Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

The Most Holy Trinity – the ultimate mystery of COMMUNION.

‘COMMUNION’ means union, unity and oneness.

As Catholics, we begin and end our prayers with the Sign of the Cross, invoking the Most Holy Name of our Trinitarian God: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

We pray in the ‘name’, NOT ‘names’ for we believe God is only ONE. We believe in ONE triune God because it is our Lord Jesus Himself who reveals to us that God is the loving and perfect COMMUNION of three distinct Persons: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

To explain this, St Augustine says,

"Wherever there is love (God),

there is TRINITY:

a lover (the Father),

a beloved (the Son),

and a fountain of love (the Holy Spirit)."

The Church – the mystery of men’s COMMUNION with God. [CCC 772]

It is true that in the deep recesses of our hearts lie a deep and insatiable desire for God. Yet, the reality is: God desires us surpassingly more than we desire Him.

From the beginning of time, God has freely and lovingly created us so that we can share in His own blessed life. He calls us to seek Him, to know Him, to love Him, and so enter into a profound COMMUNION with Him.

In the fullness of time, God sent His Only Begotten Son as our Redeemer, Mediator and Saviour. And God’s plan in Christ is to ‘UNITE ALL THINGS IN HIM, things in heaven and things on earth’ [Ep 1: 10] so ‘that God may be all in all’ [1 Co 15: 28].

To fulfil the Father’s will, our Lord Jesus ‘ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth’ [CCC 763] by instituting the Church. Therefore, the Church is a COMMUNION of heaven and earth and a COMMUNION of God and men.

When Jesus was hanging on the Cross, there flowed from His side blood and water – the symbols of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist – and from these two great Sacraments, the Church was born. As Baptism initiates us into ONE Flock and the Holy Eucharist infuses us into ONE Body, the Church is ‘COMMUNION’ both in nature and in essence.

Just as Eve came from Adam’s side, the Church comes from Jesus’ side. St Paul calls this the inseparable NUPTIAL UNION of Christ and His Church [Eph 5: 32, 3: 9-11, 5: 23-27] because the Church is intimately united to Christ just as a bride is united to her Bridegroom. As early as in the 2^nd Century, St Ignatius of Antioch has already taught that, “Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” And the same holds true: wherever the Catholic Church is, there is Jesus Christ.

Our COMMUNION with Christ through His Apostolic Church.

In the First Reading [Ac 13: 14, 43-52], we hear of the breaking away from the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church instituted by Jesus. Prompted by jealousy, some Jews used blasphemies and contradicted everything Apostle Paul said. And working with some of the upper-class women and leading men of the city, they turned against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory.

And as at 27 Feb 2021, it has been reported that there are about 45,000 Christian denominations in the world. Yes, Christianity is the most divided religion in the world.

Yet, this is nothing to be proud of; for this is never the heart and mind of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To the Heavenly Father, Jesus prays [Jn 17: 20-21]:

“I pray not only for these,

but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me.

May they all be ONE

just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you…”

Jesus has willed and established only ONE Church: the ONE Body of Christ [1 Co 12: 12-30], the ONE Spotless Bride [Rv 22: 17] and the ONE Sheepfold (Flock) [Jn 19: 16].

Understanding the mind and heart of Jesus, St Paul [Ep 4: 4-6] has this to say,

“There is ONE Body and ONE Spirit ,

just as you were called to

the ONE hope of your calling,

ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism,

ONE God and Father of all,

who is above all and through all and in all.”

As followers of Christ, we are called to enter into COMMUNION with Christ through COMMUNION with the Apostolic Church. And 'at the heart of the CHURCH COMMUNION is the Eucharist.' [Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI | The CTS New Daily Missal, 2021] Without Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, there will be no UNION in the Church and thus, no UNION with God.

All of us are at the service of COMMUNION.

As Baptism initiates us into ONE flock, we are called to contribute to the work of salvation: to draws souls to Christ, the Good Shepherd.

And as the Holy Eucharist infuses us more perfectly into the ONE Body of Christ, we too are called to be at the service of COMMUNION: to preserve the union, unity and oneness of the Church.

By the power of the Holy Eucharist, may we always and truly be ONE Body and ONE Church under Pope Francis (Successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome), together with all the bishops (successors of the Apostles) and priests.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lord Jesus Christ, infuse me more perfectly into Your Body, the Church.”

Let us also pray with and pray for Ukraine that:

“The weapons of war be silenced, the evil of the aggressors be stopped, and those who hold the fate of the world in their hands may spare us from the horror and madness of war.”