SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY A
WHAT’S YOUR IMAGE OF GOD?
JN 3: 16-18
In the world today, there are many and varying reactions towards God. In the poorer areas of the world, there is remarkable growth and strength of religious faith. People adhere to and cling to God for security, for a better future, and for hope in distress. Since many cannot rely on persons or institutions, they take refuge under the patronage of God.
In the progressive West however, people are abandoning God. People have grown more progressive, more intelligent, and more secure. Many feel they have no more need of God to supply what they desire or to answer the puzzles of their lives. Many do not seek God and do not know where to find him. In an interview, an Italian landowner quipped: “Well, God in heaven, or wherever he may be,…”
So who is God for us today? Where is God to be found? Our short and simple, yet profound Gospel today provides an answer. Jesus preaches to us that God is love. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in an ocean of love. Where there is genuineness of love, God is there.
The Gospel leads us to a deep insight on God. He is the Father who sent his Only Begotten Son. He is the Son who gave his life to us save us from our sins and from eternal death. He is the Spirit who gathers us all as adopted children of the Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus the Son. And while in the richer regions of the world, they seem to not need God, there is no lack of longing for the true and warm embrace of love in those places. And in the poorer areas of the world where people instinctively cling to God, this love of God is not superficial but experienced as a true accompaniment in people’s struggles and difficulties.
Jesus preached about God in his life, and above all, on the Cross. After his Resurrection, he poured out the Spirit on his disciples. In Jesus’ heart, we find no word or gesture of condemnation, no coercion, no rejection. He lived in love because that was the image of God he wanted us to realize and to accept.
Often our relationship with God is conditioned by the way we think of him. What is your image of God? Even good Christians sometimes think of God as a policeman who is on the watch for every wrong move; an accountant who balances our good works vis-à-vis our deficiencies; a judge who evaluates our performance; a false lover who cares more about himself than about us.
Let us think about God this week especially at Mass. Let us reflect on our own image of God. But let us begin with love. Relax, keep calm, remain in his presence and enjoy his company. Since he is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One God in Three Persons, he is never lacking in the love that you need in your life!
ourparishpriest 2023
