Homily for the Trinity Sunday (Cycle A)
Based on Jn 3:16-18
(Gospel), Ex 34:4-6, 8-9(First Reading)
and 2 Co 13:11-13(Second Reading)
From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
LOVE THE WORLD
“God loved the world so much that he gave
his only Son” (Jn 3:16).
The Gospel
reading for this Trinity Sunday is from Jn 3:16-18.
Verse 16 says: Yes, God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Mt. 21:37 - Finally he sent his son to them.
They will respect my son’ he said.
2.
Rm. 8:32 - Since God did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that
he will not refuse anything he can give.
3.
1 Jn. 4:9∆ - God’s love for us was revealed when
God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him.
Verse 17 says: For God sent his
Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through him the world
might be saved.
Parallel texts are:
1. Jn
1:1 - In the beginning was the Word:a
the Word was with God and the Word was God. Footnote a
says: “The O.T. speaks of the Word of
God, and of his wisdom, present with God before the world was made, cf. Pr.
8:22+; Ws. 7:22+, by it all things were created, it is sent to earth to reveal
the hidden designs of God; it returns to him with its work done, Is. 58:10-11,
Pr. 8:22-36, Si. 24:3-22, Ws. 9:9-12. On
its creature role, cf. also Gn. 1:3,6 etc.: Is 40:8,26, 44:24-28; 48:13, Ps.
33:6, Jdt. 16:14, Si.42:15; on its mission, cf. Ws. 18:14-16, Ps.107:20;
147:15-18. For John, too, 13:3, 16:28,
the Word existed before the world in God, 1:1-2, 8:24+, 10:30+. It has come on
earth, 1:9-14, 3:19, 12:46, cf. Mk 1:38+, being sent by the Father;
3:17,34,5:36, 43, 6:29, 7:29, 8:42, 9:7, 10:36, 11:42, 17:3,25,cf. Lk 4:43, to
perform a task, 4:34+, namely, to deliver 3:11+, 8:21, 12:35, 13:3, 16:5,
17:11, 13, 20:17. The incarnation
enabled the N.T. and especially John, to see this separately and eternally
existent Word-Wisdom as a person.”
2. Jn
4:42 - And they said to the woman, ‘Now
we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves
and we know that he really is the savior of the world.m Footnote
m says “Not merely ‘King of
Israel’ as in 1:49. This world perspective is typical of John cf. 1:29; 3:16;
11:52; 1 Jn. 2:2. Nevertheless ‘salvation comes from the Jews,’ 4:22”.
3.
Jn12:47 - If anyone hears my words and does not
keep them faithfully, it is not I who shall condemn him, since I have not come
to condemn the world but to save the world.
4.
2 Cor. 5:19 - In other words, God in Christ was
reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he
has entrusted to us the news that we are reconciled.
Verse 18 says: No one who
believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned
already because he has refused to believe in the namei of God’s only
Son. Footnote i says: “Semitism:
the ‘name’ is the person.”
Parallel text is Ac. 4:12 that says: For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one
by which we can be saved.e Footnote e says “‘Jesus’ means ‘God saves’, Mt. 1:21.”
The First Reading is from Ex 34:4-6, 8-9.
Verses 4 and 5 say: And so Moses cut two tablets of
stone like the first and, with the two tablets of stone in his hands, he went
up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as Yahweh had commanded him. And
Yahweh descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there.
Parallel text for verse 4 is
Ex 24:12 that says: Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and
stay there while I give you the stone
tablets – the law and commandments – that I have written for their instruction’
Verse 6 says: Yahweh
passed before him and proclaimed:c Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of
tenderness and compassion, slow to anger and rich in kindness and faithfulness. Footnote
c says “Yahweh fulfills
his promise, 33:19-23 and reveals his divine attributes, most particularly his
loving kindness.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Dt 7:9-10 - Know then that Yahweh your God is God indeed, the faithful God who
is true to his covenant and his graciousness for a thousand generations towards
those who love him and keep his commandments (v. 9), but who punishes in their
own persons those that hate him. He is not slow to destroyc the man
who hates him; he makes him work out his punishment in person (v. 10). Footnote c says “Alternative
translation ‘allowing no substitute he destroys’ (cf. Jr 32:18). The v.
emphasizes individual responsibility, cf. Dt 24:16, an advance on Ex 34:7;
Ezekiel has still to come.”
2.
Lk 6:36 - Be compassionate as your Father is
compassionate.
Verse 8 says: And Moses
bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped.
Parallel texts are:
1.
Ps 86:15 - Lord God, you are always merciful and tenderhearted, slow to
anger, always loving, always loyal…
2.
Jr 32:18 - You show
kindness to thousands but repay the father’s guilt in full to their children
after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth!
3.
Na 1:3 - Yahweh is slow to anger but immense in power. Most surely Yahweh will
not leave the guilty unpunished.b I storm and whirlwind he takes his
way, the clouds are the dust stirred up by his feet. Footnote b says
“The last four lines are apparently a
later commentary on v. 2a, intended to forestall misunderstanding of the nature
of God’s anger.”
4.
Jl 2:13 - Let your
hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to Yahweh your God again, for he
is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready
to relent.
5. Jn
1:14 - The word was made flesh, m
he lived among us, n and we saw his glory,o the glory
that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. Footnote
m says “The ‘flesh’ is man
considered as a frail and mortal being, cf. 3:6, 17:2, Gn 6:3, Ps. 56:4, Is
40:6,see Rm 7:5+.”; Footnote n says “Lit. ‘pitched his tent among us’. The incarnation of the Word makes God
personally and visibly present to mankind; it is no longer a presence unseen
and awe-inspiring as in the Tent and Temple of the old regime, Ex. 25:8+; Cf.
Nb. 35:34, nor merely the presence of divine wisdom enshrined in Israel’s
Mosaic Law, Si. 4:7-22; Ba. 3:36-4:4.”; and Footnote o says “The ‘glory’ is the manifestation of God’s
presence, Ex. 24:16+. No one could see its brilliance and live, Ex 33:20+, but
the human nature of the word now screens
this glory as the cloud once did. Yet at times
it pierces the veil, as the transfiguration, for instances, cf. Lk.
9:32, 35 (alluded to in Jn 1:14?) and when Jesus works miracles –‘signs’ that
God is active in him, 2:11+, 11:40;cf. Ex. 14:24-27 and 15:7, 16:7f. The resurrection will reveal the glory fully,
cf. Jn 17:5+.”
Verse 9 says:
If
I have indeed won your favor, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg.
True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and
adopt us as your heritage.’
Parallel texts are:
1.
Ex 32:11-14 - But Moses pleaded with Yahweh his
God. ‘Yahweh’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this people of
yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and
mighty hand? (v. 11). Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that
he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the
face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this
disaster on your people (v. 12). Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your
servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make
your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I
promised I will give your descendants, and it their heritage forever (v. 13).’
So Yahweh relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he threatened
(v. 14).
2.
Nb 14:14 - They have said as much to the
inhabitants of this country. They already know that you, Yahweh, are in the
midst of this people, and that you show yourself to them face to face; that it
is you, Yahweh, whose cloud stands over them, that you go before them in a
pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
3.
Dt 20:4 - Yahweh your God goes with to fight for
you against your enemies and to save you.’
The Second
Reading is from 2 Co 13:11-13.
Verse 11 says: In the
meantime, brothers, we wish you happiness; try to grow perfect; help one
another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with
you.
Parallel text is Ph 3:1 that says: Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.a
It is no trouble to me to repeat what I have already written to you, and as far
as you are concerned, it will make for safety. Footnote a says “Paul
interrupts the conclusion of the letter to add a long postscript.”
Verse 12 says: Greet one
another with the holy kiss.d All the saints send you greetings. Footnote
d says “The liturgical greeting which symbolizes
Christian brotherhood, Rm 16:16; 1 Co 16:20; 1 Th 5:26.”
Parallel texts are:
1.
Rm 16:16 - Greet
each other with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.g Footnote
g says “This greeting, not
found elsewhere in Paul’s letters, show his veneration for the church in Rome.”
2.
1 Co 16:20 - All the brothers send you their
greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Verse 13 says: The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you all.e Footnote e says “The Trinitarian formula probably derived
from liturgical usage, cf also Mt. 28:19, is echoed in many passages of the
epistles where the several functions of the three Persons are referred to as
the various contexts suggests: Rm 1:4+; 15:16,30+; 1 Co 2:10-16; 6:11,14, 15,
19; 12:4-6; Tt 3:5f; Heb 9:14; 1 P 1:2; 3:18; 1 Jn 4:2; Rv 1:4f; 22:1; cf Ac
10:38; 20:28; Jn 14:16,18,23. Note in 1 Co 6:11; Ep 4:4-6 the triple
formulation emphasizing the Trinitarian thought. Cf also the trio of the
theological virtues in 1 Co 133+.
Parallel texts are:
1.
2 Co 1:20…and however many the promises God
made, the Yes to them all is in him. That is why it is ‘through him’ that we
answer Amen to the praise of God.
2.
1 Co 2:10 - This are the very things that God has
revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depth of everything,
even the depths of God.
3.
Ep 2:18 - Through
him, both of us have in the one Spiritq
our way to come to the Father. Footnote q says “The one spirit that gives life to the single
body (of Christ who is one with his Church) is the Holy Spirit who has changed
the form of the body now it has risen, and by doing so has come down on each of
the parts of which it is made up. The Trinitarian structure of this section is repeated in v. 22.”
4.
Ep 4:6 - and
one God who is Father of all, over all, though all and within all.b Footnote
b says “Var. (Vulg.) ‘within
all of us’.”
5.
Ph 2:1 - If our
life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at alla,
or the Spiritb that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy… Footnote a says “Lit. ‘If there is any exhortation in Christ, if there I s any incentive
in love’; this is a very friendly but a very powerful appeal, in the name of
all that is holiest.”; and Footnote b says “Almost certainly meant to be taken as a Trinitarian reference: in this
case ‘love’ is appropriated to the Father, cf. 2 Co 13:13+.”
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