Feast of the Holy Trinity
Scripture:
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Reflection:
Artists have given us many images of God. Michelangelo drew a powerful image of God the Father on the wall of the Sistine Chapel. We have countless drawings of Jesus from his birth in Bethlehem to his death on Calvary. The Holy Spirit is often pictured as a dove or a fiery tongue. The Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been depicted by a triangle, three interwoven circles, or a three-leaf clover.
However, I have never seen a drawing, a picture, a sculpture or a stained glass image depicting God — either Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, or all three — singing. Singing! Yet, that is what we hear through the prophet Zephaniah. "God will rejoice over you with gladness. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals." (Zeph 3:18) Our first reading today tells us that the Wisdom of God "found delight in the sons of men." (Prov 8:31) In chapter 62 of Isaiah we read, "As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you." (Isaiah 62:5)
God takes delight in his creation! God sings out of love for us. (And my guess is that God sings in three-part harmony.)
In our second reading St. Paul tells us, "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit…"(Romans 5:5) This love urges us to delight in and sing joyfully over the same people God delights and, indeed, over all of creation. Come, let us imitate Wisdom and spend our time rejoicing and "playing on the surface of the earth."(Prov 8:31)
Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California. http://www.alanphillipcp.com/