The old Baltimore Catechism had a question and answer
that I bet a lot of us can recite by memory.
The question was, why did God make me?
And the answer is, “God made me to know Him, to love Him,
and to serve Him in this world,
and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.”
In other words, what Jesus said in the Gospel:
“God so LOVED the world, that he sent his only son…”
This is important, because a lot of people really don’t focus
on what that love actually means.
Maybe they believe God exists, but he leaves us on our own.
Or, they think God just has a vaguely positive attitude toward us.
But neither of those are love.
If a mom or a dad left their kids by themselves,
or else just let them do what they liked and said, “hey whatever!”
No one would call that love.
So to use the words of today’s Gospel:
God did not send his son into a world that didn’t need him!
And God did not send his son, to be indifferent to the world;
No: “God so LOVED the world…
Love is involved. Love is passionate. Love hangs in.
Love pays close attention.
As kids, we know our parents love us for many reasons.
One is when we realize, slowly,
how much our mom and dad sacrifice for us.
Another is that we know our parents won’t just give us
whatever we want; but they will always give us what we need.
There’s another point here, and this is for many who are listening.
Many people allow fear to rule their faith.
“Fear of God” is a good thing, but there is both
something called “holy fear” and “unholy fear.” What’s the difference?
Holy fear says, I don’t want to hurt my father or mother on earth,
or my Father in heaven, out of respect and reverence.
But under, above and behind that is a certain knowledge
that your parents – and your heavenly Father –
have an unshakable love for you.
Meanwhile, unholy fear freezes us and fills us with worry.
Maybe I didn’t confess my sins exactly correctly?
Maybe God didn’t forgive me? I’m sure God has finally had it with me!
Listen once more to what Jesus said:
“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.”
God is not a vindictive referee who can’t wait to throw a flag on you: “Gotcha!”
No, God is like the coach, or the parent, who roots for you,
who backs you up, and when you fall, picks you up, saying,
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!”
Today is Trinity Sunday, and we recall that Jesus himself taught us
that the Father is God, he, the Son, is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
not three Gods, but only one God.
You and I don’t have to grasp this or explain this fully.
We believe it because we believe him.
We trust him, listen to him, stay close to him:
and we will be happy with the Divine Trinity forever!
The reason Jesus came into the heart of the world,
becoming one of us, was precisely to bring us into the heart of God;
into the very center of the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today we will have First Holy Communion for our second graders.
They have hungered for this moment,
and this year, of course, they had to wait an extra six weeks.
That love, that hunger, that is the Holy Spirit in you!
It is the Holy Spirit who loves the Father and the Son;
And so he draws you where the Son came to bring you: to the Father!
The Holy Mass is how we experience this.
The Mass is a summary, a making-present, for us,
of all that Jesus did for us.
In the Gloria and the Creed, we recall his birth;
We hear his teaching in the Gospel;
You and I gather with him, with the Apostles, as if at the Last Supper;
And with Mary, we are at the Cross with him.
But we aren’t afraid, because we know he rose from the dead.
We know he reigns in heaven forever – and will bring us to be with him!
And the Holy Eucharist is what Jesus gives us, again and again, throughout our lives,
so that we’ll know and hear Jesus say:
I came here, for you, to love you and to save you.
I came to you, to bring you with me to heaven, forever!
When you and I receive Holy Communion,
we are not receiving a “thing,” an object; but a Person.
A living, breathing, passionate, loving Divine Person: Jesus.
The Eucharist is sharing – communion – in all Jesus does, and all he IS.
Second graders, maybe you think, this is over my head.
You know what? It’s over all our heads, mine too! But it’s OK!
Like the Trinity, you and I don’t have to grasp this fully;
It is God who grasps us fully! Our hands are small and tentative;
God’s embrace of us is loving and strong, he will hold on to us forever!
This is your first Holy Communion, with so many more to come.
The most important, as I’ve told you before, is that last communion;
that last taste of heaven in this world, before we close our eyes the final time,
and discover Jesus was true to his word:
He led us safely home to be happy with him forever.
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