Today we celebrate the great, yet impenetrable gift of the Holy Trinity.How do we even begin to try to explain this central mystery of our faith without tripping over ourselves in the inadequacy of our language and understanding?When we were young we relied on and were satisfied by St. Patrick’s use of the shamrock, a single plant with three leaves, to visualize the triune God.As we mature we may try to imagine the concept of perichoreses, the eternal dance of indwelling; poetic, and perhaps able to move our minds beyond our usual straight-line rationality.Fortunately, the beauty and grace of our bewilderment is that our very groping both leads us to and manifests the very thing we seek to understand—love in relationship.
It was a new day. They were gathered together when suddenly a strong wind filled the house and tongues of fire rested upon each one as they received the Holy Spirit. The time for Pentecost was fulfilled. Jesus made good on His promise that we would not be left orphans. The Advocate, the Consoler, arrived to give courage, strength and power to the disciples, and to give birth to the Church. What formerly had been a day of celebration of the Law given to Moses and a day to celebrate the harvest became a new day that brought forth a harvest of workers in the vineyard for Christ.
Now you see Him. Now you don’t. That has pretty much been the situation throughout our Easter scriptures that recount the appearances (and disappearances) of the resurrected Lord. With each appearance the apostles (and we) learn more about what exactly “raised from the dead” means and what it doesn’t mean.
"Love, love, love. . .All you need is love" John Lennon and Paul McCartney were on to something. Something that captures everything about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Something that all three of today’s readings are trying to convey to us.