The Trinity, The Ocean and This Week’s Parish Mission
I am writing this article admiring the Atlantic Ocean from Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. To use a word that I really like, I am not simply looking at the ocean, I am truly BEHOLDING it. When we behold something, we gaze at it for a long time and we see it for more than what it appears to be.
My thoughts are also with this week’s Mission that I am honored to be leading. Our time together Monday and Tuesday will focus on giving, grace and tenderness. We will continue to expand our notion and experience of grace aided by the foundational Catholic belief in the Trinity.
As I take in the beauty and the power of the Atlantic Ocean, I am moved to say that God is like the ocean. The huge body of water is vast and mysterious. It holds many treasures and tragedies, such as the Titanic, yet it also moves close to us as waves on the beach. Jesus Christ, as the second person of the Trinity, is The One True God made available to us, coming to us in the same substance – water. Just as the tide moves in and out, Christ seems to be closer to us at times more than others. If you close your eyes and listen, you will also hear God, The One True God, coming to us in the WORD. (See the prologue of John’s Gospel for details.)
The One True God who is the ocean also lets part of itself return to the sky in evaporation where it collects into clouds, is carried away by air masses and jet-streams, then falls on us and the earth in the form of rain. The One True God, the very same element of itself – water – falls on us. That is like the Holy Spirit that falls heavily on us at times in torrential downpours and, at others, falls on us like a gentle rain, and still at others like a mist. All three are of the same element, the same body. They are made manifest to us in different ways. They are all connected and really can never be separated. The first two persons of the Trinity give background to the first two gifts, and the Holy Spirit helps us to share the third.
We will reflect on Gifts of Tender Grace during the Mission using stories, ritual and song. We will consider how The One True God did not simply send us a savior; God gives HIMSELF to us in Jesus Christ. It is out of that same sense of giving that the miracle of the Eucharist happens. Jesus gives HIMSELF to us, just as the first person of the Trinity gave himself. He could not be any clearer…
This IS MY body.
This IS MY blood.
Not a portion, not in a puny way, not conditionally – but HIMSELF, wholly and unconditionally.
Can we give of ourselves in the same way?
Well, we will reflect on that the second night. It sounds like a tall task indeed, but if we dare to call ourselves Christian, meaning LIKE CHRIST, we must certainly try.
Please come Monday and Tuesday. You are a gift to more people than you realize. I know I will be inspired by your presence to give more as we share…
Gifts of Tender Grace: Jesus, The Eucharist and Each Other.
I would like to call your attention to a few of our Lenten offerings:
Our Knights of Columbus will offer a Fish Fry dinner in the Social Center on Friday, March 10 from 6:00-7:30pm.
Stations of the Cross will be prayed on Fridays, March 10, 17, 24 & 31 at 7:00pm and Wednesday, April 5 at 2:00pm.
Our All Parish Reconciliation service will take place on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:00pm.
Please be attentive to our 2023 Lenten Social Justice Project which focuses on the Edmundite Missions in Selma, Alabama. For more than three generations, the Society of St. Edmund has promoted and championed the healing presence of Jesus Christ through programs that sustain those who are most vulnerable within the Black Belt of Alabama. The Edmundite Missions have evolved and grown to become an essential component of the social safety net – feeding the hungry, enhancing educational opportunities, ensuring workforce reentry and providing pathways out of poverty that drive long term social and economic change. This Lenten season, join us in supporting the expansion of the Edmundite Missions. Help build the Casey Center for Faith and Community Service – Integrating Faith, Service and Social Justice.
Visit www.holyfamilyparish.org for a complete listing of all parish events.