June 19, 2011, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18
The second reading from 2 Corinthians
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18
The second reading from 2 Corinthians
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.
The Word of God
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Glory to you, Lord
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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
Liturgical cycles
Introduction
Liturgical cycles
The Nation’s liturgical cycle begins with Memorial Day summoning us to the fun of summer after the fury of winter. It explodes and peaks with the Fourth of July. The cycle starts to wane with the falling leaves of Labor Day, and is finally covered with a blanket of snow, as “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go” to celebrate Thanksgiving.
The Church’s liturgical cycle begins with the Father sending the Son in the Advent-Christmas season. It continues with the Son returning to the Father in the Easter-Ascension season. The cycle peaks with the Father and the Son sending the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. So today’s feast of the Mystery of the Trinity is well-positioned here at the end of the cycle.
The Church’s liturgical cycle begins with the Father sending the Son in the Advent-Christmas season. It continues with the Son returning to the Father in the Easter-Ascension season. The cycle peaks with the Father and the Son sending the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. So today’s feast of the Mystery of the Trinity is well-positioned here at the end of the cycle.
Theological humility
Mystery in theology is an honorable and respected word. It doesn’t mean `conundrum’ or `riddle’ or `puzzlement.’ Rather, mystery in theology refers to something so great that the finite human mind can’t fully fathom it. Theology, on the other hand, is the human attempt to fathom the unfathomable God. So there is Islamic theology: the Muslim’s attempt to fathom God. There is Jewish theology: the Jew’s attempt to fathom God. And there is Christian theology: the Christian’s attempt to fathom God.
There’s an obvious tug of war between mystery and theology. Mystery says God cannot be fully fathomed. Theology, on the other hand, says, “That might be true, but let’s try anyway.” St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), who theologically ruled the Church from the 13th to the 20th century, tried to fathom God, as he penned one volume after another in Latin about the ineffable God. But at the sunset of his life, he looked back upon his voluminous writings, and overcome with theological humility he exclaimed of his writings: “Mihi videntur ut palea.” “They seem like straw to me.”
Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) was one of the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Like Aquinas he, too, had theological humility. Though he had for his bottom line “Deus totaliter aliter” (“God is totally other” than what we say, think, or write about Him) Barth proceeded anyway to pen volume after volume about his “totally other God.”At the sunset of his life, however, Barth, too, made sport of his pretentious volumes saying: "The angels are laughing at old Karl Barth.”
There’s an obvious tug of war between mystery and theology. Mystery says God cannot be fully fathomed. Theology, on the other hand, says, “That might be true, but let’s try anyway.” St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), who theologically ruled the Church from the 13th to the 20th century, tried to fathom God, as he penned one volume after another in Latin about the ineffable God. But at the sunset of his life, he looked back upon his voluminous writings, and overcome with theological humility he exclaimed of his writings: “Mihi videntur ut palea.” “They seem like straw to me.”
Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) was one of the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Like Aquinas he, too, had theological humility. Though he had for his bottom line “Deus totaliter aliter” (“God is totally other” than what we say, think, or write about Him) Barth proceeded anyway to pen volume after volume about his “totally other God.”At the sunset of his life, however, Barth, too, made sport of his pretentious volumes saying: "The angels are laughing at old Karl Barth.”
Theological pride
To such theological humility is contrasted theological pride. That’s the pride which pretends to have God down pat. That’s the pride which destroys His Mystery (the very best thing God has going for Himself). When we pretend to have God down pat on issues like birth control, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, or on issues like priestly celibacy or male-only-priests, we destroy God’s Mystery (the very best thing God has going for Himself). When preachers pretend to have God down pat, as they proclaim AIDS to be divine pay-back upon immoral sinners, they destroy His mystery (the very best thing God has going for Himself).
A God whom we have down pat is also the best thing we have going for ourselves. Such a God is, indeed, convenient: we have Him obeying us, instead of us obeying Him!
A God whom we have down pat is also the best thing we have going for ourselves. Such a God is, indeed, convenient: we have Him obeying us, instead of us obeying Him!
Bin Laden had his God down pat.
The world’s most wanted terrorist, Usama bin Laden (b. March 10, 1957), was shot and killed on May 2, 2011, inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. His body was buried at sea. Bin Laden’s theology proclaimed Saudi Arabia to be holy ground, because it contains the two sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. [1] But that holy ground, bin Laden complained, was desecrated by the feet of Western infidels working in the oil industry of Saudi Arabia. His theology even declared Jihad (`Holy War’) against the Western infidels. Accordingly, in the name of “Allah, Most Merciful” he and his operatives sent two 747s crashing into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on 9/11, bringing down the famous Twin Towers (signature symbols of Western greatness), and murdering three thousand innocent infidels.
Bin Laden had his God down pat; God was no mystery at all to him. His God, in fact, was `an obedient God.’ Bin Laden’s God obeyed him, instead of him obeying God. And bin Laden cherished such a God as a father cherishes an obedient son.
Bin Laden had his God down pat; God was no mystery at all to him. His God, in fact, was `an obedient God.’ Bin Laden’s God obeyed him, instead of him obeying God. And bin Laden cherished such a God as a father cherishes an obedient son.
Rev. Phelps has his God down pat.
The Rev. Phelps, who claims to believe in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, also has his God down pat. Matt Shepard was a gay student from the University of Wyoming, whom two skinheads beat to a pulp and chained to a wooden fence out in the country, leaving him to die there, bathed in his tears and blood. Inflamed with the same homophobic hatred Rev. Phelps and his operatives picketed Shepard’s funeral with a sign which read, “God hates fags and buries them in hell—Romans 9:13.” At the end of the day, Phelps and his operatives do not believe in a God who is a trinity of Persons loving one another, and inviting us into that circle of love. They believe only in their own agenda, which they place in God in order to endow it with divine and deadly authority.
Phelps has his God down pat; his God is no mystery at all to him. His God, in fact, is `an obedient God.’ Phelps’ God obeys him, instead of him obeying God. And Phelps cherishes such a God as a father cherishes an obedient son.
A parish has its God down pat.
Some years ago I assisted in St. Michael the Archangel Parish, deep in the heart of Texas. In the vestibule of the church was positioned a huge muscular statue of the Archangel. The gospel that Sunday was about Jesus making the apostles fishers of men. In the homily I suggested the possibility of solving the acute shortage of priests which has been afflicting the Church for decades, by ordaining married men as fishers of men. I even suggested the possibility of ordaining women. Those `wild’ suggestions made many deeply unhappy. There ensued, I was told, a flood of fifty plus telephone-calls to the parish office, complaining about the preacher. The fury caused by the `wild’ suggestions to solve the acute shortage was characterized as similar to the great rumble which happened in that parish when Vatican II first broke upon it. The `peace’ of that parish had been greatly disturbed, and I was notified that it would have to be the parish’s way or the highway. I knew it would have to be the highway. As I look back now, I see that huge muscular statue of St. Michael the Archangel as protecting a God whom that parish had down pat.
St. Michael the Archangel parish, deep in the heart of Texas, under the watchful supervision of its pastor, had its God down pat; He was no mystery at all. He was, in fact, `an obedient God,’ whom that parish with its pastor cherished as a father cherishes an obedient son.
A mystic doesn’t have his God down pat.
Theological pride delights in the pretense of having God down pat. On the other hand, theological humility, delights in not having God down pat -- delights in simply not knowing -- delights in God’s mystery. Theological humility makes the strange claim that the very best thing we have going for God is His mystery. Meister Eckhart (1260-1328), a philosopher, theologian and mystic, did not have his God down pat; mystics never do. Eckhart was, in fact, a devoted `apostle of the Mystery of God.’ A friend writes:
Eckhart had an insight which most Catholics and worshippers of all types fail to grasp. The insight was that God is MYSTERY. When it comes to God we simply do not know. That stance, however, is beyond the ken of most people. It thwarts their desire for certainty. It pains them not to be certain about and cozily comfortable with an easy list of the things to believe. Anybody who insistently calls attention to God’s mystery will be hated by those who need to have their God down pat. You know what they did to Meister Eckhart[2].
At the end of the day, Eckhart was a mystic, and mystics specialize in not having God down pat. (What a strange specialization!) What a blessing it is when a parish specializes in not having God down pat. What a blessing it is when a parish specializes in God as Mystery!
Conclusion
Trinity: a good attempt
At the end of the day, Trinity, the Christian attempt to fathom God, is a good attempt. It has rich overtones. It speaks of God as a Father who loves and forgives us His wayward children. That lays an axe to the mean and revengeful god whom the Rev. Phelps has invented to hate `fags’ as he hates them. Trinity also speaks of God as a Son who in the fullness of time was born into the human condition and became Emmanuel – became God-with-us. Such a God stands in direct contrast to the gods of ancient Rome and Greece, who very often were not-with-us but against us. Trinity also speaks of God as a Holy Spirit who abides within us, and consoles us with the thought that on the long and arduous journey of life we are not lonely travelers.
[1] Mecca, the birthplace of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, is the holiest city of Islam and a pilgrimage site for all devout Muslims. Medina, the burial place of Muhammad, is the second holiest city in Islam.
[2] Mystic Meister Eckhart was tried as a heretic in 1327. Before the verdict was handed down Eckhart disappeared!
[1] Mecca, the birthplace of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, is the holiest city of Islam and a pilgrimage site for all devout Muslims. Medina, the burial place of Muhammad, is the second holiest city in Islam.
[2] Mystic Meister Eckhart was tried as a heretic in 1327. Before the verdict was handed down Eckhart disappeared!
