Sunday, June 15, 2025

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.

JOSEPH, FOSTER FATHER OF THE SON OF GOD,
SAINT JOSEPH, THE JUST,
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD,
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
PRAY FOR US.

HEART OF JESUS, 
DESIRE OF THE ETERNAL HILLS,
HAVE MERCY ON US.

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible ...
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father ...
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
(The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed)

Welcome to the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One, One in Three. So important for us, this mystery of our faith, for as our Catechism teaches, "the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 234). It is no wonder that our holy father Saint Benedict tells us that "as soon as the cantor begins to sing, 'Glory be to the Father,' let all the monks rise from their seats in honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity" (RB 9:7). We pray with Saint Joannicus of Mount Olympus (d. 846): "My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my shelter is the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to you."

At the same time, we celebrate Father's Day, a day when we remember all fathers, biological, spiritual, foster, adoptive, all of them. May Saint Joseph, husband and father, intercede for them. Don't forget to pray for priests, and specifically thank the priest of your parish, for his faithful service as father and shepherd of his flock. Thank you to all priests. May Saint John Marie Baptiste Vianney intercede for you. We join Pope Saint John Paul II who prayed,

I would like to invoke the heavenly protection of Saint Joseph on all fathers and their duties in family life ... By concretely fulfilling their responsibilities, may each of them reflect God's provident and faithful love. May we obtain this through Saint Joseph and Blessed Mary, Queen of the family and Mother of the Church.
Amen.

And we hear from others, some with something to say about the Holy Trinity, others with something to say about fathers, and the priesthood too. Just remember to sign yourself big, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

When we cross ourselves, let it be with a real sign of the cross. Instead of a small, cramped gesture that gives no notion of its meaning, let us make a large unhurried sign, from forehead to breast, from shoulder to shoulder, consciously feeling how it includes the whole of us, our thoughts, our attitudes, our body and soul, every part of us at once. How it consecrates and sanctifies us.
(Romano Guardini, 1885-1968, Sacred Signs, p. 9)

The sign of the CROSS on me-deepest thoughts came with it-of I know not what earnest desires to be closely united with Him who died on it.
(Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821)

O my Three, my all, my beatitude, infinite solitude, immensity in which I lose myself ... Bury yourself in me that I may bury myself in you until I depart to contemplate in your life the abyss of your greatness.
(Saint Elizabeth the Trinity, 1880-1906) 

The Feast of the most Holy Trinity leads us to contemplate the mystery of God who unceasingly creates, redeems and sanctifies, always with love and through love, and enables every creature that welcomes Him to reflect a ray of His beauty, goodness and truth.
(Pope Francis, 1936-2025, Angelus Address, May 27, 2018)

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on the faithful.
(Psalm 103:13)

Like a fruitful vine
 your wife within your home, 
Like olive plants
your children around your table.
Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.
(Psalm 128:5-6)

Father of the fatherless, defender of widows-
this is the God whose abode is holy.
(Psalm 68:6)

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
(1 John 3:1)

If I were to become a priest, I would like to win many souls.
The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.
(Saint John Marie Baptiste Vianney, 1786-1589)

BLESSED PETER SNOW AND RALPH GRIMSTON,
SAINT RICHARD OF CHICHESTER,
ALL SAINTS OF SCOTLAND,
SAINT LUTGARD,
SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS,
BLESSED JOSEPH-MARIE CASSANT,
SAINT BOTOLPH,
SAINT OSANNA ANDREASI,
SAINT ALBERT CHMIELOWSKI,
VENERABLE MATT TALBOT,
SAINT ROMUALD,
SAINTS ALBAN, JULIUS AND AARON,
THE IRISH MARTYRS,
SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA,
SAINT JOHN RIGBY,
SAINT JOHN FISHER,
SAINT THOMAS MORE,
SAINT PAULINUS OF NOLA,
PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: These beauties are a gift from meine liebe Moni in Freiburg, Germany. Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come. Alleluia.

© Gertrude Feick, 2025

1 comment:

  1. Very beautifully written! Thank you for the inspiration, Sr Gertrude.

    ReplyDelete