Trinity not only guides our belief in the very nature of God, but it is one of three elements, along with our memory and real, authentic presence, that mark the next two weekends. Trinity – three persons and three concepts. We celebrate Trinity Sunday this weekend, Memorial Day on Monday and the Body and Blood of Christ next weekend.
Trinity
This is a very significant teaching, dogma and belief for us as Catholics, but not so for other denominations of Christianity. All Christians draw such significance in the New Testament. As Catholics we also ground so much of our belief in God from the Old Testament as well. As we are guided by scripture to reflect on the three-fold nature of God, may I call your attention to the first reading from Deuteronomy (4:38-40) during Mass this weekend:
“The Lord is God in the heavens above and the earth below and there is no other…that you may have … a long life on the land which the Lord your God is giving you forever.”
This quote supports our belief in the first person of the Trinity, the one true God and the ongoing nature of our God referred to as the Holy Spirit, the part of our God that reaches and moves across time. The Gospel from Matthew (28:18) emphasizes that Jesus is not only our Savior, Messiah and the Son of God – He is the human manifestation of God – the second person of the Trinity. In it we hear Jesus telling us, “All power in heaven and earth has been given to me.” Mt 28:18
The first person of the Trinity gives ALL power to the second and the third perpetuates that power in our lives.
Memorial Day
This Monday we celebrate a federal holiday honoring and mourning heroes who have died performing their military duties. As I often quote Jack Nicholson portraying Col. Nathan Jessup in the 1992 Columbia Pictures film, A Few Good Men. In extolling the valor of our military Nicholson says, “Every day, you rest beneath the banner of freedom that I provide…I think the appropriate response is ‘Thank You.’
Thank you in our memory for the heroic men and women who have given their very lives to provide the banner of freedom that we rest beneath every day.
25 places have claimed to have originated the holiday. The debate falls under a North and South divide. The South claims it was first celebrated in Warrenton, Virginia 1861. The North claims it began in Gettysburg Pennsylvania 1863.
The Body and Blood of Christ
There is nothing like sharing and appreciating another person’s presence—their real presence, whether that be elated, anxious, sad, confident, enthused. Jesus knew that we all have an innate ability to recognize and feel another’s absence of presence, physically or emotionally. The Body and Blood of Christ draws us into Christ’s real, authentic presence every time we celebrate the Eucharist. More will follow next week.
Fr. Bob Heinz
Bob is not only one of my best friends, he has served the Archdiocese of Chicago so well as a priest at St. Ailbe on the south side, St. Mary Star of the Sea, St. James in Arlington Hts., St. Alphonsus in Prospect Heights, St. Norbert and Our Lady of the Brook in Northbrook and most recently at St. Mary of the Woods in the Edgebrook neighborhood of Chicago with Fr. Rich. He also served on the Priest Placement Board.
Bob has recently been appointed as the Administrator of our neighbor, St. Francis de Sales in Lake Zurich. His assignment there is temporary. He will be living here at Holy Family only temporarily as well. His full-time focus will be leading the administration of St. Francis de Sales so you won’t see him much, but If you happen to see him around, share a warm Holy Family welcome
