Walking with Jesus: Feast of The Most Holy Trinity A

For Sunday, May 31, 2026 

Exodus 34:4-6, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, John 3:16-18


Today’s readings, so meaningfully succinct and beautiful, are special and direct descriptions of God’s plan for creation. Moses, after the Israelites’ miraculous freedom from Egypt and their long sojourn, have arrived at Mt. Sinai. Moses is called by God to come up and encounter Him. God encounters us so many times — He is always present to us, hearing every one of our prayers, present at our worshipping, and gracing us in sharing our gifts of love, help, forgiveness and kindness each and every day. Paul puts very simply what we are to do — how we are to respond to God’s gifts of love, kindness, forgiveness and care. In John’s gospel we hear a few lines of Scripture that are so easily remembered and flow from our mouths and hearts so readily. In fact they are probably so comforting, consoling, heartening, encouraging and beautiful, that if we are honest with ourselves, we just do not say and reflect on them as often as we should. We tell spouses, kids and loved ones so often that we love them. We comfort those who feel love has been missing in their lives. And we wonder: Does God love me, or is He out to catch me — get even for my rejection of Him? We wonder, what really is God like? What is He about? Love! That’s it!

“For God so loved the world … that ...” and God tells us why. We listen and reflect in Gratitude.

Moses goes up the mountain at God’s invitation. The cloud both reveals and conceals the presence of God. So often in the Sinai wilderness the presence of God was signified by the pillar of cloud, a symbolic revealing of God’s presence. It did not reveal God or the essence of God; in a sense it concealed the divine — but it continued to bring comfort and love — exactly the same love that we have experienced so many times in our prayers and devotions and through the Eucharist and other sacraments. Yes, God does love each of us that much. And God introduces Himself: “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” It’s amazing how much Satan sneaks into our brains and tries to get into our hearts by insisting God doesn’t like me … He hates me …He doesn’t care about me ... He never helps me. I ask for so many things but I never receive them … and on and on. But God says He is “slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” God can never lie. He only loves. Lying is the opposite of love. Think on this! Moses’ response to this spectacular revelation is worship: He prostrates himself in profound adoration. We do the same at our Eucharistic adorations, praying our love and seeking the Lord’s comfort and help.

Paul starts out saying we should “Rejoice in the Lord,” which is what we do in our adorations and prayers. Then he encourages and challenges — and admonishes — his readers to mend their ways. They have been living in a way that is inconsistent with their commitment. Then Paul adds a vital point: We cannot keep putting people down; compliments and encouragements add so much sweetness to the pill of anger and put-downs. Paul finds it much easier to be a comfort rather than a concern in encouraging his converts. How am I at emulating this with those I love?

Ancient Israel marveled continually at the love God had for His chosen people. But their main interest was with themselves rather than those who had committed themselves in faith to Jesus. Today’s Gospel passage is unique and remarkable in its explicit declaration of God’s love for the ENTIRE WORLD. This continues to show that God’s love is so deep and magnanimous that nothing is spared — not even God’s only Son. God sent His Son in the Incarnation and again in His saving death. This is pivotal: Those who believe are saved; those who do not believe call down judgment upon themselves.

The world was created, and “God made every kind of animal … God saw that it was good … God created mankind in His image … male and female … He blessed them … be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. ... God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good … and God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it He rested from all the work He had done in creation.” [Genesis 1:25-2:2]

John 3:16 starts off with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, coming to Jesus asking about God, heaven, and the Spirit. And Jesus says: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” [John 3:14-15] And today’s Gospel continues: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” The passage says that God both gave and sent God’s only Son. The first verb indicates that His Son was truly a gift from God — His immense and unparalleled, generous gift. The second verb indicates that the Son had a sacred, all-encompassing mission to perform: the desperate need of deliverance and salvation.

So I reflect on:

• I imagine God: What do I see? Who do I see? How am I feeling? Is Satan distracting me?
• I wonder why is it so hard to accept God’s invitation to be a person of mercy and compassion. Is it all about me, or is it all about God? That says so much. ...

Sacred Space 2026 states:

“We’re with Nicodemus today and we ask him to teach us what he wishes to. He appears in our story out of the dark shadows for he knows only too well that he dare not antagonize his fellow religious leaders. Yet he has an inner honesty that compels him to interrogate Jesus on a number of difficult issues. Evil is darkness, but through Jesus’ going into the world the power of that darkness is controlled. We ask, Lord, that You continue to keep it at bay for us.”