This Trinity Sunday, we commemorate in a particular way the mysterious relationship that exists among the three persons of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This relationship’s love is that same love whose very essence could not but diffuse itself in the supernatural act of creation. The love that binds the three persons of the Holy Trinity is such a compassionate love whose very nature warrants a creation of beings in whose existence the essence of which (the creator) is extended. And to express the eternal togetherness of the persons in the trinity, they are present to each other wholly in their respective roles in the history of salvation.
For example, in Genesis 1:26, God the Father said to both the Son and the Spirit, let us make man in our image and likeness. In Matthew 28:19, God the Son sent his disciples to go forth into the whole world and baptize everyone in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These and many similar verses across the scripture reveal how the three persons of the Holy Trinity love themselves so much that in all their activities from the creation, redemption, and sanctification of all that exists, they work together. The love that binds them into one indivisible being is the same love that incarnated itself by taking flesh to become man so that humanity may, in turn, allow that love to bind them together in Christ the incarnate love.
In the first reading today, Jesus, who is the father’s wisdom, explained that he was not only present throughout the work of creation. But that he also found delight in the human race – the crown of creation. Jesus’s delight in humanity does not necessarily concern the beauty of creation that humanity pinnacles. However, it is mainly about the graciousness of his father, whose goodness diffuses itself, and the result is creation.
Surprisingly, this love binds the three persons of the trinity; this love that diffused itself and resulted in creation; this same love condescended to fleshy existence, suffered, and died to redeem humanity. It is the same love that has been abused, bruised, scorned, and rejected by many.
Last week here in Nigeria, a group of Fulani Islamic terrorists entered a Catholic Church during Mass on the feast of Pentecost and massacred more than seventy people. The love that brought these innocent faithful to the Church on this fateful day is the same love that binds the three persons of the Holy Trinity whom we celebrate today. And it was this same love that was abused, bruised, scorned, and rejected in the butchering of these poor souls.
These Fulani Islamic terrorists committed these mass murders and continue to do so almost daily in many parts of Nigeria. This has been going on for well over ten years. We continue to pray and ask God for a lasting solution to the killings of Christians in Nigeria. We may also take this opportunity to reflect on our personal lives and see how we participate in abusing, bruising, scorning, and rejecting the love that we celebrate today. That love that binds the persons of the trinity is the same love infused into us in baptism to make us one in Christ.