Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

 

 

   Have you ever been on a long hike, and suddenly, the path opens up to a magnificent lake?  Standing next to a lake can be a beautiful experience.  You can be awestruck at its size, the calmness of the water, the birds flying over it, or the wildlife growing all around it. This lake is like the Holy Trinity, a vast and beautiful mystery. Standing near the water is wonderful, but entering the lake takes your experience to a new level. Now, the water surrounds you completely.  You are no longer admiring the lake; you can feel, taste, and hear the water as you immerse yourself deeper. And your perspective completely changes. 

 On today's feast day of the Most Holy Trinity, don't just admire the beauty and mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Dive right in. Immerse yourself in the love of the Holy Trinity.  Let the depths of God's love reveal a truth you cannot understand from the shoreline, and allow the Holy Trinity to enlighten and change you.  Live fully in the awe-inspiring beauty of the Holy Trinity. You can indeed feel God's love by simply standing near Him, but let His love draw you in deeper, for the mysteries beneath the surface are life-changing.  Swim deeply with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and experience how They move together with you. 

  And although you will never reach the bottom of the lake, just trying will be the thrill of a lifetime.   Once you enter the waters, you will never want to leave. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and dive right in to embark on this joyous journey of spiritual growth!

-Susan

I Love You , Holy Spirit!

 

  Today, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles! What an incredible moment that must have been. Even though it was extraordinary, I hope today isn't the only day you celebrate the Presence of the Holy Spirit. I often hear people say, "I forget to pray to the Holy Spirit, or I would rather just pray to Jesus." I love praying to Jesus, too, but let me share some thoughts on why you shouldn't forget about the Holy Spirit. He is much more than just a Pentecost or Confirmation idea. The Holy Spirit is not a separate entity from Jesus; rather, He is part of the Trinity, the three persons in one God. Each person of the Trinity —the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit —has a unique role in our lives.

  The Holy Spirit is God. He is the divine Presence within us. God is not out there somewhere; He is so close that He touches our thoughts, dwells in our hearts, and opens our eyes to all the glories of God and the needs of our neighbors. The Holy Spirit amplifies the Word of God so that our ears hear and our thoughts extend beyond ourselves. The Holy Spirit helps us contemplate God and teaches us how to love one another. More than that, the Holy Spirit assists us in becoming holy. He empowers us to overcome our weaknesses, grow in faith, and become more like Christ.

  We cannot see the Holy Spirit, but we feel Him moving within us. Similarly, we cannot see the Kingdom, yet it exists, and the Spirit calls us to live in this Kingdom and embrace the love that pours from its foundation. The Holy Spirit is the invisible movement of God within us. There is no one closer to us than the Holy Spirit. He hears our every sigh, encourages all our dreams, and strengthens us to carry our crosses. Pray that this powerful fire of God burns brightly within you and that the embers of His fire draw others close to experience His Love through you.

-Susan

  

Linger With Me

 

  While praying the rosary this week, I felt the pull to linger on the Transfiguration a little longer. Of course, the Transfiguration is a significant moment for Jesus, Peter, James, and John. It is a moment when the apostles come face to face with Jesus' divinity. They witness the Presence of the Holy Spirit and God as a bright cloud and then audibly hear the voice of God speak directly to them.  Wow!

  The apostles experienced the Divine with their senses. But how do we experience God’s Divine Presence? The Holy Spirit has been dwelling within us since our baptism.  Do you allow yourself to fully embrace this truth?  Have you truly taken the time to consider how incredibly unique and miraculous this reality is?  The Transfiguration was a miraculous moment in time, and since Pentecost and our own Baptisms, we have been living miraculous lives!  And if this was not enough, we touch the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ every time we receive the Holy Eucharist! What a privilege! Wow!

  I need to address a question that came to mind while praying.  Do I believe God is who He has revealed himself to be?  Do I believe He is truly present in me and my life, or am I like so many in the crowds that followed Jesus shouting, “Give us another miracle so we can believe!”

-Susan

The Beauty of the Holy Trinity

 

 Some people don't love mystery and intrigue. They want everything to fit inside a labeled box with clearly defined definitions and perimeters. The Holy Trinity is a mystery that goes far beyond our understanding, and I'm okay with that. I will spend my life chasing the mystery of the Holy Trinity, knowing I will never learn all there is to know, but just enthralled with every little new clue revealed to me!

 I enjoy hiking with my family, especially in the mountains. When you are walking, the world's natural beauty is all around you. It's peaceful and quiet. You know your surroundings because you don't want to take the wrong path mistakenly. Even if you are tired or hot, you just keep going because you know this path will be incredible in the end! Whether it is a mountaintop view of the world or a breathtaking waterfall, the trail's future is more than your senses can take in.

 This is how I see the Holy Trinity. It is a beautiful, mysterious adventure. Even though I cannot comprehend the Trinity nor the path He will lead me down, I can feel the beauty of His Love all around me. Whether I am conversing with God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit, I speak with a God who is Love itself. And no matter how tired I am, I thirst for Him. Of course, I am just a small child with little thoughts, and I'm okay with that because when the time is right, God will reveal His magnificence so that I can comprehend how mighty He truly is. So, for now, I will follow all God's clues allowing this quest to shape my future for tomorrow and all eternity!

-Susan

 

Praise the Holy Trinity

 

 I wish I could say I fully understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity, but it is way beyond my thoughts.  Although I can’t comprehend, I feel incredibly blessed to have this living mystery in my life. It is amazing to me that when I was only an infant, God began sharing His divine life with me through the holy waters of Baptism.  Day by day, year by year He has been calling me to draw closer.  Even when I held back, God never did. He continued to share every part of Himself with me-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

 This week try to discover something new about the Holy Trinity.  Ask Mary to guide you in this journey.  The mysteries of the Rosary can reveal so many different insights of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   Even though we may not be able to completely grasp the meaning of the Trinity, we can grasp our Rosary beads and try to see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through Mary's eyes. No one knows the Trinity better than Mary, who is His handmaiden, mother and spouse. Let us ask Mary to help us praise the Holy Trinity.


-Susan

Holy Trinity

  Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Every time we pray we begin with our belief in the Holy Trinity—"In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The sign of the cross is easy to do, but wrapping your head around the mystery of the Holy Trinity is not. To be honest, I’m ok with not being able to comprehend the depth of this mystery, because just scratching the surface of this relationship of love is so incredible to me. I don’t have to understand it completely, I just want to be completely a part of it. 

  St. Thomas tells us that the “Holy Spirit, Himself is Love.” The Holy Spirit is the love the Father and Son share for each other.  The Trinity is the most powerful example of love, and  is often symbolized as a triangle. (The triangle is structurally the strongest geometrical shape.)  It is this amazing, powerful love that God shares with each of us. It's okay that we don’t completely comprehend three persons in One God, we merely need to be open to placing ourselves in the midst of this triangle of love. We then need to love others the way God does. As we invite others to experience God's love, we build the Kingdom. 

  I like to imagine that each of us is a triangle in the Kingdom.  Each of us is surrounded by the love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  We are bonded one to another in this Kingdom of Love. A Kingdom so strong, no power of evil could destroy it. The Kingdom is not waiting until the end of time to be built, it is only waiting for you to begin each day of your life “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

-Susan

Celebrating the Holy Spirit!

It's time to Break the Glass

  I have been thinking  about this passage a lot lately.  I have been wondering if I really live as though the power of Christ dwells in me.  Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle that blocks the power of the Holy Spirit is ......me.  I make up excuses....if only I had more time....more resources.....more talent....more opportunity-- I could do so much more.  I have discovered that I am much better at making excuses than I am in exploring the living, powerful, mysterious Presence of the One who dwells in me.  I feel that I have only scratched the surface, but it is time to break the glass and allow God's Spirit to do more in my life.  I no longer wished to be controlled by what I perceive to be my limitations.  God lives in me,  and I need to stop limiting His power by my weaknesses.  I need to hand my small thoughts and actions to God and let His powerful Spirit take over.  Dwelling with the Spirit is so much more than I ever realized!

-Susan

Think, Pray, Love

Sometimes keeping it simple just makes good sense. Enjoy your day!

-Susan

One of those days...

  Everybody has them.  Those days where nothing seems to go in our favor.  Stress and anxiety can really take a toll on us both physically and spiritually.  When your having one of those days (or weeks) please remember to ask the Lord to help and refresh you.  Prayer doesn't magically take away our problems, instead it allows God to enter our lives and help us.  Immersing ourselves in the presence of God can add a dimension of hope, understanding, or patience that we formally lacked.  Let's take a moment to sit back and just be with God with this simple meditation.
  Imagine that you hear God calling your name and He invites you to come to the water.  He is near the ocean shore and is waving to you, beckoning you to come closer.  You take your shoes and socks off and feel the warm sand beneath your feet as you walk towards Him.  He smiles as you approach and points to two empty beach chairs.  As you both sit down, you feel the waves of the ocean gently splashing over your legs and feet.  The water is a warm and relaxing.  God reaches for your hand and says, "I really just want to be with you right now."  As God holds the palm of your hand in His, you close your eyes and feel the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit moving through you.  Feel the warm rays of God's love on your face as your mind relaxes and releases the stress of the day.  Take in a deep breath and then exhale allowing your body to sink deeply into the chair.  Spend a few moments doing nothing else but just being with God.  
  After a few moments you feel someone touch your other hand and you smile when you see that Jesus has pulled another chair up next to you.  He looks at you and then places something very tiny into your hand-a few grains of salt.  As you close your eyes again you hear Jesus say, "Remember you are the salt of the earth do not lose your flavor.  Relax and let us restore you."  Just stay here and dwell with the Holy Trinity as long as you are able to....

-Susan
  

Your Baptism

  On your baptism, God's Plan for you was to be surrounded by the the love and light of the Holy Trinity and to have a life freed from sin.  Each week as we place our hand in the holy water of the Baptismal font we should take a look at our reflection.  Does your life still reflect God's holy plan for you?

-Susan

Carrying the Cross

The cross is a very recognizable symbol of our faith.  In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me." 

Each one of us is challenged to carry our own cross.  It is both a symbol of victory over sin and death and at times a difficult reality of our daily lives as disciples.  But what is the best way to carry our cross?  Here is what I have discovered on my quest.  Place the intersection of the the two beams on your strongest shoulder.  For when you struggle and look for help in this endeavor, as you look up you will encounter God the Father, and when you look to one side you will encounter God the Son, and when you turn your head to the other side you will encounter God the Holy Spirit.  It is at the intersection of the Trinity that your cross will be the easiest to bear.  Be careful not to drag your cross behind you, because your strength must come from the power of the Trinity.  Call out their names as you take each step and listen to Their Voice as they guide you.  When you carry your cross on your shoulder the Presence of the Trinity surrounds you, when you drag it behind you, you must turn your eyes and heart backwards and it may cause you to stumble.  My friends let us continue our quest being very mindful how difficult some crosses are to carry and let us pray for strength for ourselves and for those who are struggling.

-Susan

The Holy Trinity

  Catechism classes have been in full swing this fall.  Theresa and I are teaching a fourth grade class.  I really love teaching.  The awesome part about teaching is that you get to talk about how amazing God is for over an hour with a group of kids, who in turn, tell you their understanding and experiences of God.  Often helping someone else come to a better understanding of their faith forces me to look at my faith from different vantage points.  It offers opportunities for personal growth and enlightenment.  We started the year off talking about the Holy Trinity.  Teaching that we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is an important and necessary truth of our faith.  However, it is also one of the most amazing and mysterious aspects of our faith.  I told my class that it's alright if you can't fully understand the Trinity.  No one can.  God's ways are so above our ways.  But I think it is important to embrace the mystery Holy Trinity with open arms and begin to unwrap and discover as many layers as you can.  It will be a lifelong project of loving moments, thoughts and prayers beckoning you to a deeper understanding.  I hope that thought thrills you as much as it does me.  I would like to suggest that over the next week you begin asking yourself what is your understanding of the Holy Trinity?  How does this mystery influence your life?  And then I hope you spend the rest of your life discovering the answers.  It is a holy quest worth pursuing.  Let's talk more about this in the future...

-Susan