Gospel Mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Homily
The debate about whether or not we should call the public holiday “Indian Arrival Day” still continues and I suppose it will continue for many years. Should the holiday be simply called “Arrival Day”, since all ethnic groups in T&T, except the indigenous peoples who really exist in numbers so miniscule that no one takes them seriously, have arrived at one time or another? The problem is the human longing to be special and so we tend to create exclusive groups. This, in and of itself, is not wrong but when these groups are created to enjoy privileges that no one else can enjoy then problems begin to appear.
I thought of this as I meditated on the gospel reading for this weekend, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Before ascending to the Father Jesus gives his final instructions to his disciples; “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This new teaching is not meant for a select group of people. It is meant for all peoples, all nations, so that all can come to know the Lord Jesus and the message of salvation. There is to be nothing esoteric about this teaching, no hidden mysteries that only a chosen few can attain; no it is meant to be for all. What a difference this makes in a world divided into Jews, the chosen ones and gentiles; healthy persons and lepers, those with secret wisdom and others. All peoples are meant to receive the message of Jesus; “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” What he has commanded us is to live the commandment of love, “Love of God and Love of neighbour as He himself (Christ) loved us” There is nothing secret about it and if we all learn and do as he has commanded us, then we begin to live once again the harmony which was the Father’s primordial gift and is the Father’s ongoing desire for humanity.
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You and I have been made disciples of Jesus, we have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we have been taught all that Jesus has commanded us. We now have to live what we have been taught and as disciples of Jesus teach others “to observe all that he has commanded us.” The problem of course is that we teach more by example than by what we say and we have become very timid disciples, afraid to assert ourselves, afraid to speak out, afraid to stand up for what we know to be the truth and so concerned about our own affairs that we find no time to make the love of God alive and present in our land. Added to this is the fact that we have listened to other voices, voices which say to us that it is alright to break God’s law and our own pleasure and comfort has taken priority over the sufferings and misfortunes of others. In spite of being taught all that the Lord has commanded us, true love, modeled on the love of Christ seems to be disappearing from our Land and indeed from the world. Yet in the midst of all that appears darkness there appear rays of light; People like the missionaries of Charity show us that it is possible to love as Christ loved. The NGO, HOPE shows us that it is possible to be concerned about the misfortunes of others and to do something about them; many catholic teachers, albeit not enough, show us that teaching can indeed be a vocation. These rays of light have to expand however and more and more persons have to begin living their discipleship more and more authentically. As we thank God for these rays of light we pray for ourselves that we too may be transformed into light so that our Land may begin to live what the Lord has commanded us.
When we can do this then our nation will begin to live what the name Trinity really means, i.e.; Unity in Diversity.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for the examples of those who live and proclaim by their lives what the Lord Jesus has commanded us. We ask your forgiveness for our failures to live the love that Jesus commanded and so be authentic disciples. Help us with your grace; may your Spirit enlighten and strengthen us so that we live and proclaim with our lives the love which has the power to transform the world. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother, the first disciple and the model of discipleship and of your Son Jesus who gave us the command to love. Amen
