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• By OCCatholicDeaf
• June 11, 2022 3:22 pm
• ADW Deaf Ministry, ASL, ASL American Sign Language, ASL Catholic Media, ASL Mass, ASL Sermon, ASL Videos, California Deaf Ministry, Catholic Deaf Ministry, Christian Deaf Ministry, Deaf, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry, Deaf Catholic, Deaf Catholic Ministry, Deaf Christian Ministry, Deaf Church, Deaf Church Videos, Deaf Ministry, Deaf Ministry Videos, OC Deaf Church

The readings for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (C) in ASL are brought to you by ASL Catholic Media and ADW ministry. These two powerhouse enterprises truly serve and assist every parish that does ministry. Hats off to them.

Fr. MD offers a reflection or sermon in ASL. We appreciate all he gives us each week. We particularly like when his videos are 10 minutes or more; because we get more of the faith handed down to us and practical ways to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ. 😛

But hey! We can’t just rely on deacons, priests, catechists, and ministers to do all the work to solidify our faith for us. Our Lord offers himself in Eucharistic adoration so that we can spend time with him. He also offers himself to be understood in the Bible to know of His love for us, and how he has acted throughout time.

We need not be afraid of God. Turning to him should be our first step. When we seek God we have to listen. A trained ear will identify his response in a myriad of ways. The response to our petitions and prayers are not only found in our encounter with him in our mind. Yes, he does respond and speak to us in our mind, but other ways are through signs, actions of others, and sometimes through a host of providential events around us. But even if were to count signs, actions of others, and a slew of providential events as a sign of God’s blessings, we could falsely reduce God to the “prosperity Gospel” adage. This implies that if everything is rosy in our life, God is with me. But, besides the temptation to subscribe to the “prosperity Gospel’s’ line of thought, we should be open to experience God working through all things and in all things. Thus over a period of time often in reflection we can deduce God’s hand-at-work since the time of our petitions.

Was not Job tested in the bible tested? Did not most saints have the “Dark night of the soul” where they felt abandoned? Such trials are ways to deepen our relationship with God. Does not the rainbow come after the storm? For many of us the storm is life itself and hopefully we will enjoy an eternal reward of blissfulness.

Sounds nice. But we are in the here and now and things may be quite uncomfortable. Let’s look recall all of the events in the Old Testament. The chosen people went astray, were at war, enslaved in bitterness, but were redeemed because they repented and sought the Lord. Their hope was in the Lord our God, and thus they were delivered and brought to the promised land.

Granted, the Israelites were enslaved for over 400 years and only those last remnants who were not present at Sinai enjoyed the promised land. Sounds like a cruel God. But, God foretold what would happen if they rejected him. Remember the episode? Israel was the only nation without a human king. They got jealous and wanted one. So, the people wanted a human king and God warned them not to appoint a human one, because he was their king and God. The people refused God’s offer and God permitted a human king…..God was just in his punishment.

But once the people of God recalled and realized their transgression and obeyed God once more they were given new life. This episode of our history pertains to us as well. We have a similar history yet not found in a book, but in the soul. Our personal relationship with God is similar to that of the Israelites. What evil we endure may be a temporal punishment of past transgressions, or maybe it is just a test. But when we continue seeking God and live by his commands despite what is happening, God is pleased.

So it is all about pleasing God? Yup. When we do this well, it indirectly pleases others because then there is a communal communion with God. Said differently, God dwells in and within his people. Going to mass is a sure way to experience God dwelling in and within His people. Many find the offering of peace during mass refreshing, a relief, and an opportunity to be at peace. Then, what follows is God giving us His peace through grace (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) via the Body and Blood of his sacrificed son, Jesus Christ.

Moreover today (Sunday) we celebrate and honor the Holy Trinity (C). We celebrate the two divine missions coming from God the father so that we can be his people. We celebrate the mission of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven and incarnating through the humanity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and dying on the cross to fulfill the Father’s will. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost) to sanctify, gather, and lead all to Jesus Christ in truth.

Amen.

For those of you who still want more on the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (C). Feel free to research and summarize in your own words the theological terms and meanings below. 😛

The Holy Trinity: 5 notions 4 relations 3 persons 2 missions 1 God O comprehension