Today we celebrate a mystery—the mystery that is the Most Holy Trinity, three Persons yet one God. The Trinity exists in perfect communion and community as Father, Son and Spirit. God doesn’t just give perfect love—God is Love, and that love reveals itself in the relationship of Father, Son and Spirit. Your challenge this week is to make the connection between love and justice. As Pope Benedict wrote in Caritas in Veritate, “Love — caritas — is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth.” Reflect this week on the following questions (as individuals and as families): “How does God’s love for us compel us to take action to fight injustice? Who needs our love the most this week—in the family, in our community, and in our world? How can we share our love? Is it through service, advocacy, financial support or something else?”  Select one way of living justice through the lens of love—and do it! ©Center for Ministry Development. Published by the Pastoral Center / PastoralCenter.com. All rights reserved. 

Totus Tuus is returning to St. Patrick parish this summer. Kids and teens going into 1st-12th grade next year are invited to join us for a week of fun and learning about the Catholic Faith. Click on the photo below for more info and registration. 

The central mystery of our Christian faith and life is celebrated in the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches “God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” (CCC 221).

To enter more fully into this great mystery, do the following: pause and s-l-o-w-l-y pray the words as you make the Sign of the Cross today. As Christians we are praising our loving God every time that we make the Sign of the Cross. Realize that every time you make this Sign upon your bodies – it is an expression of our faith in the Trinity; it serves as the sign of our adoption and our everlasting life; brings
to mind that we were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; deepens our awareness of the Blessed Holy Trinity dwelling within us. Amen.

We are created by God to share in this exchange of love … we were made to be children of the Trinity. Throughout Mass the Trinity is invoked: in the Gloria, the Collect, the Creed, during the Eucharistic Prayer, at the Dismissal and Sending
Forth. Therefore, the Mass fosters our union with the Blessed Trinity in our souls and makes us more conscious of the Trinity abiding with us. On this Holy Trinity Sunday pray and ponder how God reveals the truth of who he is, his innermost secret and a great mystery. Take a few moments, pause and v-e-r-y slowly pray the words as you
make the Sign of the Cross upon yourself or on the forehead of a family member.

Pope Benedict said, “Purchasing is always a moral—and not simply economic—act.” What things do you purchase that have a disproportionate environmental footprint? Bananas shipped from South America? Clothing manufactured in Asia? Tissues made from the wood of boreal forests in Canada? Choose one item you can do without and boycott the purchase of that item. Better yet, let the manufacturer know you are boycotting them and/or share with friends your decision.  

Blessed Franz is the patron of conscientious objectors