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Men of Epiphany will be meeting this Saturday, June 2nd, 6:30 a.m. in the Hearth room. If you can make it, this study is a marvelous preparation for each week's Mass readings.

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Being Brothers in Christ, Reflecting the Life of the Trinity

Sunday, June 3, 2007
The Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:22-31
Psalm 8:4-9
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we acknowledge the central mystery of the Christian faith: that our God is not one but three—three divine Persons in one God. It is the one statement that separates us from all of the other religions in the world, and it is the foundation for everything else that we profess and believe as Catholics.

But the teaching of the Trinity really explains much more than mere metaphysical propositions. It tells us about the inner life of God—the intimate love and communion that is constantly flowing between the Father, Son, and Spirit. God is far from an isolated being or uninvolved deity. His very existence has to do with relationships.

If it is God’s nature to share himself, and if we are created in his image, it follows that we too are meant to share our lives with each other. As Paul reminds us, we are the body of Christ, and a body “is not a single part, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14). We were built to be in communion with one another, joining together to build the kingdom and to proclaim the gospel to all of creation. It’s a tall order, and anyone who has tried to do it alone knows that it just doesn’t work!

But the Trinity is more than just a model for togetherness: It also gives us the power to live it! We really can love one another as fully as Jesus loves us—if we draw from the love of God that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Jesus promises that as we deepen our relationship with one another, our lives will start to reflect the very life of the Trinity—and that’s how we can experience the joy we are meant to know as Christians!

“Holy Spirit, draw us all into the love that you share with the Father and the Son! Stir up your gifts within us, so that we may pour out that same love on one another!”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1.     The fundamental truth on which everything in Christianity is based is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name we are all baptized. In fact, everything we do as Catholics begins and ends in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What can you do this week to make your appreciation of the Trinity in the Sign of the Cross more meaningful?

2.     Reflect on the following verses in the First Reading: “ the Lord possessed me, the beginning of his ways,” “from of old I was poured forth,” “then 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 the earth; and I found delight in the human race.” In what way do they give us a glimpse into the relationships and intimacy within the Trinity?

3.     In the Responsorial Psalm, we see the primacy of man: “You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.” Why should this truth motivate us to be good stewards over God’s creation? How well would you rate your own stewardship? What steps can you take to improve it?

4.     The Second Reading tells us that “the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Can you share a time in your life when you have “experienced” God’s love for you, not merely “known” about it?

5.     In the Gospel, we also get another glimpse into the Trinity through these words of the Lord Jesus: “He (the Holy Spirit) will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and 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.” What do these verses tell us about the relationships between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

6. In the meditation, we hear these amazing words: “But the Trinity is more than just a model for togetherness: It also gives us the power to live it! We really can love one another as fully as Jesus loves us—if we draw from the love of God that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Jesus promises that as we deepen our relationship with one another, our lives will start to reflect the very life of the Trinity—and that’s how we can experience the joy we are meant to know as Christians!” If you are in a men’s group, what steps can you take to deepen your relationships with the men in your group? What steps can you take to build relationships with other men in your parish?  

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayer to St. Joseph  ~  Glorious St. Joseph, guide and protector of the Holy Family, we ask that you obtain for us from your son, Jesus, the strength and wisdom to lead our families to their Father in heaven. Most Chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we imitate your obedience to the will of God and be ever mindful of the vocation to which we have been called. Amen