Devotion for today: the Creator, the Savior, the Power

 We continue our look at the Trinity through the Sign of the Cross.

 Scripture for meditation: John 17:20-23

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: “Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”

Scripture for reflection: John 14:26

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Fr. Tom, OFM tells us … When we are conscious of what we are doing in [the Sign of the Cross], it is a simple act of faith in the complexity of God who is revealed to us in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. I say “revealed to us” because we wouldn’t have a clue about the Trinity if Jesus didn’t tell us about it. Jesus talked about His Father in Heaven, about Himself as the Son of God, about going back to Heaven and sending to us the Holy Spirit… It is a mystery of God that God wants us to be drawn deeply into. So, let’s think about the sign of the cross and how it can draw us deeply into this mystery. First we touch our forehead and say, “In the Name of the Father…” When I hear those words, I think of so many things – the beauty of the trees, and flowers and plant life coming into bloom this time of year; I recall beautiful red sunsets at the beach as the setting sun shimmers on the water... And, I’m reminded not only of a Creator but of someone so totally in love with us that He sent His only Son to draw us back into His embrace… Next we move to our chest, to the place where the heart resides and say, “and of the Son.” Here I think of the love the Son of God showed us when He multiplied the loaves for the hungry, when He reached across social and racial barriers to the Samaritans, when He made room at His table for outcasts and sinners, …when He gave the ultimate and agonizing proof of His love for us on the Cross … And then we move to our shoulders and say, “and of the Holy Spirit.” We recall the Holy Spirit who gives so widely of Himself that it takes the full span of our shoulders to remind us of that – left and right, from one side of the world to the other. And I think of God’s desire to be intimate with all of us; to have the freedom of the wind…to be in your heart and my heart… all at the same time. I think of the Holy Spirit as … the power in my life – as a great force for good and holiness, as one to turn to when decisions are to be made, as one who consoles me when I make my mistakes. To console is to be with a person who is alone. With the Holy Spirit around, no one is ever alone... And, so we come to the end of the blessing – the joining of hands and the concluding, “Amen.” And we remind ourselves that the word “amen” is an expression of agreement, in itself an act of faith in all that has gone before; a “so be it,” an “I believe.” And so I renew my faith. I believe in you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. http://afriarslife.blogspot.com/2010/05/god-in-three-persons-blessed-trinity.html

Prayer: Father I Adore you, by Terrye Coelho

Father, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you! Jesus, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you. Spirit, I adore you, lay my life before you, how I love you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFtAfyF75k&feature=related

My thoughts: Scripture makes it very clear who the three persons in the Blessed Trinity are. It isn’t very clear how it all works, and we will probably never fully understand it while we live on this earth, but I think Father Tom helps us to see how God manifests himself: through his creation, through his love for man and death on the cross, and through his consoling power. Sometimes it is enough to simply understand the “who”, and not worry too much about the “how”.

Our prayer to God: The beauty of creation surrounds us, the love of Christ is evident in his death, and the power of the Holy Spirit is seen in every decision we make to help our fellow man and become a better person. When we make the Sign of the Cross today, let us take the time, as we place our fingers on our forehead, chest and shoulders, to thank God for the beauty, love and power that comes to us from him.