The Solemnity
of the Most HOLY TRINITY


A. An Inexhaustibly Great God
B. Love Is God's Name


Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18
Daily Gospel • Sundays Into Silence
Preaching the Word



Greeting (See Second Reading)

I greet you with the greeting of the second reading:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. An Inexhaustibly Great God

With joy and gratitude we celebrate today the solemnity of the Blessed Trinity. When we think of the mystery we honor today, the question is not so much: who is God, but, as Scripture itself puts it: who is God for us? And the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, answers, in a variety of ways: God is a mystery of love. God loves us. With Psalm 8 we say: what are human beings that you spare a thought for them? Thank you, Lord, thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All praise to you through Jesus!

B. Love Is God's Name

On today's feast of the Blessed Trinity what can we really say about God? If we try to define God, to say who God really is, we can do no more than stammer and use images. We begin to understand God much more easily if we reflect on what he has done for us and for all God's people. And then we discover that, above all, God has loved us and keeps loving us as a forgiving, merciful God, a Father who cares and is tender as a mother, as the Son who became one of us and made us free at the cost of his life, as a Sprit of love and unity and strength who keeps guiding and inspiring us and who prays with us and in us here in this eucharist.

Penitential Act

Let us ask the God of tenderness and of love
to forgive us that we have not responded to his love.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, face of the Father,
in you we see God's love reflected:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, peace from the Father to us,
you bring reconciliation to the whole world:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, our life and unity
through the Spirit poured out on us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
in your compassion take all sins away from us
and lead us to the joys of everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to our loving God
and ask that his Spirit may inspire us
to respond to his love
(PAUSE)
Lord our God,
we are too small to understand you,
but we know that you care for us
and have linked our destiny to yours.
Thank you for loving us
and standing by our side in our sorrows and joys.
Thank you for giving us Jesus
to take away our sins and to bring us
life and happiness and trust.
Thank you for letting your Spirit lead us.
Warm our hearts and unite us,
dispose us to accept all your love
and to respond to it by entrusting ourselves to you
with all that you have made us and given us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.


Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: A God of Tenderness and Compassion
           God makes himself known to Moses as a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger and rich in love and faithfulness. He walks with his people.

First Reading: Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9

 

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai
as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there
and proclaimed his name, "LORD."
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own."

Responsorial Psalm: Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
 R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
 R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!


Second Reading Introduction: Blessing from God, A Trinity of Love
            The God of love and peace is with us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We often use this greeting of St Paul at the beginning of the eucharist.

Second Reading: 2 Cor 13:11-13

 

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.


Gospel Introduction: The Father Sent Us His Son
            God is in love with people. The proof is: he sent his own Son into the world, among people, not to condemn us but to save us. What greater proof of God's love can we have?

Gospel Reading: Jn 3:16-18

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Commentary


Everything that we have and all that we are is a pure gift from God. Our life, our opportunities, our families, and above all our Catholic faith are all precious gifts that flow from the infinite wellspring of the love of God. Proof positive of God's love is His sending into the world His only begotten Son, the greatest gift He could ever give us, the gift given so that we might have life and have it to the full.
The bestowal of a gift invites a response: acceptance of the gift and a sincere response of thanksgiving. May we be certain to do both each and every day of our lives.

Introduction to the Creed

Together with Christians all over the world, we profess our faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is the faith in which we were baptized.
General Intercessions

God is our creator and Father, made himself visible to us in his Son. Through his Spirit he loves us and wants to make Jesus known and loved. Let us pray: R/ Lord our God, hear our prayer.

- Father, creator of heaven and earth, help us to respect your creation,
to develop this world and to make this earth fruitful for the benefit of all people, we pray: R/ Lord our God, hear our prayer.

- Father, you have made your love of people visible in your beloved Son Jesus Christ, one of us, human like us, and our Savior. Help us to grow more like him and to continue on earth his task of bringing salvation and freedom to all, we pray: R/ Lord our God, hear our prayer.

- Father, you pour out your life and love through your Holy Spirit in the hearts of people. Help us through him to heal what is wounded, to soften what is hard and to warm what is cold, we pray: R/ Lord our God, hear our prayer.

- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, let this community and your whole Church become a living sign to this world of your own community of love, we pray: R/ Lord our God, hear our prayer.

Lord our God, be the foundation and the meaning of our Christian lives and lead your pilgrim people to the fullness of your life and love in the unity of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Our God and Father,
we bring this bread and wine before you
as the fruits of your kindness
and of our toil.
Let your Holy Spirit fill them with his power,
to make your Son Jesus Christ present here among us,
that we may share in Jesus' offering
and that through Christ and with him and in him
we may give you all honor and praise
now and for ever . R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

We now reach the core of the eucharistic celebration. We praise and thank the Father; we offer and pray to him with and through Jesus Christ; we ask the Holy Spirit to change bread and wine into Christ and to make us more the living body of Jesus Christ.

Introduction to the Lord's Prayer

United in the Holy Spirit,
let us pray to God our Father
the prayer of Jesus our Lord: R/ Our Father...


Prayer of Peace and Unity

(The sign of peace is stressed on account of the invitation to the kiss of peace in the second reading.)

Father, you promised us your peace
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Let there be peace in your Church
and peace in the world.
Give peace to us, your community here.
Let the sign of peace
which we are about to give to one another
be expr