St. Augustine
Walking on beach – reflecting
on God & Trinity
Saw boy making a lake in the
sand – running back and forth to the sea.
What are you doing – I’m
moving the sea” Can’t be done
And you think you can understand
the mysteries of God? But what we do
know:
Throughout history - humans had many gods:
Sun – moon – stars - trees –
rocks – plants – animals – even Caesar
Even today: everyone has a god – whether it be: a person - money – power – success - material
things - even self
The great insight of the
children of Israel - Abraham – there is one God
- Who said: You will be my people & I will be your God.
Moses – burning bush – I am
who am . . . I Am
These are words used by Jesus
to describe himself: I Am the Bread of Life -
I Am the Good Shepherd – I Am the True Vine, I Am the Light of the world
– I Am the Way, the Truth & the Life –
I am the Resurrection He was One
with God – whom He called Abba - Father
Jesus said: I will send you
the Advocate / the Holy Spirit
And when He comes - you will go forth – the Great Commissioning
Baptize them Father Son & Holy Spirit - Trinity of persons, one God!
Here is a simple way to
describe the Trinity – story told by Father Theophane, a Trappist Monk who was
the brother of one of our priests, Father Boyd RIP.
Young man is speaking to a
monk - Tell me what God is like.
Here, take this book. If you
read it at the right hour, it will tell you what God is like.
He brought it back to share
with his wife, who was carrying their first child. She said: What did he mean
by the right hour?
Don’t know. Maybe on Good
Friday, or after the Easter Vigil. Or maybe Pentecost. Maybe we should wait,
and God will tell us. It could be years. Wait for a sign.
Two weeks later their first
child was born.
He said: How can I explain
how I felt?
I was worried – I was a dad.
How will I do this?
I was filled with pride – I
was a dad. You really grow up.
I was Humbled – we were
involved in something so beyond us. Thought I had everything figured out. – not
so!
That night, the child
appeared in a dream – Asked: What is God like?
Woke up wife. This is it.
Let’s open the book!
He opened it at random.
It’s very simple – God is a
father.
Wife opened it – It’s very
simple. God became a little child.
Let’s open it together. It’s
very simple. Every breath you take is the breath of God.
Glory be . . .
