Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation, and we Christians are to make Jesus known.

We sometimes try so hard to explain Christian revelation that we end up understanding it even less.  More deplorable still are the excommunications churches decree solemnly against each other under the pretext of zeal for their differing explanations.  With such excommunications, not unlike those associated with Filioque, we effectively deny what we try to explain.

Undoubtedly, we who are slow to believe need teachers to explain to us the Father’s revelation through Jesus.  Moreover, we have the instruction, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”  We are to do so, however, “with gentleness, reverence and a clear conscience.”

Forbidden to us, then, is the knowledge that inflates with pride, one that is divisive and destructive.  Love does not allow it, since love is never boastful and always unifies and builds up.  “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Yes, those imbued with this love are humble.  They recognize their lack of wisdom.  They boast only in God who chooses the foolish, so that no one may boast before him.

Ignorance does not make those who remain in this love feel insecure.  Nor do they try to cover it up by imposing themselves on others.  They are unlike those who, claiming to have the last word on revelation, question the faith of those with different opinions.  Those without pretensions do not judge before the appointed time.  They are patient with themselves and, consequently, with others.  They admit they only see as in a mirror.  These words comfort them:

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.  When he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.

Indeed, only by loving one another with Jesus’ love will we get to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity and reflect it by our union (see SV.EN IX:80, 82). This is the only way to taste the Wisdom that is ever ancient and ever new, and to make Jesus known.

St. Vincent de Paul indicates that those who announce the Good News to the poor should honor in a special way the mysteries of the Most Holy Trinity and the Incarnation (CR.EN X:2, 3).  That is because, to modify slightly Vincent’s explanation, we have in the Eucharist the real presence of the Word’s love.  This love floods our camp in order to be for us the revelation of the divine love that is poured out even into our sinful and earth-bound hearts through the Holy Spirit that is given to us.

Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity!

May 22, 2016
Most Holy Trinity (C)
Prov 8, 22-31; Rom 5, 1-5; Jn 16, 12-15