Today is Trinity Sunday. Priests often complain that Trinity Sunday is a difficult day to preach because the doctrine of the Trinity can seem like an obscure and essentially irrelevant dogma.
It can be hard to explain. In fact, the doctrine of the Trinity is exciting and highly relevant.
Our God is one. But the one God is in his essence a community. It is the nature of God to be in relationship. It is the nature of the one God to be in love. Because it is God’s nature to be in relationship, God chose to create others (you and me) who could be in relationship with God. God is not an isolated supreme being who lives alone and apart. God is love, as Saint John the Evangelist tells us. For God to be love, God has to be more than one, since love requires “an other”.
In the Gospel of John 15:9, Jesus speaks remarkable words, “As the Father has loved me, so I love you. Live on in my love”. The love of Father and Son within the Trinity is the most powerful force imaginable. It is the source of all existence. And Jesus tell us that he loves us in the same way and to the same extent as Father and Son love one another within the Trinity.
The doctrine of the Trinity is about God’s love for us. We cannot imagine how much God loves us. Jesus teaches us that we are loved to the maximum. God could not love us more.
Debt Reduction Collection
Our second collection this weekend will be for the reduction of Saint John’s debt. We are in the final month of our fiscal year and it is our hope to be able to make a $50,000 payment on our debt. Please help!
Land of Peace
On the weekend of June 17-18, the Land of Peace mission- a nonprofit organization-- will visit our Parish to speak about the plight of Christians in the Holy Land. They will offer for sale crucifixes, religious art work, and rosaries- all made of olive wood which is native to Israel and Bethlehem, to raise funds to help the poor and needy families in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. For more information, see landofpeace.org.
Laudato Si Circle
There will be a meeting of the Laudato Si Circle following the 10:30 mass this Sunday, June 4. The Circle is a 1 hour prayer meeting to read, reflect and share. At this Sunday's meeting, 2 topics will be considered: The Loss of Water and the Loss of Biodiversity. I am grateful to the Laudato Si Circle for distributing copies of Pope Francis’ encyclical on care of the environment and I urge you to read the Pope’s words.
Catholic Charities Collection
Catholic Charities is not just “another second collection”. It is the major annual fundraising program of the Archdiocese and most of the money is directed towards the Church’s charitable work in our Archdiocese. Even though we have had a second collection, it is still possible to make your annual donation. Please bring or mail a generous contribution. There are envelopes in the pews.
Confirmation
Saint John Church plans to begin a Confirmation preparation program for school age children (grades 6 through high school) in the Fall of 2023, culminating in the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation in the Spring of 2024. If there are children who wish to join our Confirmation program, please contact Father Tom.
Summer picnic
All Saint John’s parishioners and friends are invited to a summer picnic on Sunday, July 9 from 12 noon to 3 PM in the patio behind the friary and the parish center. Volunteers are needed to prepare food and organize activities. If you’d like to help, contact Father Tom.
Historical Preservation Endowment Fund
$558,257.00
Details of today article is available here on our bulletin.