The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity June 11, 2006
READING 1:
Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Psalm
33 GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20
A young man finally got the nerve to ask a young woman he had been admiring for a long time out on a date. They had a terrific evening and as he was walking her to her dorm building he started thinking about whether or not he ought to kiss her. Then he started thinking about what kind of kiss, you know it was just the first date but he really liked her. He didn’t want to come on too strong and he didn’t want to be wimpy. He hardly heard a word she was saying because he was sweating the kiss. Finally, he said this is crazy, I’ll ask God to help. He quietly prayed, “Father, Father up above, should I kiss the one I love?” He immediately heard an inner voice tell him, “My son, My son, down below, pucker up and have a go!” Sometimes we are not certain; we need to make a choice but we aren’t sure which way to go. Sometimes we doubt. I think there is a line in today’s Gospel that I could put o my tombstone: They saw Him; they worshiped, but they doubted. Do you ever have doubts? Napoleon said that battles are won or lost in five minutes. One time, his army came to a bridge over a high gorge when they were fighting against Austria . His soldiers stopped because there was cannon fire all around. Napoleon had to do something so he grabbed the flag out of the stunned flag bearer’s hands and ran out onto the bridge yelling, “Soldiers come and save your general!” They did and won the battle. Napoleon had no doubts. Like so many who have no doubts, he was dangerous. Ultimately, he wound up like all war mongers, on the ash heap of history having bankrupted and devastated his country and left a wake of countless deaths of young soldiers and civilians and changed nothing. We might have doubts, but we also know we enjoy great blessings. A coach was working a summer program at a local high school. He was attracted one of the student teachers. They had a conversation and it went great. During the conversation she said she was Catholic. He said, “I’m Catholic too! I was an altar boy at my parish in St. Petersburg .” She had never been an altar server. She said she went to the 5:30 Sunday Mass at Queen of Peace. He said nothing to that; he had never been here. But later he thought, “Hmm, maybe I ought to check out the Mass at 5:30 at Queen of Peace.” He did, she was there. They tried not to appear to notice each other but just happened to reach the same door as they left church and decided to go to dinner. That was their first date. From then on they were here together. I celebrated their wedding a few weeks ago. Three of his four groomsmen had been altar servers with him at that same parish. They had received first communion together, confirmation together and were celebrating this sacrament as friends. The man’s decision to come back to church wasn’t about certainty, it was about his heart. He didn’t come for the reason we might expect; he came because he met someone who is beautiful and she reminded him of his best self. And frankly, I’ve known her since she was eleven years old and I can honestly say he is a very blessed man. They are blessed. But back to my point, when the disciples saw Jesus they worshiped, but they doubted. They doubted but they did what he told them to do. Once Jesus said, “You tell a tree by its fruit.” We are the fruit they bore, 2000 years later. We are still worshiping, still baptizing, still marrying; still, even though we may have some doubts, we’re still doing what he told us to do. And the fruit we are bearing is good news! Fr. Jeff McGowan |
