20250615 ENTERING INTO THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S LIFE
15 June 2025, The Most Holy Trinity
First reading |
Proverbs 8:22-31 |
Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born
The Wisdom of God cries aloud:
The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded,
before the oldest of his works.
From everlasting I was firmly set,
from the beginning, before earth came into being.
The deep was not, when I was born,
there were no springs to gush with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I came to birth;
before he made the earth, the countryside,
or the first grains of the world’s dust.
When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there,
when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep,
when he thickened the clouds above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep,
when he assigned the sea its boundaries
– and the waters will not invade the shore –
when he laid down the foundations of the earth,
I was by his side, a master craftsman,
delighting him day after day,
ever at play in his presence,
at play everywhere in his world,
delighting to be with the sons of men.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:4-9 |
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
Second reading | Romans 5:1-5 |
The love of God has been poured into our hearts
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we are judged righteous and at peace with God, since it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace in which we can boast about looking forward to God’s glory. But that is not all we can boast about; we can boast about our sufferings. These sufferings bring patience, as we know, and patience brings perseverance, and perseverance brings hope, and this hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Rv1:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
the God who is, who was, and who is to come.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 16:12-15 |
The Spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’
ENTERING INTO THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Prov 8:22-31; Ps 8:4-9; Rom 5:1-5; John 16:12-15]
St Augustine once said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” Indeed, in spite of the progress in science and technology, despite a more comfortable life due to affluence, and despite the fact that we have more than enough to live on — food to eat and even holidays abroad, which are considered basic needs today — somehow, we still do not feel fulfilled. There is always an emptiness inside us, seeking to be filled. Many of us keep searching, trying to fill this emptiness with more activities, more knowledge, more fun, and more food. But this thirst of the soul cannot be quenched by such pursuits.
No wonder, the Lord told His disciples, “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now.” Our hearts are restless because we need a connection — with our origin, our purpose, and our journey on this earth. How can we live our lives meaningfully? Indeed, we are like orphans in this world, not knowing who we are, to whom we belong, or what our goal in life is. While we might satisfy ourselves materially, physically, and even emotionally, we still feel unfulfilled. This is why we cannot find true rest until we find God. Without knowing God, we cannot understand who we are, how we should live, or what our future holds.
In the first reading, from the Book of Proverbs, we read about the Wisdom of God, the intermediary through whom God created the world. Wisdom, therefore, emanates from God and was seen as God’s co-worker in the creation of the world and the human race. Whilst wisdom is not perfectly identical with God, she nevertheless shares in the attributes of God, such as beauty and permanence which are God-like qualities. However, it is only Christ who can reveal to us the inner life of God. As Christians, we are most fortunate, for we not only know who God is, but we also have access to the inner life of God, revealed to us by Christ. We could never know this unless Jesus, the Son of God, revealed His Father and the Holy Spirit to us.
In St John’s gospel, Philip asked the Lord, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn 14:8f) To Thomas, the Lord said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (Jn 14:6f)
Jesus also reveals to us the person and work of the Holy Spirit. “But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.” The Holy Spirit’s role is to reveal Jesus to us so that, through Jesus, we come to know the Father. Jesus reveals the Father to us, and the Spirit reveals Jesus to us – this same Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son.
Indeed, the Spirit of the Father and Son brings about the indwelling of God within us. St Paul tells us that it is Jesus Christ who reconciles us with the Father. As a result, “the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us.” With the Holy Spirit, not only is the love of God in our hearts, but through Him, the Father and Jesus also dwell in us. Jesus said, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” (Jn 14:15,17,20-12)
For this reason, it is clear that the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not merely a conceptual doctrine of three persons in one God, but in truth, it is a description of how Christians experience the inner life of God. We know that God is a trinity of persons, equal in majesty and power, simply because the three persons of the Trinity is a communion of relationships. Though distinct, all three persons share the same divine essence — the One God — and relate perfectly to each other, revealing their unity in trinity through their work in and for us.
Consequently, our faith in the Holy Trinity is grounded in our experience of the One God in our lives. We experience God as Creator through Christ in the Holy Spirit.; we experience God as Saviour in Christ Jesus, who reveals the face of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. We experience God as Spirit, whose love dwells within us and sanctifies us. Hence, we pray to the Father through Jesus, because without Jesus, we would not know the face and heart of the Father. But we can only truly experience Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Entering into the mystery of God’s inner life is not just through our relationship with Him, it also means that we are called to share in the inner life of God by living His life in our community. As Christians, we are called to live in communion with one another. St John Paul II in his apostolic letter, At the beginning of the New Millennium, wrote that the Church must become the home and school of communion before any practical plans can succeed. This means cultivating dialogue and unity at all levels of Church life, where ministries support — not compete with — each other.
He wrote, “A spirituality of communion indicates above all the heart’s contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us, and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers and sisters around us.” Most importantly, “such a vision of communion is closely linked to the Christian community’s ability to make room for all the gifts of the Spirit. The unity of the Church is not uniformity, but an organic blending of legitimate diversities. It is the reality of many members joined in a single body, the one Body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). Therefore, the Church will need to encourage all the baptized and confirmed to be aware of their active responsibility in the Church’s life.” (NMI 46) What St John Paul said about the need for a spirituality of communion, Pope Francis, in his own distinctive way, also speaks about a synodal Church – one that lives out this same spirituality of communion. All popes, including Pope Leo, are in agreement that the mission of the Church must be accomplished in communion.
However, charity and communion, which flow from our union with the Holy Trinity, must not stay within the Christian community. It is not enough to promote communion among ourselves. “Charity of its nature opens out into a service that is universal; it inspires in us a commitment to practical and concrete love for every human being.” We are called to go beyond ourselves and reach out to the poorest. “No one can be excluded from our love, since through his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every person.” Christ is especially present in the poor, and this calls us to make a preferential option for them.
Many today suffer from a lack of meaning in their lives, drug addiction, fear of abandonment in old age or sickness, marginalization, or social discrimination. We must discern His voice in the cry for help that rises from this world of poverty. While traditional works of charity remain important, our times call for even greater resourcefulness.
We need a new “creativity” in charity – one that not only ensures effective help but also offers genuine closeness, so that the hand that helps is not seen as humiliating, but as an expression of brotherhood and solidarity. Journeying with others in their suffering, helping them find support and, above all, friendship, ensures that they never feel alone. Creativity also means discovering new ways to help. Everyone has something to offer. We do not need to do the same things, but according to the talents and inspirations the Lord has given us, we must be courageous and explore new avenues to serve those who need help.
I am inspired when I read about a Christian Pastor who started a half-way house for drug addicts, equipping them with skills to reintegrate into society. Or about someone who organises and pays for funerals for those abandoned by society. The needs are many, and we are certainly not short of gifts and charisms in our midst.
For this reason, the works of charity are many and diverse. There is no limit to what we can do for humanity, both within and beyond the Church. We must seek new ways and resources to relieve suffering. The Lord calls us in different ways, and we must feel with the heart of the Father and His Son. United, we work for the greater good of all.
In this way, by sharing in the life of the Holy Trinity, we also work with God for our salvation and the salvation of the world, bringing everyone into communion with Christ and the Father through the Holy Spirit. Together, in love and charity, we work as one Church, revealing the face of the Holy Trinity in lives – especially within our communities.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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