings. Be willing to listen when your spouse wants to talk about a bad day. Make it a habit to think of the other person first; by doing little acts of kindness every day, you will reflect the love of our triune God and ensure that your spouse isn’t imprisoned by the loneliness of being ignored or unappreciated.
The greatest threat to meaningful community, the thing that attacks our communion with God, ourselves, and others is sin. Every time we choose evil and selfishness rather than goodness and virtue, we slowly cut ourselves off from the things and people that keep us healthy and flourishing. Despite what the world and the devil tell us, we cannot find purpose and fulfillment by indulging the things that lead us away from God. In the end, we will place ourselves in a sort of spiritual solitary confinement that hurts our souls, minds, hearts, and bodies.
How blessed we are to be cared for by a God who is love! A God who never stops looking for us and inviting into communion with Him and with others! A God who heals, helps, and breaks us out of the prisons we build for ourselves! Let us be reminded now and every time we make the sign of the cross that we are called to be a people of the trinity, a people who live love and right relationship with ourselves, with our families, and with those we encounter each and every day. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
