“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” 

This most powerful statement made by Jesus about the extent of our Father’s love is reproposed to us because, while we, Catholics, get used to the crucifix in church, at home, around our neck, in many places, especially those who are weary and deeply concerned about the world’s situation, need this reassurance.   

Today is Trinity Sunday.  It is time we stopped and attempted to wrap our puny brain around the significance of this awesome, love-filled fact that is designed to change our lives completely and fill us with hope.   

What Jesus revealed to Nicodemus 2000 years ago, and repeated to us now, is an excellent way of delving into the mystery of all mysteries that, in the Holy Trinity, 1+1+1 makes still one!   

One God in three Persons, equal in majesty, co-substantial, co-eternal, undivided and totally, continuously interested and completely involved in our history, in our life. 

The 1st reading (Exodus 34: 4-9) already indicates how impossible it is for us human beings to get a decent, half-acceptable grasp of God’s nature as infinite love.   

So, the Lord simply pronounces his name: LORD! 

Everything beautiful, powerful, compassionate, loving, desirable, hoped for is contained in that most holy name.   

So much so that, out of profound reverence and humble awareness of total unworthiness, the Israelites were strictly forbidden to pronounce God’s name! 

“… a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity…” Exodus 34:6  

All this, God had revealed about himself before we could direct our gaze at the cross; before he opened his arms on that cross and told us how much he loved us. 

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” 

The worrying, the confusion, the restlessness of our heart, our fears, our anger, our frustrations, whatever threatens to overcome us from time to time, are all a clear indication that we must look again at the Crucifix to find composure and inner calm.   

Before we can again function as God’s children the way he so deeply desires that we would, we must hear again those words that Jesus spoke that night to Nicodemus. 

Hence, we too, bow down with Moses and worship the Holy Trinity in the supreme sacrifice of the cross, and we urge our God to come along with us in our company, as we journey through life. Exodus 34:9  

We admit that we are still stiff-necked, still stubbornly insisting on doing things our way, on leading our life the way we see fit, even daring to mess it up at times. We might be stubbornly convinced that the problems afflicting our world and making us so worried, so restless, so confused, so angry, can be solved by some extraordinary human intervention. 

Yes, we need to be pardoned repeatedly for this reoccurring illusion of going it alone.   

This prayer, this form of worshipping the infinite love of our Triune God, must come straight from our hearts, because he has full knowledge of our weariness, hurts, disenchantment, concerns and apprehensions, when he would like us to be always serene, hopeful and trusting in his love.   

As we gaze at the Crucifix, we can hear Jesus whispering this to us: “Look at my outstretched arms.  They will be open forever to embrace you and to reassure you.  They will never be shaken in a gesture of condemnation because they know nothing but love and forgiveness.” 

Treasuring these words, we can move forward trustingly because the reassurance they sealed in our minds doesn’t fade in any way.  

They convey such a display of love which is not human but uniquely divine in the sense that even Almighty God cannot outdo himself.