Reading 2
Brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Gospel
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Reflection
On today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, our Church reminds us to pose the question: who is God? Our mission in life is to know, love, and serve God, and the mystery of the Trinity reminds us that knowing God is so much more than acknowledging His existence. We are called to go deeper, reflecting on His inexhaustible nature and His personal, unconditional love.
Indeed, many of us have heard that “God is love.” In other words, He is not only loving or lovable, but actually love itself. The doctrine of the Trinity explains how such a statement could be true. St. Augustine noticed that for love to exist, there can’t just be one entity. There must be the one who loves, the one who is loved, and the love itself—thus, love is always a triad. The Doctrine of the Trinity reveals that God is three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Augustine imagined these three persons as Lover, Beloved, and Love. Although we struggle to conceive of one God also being three persons, we can see how God being a communion of love is central to who He is. God is love because He is Trinity.
Our readings for today illuminate our Trinitarian God and who He is, emphasizing His love and mercy. As the Gospel says: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” These words remind us that God’s love is not insular, operating only between Father, Son, and Spirit, but rather pours out to all the world.
So who is God? God is love--and He loves so powerfully that despite being infinitely perfect and blessed in Himself, He would give of His only Son—His very Self, His Beloved—to bring humanity into His eternal life of love.
The second reading underscores our invitation to enter into the loving communion of the Trinity. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” This Trinitarian blessing, which we also invoke during Holy Mass, fittingly names the Trinity alongside the concepts of grace, love, and fellowship. God is self-giving, loving communion—and He designed us to be a part of it.
Today, let us not shy away from the Mystery of the Trinity, but rather reflect on the never-ending exchange of love between Father, Son, and Spirit, and strive always to enter into it.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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