The Trinity: A Community of Love

 ​A few years ago I was able to witness the ordination of my closest friend here in Davao. A few days following that big event, we joined him in his thanksgiving mass in Agusan del Sur where we met his family and some of his relatives. It was the first time that I have encountered his siblings for some conversations. It was there that I noticed how they shared a number of characteristics. Aside from the noticeable facial features that they share, they also have similarities by the way they stand, the manner of speaking and even in some mannerisms. 

​I have noticed that in my own family too. Although each one of us in the family are distinct from one another, most of my friends would always say that they see in me the characteristic of my mother and my father or at times they would claim that I am like my brother or my sister. I believe that we differ in a lot of ways but our similarities are almost always noticed.

​Perhaps you have noticed that in your own family too. Most children are almost always like their parents in so many ways. Siblings share a lot of common attitudes too- ways of thinking and how they see and interact with people around them. But what fascinates me, my dear brothers and sisters, are those married couples who are not related to each other at all but appear to share facial features and would come across as siblings because they look the same. From these married couples, we could see how love transforms- two distinct individuals who are one and the same.

​Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The mystery of the Trinity is not very easy to understand- One God in 3 persons. However, for us to understand the mystery of the Trinity, we need to look at the Trinity from the eyes of human relationships. In order for us to appreciate the Trinity we need to look at it from our own experience of relationships.

​We need to look at the Holy Trinity as a perfect community / family. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all distinct from one another, yet, they are one God, one community. They are related to one another in love. It is love that binds them. It is love that transforms them and makes them one.

Our readings today give us a glimpse of the wonderful relationship that they have. It reminds us that because of the love that makes them one, each of them is active in us and in our history. The Book of Proverbs in the first reading tells us that the Father is the one who creates everything, puts all things in order. However, it is also from the first reading where we hear that God the Creator was never alone in the work of creation. "When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; When he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth, I was there. Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while,  playing on the surface of his earth.” This is a clear image for all of us that because of their love for one another, the work of one becomes the work of everyone. God the creator, is acknowledgedas the Creator however, He was never alone in the work of Creation. Someone was beside Him,someone was His delight day by day.

In the second reading we hear the role of the Son in our lives- if we believe in him, He brings us grace and assures us of our salvation. Paul shares his reflections on being justified by faith (made right by believing in Jesus). By faith in Jesus, we are entitled to live in peace with God and we have access to his graces and we can look forward to participate in his glory. The works of Jesus is not a solitary work, It is not a work directed to Himself but his salvific work, is a mission that would lead everyone back to the Father.

And in our gospel we hear of the Holy Spirit leading us to the full truth, to understand the fullness of God’s revelation. From the short gospel reading, we also are given the glimpse of the dynamism (activities) of each of the persons in the Holy Trinity. The Father shares with the Son whatever belongs to him. The Son acknowledges that whatever belongs to him belongs to the Father. He is willing to share with us all that he has / is. The Holy Spirit does not speak for himself but for the Son and the Father. He comes to guide us to the truth. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit act together as one God in us. They do not act separately or contradict one another. My dear brothers and sisters, the readings that we have heard today paint to us an image of what a perfect community the Trinity is!

My dear Brothers Sisters the feast today reminds us of what our families, parishes or communities should be. We are invited to recognize our differences and uniqueness but are invited to live in unity and love. We have been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. As Christians professing faith to the Trinity, we ought to live our relationships following the example of the Trinity.

As we continue the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we pray for the grace we need so that we too would imitate the love and unity of the Trinity. May we always remember that we best worship our God by imitating the discipline and activity of the Triune God. We pray that we too would be transformed by their love and grow not only in faith but also in becoming an image and likeness of the Trinity not only in our family and community but also to every person we meet and encounter. May we strive to gradually become an image and likeness of the Trinity by becoming instruments of God’s love in all our relationships. |Amen.

-danielangelolao

The Human Person: A Reflection

Reflection on the Human Person

I will start my reflection on the question; What is really in Man that God cares so much for us? This is the very fundamental question that most of the time I take for granted. Mainly because I live a life of security, equality (in the society, at least) and love. There are many, however, individuals living a life where their humanity, their being human, has been violated by others who does not value the Human Person. They violate because they do not understand what is really a Human Person.

In my experience in the mission immersion with the Badjao community in Cebu, I can still remember the event that really marked a scar in my heart. It was the time when their community was razed by a great fire. I saw it by myself the day after the fire many children died and the community was displaced. The Badjaos claimed that it was the government who did the fire to paved way for the construction of the South Reclamation Project, now known as the South Road Properties. A reclaimed area intended for the rich and the ‘can afford’ people. At that very moment, my young mind was awakened and had started to question are  not these Badjao people a Human Person? They too are created by God. They too are willed being and they have dignity. They could have been placed in a more decent area and not just burned and leaving them dead and homeless.

This reminded me of what Bonaventure said about the Human Person. He said that we are willed creatures, God willed us to exist. We start existing in God and will end in God. The central focus of social morals is on how we look at Human Persons. When we look at the human person as people to lord over, to take dominion over, and sometimes as ‘slave’, we do not look at them as persons with dignity. If we look at the other person in the Christian perspective, understanding the value of each individual as a creature created in the image and likeness of God, then each will have the dignity worthy of him as a person. If we look at people having a sense of dignity then we treat them as how we would like to be treated. In this way we can uplift the value of each individual as a person bearing dignity.

So for the question what is really in man that God cares so much for us, it is the act of God when he breathed His spirit on us, giving us the right to be called Human Persons. This life/breath that we have comes from Him alone. It is important for us to understand this very foundation of the human persons in order that our acts and judgments will look at each and every individual as what he or she really is; a creature of God, created in His image and likeness, and with dignity.

Reflection submitted to Social Morals class...

-danielangelolao

On Homosexual Marriage

There are groups around the world calling for the church to recognize the unions of men to men or women-women. Some causes protests on the streets such as the gay pride march which made some states in the US to at least legalize Homosexual or Same Sex Marriage. This prompted other countries to follow their steps while many conservative countries remain strong in pointing the immorality of Homosexual Marriage. This issue is no longer avoidable in my country as it broke many traditional concepts and cracked cultures around the world. The Metropolitan Church, for instance, offers marital union for the LGBTs and it gained support from the minorities in the country today. It is in this light that we can say that the Church and the government is not anymore blind from recognizing the reality of this issue.

Having studied theology of marriage, as a lay individual, I get to have a wider opportunity to converse with homosexuals. I have many friends who are gays. They are very good people who just want to live the same normal life as others have. They've been longing to be accepted by the society and by the Church. When they love, they also want to get married, seal their love with a covenant with God and with each other. But the Church and our State does not adhere to this idea. This unacceptance has brought these people to hide; others even to the point of disregarding religion and simply put their faith on themselves.

In one of my conversations, my friend asked me what the motivation of the homosexuals for their marriage is. I guess that they do have the same motivation as the man and woman have before they present themselves to the altar. If it is just merely for recognition and legality, then it shouldn't be done. I think it still goes the same with the man and woman marriage. In our previous discussion, the Church gave emphasis on the relational aspect before getting into marriage. Marriage has gone too far from being simply an exclusive right over the woman’s body into something relational and committal. Both man and woman wants to get married for them to seal their love in the bonds of marriage, I think it goes the same with the Homosexuals.

On the one hand he pointed out on the morality side and said that the church is very enthusiastic in presenting the immorality of Homosexual Marriage. That according to the Bible union between the same sexes is immoral. Only man and woman can get married. I was very struck when he answered that notion in a question form. He asked me “why is it that when they see both men, loving each other, getting married they immediately points out that it’s immoral. While when they see teenagers, impregnated after a one night stand, got married and would not comment on the immorality of their marriage. They simply say it is better that they get married because it is for the welfare of the child and the woman. Without taking consideration that both man and woman don’t even love each other.” Which of this two points are moral and immoral or simply lesser immoral?

On the other hand our own culture has greatly influenced my countries stand on the immorality of Homosexual Marriage. For more than three centuries, we’ve been colonized by traditional and very conservative Westerners and they shaped our culture and beliefs. The same Westerners who have been very open to the concept of Same Sex Marriage nowadays. I think there is a need for a deeper understanding on the issue, awareness and acceptance; that these people does exist and they also have a place in the Church and in the Society. As the post modern thinkers would say, these values need to be ‘deconstruct’ in order for us to grow into our full existence.

Taking full consideration on the motivation of the homosexual couples, the questions of moralities and the culture that influences us, I guess it narrows us down into two very essential points.  First is on the encompassing love of Christ for us; that the love of Christ is unfailing. That it transcends beyond our questions of morality, society and culture. That His love chooses no gender and is free and constant for all. Secondly, is that we are bound to decide according to our conscience. We are always guided by our conscience. If our conscience would say it is right and moral to commit into a homosexual marriage then go, if there are hesitations seek for the working of the Spirit and ask for its wisdom.

Maybe the time is not yet ready for us to fully accept the concept of Homosexual marriage. As Fr. Tom Groarke, C.Ss.R. concluded in his lectures on the Challenges of Contemporary Marriage “Marriage is not a static reality. It evolved and developed in the course of history. Marriage within the most culture is also in a state of transition.” This transition is always moving and maybe in due time, Homosexual Marriage will be recognized, legalized and considered a moral act if done out of love.