June 2nd
Feast of Holy Trinity, Jn 3/6-18Background
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was not revealed to baffle us, to test us, to challenge our faith. Rather it discloses to us that there is so much knowledge and so much love in God that it flows over into different personalities. God is necessarily a community of knowledge, power, and love. If a God like that is on our side, of what do we have to be afraid? The doctrine of the Trinity is for our reassurance and consolation. The Gospel today echoes this theme: it depicts Jesus telling his disciples that there is nothing to fear, even if he is about to leave them. He and the Father and the Spirit will continue to protect them. He does not guarantee that there will not be trouble or suffering but he does promise that there will be victory and eternal life.
Story
Once upon a time there was a sophomore basketball team which was, to tell the truth, something less skilled than the Chicago Bulls. Or that was the way they seemed. They couldn't shoot very well, their passing was sloppy, they almost never got a rebound, they didn't hustle, and, worst of all, they knew they were no good. Then they got a new coach and two new assistants that volunteered to help them. You are going to take city, the coach said. You are the most talented group of young women your age, I have ever seen. There is no reason why you can't beat everyone. They laughed. The three coaches stared at them sternly. "No more laugh," the head coach said. "Now the first thing we are going to do is practice free throws. Young women as good as you are should make nine out of ten free throws. We'll accept nothing less. Shaq shoots less than fifty percent, one of the kids said. You're better than Shaq, the coach replied. Well, you know what? The coach was right. Inspired by the coaching staff's confidence and experience and their skills honed by lots of practice and hard work, they did win city. They were the greatest. Or at least with that threesome on their side, they came to believe they were the greatest which was all that mattered.
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