Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Missal May-June 2022

Most Holy Trinity (S) (C)
Proper

FIRST READING

From the Book of Proverbs (Prv 8:22-31)
Thus says the Wisdom of God: “The Lord created me as the beginning of his work, before all his deeds, from of old. From eternity I was formed, from the beginning, from the origins of the earth. When there were no ocean depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth, when he had not yet made the earth or the fields or the first clods of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; when he marked out a circle over the abyss, when he made firm the clouds above, when he fixed the fountains of the abyss, when he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command, when he established the foundations of the earth, I was beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the human race.” – The Word of God.

Commentary on the First Reading

In Jewish spirituality, the role of Wisdom is essential. It is a radiance of God's goodness, through which it is possible to discern the Creator's powerful hand throughout all creation. The Book of Proverbs presents Wisdom as a person who, addressing human beings, invites them to listen to her so that they may attain wisdom. She is present as the Creator carries out his work and participates in the splendid realization of creation. The New Testament adopts this tradition, but with an important new element: the Wisdom referred to in the sacred books is not merely an allegorical personification. She became incarnate, walked historically among us, and spoke words full of holiness: she is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What appears in Proverbs, therefore, as a reflection on wisdom will be revealed in its fullness when the One who was from the beginning becomes flesh and the Spirit is shown as the source of wisdom. Therefore, if you want to know something about the mystery of the Trinity, you must go to Jesus and ask him to help you understand the secrets of God: he will share them with you with great joy.

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans (Rom 5:1-5)
Brothers and sisters, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. And not only that: we boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – The Word of God.

Commentary on the Second Reading

When God asks us to love him, he knows perfectly well that, on our own, we would not be able to do so. The love he has shown and continues to show toward each one of us is too great for us to be able to respond to him. For this reason, he takes care to pour the gift of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. The third Person of the Trinity enables us to respond to God with the same love and the same attentive care that he shows toward us: it is the love poured into our hearts at Baptism, the immense gift confirmed in the sacrament of Confirmation, the “concrete” presence of God in our inner temple, that presence we must seek and invoke at every moment of our lives. Therefore, we must not be afraid of God's holiness. It is true that we always remain poor creatures; but thanks to the Holy Spirit, we have the possibility of entering into deep communion with him, relating to the Most High just as two trusted friends do.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John (Jn 16:12-15)
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” – The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

One of the things the Spirit has gradually revealed to the Church is the mystery of the Trinity. It is a mystery that reveals the hidden, mysterious, and inaccessible face of the Father, a face unveiled to us by God made flesh: Jesus Christ. Added to the mission of the Son is that of the Spirit, who glorifies Jesus in order to show him as the eternal Son of the Father, from whom he has received everything: “Everything that the Father has is mine.” Thus the Holy Spirit brings Christ, his work, and the saving mystery that unites him in the communion of life with the Father to perfect knowledge. This truth, already clearly expressed and proclaimed by Jesus and in the writings of the New Testament, has been explored ever more deeply over the centuries; little by little, God has revealed himself to us as one God in three Persons, and, with the Spirit's assistance, we have come to understand that there is unity and equality among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But what is truly most important is that Jesus has helped us understand that the Trinity, more than a mystery to be grasped by the mind, is a reality in which we immerse ourselves through love and charity. When you truly love, you know the very essence of God, one and three.