Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - Cycle B

Celebrant: We are blessed to be called God's chosen people. We bring our needs to the Father who is the source of all goodness.

Deacon/Lector:

That the Church may be faithful to Christ's command to make disciples of all nations and may flourish throughout the world, we pray to the Lord.

That bishops and priests may work tirelessly to foster within the hearts of the people a strong love for their faith, we pray to the Lord.

That world leaders may work diligently to promote peace among all nations, we pray to the Lord.

That as the Life of the Trinity fills God's People, they may, as the People of Life, bring about a new respect and protection of every human being's right to life, we pray to the Lord.

That every member of our parish family may respond generously to sharing their God-given gifts and talents in the work of God's kingdom, we pray to the Lord.

That those who have died, especially those in the military who gave their lives in service to this country, may experience the everlasting peace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Heavenly Father, hear and answer the prayers which we place before you this day. We ask these things through your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Praise the Holy Trinity

Some truths, like the very existence of God, can be known by human reason alone. Other truths, like the fact that God is One in Three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – can only be known if God reveals them to us. We could never conclude on our own that God is a Trinity. Today’s Feast is not only an opportunity for thanking God for telling us more about himself. It is an occasion to take courage as we strive for deeper unity within the human family. God reveals himself to us in order to make us more like himself – not just as individuals, but as families, nations, and an international community. We grow in unity as we give ourselves away to one another, just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give themselves to each other completely. 

Click here to watch a video with homily hints

Dt 4:32-34, 39-40
Rom 8:14-17
Mt 28:16-20

Preaching pro-life on the Feast of the Holy Trinity leads us to comment on the reality of “communio". Seen in a unique way in the Trinity, this is a reality lived on a human level as well. It is first of all a gift, and secondly a task, consisting of a total self-giving to one another. The unity of families, nations, and the world depend on it. As the bulletin insert above indicates, this is a key reason for today’s Feast.  

A particular application is in the matter of abortion. There are no two human beings closer than a mother and her unborn child. Abortion disrupts, denies, and distorts the union of these two persons, and in doing so, further destroys family and societal unity. Most marriages break up after an abortion, and the woman often experiences an inability to bond with future children or even enter into future relationships with men. Her ability to trust and to make life decisions is impaired by abortion. 

Standing for life and protecting the unborn means fostering the “communio" we see, in its ultimate form, in the Trinity. Life is preserved precisely when it is given away in self-sacrificing love.