Mass for Trinity Sunday 2021 - Year B

00:08 - Our celebrant today is Jesuit Fr. Russell Pollitt SJ.

01:18 - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

01:21 - [Amen. ] The grace and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

01:27 - [And with your spirit. ] And welcome as we come together to celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

01:39 - The Trinity reminds us that we are called to be in relationship with one another.

01:45 - The times we recognise in these days, in the last week that we have been divisive in relationships, rather than life-giving, let’s come before the Lord asking for mercy and forgiveness.

02:01 - I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

02:30 - May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to life everlasting.

02:35 - [Amen. ] Lord, have mercy. [Lord, have mercy. ] Christ, have mercy.

02:40 - [Christ, have mercy. ] Lord, have mercy.

02:43 - [Lord, have mercy. ] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

02:50 - We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

03:04 - Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

03:25 - For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.

03:38 - Amen. And let us pray: God our Father, who by sending into the world the word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery; grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory, and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty.

04:06 - We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

04:15 - [Amen. ] A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy.

04:34 - Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.

04:54 - Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? Or has God ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

05:38 - Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and well with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God gives you for ever. ” The word of the Lord.

05:59 - [Thanks be to God. ] Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage.

06:05 - [Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage. ] The word of the Lord is faithful, and all his works to be trusted.

06:17 - The Lord loves justice and right, and his merciful love fills the earth.

06:22 - [Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage. ] By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, by the breath of his mouth all their host.

06:35 - He spoke, and it came to be. He commanded; it stood in place.

06:41 - [Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage. ] Yes, the Lord’s eyes are on those who fear him, who hope in his merciful love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.

06:58 - [Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage. ] Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

07:06 - He is our help and our shield. May your merciful love be upon us, as we wait in you, O Lord.

07:14 - [Blessed are the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage. ] A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

07:33 - Brethren: All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

07:43 - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.

07:54 - When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

08:25 - The word of the Lord. [Thanks be to God. ] [Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!] Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

09:02 - [Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!] The Lord be with you.

09:23 - [And with your spirit] The reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

09:28 - [Glory to you, O Lord. ] At that time: The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

09:41 - And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted.

09:46 - And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

09:51 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age. ” The Gospel of the Lord.

10:15 - [Praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ. ] For over a year now we, as communities, as a nation, and indeed globally have had to work – and continue to work – together to overcome the COVID pandemic which has struck our world.

10:41 - The need to work together, as a community, to look after ourselves and to look after others is paramount if we are to avoid further trauma and death in our communities and in our country.

11:00 - We all have to do our part. Sometimes the experience of working together has long-lasting benefit; it breaks down boundaries.

11:12 - Yet other times, sadly, when it passes, prejudice and those boundaries that were broken down come back into being, our superstition, one could say, returns.

11:26 - On Trinity Sunday we celebrate the working together of the Godhead, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

11:37 - And they work together, first and foremost, to love and to save humanity.

11:44 - What we glimpse in times of working together in our local communities, in our nations, and globally, is perhaps a model for us of what the Trinity is – working together, striving for the common good.

12:00 - And so Trinity Sunday is not about trying to do some sort of theological mathematics – working out how three go into one, or one is three, or anything like that.

12:13 - I remember when we children, we were told that the Trinity is like a candle.

12:17 - There’s three elements, there’s the wax, and the wick and the flame. And they all need each other for the candle to give light.

12:28 - We try to explain things that we don’t understand by using metaphor and analogy.

12:36 - But I wonder, if we look at the Trinity in a much more practical way.

12:41 - The fact that the Trinity is inviting us to live in a practical way, if that helps us to understand what we celebrate.

12:51 - In practice, it seems to me, it is impossible to profess faith in the Godhead, in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and say and do all sorts of things, unless we first and foremost realise that the Trinity is calling us to a certain, particular way of life.

13:15 - It is scandalous to profess faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and be sexist, or racist, a religious bigot, or selfish, xenophobic, or homophobic, abusive, working at getting richer while other people in our communities are struggling to survive, lack the necessities for human dignity.

13:43 - It’s not by mistake that, in our Catholic Tradition, every time we pray or we come to mass, or we enter into a moment with God, we make the sign of the cross – it’s a re-commitment, it’s reminder to us that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the whole of humanity whom they invite to the table, are called to work together in a very practical way for the common good of all.

14:23 - And so we might on this Trinity Sunday, ask ourselves do our lives, individually and as communities, model the life of the Trinity? Do we really work together to build community for the common good? I want to suggest that there are a number of different signs that our life is Trinitarian.

14:47 - There are a number of different practical signs that our life is Trinitarian.

14:53 - These that I mention are by no means an exhaustive list.

14:58 - But first of all, it seems to me, we are living the life of the Trinity when we are an inclusive community.

15:06 - When we work to make everybody feel welcome, when nobody is turned away from this table of the Lord – whether they are deaf, whether they are black, whether they are white, whether they have HIV, whether they are foreigners or locals, men or women, gay or straight, rich or poor, strong or weak.

15:34 - Those who we bring around this table, our inclusivity is indicative of our Trinitarian life.

15:45 - Another thing, it seems to me, that shows that we are living our life in the Trinity is when we are willing to grapple with and dialogue over difficult things, often theological things.

16:00 - When we are willing to be formed and informed.

16:03 - When we are willing to get to know the things of God, and don’t think we have all the answers.

16:10 - That communication, that dialogue, says something about our understanding and our living the Trinitarian life.

16:21 - When we are generous and minister to the poor, we are a real sign of God’s Trinitarian life amongst us.

16:30 - When we are willing to reach out to those who need our help, no matter who they are, what they have done, or what they have failed to do.

16:41 - That shows us how deeply we are committed to life in community.

16:49 - When we are willing to look and listen to our young people, the future of our community.

16:58 - Do we really, in the Church, listen to young people and their experience of the Church? Just recently, at the Jesuit Institute, a team has been working to do some research amongst young people, to understand where they are and what they are thinking.

17:19 - And many of them say that they often feel that they are not heard in our Christian communities.

17:27 - Therefore, we are not an inclusive community when we think we always no better than our young people.

17:33 - Are we really willing to listen to their experience of Church, and more importantly, are we willing to change what needs to change, so that they can take ownership in our Christian community.

17:50 - Our own sense of community, our community spirit and our willingness to spend time getting to know others in the Christian community, is a sign of our Trinitarian life.

18:06 - It’s been an extra challenge with the COVID pandemic when we have been physically distant, but there are many ways that we can continue to build community through the wonderful gift of technology that God has given us.

18:20 - So we don’t just see the Church or community as a transaction that we go and get what we want, but we too are willing to build that community and sense of community, by being part of the daily life of that community.

18:36 - And strongly linked to that, and another sign of our Trinitarian life, is our willingness to take responsibility in our communities.

18:49 - Too many things in our Church are still left to the priest or the clergy or the parish secretary.

18:57 - We are a very clerically centred Church. And our willingness to take on responsibility and to see that responsibility through, says a whole lot about our commitment to the Trinitarian life, to the life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

19:21 - That each of us needs to take responsibility.

19:24 - That the role of the priest, that the role of the clergy is only one part of the whole.

19:34 - And we cannot build a community based on one person, but all of us need to be part of that community and take responsibility for it.

19:45 - And so there are many other things one could say about our life and our ability to model the Trinity.

19:56 - This Feast of the Trinity is a real reminder to us of who we are as God’s people.

20:03 - It’s a real reminder of who we are called to be.

20:06 - It is perhaps a thermometer, that takes our temperature, that tells us if we really understand the invitation of God, to live a life in the midst of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

20:23 - And so as we celebrate the Eucharist on this Solemnity of the Trinity, let’s pray that we do not only simply profess belief in the three persons that make up this one God.

20:35 - Let’s pray that we would live the life that goes with it.

20:40 - Let’s pray for discerning hearts, ones that show us how and where we can live the Trinitarian life in such a way that our communities, that the people around us see in us the life of the Holy Trinity modelled to our world, because if they see that, then indeed we are entering into not simply just a mystery, but the very way of life of the Trinity.

21:29 - Let’s now profess our faith in God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as we pray the Apostles Creed.

21:39 - I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

22:12 - I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

22:23 - Amen. Gathered as a community around the table of the Lord, let’s now bring the needs of our community before our God.

22:35 - For the Church: that, empowered by the Spirit, we may faithfully give witness to the Gospel and continue Christ’s mission of bringing hope and healing to all.

22:50 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For the Christian community: that we, inspired by the life of the Trinity, would seek to live in unity and peace striving to build community in mutual and lasting support.

23:14 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For a spirit of evangelization: that we may allow the Spirit to work through our words, deeds, and relationships to draw others into the life of our community.

23:38 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For the grace to be fearless: that we may follow God’s call confidently and trust that God will guide and protect us through all challenging situations.

23:57 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For all who struggle with doubts: that the Spirit of Christ will free their minds and bring understanding to their hearts.

24:15 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For those overwhelmed by the pandemic: that God will guide the leaders and people of nations as they strive to control the Covid virus and guide them in finding the materials and equipment that they need.

24:39 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For the victims of abuse, xenophobia, homophobia, racism – for all who are marginalised and hurt: that in the Christian community they would experience the support and love of the Holy Trinity and in doing so find acceptance and healing.

25:09 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] For the gift of peace: that the reign of Christ will open new opportunities for dialogue and inspire all people to work for justice and the preservation of life.

25:32 - Lord, hear us. [Lord, graciously hear us. ] Lord our God, we gather as a community, we gather to try and imitate your life as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and therefore we offer you these our prayers, knowing that you hear them, and grant them as you know best, through Christ Jesus, your Son, and our risen Lord.

26:00 - [Amen. ] Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have this bread to offer: fruit of the earth, work of our human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.

26:30 - [Blessed be God for ever. ] Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have this wine to offer: fruit of the vine, and work of our human hands, it will become for us our spiritual drink.

26:55 - [Blessed be God for ever. ] Let’s pray, sisters and brothers, that our sacrifice and the sacrifice and efforts of our lives may be acceptable to God, who is our almighty Creator.

27:17 - [May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of God’s name, for our good and the good of all God’s holy Church. ] Sanctify by the invocation of your name, we pray, O Lord our God, this offering of our service, and by it make of us an eternal offering to you.

27:35 - We ask this through Christ, our Lord. [Amen] The Lord be with you.

27:41 - [And with your spirit. ] Lift up your hearts.

27:43 - [We lift them up to the Lord. ] Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

27:47 - [It is right and just. ] It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

27:57 - For with your Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit you are one God, one Lord: not in the unity of a single person, but in a Trinity of one substance.

28:08 - For what you have revealed to us of your glory we believe equally of your Son and of the Holy Spirit, so that, in confessing of the true and eternal Godhead, you might be adored in what is proper to each Person, their unity in substance, and their equality in majesty.

28:26 - For this is praised by Angels and Archangels, Cherubim, too, and Seraphim, who never cease to cry out each day, as with one voice, and we join, they acclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy [Lord God of hosts.

28:41 - Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

28:47 - Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

28:51 - Hosanna in the highest. ] You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and from the world’s beginning are ceaselessly at work, so that the human race may become holy, just as you yourself are holy.

29:02 - Look, we pray, upon your people’s offerings and pour out on them the power of your Spirit, that they may become the Body and Blood of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whom we, too, are your sons and daughters.

29:16 - Indeed, though we once were lost and could not approach you, you loved us with the greatest love: for your Son, who alone is just, handed himself over to death, and did not disdain to be nailed for our sake to the wood of the Cross.

29:31 - But before his arms were outstretched between heaven and earth, to become the lasting sign of your covenant, he desired to celebrate the Passover with his disciples.

29:40 - As he ate with them, he took bread and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to them, saying: TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

30:07 - In a similar way, when supper was ended, knowing that he was about to reconcile all things in himself through his Blood to be shed on the Cross, he took the cup, filled with the fruit of the vine, and once more giving you thanks, he handed it to his disciples, and said: TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR ALL FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

30:35 - DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME. The mystery of faith.

30:53 - Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.

31:00 - Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of your Son Jesus Christ, who is our Passover and our surest peace, we celebrate his Death and Resurrection from the dead, and looking forward to his blessed Coming, we offer you, who are our faithful and merciful God, this sacrificial Victim who reconciles to you the human race.

31:20 - Look kindly, most compassionate Father, on those you unite to yourself by the Sacrifice of your Son, and grant that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as they partake of this one Bread and this one Cup, they may be gathered into one Body in Christ, who heals every division.

31:38 - Be pleased to keep us always in communion of mind and heart, together with Francis our Pope and Buti our Bishop Help us to work together for the coming of your Kingdom, until the hour when we stand before you, Saints among the Saints in the halls of heaven, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Saint Joseph her spouse, the blessed Apostles and all the Saints, and with our deceased brothers and sisters, whom we humbly commend to your mercy.

32:03 - Then, freed at last from the wound of corruption and made fully into a new creation, we shall sing to you with gladness the thanksgiving of Christ, who lives for all eternity.

32:16 - For through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.

32:27 - [Amen. ] Let’s now pray together in the words that the Lord himself taught us: Our Father, [who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

32:53 - Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ] Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, and graciously grant peace in our days.

33:10 - That by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

33:18 - [For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever. ] Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will, who live and reign for ever and ever.

33:38 - [Amen. ] The peace of the Lord be with you always.

33:43 - [And with your spirit. ] Let’s offer anyone who we are with a sign of peace, and if you are alone simply pray for peace.

34:06 - And we pray: Lamb of God, [you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

34:12 - Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

34:19 - Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace. ] Behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world, how blessed are we who are called to share in this supper of the Lamb.

34:39 - [Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. ] May the Body and Blood of Christ bring us to life everlasting.

34:52 - [Amen. ] Although you cannot receive physical communion with us now, we invite you into a moment of spiritual communion.

35:08 - The great medieval theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas, defined spiritual communion as: “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament”, and “a loving embrace as though we had already received him. ” His words are echoed by the great mystic, and fellow doctor of the church, St. Teresa of Avila, who wrote: “When you do not receive Communion, and do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion which is a most beneficial practice.

35:40 - By it, the love of God will be greatly impressed on you. ” At this moment we invite you to focus on Christ, and your longing for union with him.

35:54 - Express your desire to feel his grace coursing through you, giving you strength and courage, particularly in these difficult times.

36:04 - In your desiring union you are united with us, and to Christ.

36:10 - In this moment we experience the reality that is already here.

37:44 - Let us pray. May receiving this Sacrament, O Lord our God, bring us health of body and soul, as we confess your eternal Holy Trinity and undivided unity.

38:01 - Through Christ our Lord. [Amen. ] The Lord be with you.

38:05 - [And with your spirit] May almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

38:10 - [Amen. ] Go now in the peace glorifying the Lord by your life.

38:14 - [Thanks be to God. ].