First reading Exodus 34:4-6,8-9
‘Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion’
With the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as the Lord had commanded him. And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there.
He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.’ And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’
Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:52-56
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
Blest your glorious holy name.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
Second reading 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
The grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Brothers, we wish you happiness; try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with the holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Gospel John 3:16-18
God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved
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.’
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The Trinity of love
Today, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Trinity. Very often, we associate the Holy Trinity with complicated concepts. However, let us not attempt simply to understand the Trinity intellectually to the point that we miss encountering the Triune God, the God of love. Love is not an abstract, impersonal thing but expresses itself in relationships. Thus, God is a community of three persons, i.e. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, who exist in a relationship of perfect, self-giving love.
Let us not forget that we have been created in the image of God, and so, we are invited to participate in the very life of the Trinity- a relationship of love and communion with God and one another. We do not live for ourselves but for others by loving, serving and working for their good. “For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son…” The Triune God invites us never to stop experiencing His personal love for each of us. His love shapes our hearts to love and guides us to build relationships with others.
Reflective question:
How can I experience the Trinity in my personal and community life?
How can I experience the Trinity in my personal and community life?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
