Fr Jeremiah Browne (National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies)
There is a beautiful Russian icon of the Blessed Trinity which was painted in the 15th century by a Russian monk named Rublev. The icon is regarded as one of the greatest pieces of religious art ever created and depicts a wordless conversation between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is based on an earlier icon known as the “Hospitality of Abraham” which depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the Oak of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-15) sitting around a table. The thing that is immediately striking about the Trinity Icon is the fact that there is a vacant place at the front of the table. The vacant place is meant to convey openness, hospitality and welcome towards the stranger and outsider.
For Rublev the symbolism is clear. At the heart of God we find a community of love, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who not only know, love and respect one another, but whose love and welcome both flows outwards revealing the misso dei, the mission of God, which is about God sharing God’s self with the world – but also opens itself up and welcomes others in, so that they may experience the intimacy of a deep and personal relationship with God.
How different our world, our society, our families, our marriages and our relationships might be if we took time to dig deeper and find our true selves as relational beings, rather than living on the surface where we measure our worth and the worth of others on outward appearances.
Real love, trinitarian love, is self-giving and only looks for the benefit of the other. Time and again we see this love manifest in the life of Jesus. It is evident in his care and compassion for others, in his respect for the person rather than their role in society, in his desire for healing and reconciliation, in his ability to welcome the stranger and to include those on the margins. He showed us that real love has no bounds.
The way of Jesus is an invitation to a way of living, loving, and relating that reflects a community of equals. It is found in the very ordinary ways that we offer each other love, care and forgiveness. It is also to be found when we raise our voices in condemnation in the face of injustice and inequality and when we stand in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. There is no freedom when all are not free. There is no equality when all are not considered equal.
So today, as we celebrate Trinity Sunday, what difference will our faith in the triune God make in our lives? Will we strive to live as people who recognise the importance of mutual respect and love? Will we seek a deeper truth about our existence, rather than being swayed by the marketing companies who sell the lie that ‘appearance’ will bring happiness? Will we work to build relationships, in the sure knowledge that it is only then that we can begin to heal our world and ourselves?
We are not alone in this great quest, because Jesus has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, (John 16:12-15) the one who is our strength. It is the spirit that guides us and gives us the courage and wisdom we need to make the best decisions in life. Let us pray for the grace of openness and a willingness to trust the one in whose image we are made, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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We have added a Prayer Section to our website. People who
wish to pray for the Missions will find the outline of the Mission Prayer there. Also, people who wish to request prayers may submit a confidential request on the website. Please visit https://missio-sacbc.org/payer-requests/
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