This weekend brings numerous elements to the celebration of the Eucharist. In a church founded upon and structured around Sacraments (experiences of the sacred), the Eucharist is clearly the most important. The sacredness of the Eucharist comes about in too many ways to comprehend, but in it, and through it, we, the Body of Christ, follow Jesus’ clear mandate to REALIZE his REAL presence in our Liturgy. This is ALWAYS the primary focus, but we here at Holy Family often acknowledge people, events and occasions in conjunction with the Eucharist. We like to do a lot of blessings which, I believe, make the Eucharistic celebration more powerful and adds sacredness to various other sacraments – Baptisms, Anointings of the Sick, Marriage, Confirmations, Ordination, Anniversaries, etc…
So, this weekend, we, along with the Church all over the world, celebrate Trinity Sunday. We highlight our belief in what we call a Triune God. Our ONE God is three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are many ways to explain the Trinity, from St. Patrick using a shamrock, to water being ice, liquid and vapor, the same substance manifest in three forms.
My definition of the Trinity involves motion. God the Father (appropriate this weekend for Father’s Day), the first person and creator, made the first move in time. That movement is Creation. God the Son, the second person, Jesus Christ, moved into human life by becoming one of us. That movement is Incarnation. And, God the Holy Spirit, the third person, moves across time and into eternity. That movement is playing out in our lives. It IS our lives. It is the ongoing dynamic of our faith. It is a movement that is yet to be fully defined. It is expressed in the Divine/Human enterprise that is active among all of us. It is how our partnership with the three persons plays out.
This weekend, along with the rest of the United States, we also celebrate Father’s Day. It is a day when we can focus on men who have brought so much to our families. It makes me appreciate fatherhood and the countless men in my life, and all over the world, who share themselves with family and friends in a fatherly way. This Father’s Day invites us all to reflect on what it means to be a father and how so many men do it in so many varied ways. I see the role of father changing and evolving in our world. I see more fathers sharing careers with their spouses and thus balancing the demands of raising families. I see greater equitable partnerships between mothers and fathers. I see more single fathers. I see greater emotion and sensitivity in fathers, and at the same time an increased amount of time that fathers participate in their children’s activities. I see a much greater role of grandfathers in the world, possibly due to people, and thus fathers, living longer and playing increased roles in their grandchildren’s lives. I see grandparents providing stability to their families and in increased partnership well into life between grandmothers and grandfathers.
I am blessed with countless examples of inspiring partnerships between fathers, mothers and children. I am inspired daily by fathers’ resilience in the face of increasing complexities and challenges of life and family.
I know that some fathers struggle in this role and their imperfections come to the forefront. I believe that is true, at times, for all fathers. As we contemplate the role of father, let us keep them all in our prayers this weekend and thank those who have enriched our families.
I am also well aware that many men are not fathers in a human generative way, or married, but play a role in children’s lives as strong examples of faith and leadership. May we honor these men this weekend for sharing the gifts that God has given them in other ways.
We also acknowledge marriage this weekend with a special blessing for all married couples. We offer a blessing to those who are living out the commitment of marriage in the face of its challenges and setbacks, and its joys and triumphs. One of my basic observations about marriage is that it enables people to do things that they simply can’t do on their own. This covenant mirrors the sacred partnership that we all have with God, enabling us to do much more that we think.
We celebrate another important tenet of our faith next weekend in the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Don’t forget, the 4:00pm Sunday afternoon Mass will be canceled throughout the month of July.