The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday
God so loved the world that He gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16-18)
This Sunday, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity. The culmination of God's divine love for us. Think about this, God sent his Son to be condemned for our sins and resurrected for God's glory.
In John's gospel, we read that "God so loved the world that He gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). Along with Psalm 23, "the Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want" these two passages are probably the most recognized biblical text in the Christain faith tradition.
These two scriptures bookend the African American's faith spirituality/expressions. John's text affirms that God loved us through the horrors of enslavement, the promises of freedom, the terrors of Jim Crow, and the social and economic injustices during the civil rights era. And that God continues to love us in these current moments of racial unrest today is God's amazing love. Because of God's radical love for us, we are free to bear witness and remain faithful to the Church we love.
The 23rd Psalm, for many, is the first memory verse you learn growing up in the Black Church. This Psalm echoes the reprise God is Good all the time, all the time God is Good. This text reminds us that in times of trials and joys, lean on God; lean on God in times of hope and despair. It is a prayer of protection, healing, restoration, and renewal. Psalm 23 reaffirms God's love and promises that "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6).
For this, we give praise on this Trinity Sunday. The Trinity reminds us that God is the creator, Jesus is the redeemer, and Holy Spirit is the sustainer. These three are integral to one another and integral to how we relate to God and each other.
As Christian Catholics, we are called to have faith, to believe Christ died for us, and that God forgives our sins. The simple meaning behind our gospel today reminds us of God's love and forgiveness.
Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
Author: Cynthia M. Morris, MBA
St. Augustine Catholic Church/Washington, DC
Grand Lady Sr. Thea Bowman 364