(Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9; Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-14; John 3:16-18)

Every time we start a prayer, we start by saying – In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do this at the start and end of Mass and we recognise the significance of the Cross before we hear the Gospel by tracing the sign of the Cross on our head, our lips and our chest. This is a request to God that He will place the Gospel in our minds, on our lips and in our heart.

These same words are the words we hear as our Christian life begins, when the celebrant says the words, ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.  The Trinity is central to our Christian life and by using the Sign of the Cross, we not only recall our Baptism but we are placing God at the centre of our life and by recalling that Our Lord is the Son of God, leads us to think of the Father, whose Son He is and of the Spirit which He promised and sent to us.[1]

The Scripture readings we have today outline the importance of the Trinity in our lives. In the reading from the Book of Exodus, we have Moses; having returned to Mount Sinai after having smashed the original stones which God had inscribed with the 10 Commandments; return and God tells him that the He is ‘the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.’ The LORD also demonstrates this mercy and faithfulness by inscribing fresh stones which He had ordered Moses to cut; remembering that Moses had smashed the stones because of the Jewish people’s sinfulness.

In the place of the psalm today we use a small selection from the Book of Daniel allowing us to praise God in the same way that Daniel did when he was faced with imminent death for not bowing down to false gods. Pope Benedict XVI said about today’s Solemnity ‘the liturgy invites us to praise God not merely for the wonders he has worked, but for who he is; for the beauty and goodness of his being from which his action stems.’[2] Using the reading from Daniel allows us to praise and exalt God for the many benefits and gifts He bestows upon us; as his beloved children.

In the second reading from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we are encouraged to remember that we are his children and that everyone else who professes Jesus to be the Son of God is our brother or sister. For this reason, he says we have to live in harmony, support one another and love one another.

When I think about this in my life, I know that I struggle. A very recent example of this, was earlier this week when I let my frustrations get the better of me because an activity that Pam and I were doing together, wasn’t done the way I wanted it to be done. I wonder why it had to be done my way? Did I not trust that someone else could have a different, maybe even better way of doing this? Why do I and perhaps we, make things like this so important, that it affects the harmony we should be enjoying as brothers and sisters in Christ? What does my anger tell me about myself? Why do I put my pride first, rather than be life giving to the people I love?[3]

In St John’s Gospel we hear that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that we, who believe, would not perish. Our belief in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit call on us to set aside our own needs; and look out for the needs of those around us. The beauty of this is that if we surround ourselves with other people of faith, then they will also be looking after our needs.

I started this reflection by saying that our Christian life begins by us hearing the words of our Baptism. If we are truly blessed, our life may end by hearing the words from a prayer attributed to St John Henry Newman which is a prayer for the dying –

          Go forth upon the journey, Christian soul!

          Go forth from this world! Go in the name of God

          The Omnipotent Father, who created thee!

          Go, in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,

          Son of the Living God, who bled for thee!

          Go in the Name of the Holy Spirit, who

          hath been poured out on thee!

          …Go on thy course;

          And may thy place today be found in peace,

          And may thy dwelling be the Holy Mount

          of Sion; – through the Name of Christ our Lord.

          [Newman, ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ Verses on Various Occasions, 326][4]

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

CCC 202, 232-260, 684, 732: the mystery of the Trinity
CCC 249, 813, 950, 1077-1109, 2845: the Trinity in the Church and her liturgy
CCC 2655, 2664-2672: the Trinity and prayer
CCC 2205: the family as an image of the Trinity[5]

Please accompany in your prayers

  • All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
  • Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
  • Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
  • The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
  • Those affected by addiction.
  • Those in need of work.

Deacon Tony

30th May 2026

[1] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 53-55.

[2] Pope Benedict XVI, The CTS New Sunday Missal, People’s Edition, [Catholic Truth Society, London 2024] 818.

[3] Mark & Liz Dutton, I Am With You, Year A, Scripture Reflections for Couples, [TWO IN ONE FLESH, Caterham, 2013] 140-141.

[4] Quoted by Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 54.

[5] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments