“On this Trinity Sunday, Pope John Paul II reminds us how futile our efforts can be, attempting to explain, define, and dissect the presence of the Trinity, until we simply place our trust in the living presence of this mystery. “A great mystery, a mystery of love, an inef able mystery, before which words must give way to the silence of wonder and worship. A divine mystery that challenges and involves us, because a share in the Trinitarian life was given to us through grace, through the redemptive Incarnation of the Word and the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Possibly the Sign of the Cross, our outward gesture or ritual of belief is our trust and understanding of this mystery in our midst. He was lying still on his bed, with the sheet and blanket pulled up to his chin. Kneeling at his bedside in the care center, I began the initial prayer of the Sacrament of the Sick with the Sign of the Cross. Immediately he ‘worked’ to free his right hand to likewise make the Sign of the Cross. Was it simply an impulse, a habit, a reflex, done without any thought? Our ancient ritual, proclaiming the Trinitarian reality of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, is an outward expression of belief, of faith, and a prayer. Despite the gentleman’s weakness, his desire to make the Sign of the Cross was an affirmation of his belief and trust in the living presence of God at his side.
Going back to the early Church, he followers of Christ began to proclaim the presence of God by tracing a ‘little’ cross on their foreheads. In time, the early Christians began to trace a ‘little’ cross on their lips and chest also, (a ritual we commit ourselves to this day as the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass). Somewhere in the ninth century Christians in the East were making a larger gesture of the Sign of the Cross with the thumb and two fingers held together and moving from the forehead, to the chest and the shoulders (right to left). At the same time the ring and little finger were folded back against the palm symbolizing Christ’s two natures. Influenced by the practice of the Benedictine monasteries, the Sign of the Cross in the Western Church was made with an open hand and moving from the left to the right shoulder as we do today. Possibly at times the ritual, the gesture of the Sign of the Cross we make is an impulse, a habit, done without thought. But as the Catholic author, Brian Doyle, comments: “But simple as the Sign of the Cross is, it carries a brave weight: it names the Trinity, celebrates the Creator, and brings home all the power of faith to the brush of fingers on skin and bone and belly. So do we, sometimes well and sometimes ill, labor to bring home our belief in God's love to the stuff of our daily lives, the skin and bone of this world — and the Sign of the Cross That helps us to remember that we have a Companion on the road .”Going back to the early Church, the followers of Christ began to proclaim the presence of God by tracing a ‘little’ cross on their foreheads. In time, the early Christians began to trace a ‘little’ cross on their lips and chest also, (a ritual we commit ourselves to this day as the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass). Somewhere in the ninth century, Christians in the East were making a larger gesture of the Sign of the Cross with the thumb and two fingers held together and moving from the forehead, to the chest and the shoulders (right to left). At the same time the ring and little finger were folded back against the palm symbolizing Christ’s two natures. Influenced by the practice of the Benedictine monasteries, the Sign of the Cross in the Western Church was made with an open hand and moving from the left to the right shoulder as we do today. Possibly at times the ritual, the gesture of the Sign of the Cross we make is an impulse, a habit, done without thought. But as the Catholic author, Brian Doyle, comments: “But simple as the Sign of the Cross is, it carries a brave weight: it names the Trinity, celebrates the Creator, and brings home all the power of faith to the brush of fingers on skin and bone and belly.S o d o w e, s o m e tim e s w ell a n d s o m e tim e s ill, labor to bring home our belief in God's love to the stuff of our daily lives, the skin and bone of this world — and the Sign of the Cross helps us to remember that we have a Companion on the road.”e Sign of the Cross is, it carries a brave weight: it names the Trinity, celebrates the Creator, and brings home all the power of faith to the brush of fingers on skin and bone and belly. So do we, sometimes well and sometimes ill, labor to bring home our belief in God's love to the stuff of our daily lives, the skin and bone of this world — and the Sign of the Cross helps us to remember that we have a Companion on the road.”of Christ. . .” On this Trinity Sunday, the third Sunday of June, our country recognizes the blessing of fatherhood. Reflecting back to my own upbringing and moments with my father that I too often took for granted, the lessons he taught me could be described in the words of the Italian author, Umberto Eco: "I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom." Dear God, thank you for the gift of fatherhood. We pray for all fathers and those hoping to become fathers. May You give them the strength to be a vessel of Your love. Amen. God Bless, Fr. Tim FYI: “Rise, you who were lying fast asleep….Rise and hurry to the Church: here is the Father, here is the Son, here is the Holy Spirit.” (St. Ambrose)