The Gospel for the Feast of the Trinity begins with the words: God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost. (John 3:16). What an incredible image this is when we stop and think about it.  God wants to join Godself to the world and live and breathe among humanity in order to bring humanity to the fulness of life.  God does not want one human person, (woman, man or child) or any of God’s creation to be lost.  The world is God’s pride and God’s glory.  Humanity lives in God’s love and is called to reflect that love in all that human beings do and say.

The Gospel goes on and reminds us that God does not condemn the world.  God is the opposite of condemnation.  To condemn is to judge and to give strong disapproval. To be condemned is to be lost.  God instead saves, accepts and shows favour to all who live in the light.  The call to all of humanity is come out into the light and live!  Things done in the shadows and darkness bring their own condemnation in that they are the places in which human beings lose their way.  We become lost.

On the feast of the Trinity all of us are called to reflect on the way in which we see ourselves and our fellow human beings in the human family.  We are called to look upon all people as God sees them and to collaborate in God’s saving and accepting love.

We could begin with ourselves. What would it mean to really believe that God’s love for me is stronger than my own belief in myself.  What would it mean to believe that God’s plan for me is to have life to the full. When I believe that I can step out and do the same for others.  There are two concrete ways we can do the same for others in the coming weeks.  First of all, this weekend we are celebrating Catholic Mission and the global work of Catholic Mission to bring life to the bruised and broken parts of our world.  We can join with others this weekend learning more about the plight of our brothers and sisters across the globe.  We can also make a contribution to lightening the burden.  Second, we can look closer to home and join with other parishioners in exploring the Uluru Statement from the heart and register for the upcoming parish meeting where we will together learn more about that Statement and its call for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament.

God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that through him the world may be saved.  That is the mission to which Christians are called.  In both simple and profound ways we can join the God of life and love in building a world where are can share in the fullness of life.

By Fr Brendan