Introduction
The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the 9th century and was added to the general calendar of the Church in 1331 by Pope John XXII.
The dogma we celebrate on this feast is this: there is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God.
The feast of the Blessed Trinity can be viewed as the culmination of all preceding feasts, encapsulating the mysteries of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost.
All three divine Persons contributed to and shared in the work of redemption:
- The Father sent the Son to earth, for “God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son.” The Father called us to the faith.
- The Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, became man and died for us. He redeemed us and made us children of God.
- After Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, our Consoler.
1st Reading – Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Moses said to the people:
“Ask now of the days of old, before your time,
ever since God created man upon the earth;
ask from one end of the sky to the other:
Did anything so great ever happen before?
Was it ever heard of?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God
speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself
from the midst of another nation,
by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,
with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,
all of which the LORD, your God,
did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
This is why you must now know,
and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God
in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,
and that you may have long life on the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”
The book of Deuteronomy recounts the final events of the Israelites’ 40-year desert journey under the leadership of Moses. Since he will not enter the Promised Land with them due to God’s judgment for his disobedience (Numbers 20:7-12), Moses delivers farewell addresses, re-proclaims the Law, and provides final instructions for them before they depart.
The book’s name is derived from the Greek word deuteronomion, or second law – not to indicate a new law, but a second telling of the Law.
The Israelites are literally a different group of people from when the great exodus began 40 years earlier. The original generation that left Egypt had largely passed away during their time in the wilderness. This was a result of God’s decree that the generation of Israelites who had rebelled and lacked faith at Kadesh-barnea, when they refused to enter the Promised Land, would not see it (Numbers 14:29-35).
Restating the Law is a reminder that Yahweh’s covenant with Israel is made with all generations, both present and future: it is an everlasting covenant (Deuteronomy 29:13).
In today’s reading, Moses emphasizes the uniqueness of Israel’s experience and urges the Israelites to acknowledge God’s unparalleled deeds and faithfulness.
Moses said to the people: “Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of?
Moses invites them to reflect on Israel’s extraordinary experience with God consider whether anything so great ever happened to any other people.
His exaggerated suggestions to search back in time and canvass the entire heavens are a way of suggesting that the mighty deeds of God are not only unprecedented in history, they are also unparalleled in the universe.
Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
An allusion to the bush that continued burning without being consumed by the fire, from which God spoke directly to Moses (Exodus 3:2).
The Israelites also heard the voice of God in the thunder at Mount Sinai while Moses was on the mountain.
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
Moses emphasizes the uniqueness of Israel’s relationship with God, noting that no other deity has attempted to claim a specific nation for Himself through miraculous signs, wonders, and deliverance as Yahweh did with Israel in Egypt.
The “testing, signs, and wonders” are a reference to the ten plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12) and the many signs performed in the desert.
The expression “strong hand and outstretched arm” is a military image that denotes strength and force. In delivering Israel from Egypt, God’s actions are seen as those of a mighty warrior.
Moses is not just reminding them of God’s deliverance, he is also asserting that no other god could have accomplished this.
This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other.
Monotheism is arguably Moses’ most daring claim of all. The God of Israel is not merely a patron god among others; the God of Israel is the only God there is.
Before this new generation makes the long-awaited entry into the land that God promised their ancestors over six hundred years earlier (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18-21), they must realize that Yahweh is Lord of all: everything in the heavens and on earth, including Canaan and the surrounding nations.
You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”
To be faithful to God, the people must uphold the covenant by obey God’s statutes and commandments.
Because God has been faithful to them, they must be faithful to God.
2nd Reading – Romans 8:14-17
Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
In today’s second reading, Paul urges the Romans to understand the depth of God’s love for them, explaining that those who are in the Spirit transcend mere servitude to God to become cherished sons and daughters.
Brothers and sisters: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
The Israelites were already aware of their special status as God’s children through the covenant at Sinai (Deuteronomy 14:1). However, their identity as God’s children was closely tied to their adherence to the Mosaic Law, which we heard in the closing verses of our first reading.
Paul speaks of being “led by the Spirit of God” as the defining characteristic of God’s children. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit guides and transforms believers from within, which is a stark change from the focus on external adherence to the Law.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption,
Saint Paul plays on the meanings of pneuma (Greek for “spirit”) to highlight the transformation in the believers’ relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.
- The “Spirit of God” is a divine reality, the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit plays an active role in the lives of believers, guiding, empowering, and confirming their identity as God’s children.
- The “spirit of slavery” is a mindset characterized by fear and bondage. This harkens back to the Israelites’ experience in Egypt and the legalistic adherence to the Mosaic Law. Slaves obey blindly, out of fear, without knowing their master’s plan. Vitalized and filled by God’s Spirit, the Christian cannot possess the attitude of a slave, because he freely commits himself to God and submits to his plan.
- The “spirit of adoption” signifies the transformation that brings believers into God’s family. In Roman culture, adoption was a significant and highly respected institution where an adopted child received full rights and privileges as a biological child.
through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Aramaic abba is a familial, colloquial term of intimacy for one’s father. In modern terms, it might be translated to “Dad” or “Daddy.”
Having been taken into the family of God by the Holy Spirit, believers enjoy a deeply personal relationship with God, akin to that of a child with a loving parent.
“We have received the Spirit to enable us to know the one to whom we pray, our real Father, the one and only Father of all, that is, the one who like a Father educates us for salvation and does away with fear.” [Saint Clement of Alexandria (post 202 AD), Stromateis, 2.78].
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
According to Mosaic Law, two witnesses were required to corroborate the truth of a story. Paul is making bold claims here, so he calls on witnesses to confirm the truth. His two witnesses are the Spirit of God and our own spirit, which together testify to our status as children of God.
“The Spirit of adoption … bears witness and assures our spirits that we are children of God after we have passed from the spirit of slavery and come under the Spirit of adoption, when all fear has departed. We no longer act out of fear of punishment but do everything out of love for the Father. It is right too that the Spirit of God should be said to bear witness with our spirits and not with our souls, because the spirit is our better part.” [Origen of Alexandria (post 244 AD), Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans].
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God
As God’s adopted children with full rights, believers are entitled to an inheritance from God, which includes eternal life and all the blessings of salvation.
and joint heirs with Christ,
Believers share this inheritance with Christ, emphasizing the intimate and familial bond with Jesus.
if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Whatever level of glorification comes with this incredible inheritance, it is only gained through suffering. It is our complete union with Jesus, including his passion, that entitles us to privileges. As his co-heirs, we must walk in his footsteps.
“Here ‘suffer with him’ does not mean that we should sympathize and come to the aid of the sufferer, as it usually does in everyday parlance. Christ did not suffer in order to get attention, nor did He undergo weakness in order to gain the sympathy of those who felt sorry for Him. To suffer with Christ means to endure the same sufferings that He was forced to suffer by the Jews because He preached the gospel. … If we suffer with Him we shall be worthy to be glorified with Him as well. This glory is the reward of our sufferings and is not to be regarded as a free gift. The free gift is that we have received remission of our former sins.” [Diodore of Tarsus (ca. 345 AD), Pauline Commentary from the Greek Church].
Gospel – Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Today we hear the last five verses of Matthew’s gospel.
Often known as The Great Commission, this passage describes Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples after his resurrection, with the assurance that he will be with them always.
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
The reference to only eleven disciples acknowledges the tragic defection of Judas Iscariot, who had hanged himself (Matthew 27:5).
In the verses just prior to this passage, Jesus instructed the disciples to meet him in Galilee (Matthew 28:1), which is exactly what he told them to expect at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:32). This helped assure any doubters among them that he was the same Jesus whom they had previously known.
Galilee was also where the disciples had first encountered Jesus and witnessed his works.
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
Although the specific mountain in Galilee is not known, mountains are often places of revelation and divine encounter in the Bible (e.g., Mount Sinai, the Mount of Transfiguration). This setting underscores the importance of what is about to happen.
When they saw him, they worshiped,
This is the first time that the action of supreme worship of Jesus as God is mentioned in connection with the disciples, though the women had offered the same homage to him when they encountered him on their way back from the empty tomb (Matthew 28:9).
but they doubted.
The Greek can also be translated, “but some doubted.” The verb occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Matthew 14:31, where it is associated with Peter’s being “of little faith.” It is used to indicate that they have faith, but their faith is not as deep as it should be.
In other words, they see Jesus and worship him, but not with full understanding. This common psychological experience gives hope to modern Christians.
This candid mention of doubt recalls the gospel accounts of “doubting Thomas,” as well as the recurring theme in the resurrection stories of those who saw Jesus and did not recognize him.
Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Omnipotence, an attribute belonging exclusively to God, belongs to Jesus. He is confirming the faith of his worshippers.
Jesus is also conveying that the authority he is about to give them to carry out their mission to the whole world derives from his own divine authority.
Matthew wrote his gospel for a primarily Jewish audience, who wanted to be faithful to the then-2000-year-old tradition of their ancestors. They knew that God gave Moses the authority to do what Moses did. Here Matthew is reassuring them that Jesus’ authority originates from the same God.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
The Great Commission, as it has come to be known, is straightforward and all-encompassing: Go and make disciples of all nations.
All social and cultural boundaries are dissolved; ethnic and gender restrictions are lifted. The universality of this commission has challenged believers from the time of its utterance to our very day.
In addition to the cultural and political challenges of such a commission, the scope itself is intimidating. It must have been simply overwhelming for eleven humble Galileans to be instructed to go out and conquer the world.
Two subordinate clauses explain how this is to be done: by baptizing and teaching.
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus gives the apostles the power to baptize, that is, to receive people into the Church, thereby opening up to them the way to personal salvation.
The formula for baptism is perhaps the clearest New Testament expression of trinitarian belief, which designates the effect of baptism: the union of the one baptized with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This trinitarian formula synthesizes elements already found in Jesus’ teaching. He spoke of God as his father (Matthew 11:25-27) and indicated the intimate relationship between them. He also spoke of the Spirit who came upon him at his baptism (Matthew 3:16) and through whose power he cast out demons (12:28-32). It is in this threefold name (one name, not three) that the disciples are to baptize.
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Jesus also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what he had taught them. This commission is the foundation of the Church’s intellectual work in the fields of education, academia, and theology.
This teaching is moral rather than doctrinal. Those who hear the teaching are to observe his commandments, and in so doing, lead a radically different way of life.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
The amazing command to baptize and teach all nations is possible of fulfillment because of Jesus’ promise of continual support.
This closing of Matthew’s gospel echoes its introduction, which proclaimed that Jesus is Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), “God with us.” Although he will physically depart from them, Jesus will continue to be with us — that is, Emmanuel — until the end of time.
It’s difficult to imagine a more magnificent conclusion.
Connections and Themes
On Trinity Sunday, the readings invite believers to contemplate the mystery of the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who reveals himself in history, adopts us into his divine family, and commissions us to continue his work in the world.
Who is God? From microscopic organisms to the vast expanse of space, the order found in every aspect of the universe captivates believers and skeptics alike. We wonder at the origin of creation and its ability to sustain itself. Surely there must be a creator, and what a creator there must be! But who is this God, the creator of all things?
Today’s readings offer us a glimpse of an answer:
- The first reading reveals that God is not a distant deity, but one who desires an intimate relationship with people, who protects and guides us, and who forgives us time and again.
- The second reading reveals the workings of the Holy Spirit, who brings us into a familial relationship with God as his children, joined with Christ in his suffering and glory. The Trinity itself is a community of love that extends to humanity.
- The gospel reading reveals the Trinity in the baptismal formula. It also describes Christ’s full divine authority and his promise to be with us until the end of time.
All these are mere glimpses into the resplendent nature of our triune God, whose love for us is beyond human understanding.
Covenant and relationship. The readings for today’s feast emphasize the unique and intimate bond God seeks with his people. Moses reminds the Israelites of the unparalleled acts of God in their history, such as the liberation from Egypt, which demonstrate his desire to establish a covenant relationship with them.
Paul expands on this covenant relationship in his letter to the Romans by describing how believers, through the Holy Spirit, are adopted into God’s family. This adoption transforms their relationship from one based on fear and obligation to one rooted in love and intimacy.
Finally, Jesus’ Great Commission underscores the ongoing mission of this covenant relationship, a mission that extends the covenant relationship to all humanity.
Together, these readings illustrate the covenant as a dynamic and loving relationship initiated by God, fulfilled in the Spirit, and extended through the mission of Christ, calling believers into a deeper union with the triune God.
Mission and discipleship. Today’s readings also point to the essential role of believers in continuing the work of God in the world. We are called to actively participate in God’s redemptive work, guided by the authority of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and rooted in the covenantal relationship with the Father.
This mission transcends time and place, inviting all believers to engage in the transformative work of making disciples and sharing the love of the triune God with the world.
Sunday Readings 