(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: https://brothersinchristcmf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mass-Blog-for-Trinity-Sundayt-2025.mp3)
Proverbs tells us that the Holy Spirit of Wisdom was God’s teammate in humanity’s creation. Sunday’s account from that book makes it sound like fun. Wisdom says,
“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.” (Proverbs 8:22-31)
Could it be that God delights in us the same way parents delight in watching their children grow through the toddler stages? They’re awfully cute, the way they fall down but keep getting back up. Just imagine how a child’s faith is fueled while meeting each developmental challenge (as cheered-on by the parents). Imagine the hope that advances growing children through succeeding stages, from crawling to walking, then from riding a bike to driving a car. As they advance, their responsibility for the welfare of others grows, too.
Early learning fuels progress and self-love, while later advancements feed wisdom via love for others. Such progress is painful, but boasting about it like a child of God energizes us toward our goal—as Paul tells us in Sunday’s second reading:
“We even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)
Jesus gave this Holy Spirit a name, so we’d recognize and advance toward it: Truth. Jesus embodied it and made space in our soul to be its eternal tabernacle. The Wisdom of the Father delights in our lifelong attempts to maintain our faith by grasping at it while moving on in hope to every learning landmark that gets us closer to unity with God. Each epiphany brings us closer to the perfect truth Jesus challenged his disciples to achieve as he described that Holy Trinity’s partnership with us.
“Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that [the Spirit of Truth] will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)
Life on earth seems like our own personal World Series, except Triple plays like the one Jesus just described happen without anyone being tossed out. We’re put in the game hungering for perfect truth as relayed by the Father to the Son through the Spirit—all of whom cheer as any parent would while watching their child head home to grasp it, and them, completely.
–Tom Andel
Your comment about hungering for perfect truth seems to encapsulate the great dilemma the human race faces.
What is perfect truth?
What is our essential purpose?
Why am I here?
Where am I headed?
What’s it all about?
I find the more I ask myself these questions, the more I am challenged to to confront “the reality of my reality!” Often times I come to the conclusion that I find myself drifting aimlessly in my privileged situation taking for granted the many, many blessings I’ve been given. God is so good. His goodness is limitless.
It makes me wonder at the times I have been good, kind, or thoughtful to someone without getting a thank you or acknowledgement and how I can let that irk me. What a joke I can be.
How often do I completely take for granted the multitude of gifts and blessings from the Lord with little thanks or consideration?
Yep
Our greatest challenge in life is to live it as a prayer–not only one of words, but attitude. If we live by words alone, then there will be long stretches of our lives where we are not mindful of God. Thomas, in your prayer above, asking about life’s purpose, you sound like David in his Psalm 8:5, in which he asks our Creator: “What is man that you are mindful of him?” This is an earthly king with many of the privileges of kingship, pondering his place in God’s infinity. God answered his question by becoming one of us and giving up His earthly life so we could have everlasting life. So, in that light, let’s turn the tables and ask, “Who is God that I am mindful of Him?” Living a life of mindfulness answers that prayerful question without using words. Our life, like the life of Love that God lived for us, is the greatest prayer we can give back to God.