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
You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
and to be praised and highly exalted forever;
and blessed is your glorious, holy name,
and to be highly praised and exalted forever.
Blessed are you in the shrine of your holy glory,
and to be praised and highly glorified forever.
Blessed are you, who sits upon cherubim and looks upon the deeps,
and to be praised and highly exalted forever.
Blessed are you upon the throne of your Kingdom
and to be extolled and highly exalted forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven
and to be sung and glorified forever.
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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God is love
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of God as Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a perfect communion of love from which everything flows. In the first reading from the book of Exodus, we see the heart of God when Moses encounters Him as a God who is slow to anger, rich in mercy, full of tenderness and faithfulness. This is our Trinitarian God, not a distant deity or an abstract force, but a compassionate presence who draws near to forgive and remains with His people.
In the Gospel, St John highlights this truth by stating, “For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son.” The Father shows His deep love through the Son, who demonstrates this love through His life, death and resurrection so that we can have life and light. The Spirit then fills our hearts with that love, allowing us to share in this divine life. Believing that the Trinity is love calls for our response to reflect His love in our lives by forgiving, serving and reaching out to others in compassion and kindness.
Reflective question:
How have I experienced God’s tender mercy this week, and how can I reflect His love to someone today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
