CT - Starting the season of ‘ongoing salvation’

Starting the season of ‘ongoing salvation’

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (A), Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9. [Lectionary 164, May 22, 2005]

On the Monday after Pentecost, the church resumes Ordinary Time, the season that does not recall any specific segment of salvation history, as Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter do, but which rather recalls the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. One might call Ordinary Time the season of ongoing salvation. Ordinary Time runs from after Pentecost until the last day before the First Sunday of Advent, when a new liturgical year begins.

But the first two Sundays of this season are not Sundays of Ordinary Time. They are special solemnities that celebrate with a particular explicitness the underpinnings and the outcomes of salvation history. They have been called devotional or doctrinal celebrations, or "idea feasts." These are the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

In each of these observances, all three readings for each of the three years of the lectionary cycle are chosen to harmonize with the theme of the day. (Another such celebration is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, which falls on the 34th, i.e., last Sunday of Ordinary Time.)

Coming just after our annual paschal reliving of God’s work of salvation in Christ and of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Trinity calls on us to reflect on the foundation and goal of it all: God as Lord,

God as three Persons in eternal self-gift and communion, God as Trinity.

The Old Testament reading for this celebration comes from Exodus, the book that tells the story of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt and their progress toward the Promised Land. The context of our reading is the Israelites’ sin of idolatry. They are in the desert. Moses had gone up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the law. He stayed longer than the people thought he would. They became afraid and, with Aaron’s help, made an image of a golden calf for themselves that would symbolize God’s power and protection. It became their god. Moses came down the mountain and saw what was going on. In his anger, he threw down the stone tablets of the law that God had given him and destroyed the golden idol.

As our reading opens, we find Moses back on the mountain carrying two new stone tablets as God had commanded him. The law was to be written down again. But first God manifests Himself to Moses.

God speaks out His name to Moses from the cloud: the Lord. Then God walks up and down before Moses repeating His name ("The Lord, the Lord ...") and describing himself: merciful, gracious, patient, kind, faithful. And Moses responds. From his posture of worship, he asks God to continue to be with the Israelites, to pardon their rejection of Him, their sin of idolatry. And, although our text does not say so explicitly, the rest of Exodus shows that God answered Moses’ prayer.

In this reading, God does more than tell Moses His name. He presents himself to Moses, offers himself to Moses as Lord and master, yet loving, kind, and faithful. This is a mighty Lord, yet not distant and cold, but near and loving, in spite of the sinfulness of the people with whom He had involved himself. He was a God who would continue to travel with the people He had chosen for himself.

The God that manifested Himself to Moses is the God that we reverence and adore. He is the Father who shares His Son with us. He is the Son who saved us through His life, death and resurrection. He is the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us toward our final goal, who travels with us in spite of our sinfulness.

It must have been hard for God to open himself up to us human beings. He had to do it a little at a time, first manifesting himself to Moses, not as a warrior god, not as a god of fertility, not as a god of death, but as a loving Lord who would walk with His people and bring them to the place He had in mind for them. Then, through Jesus, we are brought to know still more about God. God is not a solitary being, but a community of self-gift, knowledge, and love. God wishes not only to share knowledge about himself with us, but also His very life, grafting us into the community of Father, Son, and Spirit.

This Sunday’s reading, from one of the most ancient parts of the Old Testament, teaches us that God has wanted to be known and loved by us human creatures for a long time.

For reflection and discussion

How do I respond to the mercy and kindness of God?

How have I experienced God’s company in my life’s journey?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk Starting the season of ‘ongoing salvation’ Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (A), Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9. [Lectionary 164, May 22, 2005] On the Monday after Pentecost, the church resumes Ordinary Time, the season that does not recall any specific segment of salvation history, as Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter do, but which rather recalls the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. One might call Ordinary Time the season of ongoing salvation. Ordinary Time runs from after Pentecost until the last day before the First Sunday of Advent, when a new liturgical year begins. But the first two Sundays of this season are not Sundays of Ordinary Time. They are special solemnities that celebrate with a particular explicitness the underpinnings and the outcomes of salvation history. They have been called devotional or doctrinal celebrations, or "idea feasts." These are the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In each of these observances, all three readings for each of the three years of the lectionary cycle are chosen to harmonize with the theme of the day. (Another such celebration is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, which falls on the 34th, i.e., last Sunday of Ordinary Time.) Coming just after our annual paschal reliving of God’s work of salvation in Christ and of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Trinity calls on us to reflect on the foundation and goal of it all: God as Lord, God as three Persons in eternal self-gift and communion, God as Trinity. The Old Testament reading for this celebration comes from Exodus, the book that tells the story of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt and their progress toward the Promised Land. The context of our reading is the Israelites’ sin of idolatry. They are in the desert. Moses had gone up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of the law. He stayed longer than the people thought he would. They became afraid and, with Aaron’s help, made an image of a golden calf for themselves that would symbolize God’s power and protection. It became their god. Moses came down the mountain and saw what was going on. In his anger, he threw down the stone tablets of the law that God had given him and destroyed the golden idol. As our reading opens, we find Moses back on the mountain carrying two new stone tablets as God had commanded him. The law was to be written down again. But first God manifests Himself to Moses. God speaks out His name to Moses from the cloud: the Lord. Then God walks up and down before Moses repeating His name ("The Lord, the Lord ...") and describing himself: merciful, gracious, patient, kind, faithful. And Moses responds. From his posture of worship, he asks God to continue to be with the Israelites, to pardon their rejection of Him, their sin of idolatry. And, although our text does not say so explicitly, the rest of Exodus shows that God answered Moses’ prayer. In this reading, God does more than tell Moses His name. He presents himself to Moses, offers himself to Moses as Lord and master, yet loving, kind, and faithful. This is a mighty Lord, yet not distant and cold, but near and loving, in spite of the sinfulness of the people with whom He had involved himself. He was a God who would continue to travel with the people He had chosen for himself. The God that manifested Himself to Moses is the God that we reverence and adore. He is the Father who shares His Son with us. He is the Son who saved us through His life, death and resurrection. He is the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us toward our final goal, who travels with us in spite of our sinfulness. It must have been hard for God to open himself up to us human beings. He had to do it a little at a time, first manifesting himself to Moses, not as a warrior god, not as a god of fertility, not as a god of death, but as a loving Lord who would walk with His people and bring them to the place He had in mind for them. Then, through Jesus, we are brought to know still more about God. God is not a solitary being, but a community of self-gift, knowledge, and love. God wishes not only to share knowledge about himself with us, but also His very life, grafting us into the community of Father, Son, and Spirit. This Sunday’s reading, from one of the most ancient parts of the Old Testament, teaches us that God has wanted to be known and loved by us human creatures for a long time. For reflection and discussion** How do I respond to the mercy and kindness of God? How have I experienced God’s company in my life’s journey?

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