by Fr. Julius C. Lupot

READINGS:     Deuteronomy 4: 32-34. 39-40   /   Psalm 33: 4-5. 6. 9. 18-19. 20. 22   /   Romans 8: 14-17

MATTHEW 28: 16-20

HIS WORD… 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…

my words… The Sign of the Cross is the TRADEMARK or distinguishing MARK or CHARACTER of every baptized Catholic Christian. The solemn feast of the Holy Trinity brings us to face to face with the foundation of our faith; the very sign that manifests our deep faith in the triune God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This very important sign and gesture of Christianity is the number one being rejected by the non-Catholics for it is allegedly not found in the Bible, and to the mind of the original author, just to make the difference from the Catholic fold. What a tricky device of deceptions!

Brothers and Sisters, in last Sunday’s Feast of the Pentecost, Jesus sent forth the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles to give birth to the Church and to begin the universal mission of saving the whole wide world (www.com). And in today’s solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, He commissioned His Apostles, “to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28: 19). What does it mean? It simply means that the mission of the Church should be done in and with the sign and doctrine of the Cross as the basic of the Christian Faith. That is why we find that the Seven Sacraments of the Church are all done and administered in the sign and doctrine of the Triune God.  The Sign of the Cross has indeed become a universal sign of salvation history for us.

In our daily life, in our daily works and activities, and in our daily mission and undertakings, the sign of the Holy Trinity always abounds. Thus, it is imperative and essential for all Catholic Christians to properly and empathically make the sign of the Cross. This should not be done hurriedly and speedily as if a full-fledged Catholic Christian is afraid and ashamed and not proud to show it to the world. The sign of the Cross has become our habit, and can therefore be discussed and shared openly to others to further deepen the meaning and significance of this universal sign of faith for us. That is why the Trinitarian formula of the sacraments gathers together the elements of the Three Persons in One God mystery as our mystery of life also. Jesus also told us about the divine procession: the Son proceeding from the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. This may be hard to comprehend but we begin to understand this mystery in our day to day encounter and experiences with God.

Brothers and Sisters, let us make the mystery of the Triune God alive in us. Let us continue professing it as the indelible mark of our Christian living. Let us recognize the presence of the Triune God in our daily life because we know that God sustains us because He cared for us so much in this world in which we continue to live.

MAY THE TRIUNE GOD CONTINUE TO REIGN IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVES FOREVER…