As we progress through the liturgical year we take in turn the wonderful sayings and miracles of Christ, we contemplate the great events of salvation, the birth of Christ, the Last Supper, his passion and death, his resurrection and ascension into heaven, the birth of the Church at Pentecost, the Eucharist on Corpus Christi. But today we contemplate the greatest mystery of all, the Blessed Trinity, the source of all that was, is and is to come. Today we contemplate the inner mystery of God himself. And I use my words advisedly; we contemplate the mystery of God. We contemplate —what else can we do in the face of God but contemplate. To contemplate is to turn our gaze on him, to empty our hearts and minds of all other thoughts. In contemplation we become aware of his majesty, his glory, and wonder at his greatness and the extraordinary depth of his love.
There is no higher form of prayer than this; just to spend time away from all our other preoccupations and in reverent silence become aware of his presence which is ever with us but which we constantly push to the background. Yes, by all means recite your usual prayers; pray over the scriptures; ask God for all your needs; turn to him for forgiveness; offer him your heart and mind and indeed your whole life. But don’t finish your prayers at this point—no, go on. Go on and with your mind’s eye just gaze on his majesty and glory. Say nothing; just spend some time wondering at the greatness and gentleness of God. Don’t worry about how long you should do this, or whether you are doing it well or not, or whether it is time for tea.
Empty your mind of everything else and just ‘be’ with him. He who is the source of your being surely deserves some moments of your time so don’t be mean and give him just a few seconds every now and then. This is the one who will in due course draw you into eternal communion with him so let yourself get used to his presence here and now. I say that this is the highest form of prayer, but it is also the most essential form of prayer, indeed this is prayer with a capital P. This is what all the rest leads up to. We contemplate the mystery of God. And indeed it is a very great mystery. Not a mystery in the sense of a puzzle, although a puzzle he certainly is; but a mystery in the sense that we are full of wonder and awe in his presence, a mystery in the sense that our human understanding can only begin to appreciate.
But God has, in fact, chosen to reveal quite a lot about himself to us. This gradual revelation can be traced through the pages of the Old Testament and then the culmination of revelation is set forth in the Gospels in the person and words of Jesus. Today we celebrate the revelation that he is three persons in one God —Father, Son and Spirit. This wasn’t handed down from the mountain in tablets of stone like the Ten Commandments but it was revealed directly to us by God himself in the person of Jesus his Son. Jesus himself is the personal revelation of God; he is God made manifest in the world and to the world.
Jesus taught us that he came from the Father, he told us to call him Abba, he taught that the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things and he taught us that he is love. When he returned to the Father Jesus bequeathed to us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth who would guide and protect the Church keeping it holy and free from error in matters of faith. Pontius Pilate famously said, “What is truth?” But Jesus tells us in the Gospel today that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and that he will guide us to the complete truth. What is this truth? It is all that we Christians have come to believe that God has revealed to us. Perhaps we should rephrase Pilate’s question: not “What is truth?” but “Who is truth?” And the answer is: “The truth is God alone.” God is love, God is true, God is one.
There is no error in him; there is no evil; there is no disunity. God is above all, and is over all, and brings all things together in himself. In due time the whole created order will come to this realisation and will bow down and worship him in humble adoration. All these things we believe as Christians, all these things we know to be true. And the Blessed Trinity is the highest model for our Christian life. Three distinct persons, yet one God; each person living in harmony and perfect unity with the others. The three persons of the Trinity have their own roles and function but there is no disunity only perfect harmony. The Church of God on earth aims to reflect this unity and this is indeed Christ’s wish and prayer for us, “May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you.” (Jn 17:21) We are a living community of faith and as such we really do strive for the unity Christ prays for. There are plenty of problems along the way caused by sin and our human failings but we really do long for that unity that Christ desires for us. In the risen life of heaven we will be taken up into God and become one with him.
This is our true destiny but it is a destiny that through our Baptism has already begun for us. So let us strive to reach this goal with the help of the Holy Spirit and let us do nothing that causes division or damages this community of faith. Let the people around us realise that something extraordinary is happening here. Let them see that the unity, that the truth, that the love of God is shining forth from this place and that he is really present among us. That this is not merely a community gathered in name alone but is a manifestation of the presence of God himself here in this place.