“TRINITAS”
Saint John 3: 1-15
The Feast of the Holy Trinity: 7 June Anno Domini 2020
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
There was a man of the Earth, named by the ground from which he was created, Adam, a ruler of all that was created. He had dominion for he was made in the Image of His Creator. He tried to destroy His Maker and worship himself instead. This is you for you are his sons and daughters. You are “old Adams” in and of yourselves. So too was that Pharisee that came by night.
But thanks be to The Lord that Nicodemus, “a ruler of the Jews” was not like Caiaphas the High Priest or most of the other 70 members of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus was like you. He was a sinner. “I am a man of unclean lips.” He was a coward. He came to Jesus by night for fear of what the discovery of his weak faith might do to his life. As a “ruler” his vocation, his responsibility was not to control his charges—the people of Israel, but rather he was to have served as a faithful shepherd—a spiritual pastor to teach and lead the citizens of Jerusalem in their long-awaited anticipation of God’s Messiah. Like all pastors, Nicodemus fell short. Like all Christians, Nicodemus fell short. But where was he? Where did God the Holy Ghost place him that fateful evening—when it was night—when it was dark? “The wind bloweth where it listeth.” God the 3rd Person calls, gathers, and enlightens the elect. None chosen from before eternity will be lost. The Paraclete creates faith by the Word in The Word. The Spirit places Nicodemus face to face with The Son.
Nicodemus, like you, had the “Bible.” This Pharisee, hypocritical just like you, had the Scriptures. He had the Hebrew writings of Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms—Genesis through Malachi; you have the same Old Covenant along with the New Testament—the Greek Bible of Matthew through Revelation. That Hebrew Word was enough to give hope, trust, and faith to Nicodemus. Like Bartholomew of Bethsaida, this Pharisee had “hope in the consolation of Israel,” in the coming Christ of God. But he needed to be place in the presence of God. He needed to be placed, like Moses, into the location of that ‘burning bush,’ that ‘Sinai encounter,’ that ‘living Glory’ of God’s presence tabernacling over the Mercy Seat of the Ark. You can have your Bible all day, all week, all year long. You can even read your Bible from time to time. But God the Blessed Trinity is three-in-one and one-in-three: Family, Lover, Beloved, Love in action. God is motion, community, communication, communion. As The 1st Person, God the Father, sends His Son, so too The Son, Jesus of Nazareth, The God/Man, Divinity Enfleshed, send The Holy Ghost to gather the flock in Him, by Him, and with Him.
Nicodemus knew of Jesus’ miracles. Nicodemus wanted to know more. Good.
But the Bible as only knowledge can make one a worshipper of Moses, or a know-it-all like many televangelists, or someone content to stay at home as a studying scholar. God The Trinity wants His children to Worship and Pray to Him in His Son, like Mary of Bethany did sitting at the feet—the literal flesh and blood feet—of that Son, by the Holy Spirit. To be born again, yes, IS to believe that Jesus is The Christ and that by His Person and Work, by His life, suffering, and death on the Cross, His blood atonement, He forgives, and makes right, all Who trust in Him and Confess His Name—His Athanasian Creed. But to be born again is to be that child with its Mother; with its entire family; with its Savior Bishop—The God/Man Christ Jesus. This Trinity stuff is nothing more or less than Incarnational communion in the Presence of Christ—the actually present and active and giving Christ.
The Kingdom of God was the Torah, Isaiah, the Psalter, yes, of course. But that entrée, that road-map, was to lead one to the Meal, to the Place of the real promised-land, Canaan in The Body and Blood of Jesus. To be born again is to be placed into Jesus’ very side, very pierced heart; to have Jesus placed into you—your ears—your mouths—your souls.
When you are, not were—ARE, + Baptized you are crucified with Christ (your “Old Adam” is put to death) and buried with Him. You are resurrected with Him because He keeps you in His heart: You are His Body the Church! When you receive the Precious Host and Sacred Chalice—His true and real Body and Blood in the Sacrament; you receive The fruit of the Crucifix, the life-giving meat of the True Tree of Life.
Memorize the Athanasian Creed, sure, that would be good. You won’t comprehend God The Trinity, but it’s still good to know propositional truths and salutary teaching theses.
Be at the Mass. Be where God The Holy Ghost leads you to Worship God The Father. How so? By The Son of Man. The central event in history, in the universe, in all of creation, is The Cross—not the empty cross—but The Bleeding and Suffering and Dying God on the Cross. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so…The Son of Man [was] lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” IS lifted up: “behold The Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world; The Peace of The Lord be with you alway!”
You believe. You receive The Son in His Meal, at His Table, His New Testament Sacrificial Altar. And there, HERE, you have all the fullness of The Godhead, Bodily.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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