Gospel
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 3:16-18
God sent his Son to save the world through him.
Jesus said to Nicodemus,
‘God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe
in the name of God’s only Son.’
Gospel Reflection
The readings selected for Trinity Sunday provide an opportunity to reflect on the nature of God. Over recent weeks, we have celebrated the Ascension and Pentecost – both of which reveal something about the nature of God through Jesus and the Spirit. Trinity Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate the unity of God whom we acknowledge as Father, Son and Spirit. Today’s gospel reminds us that there is a seamless continuity between the different experiences of God. Although we sometimes regard the God of the Old Testament as judging and vengeful, today reminds us that God is, was, and always will be a God of love. The gospel reminds us that ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son.’
Love is the characteristic of God that is experienced as Father, Son and Spirit. God loved the world into being and loved the people so much that God made a covenant relationship with them and repeatedly drew them back into that relationship when they strayed. God loved the world and the people so much that God became physically present through Jesus as yet another attempt to draw all people into an awareness of the loving relationship God desired for them. When Jesus could no longer remain a physical presence in the world, God’s Spirit became more evident to continue the work of drawing people into that loving relationship with God.
Rather than focusing on the mystery of the Trinitarian God, today is an opportunity to marvel at the single-mindedness of God who is so determined to reveal the length and breadth of God’s love to us. That revelation has been made manifest in different ways throughout time but remains constant and unchanging.
Historical Context – We believe…
The teaching on the Trinity was not formally constructed until the 4th Century and was documented in the creed that emerged from the Council of Nicaea. The Creed that is said today in the Sunday liturgy is a version of that original Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed spells out Christian beliefs about the nature of God, Jesus and the Spirit and was worded very carefully to negate a variety of heretical views that were held at the time. It is as much a statement about what we do not believe as it is a statement about what we do believe!
Scriptural context – Trinity
At no point in the New Testament is the term ‘Trinity’ used. That understanding of the nature of God came much later. However, there are a number of scriptural references that led to this theological understanding. The Annunciation, the baptism of Jesus and the great commissioning of the disciples to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all examples of the three persons of God being recognised or active in the gospels. Today’s second reading shows St Paul using the three experiences of God as a blessing of the people of Corinth.
Living the Gospel – Sign of the Cross
Every time we bless ourselves or begin prayer with the sign of the cross, we reaffirm our belief in the Trinity. That seemingly simple prayer, ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,’ is, in fact, a confirmation of our belief in a triune God – three in one. The earliest use of the sign of the cross only involved tracing a small cross with the thumb or finger on the forehead as it is still done in baptisms or blessings today. Later, describing the shape of the cross on forehead, abdomen and shoulders became the common practice.
