説教
A MEDITATION ON THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
According to St Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus came up and spoke to them,
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations;
baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.
And look, I am with you always;
yes, to the end of time.’
The Catholic Parish of St Ludovico Ibaragi’s in Kamifukuoka
Fr John S. Satoru Kato
In the Collect for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we pray;
‘We may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory
and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty’.
The One God has three Persons! We call the One God with the three names; the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It was, however, Jesus himself, the Risen Lord, who did so first! Just before Jesus was lifted up to the heavens, he told all of us, his disciples, that ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’. (Matthew 28:19)
Even so, why should we call the One God with the three different names; such as the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? Or, why should it be said that the One God works in the names of three persons? For what? Or, for whom?
That is totally and utterly for us, the humans.
For saving us, the humans, the One God works, first, as the Father; because he cannot leave his Chair in the heavens with all the authority of his, from where he creates and looks after all the creation both in the heavens and on the earth at all the times without any intervals.
Secondly, however, while remaining on his Chair in the heavens, the Same and One God comes down to us as the Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins, even by bearing the Cross on his own shoulders for us to be crucified. Then, by resurrecting from the dead he as the Risen Lord gives the Holy Spirit, his Spirit, to each of us.
After that, finally, the One God comes us, or even comes into us as the Holy Spirit to change us into the likeness of Christ from within.
In these ways above, the One God will fulfill his saving works for us, the humans; otherwise, our salvation will never be accomplished.
The Catholic Church has, therefore, never considered the mystery of the Holy Trinity simply as a teaching, but as our heartfelt profession in gratitude, acknowledging his most grateful saving works for each of us.
We are now reminded of the merciful words of Jesus, which are as follows;
“The sheep that belongs to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
They will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand.
The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal anything from the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one”. (John 10: 27-30)
Also, it is the Same and Risen Lord gives on us his breath, that is, his own Spirit, as his beloved disciple St John also tells us in his Gospel;
“The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
