30/05/2010 - HOLY TRINITY - C
1Reading Prov 8,22-31 Psalm 8 2Reading Rom 5,1-5 Gospel Jn 16,12-15
"I don't ask you to take them from the world, but to guard them from the evil
one". The disciples of Jesus are not to escape from the opposition of the world,
because it gives them the occasion to be witnesses. The hatred towards them give
them the possibility to manifest a strong, true and real love for the Lord. This
is the most fruitful ministry of evangelization, according to the old saying: "The
blood of martyrs is seed of new Christians"! In fact Jesus does not provide
to his disciples an easy life, without difficulties. He simply asks the Father to
guard them from the evil one. It is the same prayer he taught them, which has the
same ending, saying: Father, lead us not into temptation. This is how we pray it
in English, but the greek text could be translated as "take us away from the
evil one". The greatest danger for us is to be under the power of the evil
one, of the one who draws us away from God, who makes us see the Father as an opponent
or enemy, someone who is not able to love us anymore. If the evil one can have power
over us, we become able to hate, to envy, to draw away others from him, those whom
the Father loves and wants to save. When we see a Christian who suffers because
of persecution is not that ugly as watching some one who hates, who defends himself
with violent words or actions. Jesus asks the Father to protect our interior life.
We are to love him always from within, and have be merciful, patient, comprehensive
and compassionate with every one, even with those who made us suffer. To love those
who don't love us, is true life, either wise we won't be different than the pagans,
and make useless the passion and the exaltation of Jesus on the cross. The Father
can guard us from the evil one, and he does it in many ways. First he answers our
prayers that we pray in Jesus name; then he knows that our desire is to be always
his true children and so it is. Hence, let us thank the Father who listens to what
Jesus asks of him, and gives us all the necessary help so that we are safe. We thank
him for those who come across our way and give us a word or an example to help us
move forward. He also lead our life events so that we are saved from spiritual dangers,
and makes our hearts and our minds desire to follow his holy way.
St. Paul makes us share his great discovery: "We are at peace with God through
our Lord Jesus, the Christ". Truly, Jesus is the way to the Father, who allows
us to recover our communion with him, to enjoy the fact that we were made worthy
of God and to be able to have an unconditional trust in him. With Jesus we are not
to fear anything, not even of those tribulations that put us in hard trials. The
apostle says in fact that tribulations produce patience and from this, hope, that
is the sure hope that we are beloved by God. With this teaching st. Paul fulfills
the words of Jesus, who said that he could not say it all, because they were not
ready to live the commitment of being totally his. He had promised that the Holy
Spirit would complete his teachings, revealing the secrets of the Father's love,
a love which is present even in the persecutions and tribulations. Hence Jesus himself
make us understand that we are at the center of attention of the love of God, who
is a Father, because he generated a Son who lives in us, whom we know and love.
This Son loves us so much to give us the Spirit of love that unites us with the
Father. He is a Spirit who reveals the secrets of God, up to the point that there
would be no barrier between us and heaven, and go beyond any distance between our
humanity and the divinity of that God who is love.
Both st. Paul and Jesus speak of the Trinity in God not as if it is a doctrine we
should know, but as a life in which we are to be immersed, and a love by which we
are embraced. The mystery of God is not a difficult mystery to understand, but it
is more a mystery that invites us to experience it's beauty and let ourselves be
embraced by it. If this does not happen, we remain in darkness, in the confusion
of sin which is generated by egoism. The last books of the Old Testament start to
reveal God as a love who is not closed on himself, but who gives life to "another"
love so that he can live a close relationship. Knowing our God is important: in
such a way we see in which direction our life is to grow and reach it's fullness.
Having been created to the image and likeness of God, we are truly alive when every
thought and action come from love and lead to love, when the Spirit of God works
in us and through us. Let us thank God for revealing himself to us, sinners, in
all his beauty and holiness. Let us enjoy today this revelation, and enjoy the fact
that we can also reveal the mystery of his life by sharing his/our love.