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Here is the study for 6:30 am, Saturday morning, June 10th, 2006 in the Hearth Room at Epiphany.

Responding to God’s Great Love for Us

Sunday, June 11, 2006
The Holy Trinity
Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
Psalm 33:4-6,9,18-20,22
Romans 8:14-17
Matthew 28:16-20

Click here for readings  (For quick review only; bring your Bible)

Beginning in Advent, which is the birth of a new church year, and continuing through to Pentecost, we are asked to follow Mary’s lead by treasuring and pondering everything that God has done for us: God’s plan for creation, his plan to rescue us through Jesus, and his plan to lead and guide the church through the power of the Holy Spirit until Jesus comes again.

Today, as we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we mark a change in direction. Today’s feast acts as a kind of a bridge between the first half of the church year, when we follow the path of salvation history, and the second half, when we are asked to respond to the salvation Jesus won for us.

So today we cross the bridge. We’ve commemorated so much since Advent, and now it’s time to respond. And appropriately, Trinity Sunday sets the perfect stage for our response. On this day, as we ponder and treasure the way God has revealed himself to us, we are confronted with a mystery we will never be able to fathom. And in the face of this great mystery, we might be tempted to ask why God would even care to reveal himself and his love to a people whom he created but who have turned away from him in sin.

It’s only when we connect with the Holy Spirit that we come to appreciate the one word that most clearly describes our Triune God: love. Love is the reason why God creates. Love is the reason why Jesus saved us. Love is the reason why the Holy Spirit has chosen to live in our hearts and mold us into the image of Christ. And love is the reason why God will never give up on us.

So ask yourself today, “How can I best respond to the God who has been so good and kind to me?” But be sure also to ponder God’s love, the love that has moved him to do everything he has ever done for you.

“Pour out your love upon us, O Lord, so that we might know you and walk in your presence each day.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. What has God been teaching you this Easter season about himself? What steps have you taken, or what additional steps can you take, to develop a more personal relationship with the Father who loves you? The Son who redeemed you? And the Holy Spirit present within you in power?
2. Following Moses' example in the first reading, how would you be able to present the truths of God’s saving works through Jesus Christ? How would you present the incredible truth that God emptied himself and became man, suffered and died in our place, and sent his Spirit so that we could share his very life?
3. The responsorial psalm ends with, “Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you.” What part of your life do you give to God, “who is our help and our shield?” In what ways do you withhold part of your life from God's help and protection?
4. The second reading says that we can call God “Abba,” the Hebrew word for “daddy,” a term of love and childlike familiarity. Do you view God the Father as a loving and tender father or as a strict enforcer of his commandments (like a cop in the sky)? What steps can you take to change your view of your Heavenly Father and develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with him?
5. The Gospel presents an expression of our faith in the triune God, in whose name we were each baptized. Have you ever reflected on the graces of God, received in the Sacrament of Baptism and through faith in Jesus Christ? In what ways should such reflections cause us to praise and adore God for showing us his mercy and giving us a share in his divine life? What mercy has God revealed to you this Easter season? How much time each day do you spend praising and thanking God for what he has done for you?
6. The meditation calls us to ponder the goodness, kindness, and love we have received from the Triune God, especially the love of God that caused him to create us, save us, live within us, and mold us into his image and likeness? What are some ways you can respond to this great love within your families, within the parish, and within your men's group?

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