Dear friends in Christ
The central dogma and mystery of the Christian Faith is the Blessed Trinity—God is three Persons, equal in divinity, united as God. This is the most fundamental of all the doctrines of the Christian Faith and it distinguishes Christians from all others who hold diverse theories about God. Because this is such a rudimentary tenet of our Faith, we begin and end everything we do and say by the invocation of the Trinity: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this way, we situate all we are and do within the very life of God Himself. This includes the Mass, all of the Sacraments, all our work, and the way we should begin and end each day—in the name of The Trinity. How do we know that God is a Trinity of Persons? Because God Himself in Jesus Christ has revealed this to us: The Father and I are one…I am going to the Father and will send you the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who will teach you everything. This is how we know that we approach God as a Trinity of Persons, undivided in majesty, equal in glory.
Next weekend is the beautiful Solemnity of Corpus Christi—The Body and Blood of Christ. This feast celebrates the love of God for us made concrete in the Blessed Eucharist, His Presence with us on earth until the end of time. Cardinal William Allen, founder of the English College, Douai, my alma mater, would say that the Eucharist is the love knot between Christ and His Church: Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is His bride; the Holy Eucharist is the bond that unites them. This is a beautiful analogy of what happens at Mass and how this Real Presence of Jesus continues even outside of the Mass so that we can have The Lord present in all of our Catholic Churches for our adoration and consolation. For centuries the Church has celebrated this feast with Processions and Benedictions of the Blessed Sacrament—a public way of acknowledging what is most central and precious in our Catholic Faith. Our Holy Father Pope Leo, does this in the City of Rome too. Next Sunday let us join in this Procession which begins at 4pm in the Church, and again reclaim the streets of our Town for Our Blessed Lord.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale