Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

by Fr. John Granato  |  05/26/2024  |  Words from Fr. John

My Dear Friends,

In our Liturgical cycle for Masses, there are no Masses in honor of the Father. Besides the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrate today, there are two votive Masses, another Mass for the Trinity and one for the Mercy of God. The argument against a Mass strictly for the Father would be that every Mass is directed to the Father. Every Mass is an offering to the Father.

In all of our liturgical prayers and devotional prayers, every prayer ends with a doxology that reminds us that the prayer is directed to the Father, through the Son, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ ministry was to show us the face of the Father and to experience the Father ’s mercy and love. His mercy and love took on flesh when he sent his Son into the world, who was conceived by the love of the Holy Spirit. Love is meant to be fruitful and meant to be focused on the other. If we love ourselves only, we risk become narcissistic. If we love only one other person, then love becomes sterile and exclusive. But love is meant to be shared in order to bring forth fruit, whether the fruit of a newborn baby or a love of friendship and community. Many people through history have never experienced either a father ’s love or a mother’s love. Because of this these people may have a difficult time using this language of Father for God or Mother for our Blessed Mother, feeling that no one can live up to the ideals of fatherhood or motherhood. Yet when we are baptized into Christ, through the baptismal formula of being baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are baptized into the mystery of the Holy Trinity and are called to participate in the life of the Trinity. But because we are not perfect and due to sinful human nature we fall short of the Glory of God, we do the best we can, with the help of the sacraments, Sacred Scripture, the intercession of the Saints and our individual and communal life of prayer. And when we fail, Jesus has shown us that the Father is ready to forgive. God bless.