Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
READING 1:
Proverbs 2:22-31
Psalm
8:4-5,6-7,8-9 READING 2: Romans 5:1-5 GOSPEL: John 16:12-15
Three golfers were struck by lightening and found themselves outside heaven’s gates. Each was asked, “When your friends come to see you lying in your casket, what would you most like to hear them say about you?” The first man said, “I’d like them to say I was a good doctor and a good family man.” The second said, “I’d like them to say that I was a wonderful husband and a teacher who made a huge difference in young people’s lives.” The third golfer said, “I’d like the hear them say, ‘look, he’s moving!’” If we were given options, we would never endure any problems in this life. St. Paul reminds us today that because the love of God has been poured into our hearts, we can even boast of our afflictions. You might say, “That sounds like someone with no afflictions.” But Paul had a tough life. He suffered greatly during his missionary journeys in order to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and so he speaks from experience. Faith kept Paul moving through it all. A woman said, “I am not afraid of anything anymore,” as we sat in my office. “I am simply not afraid. There was a time when I thought I had the perfect marriage, the perfect family, the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, the perfect life,” she said. “Then my husband left. The ideal immediately shattered. It was like one of those Ultimate Fighters started punching and kicking and knocking my life to the mat.” As she said this, she punched the air to emphasize the destruction. “The kids and I moved into a smaller house. I began to work full time. Everything changed.” Then she grew very still and asked, “Do you remember the scene in the ‘Passion of the Christ,’ when Jesus falls under the weight of the cross and his mother runs to him and as she bends down and their eyes meet, he says, ‘See, I make all things new.’ Remember that?” I told her it was a stunning moment in the film. “Christ really does make all things new. Look at my life now,” she said. “Through all the pain and broken hearted suffering, some good things arose. I made new friendships. I found real peace in church. The kids succeeded in college. Now, one is a pharmacist, another is in med school and my youngest is going to Italy to study art for her Master’s Degree this semester.” I know her kids; they are motivated, healthy, compassionate young adults. “It’s like Christ took our mess and reorganized it and made something beautiful of it. I am not afraid of anything that life throws my way anymore. Christ keeps us moving toward resurrection experiences.” A college class was graduating on a hot and humid day. As the graduates walked across the platform and received their diplomas from the college president, he smiled, shook their hands and said loudly, “Congratulations!” Then in a much lower voice that could only be heard by the graduates, he would say, “Keep moving.” The college president was only trying to keep the line moving across the stage, but his words are good advice for our lives: “Keep moving.” Wherever you go and whatever you do in this life, keep moving. Paul is saying the same thing. He wrote, “Endurance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint.” So, “Keep moving! Keep growing! Keep healing! Keep sharing! Keep forgiving! Keep loving! Don’t stop. Don’t stagnate. Don’t be afraid. There is more to this adventure of life than you have found yet. The One who makes all things new is your guide, your delight, your good news. Fr. Jeff McGowan |
