June 11, 2017: The Most Holy Trinity
Catholic Social Teaching: Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
The presence of the laity in social life is characterized by service, the sign and expression of love, which is seen in the areas of the family, culture, work, economics and politics according to specific aspects. Complying with the different demands of their particular area of work, lay men and women express the truth of their faith and, at the same time, the truth of the Church’s social doctrine, which fully becomes a reality when it is lived concretely in order to resolve social problems. In fact, the credibility of this social doctrine comes more immediately from the witness of action than from its internal consistency or logic.
Having entered into The Third Millennium of the Christian era, the lay faithful will open themselves, through their witness, to all people with whom they will take on the burden of the most pressing calls of our time. “Drawn from the treasures of the teaching of the Church, the proposals of this Council are intended for all men, whether they believe in God or whether they do not explicitly acknowledge him; they are intended to help them to a keener awareness of their own destiny, to make the work conform better to the surpassing dignity of man, to strive for a more deeply rooted sense of universal brotherhood and to meet the pressing appeals of our times with a generous and common effort of love”. (551) Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Readings
First Reading: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
Psalm: Daniel 3: 52, 53, 54, 55
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel: John 3:16-18
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the “mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God”. To be sure, God has left traces of his Trinitarian being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout the Old Testament. But his inmost Being as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to Israel’s faith before the Incarnation of God’s Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit. (237) From the Daily Roman Missal, Introduction to the, Most Holy Trinity Cycle A
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:
John 3:16
To the people of our time, her travelling companions, the Church also offers her social doctrine. In fact, when the Church “fulfils her mission of proclaiming the Gospel, she bears witness to man, in the name of Christ, to his dignity and his vocation to the communion of persons. She teaches him the demands of justice and peace in conformity with divine wisdom”. This doctrine has its own profound unity, which flows from Faith in a whole and complete salvation, from Hope in a fullness of justice, and from Love which makes all mankind truly brothers and sisters in Christ: it is the expression of God’s love for the world, which he so loved “that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). The new law of love embraces the entire human family and knows no limits, since the proclamation of the salvation wrought by Christ extends “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). (3)
With her social doctrine not only does the Church not stray from her mission but she is rigorously faithful to it. The redemption wrought by Christ and entrusted to the saving mission of the Church is certainly of the supernatural order. This dimension is not a delimitation of salvation but rather an integral expression of it[82]. The supernatural is not to be understood as an entity or a place that begins where the natural ends, but as the raising of the natural to a higher plane. In this way nothing of the created or the human order is foreign to or excluded from the supernatural or theological order of faith and grace, rather it is found within it, taken on and elevated by it. “In Jesus Christ the visible world which God created for man (cf. Gen 1:26-30) — the world that, when sin entered, ‘was subjected to futility’ (Rom 8:20; cf. Rom 8:19-22) — recovers again its original link with the divine source of Wisdom and Love. Indeed, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ (Jn 3:16). As this link was broken in the man Adam, so in the Man Christ it was reforged (cf. Rom 5:12-21)”. (64)
For complete text visit: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html
Reflection
The Trinity magnifies love, given as a gift. To perceive the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as authoritarian importers of condemnation are figments of our imagination wedging us farther apart from the Divine mystery that anchors faith. The Trinity is not just for the most holy, most righteous, most devout, but everyone with faith. A faith Jesus said did not need to be gigantic, humongous, but the size of a mustard seed. One of the smallest seeds as a metaphor for faith nurtured by the love of the Trinity grows into a large plant metaphorically blossoming into vibrant flowers and offers shelter to the workings of creation. The gift of the Trinity allows us to be gifts to others. To disavow the Trinity one condemns oneself thru the separation from the infinite love, unable to live in peace. The void from a freefall into a spiritual blackhole. An infinite abyss of searching, loathing our contentment thru modalities further deepening the angle of ascent into ambiguity. For the Trinity nudges us to mend our ways to see with eyes of faith, live with hearts of justice and hands of compassion. A process of not living with fingers pointed in judgement, but hands applauding and voices encouraging the embrace of Trinitarian precepts establishing a road of personal and universal peace. A process of not coalescing to submission of dominate paradigms of earthly decrees, but the collegiality of collaboration. A time to listen, discuss, ask questions and discern, so agreement with one another is not forced intimidation, but a mutually attained understanding of unraveling just a smidgen of the mystery. A process where acceptance turns to belief, so acceptance of another solidifies into agreement. The Trinity comes to us rich in kindness and fidelity and slow to anger about our expression of unbelief. Will we give the Trinity permission to come into our company and exhibit the freedom to take us into the mystery or does our timidness leave us harnessed to our stiff ways?
Individual Reflection: 2nd Corinthians 13:11-13
May we be encourage the Trinity’s fragrance of non-violence in the world: The Catholic Non-Violence Initiative launched with a Vatican Conference in April 2016: https://nonviolencejustpeace.net
The conference’s final statement calls on the Church to:
• Continue developing Catholic social teaching on nonviolence. In particular, we call on Pope Francis to share with the world an encyclical on nonviolence and Just Peace;
• Integrate Gospel nonviolence explicitly into the life, including the sacramental life, and work of the Church through dioceses, parishes, agencies, schools, universities, seminaries, religious orders, voluntary associations, and others;
• Promote nonviolent practices and strategies (e.g., nonviolent resistance, restorative justice, trauma healing, unarmed civilian protection, conflict transformation and peacebuilding strategies);
• Initiate a global conversation on nonviolence within the Church, with people of other faiths, and with the larger world to respond to the monumental crises of our time with the vision and strategies of nonviolence and Just Peace;
• No longer use or teach “just war theory”; continue advocating for the abolition of war and nuclear weapons;
• Lift up the prophetic voice of the church to challenge unjust world powers and to support and defend those nonviolent activists whose work for peace and justice put their lives at risk.
See the full statement here: An appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence.
In this time of great violence and injustice, we invite people everywhere to join this powerful initiative by:
• Learning more about the Nonviolence and Just Peace conference
• Studying, endorsing and spreading the appeal
• Reading the background papers
• Studying and practicing Gospel nonviolence
• Getting involved in spreading, integrating and activating Gospel nonviolence in the Church and in your context
• Staying in touch
Conference sponsors included the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International
Family Reflection: 2nd Corinthians 13:11-13
June is a time of graduations, weddings and Father’ Day. Celebrations usually including the giving of gifts. Instead of buying a material gift, give the recipient a gift card from Kiva, so they can make a micro finance loan to assist someone in the global human family. https://www.kiva.org
Prayer: Glory Be
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
Blogs to Visit:
http://marynow.wordpress.com/
As we reflect upon Mary’s presence in the mysteries of the Rosary, we are blessed to know her. For her journey, a timeless trek, calls us to surrender, continuing conversion, humbleness and justice now.
https://peaceonjustice.wordpress.com/
Weekly lectionary reflections, for faith sharing groups, parish bulletins, newsletters or personal prayer, from the synergy of the Word we hear and the rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching.
https://cst74life.wordpress.com/
Catholic Social Teaching offers seven principles for upholding life in our thoughts, decisions and actions.
http://idocst.wordpress.com/
How we do Catholic Social Teaching.
https://csmresources.wordpress.com/
Creation sustainability ministry resources in the spirit of the St Francis Pledge.
https://smrep.wordpress.com/
Social Ministry Resources Engaging Parishes: Monthly and liturgical seasons resources for use with parish websites, bulletins and newsletters
Involvement Opportunities
List one or two upcoming events, legislative action alerts or social justice websites
By Barb Born May 26, 2017 The reflection maybe used in parish bulletins, newsletters or for faith sharing groups without copyright concern.
