Blessed Trinity, June 15, 2014

(Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18)

Like the mystery of the Trinity itself, the readings for this feast
are a bit of a puzzle. That must be by design because the more we
accept the feast as mystery, the less we try to dogmatize it. The less we
try to dogmatize it, the better the chance we have to actually ponder
the mystery and thereby discover its essence.
The feast follows naturally from last weeks celebration of
Pentecost in which presence of the Spirit was amply featured. To
speak intelligently about what is mystery is troublesome at best and in
most cases heretical at worst. Like looking at a sunset (libation in
hand) over open water, silence speaks more eloquently than words.
The Exodus reading follows the first reception of the tablets,
which Moses had smashed in anger because of the infidelity of the
people who had made a golden calf for themselves. The Lord had
decided to abandon the people when Moses interceded for them and
won the Lords forgiveness.
Now Moses ascends the mountain again, this time carrying with
him two new stone tablets. The Lord appears to Moses in a cloud and
then speaks: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow
to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity (hesed weemet).
Moses bowed to the ground at this revelation out of respect and in
humility, but also no doubt to ponder the nature of his God. Yet, by
pondering Gods self-revelation, he necessarily reflects upon himself
and his own people. Then Moses begs the Lord to accompany this
people, stiff-necked though they are.
Perhaps Moses realized that all of the things revealed about the
Lord would only be suited to his own people. The fit is perfect: a
sinful people with a forgiving and merciful God, who is slow to anger
and rich in kindness and fidelity. There is clearly something to love
about this God and a God like this finds something to love about a
people like this. It is a match made in heaven, as the saying goes.
With not a little irony, Moses actually discovers the true nature of
God, by thinking about himself and his own people. That does not
make his discovery about God any less valid. It deepens his discovery
about the Lords self-revelation. Everything about this revelation
emerges from Moses first having known the Lord.
Upon discovering what the Lord reveals, Moses prays not for
himself, but that the Lord might accompany the people in their journey
(Do come along in our company). Moses is selfless in his prayer
asking forgiveness for our wickedness and sins and receive us as
your own, not for his own sins or for his own personal requests.
There is a lesson here in how our prayers ought to reflect first and
foremost the welfare of the community, not of the individual.
It appears that Gods self-revelation to Moses is about
relationship, not information. Those who want to know about God
must first actually know God. Moses discovers this in prayer. So did
Jesus. So should we. This is where philosophers often stumble. They
want to know the what, when all the while God insists on being the
one who is. We cannot relate to a what, only to one who is. The
conclusion of 2 Corinthians captures this well: The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with all of you
(Sundays second reading). Within the gifts of grace, love and
fellowship is found the relationship we have with God.

Fr. Lawrence Hummer