SOCL, The Solemnity of the Most Holy TrinityC

Sunday June 15, 2025

See

“Silence is the language God speaks and everything else is a bad translation” is variously attributed. Whoever penned it, it strikes a chord on the feast of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. As we stand before the absolute mystery of God, one and three, transcendent and immanent, greater than our hearts and yet closer to us than we are to ourselves, wordless prayer is fitting. And yet…the Mysterious Silence has been broken, if not by “mere” words then certainly by the Word made flesh, whose Spirit has been poured into our hearts.

Listen

Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

Reflect

(John 16:12-15)

Wisdom about life comes slowly and sometimes painfully. Hearing the ‘right’ answer at the ‘wrong’ time does not help us. We need to be ready and open to receiving the truth if it is to have any impact. Perhaps you can recall some occasions when it was the ‘right’ time for you to learn a truth about life. Remember your experiences of growing in understanding and truth.

Perhaps the Spirit guided you through the words of someone close to you, or through the words and actions of people you read about or saw on TV. Or maybe understanding came to you when praying or reflecting on your life. Remember and give thanks for the people who have helped you to greater wisdom on your journey through life.

Wisdom is handed on from person to person, and from generation to generation, within families, within communities, etc. Are there any particular gems of wisdom that you cherish from what has been handed on to you?

Pray

God, your name is veiled in mystery, yet we dare to call you Father; your Son was begotten before all ages, yet is born among us in time; your Holy Spirit fills the whole creation, yet is poured forth now into our hearts. Because you have made us and loved us and called us by your name, draw us more deeply into your divine life, that we may glorify you rightly, through your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word today, The Solemnity of the Most Holy TrinityC

June 16 - June 21, 2025

Monday 16 June

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 There is a great invitation in this reading: today is the day of salvation. Paul goes on to give a list of hardships endured as an apostle.

Matthew 5:38-42 We are always tempted to meet violence with violence. Jesus’ alternative is radical and different.

Tuesday 17 June

2 Corinthians 8:1-9 A great dream of Paul was the collection for the Christians in Judea and Jerusalem. Like any fundraiser, he tries to invite and to provoke the Corinthians Christians by underlining the remarkable generosity of the Macedonian communities, who are poor by comparison.

Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus quotes the usual attitude—love your neighbour, hate your enemy—and then gives a series of penetrating arguments to offer his alternative vision.

Wednesday 18 June

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Why should the Corinthians give to Paul’s collection? Here is gives arguments from faith and, intriguingly, from the nature of God.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 These two paragraphs surround the Lord’s Prayer and represent a Jewish devotional triad: alms, prayer and fasting. Any attraction to showiness in religion is resolutely set aside.

Thursday 19 June

St Romuald, abbot

2 Corinthians 11:1-11 A rather human side of Paul is revealed in this reading. He has been replaced in the affection of the Corinthians by other preachers and he minds! But he really does love his Corinthians, as we hear.

Matthew 6:7-15 The introduction to the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is central and helps us understand the prayer and its brevity. In reality, the Lord’s Prayer is not so much a prayer as a form of words but a method or series of steps in prayer.

Friday 20 June

The Irish Martyrs

2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 Pau is unwilling to put himself forward and so the reading is full of ironic affirmations. This paragraph is valuable for the information about the upbringing and ministry of Paul.

Matthew 6:19-23 The “voice” in these reading is the voice of Jesus, the bearer of wisdom. The first paragraph is clear enough and points us to what is of lasting value. It is easy to be distracted by the immediate and the tangible. The second paragraph speaks metaphorically of the eye as the “window” of the body. What is meant here is that our fundamental way of looking at the world and life affects every thing about ourselves and about our engagement with the world. How we allow the light in determines how much light we enjoy. This raises an essential question: where is my heart?

Saturday 21 June

St Aloysius Gonzaga, religious

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Some people in Corinth were attracted to leaders with spectacular spiritual experiences. In Paul’s mind, this is a wretched foundation for faith — and risks showing off. Nevertheless, he risks telling the Corinthians of his spiritual experiences, all the while affirming that this cannot be the foundation of the faith! It is a remarkable piece of writing — powerful in allusion and disclaimer.

Matthew 6:24-34 This is a favourite passage from the Sermon on the Mount, prized by people well beyond frontiers of Christianity. The vision is Jesus is not “airy-fairy” detachment, but a costly choice of values and attitudes, grounded in faith in God. We might feel there’s a risk of sheer impracticality but this is overcome by the general statement: “You heavenly father knows you need all these things.”

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025az, June 15). The solemnity of the most Holy Trinity. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061525.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings

One another, The Solemnity of the Most Holy TrinityC

June 15, 2025

Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

Holy, holy, holy God, in calling forth creation from the void, revealing yourself in human flesh, and pouring forth your wisdom to guide us, you manifest your concern for your whole universe. You invite us, as your people, to gather the world’s needs into our hearts and bring them before you:

For the Church: that we will live as a Eucharistic people, giving and sharing ourselves, as Christ continually does for us, so that all may have life: let us pray to the Lord.

For this assembly: that we may find strength in each Eucharist that we share so that we may profess in word and deed the dying and rising of Lord each day: let us pray to the Lord.

For our fuller participation in the New Covenant: that each sharing in the Eucharist may deepen our baptismal identity as beloved daughters and sons of God and our communion in Christ: let us pray to the Lord.

For all priests: that they may be renewed, strengthened, and drawn closer to God and God’s people as they celebrate the Eucharist: let us pray to the lord.

For all who cannot receive the Eucharist: that we, as Body of Christ, may be a source of God’s love and compassion for them: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who hunger for deeper meaning and truth: that our witness may help them find Christ who will fulfill the longings of their hearts: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who lack food and nourishment: that we may hear Christ’s challenge to “give them food” and open our hearts more fully to all who are in need: let us pray to the Lord.

For greater awareness and reverence for Christ’s presence: that we may recognize the many ways Christ is present in the Eucharist, in the scriptures, and in one another, and approach our celebrations with faith and reverence: let us pray to the Lord.

For an eschatological vision: that we may recognize our invitation to share in the heavenly banquet each time we share in the Eucharistic celebration: let us pray to the Lord.

For a greater spirit of openness and hospitality: that we may welcome all whom God sends our way and share with them the gifts that God has shared with us: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who bring the Body of Christ to the homebound and hospitalized: that they may be renewed through their service and be a support and a source of joy for those whom they serve: let us pray to the Lord.

For government leaders: that God will give them a new vision of how to address violence, firearms, and the use of force in our society: let us pray to the Lod.

For peace: that God will protect all who are caught in warfare or violence, bring an end to armed conflicts, and give strength to all who are working for peace: let us pray to the Lord.

[USA] For all fathers and those who have shown us a father’s love: that God will grant them peace and health, and help them give good example and a source of encouragement to their children: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have died, particularly our fathers: that God will welcome to the eternal banquet and fill them with life and peace: let us pray to the Lord.

Holy, holy, holy God,fill us with strength and courage,with discernment and compassion,that we may be your instruments of justice and love in this world, that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025az, June 15). The solemnity of the most Holy Trinity. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061525.cfm

-Cormier, J. (1995). Lord, Hear Our Prayer: Prayer of the Faithful for Sundays, Holy Days, and Ritual Masses.