Sunday Gospel Lectio Divina for The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - June 12, 2022
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
READ
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you."
MEDITATE
I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now
The Holy Spirit continued to reveal truths to the disciples after Jesus was gone, but all of what the Spirit revealed to them was in accord with what had already been revealed in Scripture and through Jesus. The Spirit–in providing the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord–gave Jesus’ followers the grace to continue spreading the gospel. The Traditions of the Church are the proof that God did not abandon us after Jesus. He gave us his Holy Spirit, the same God and the Third Person of the Trinity. The Church can therefore evangelize in confidence knowing that it is guided by that same Spirit–to whom Jesus was alluding when he said “I have much more to tell you.” When the disciples received the Holy Spirit they were able to bear that “much more” Jesus spoke of, but only by the grace of God.
the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth
In my search for truth, it’s good to know I have a guide that will lead me. All truth is intertwined because the Truth is a person who has integrity: Jesus is the Truth and he doesn’t contradict himself. His words match his actions and vice-versa. If we stay on the path and follow him, every day he will reveal more of himself. One truth will lead to another, and this truth we find in him will be good and beautiful, because God is also beauty and goodness. The hard part is staying on the path, but with God’s grace he makes our burden light. We just have to ask for his grace.
He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears
Even the Holy Spirit can only continue to reveal the same truth revealed by God the Father and Christ the Son. Nothing new will be revealed, but we can reach a deeper understanding of what has been revealed. Sometimes apparitions will confirm what has been revealed or give us some extra insight about certain truths, but these apparitions never stray from the original gospel. This should bring us a sense of relief and assurance. When we are confused about what God wants us to do in difficult situations, we can go back to the Scriptures and the saints to find the same revealed truth to help guide us in our decisions.
he will take from what is mine and declare it to you
Scripture is the Word of God, and the Word is Christ. The truth in Scripture are passed down to us through Tradition, and Tradition is guided by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes from the Word and declares it to each new generation of Christians. The Source is always the same. The truth doesn’t change even as the language used to convey it changes. The Holy Spirit transcends human language, but the human spirit that is following Christ will recognize its voice in every age no matter what form it takes. The Spirit will choose voices in every generation to pass on its truth. It is our mission as Christians to offer our lives in service to this truth. Many people stray far from the inheritance given to us through Christ and the Spirit, and think they can form their own version of the truth. It doesn’t work. We can draw from the abundant well of life given to Jesus, but if we try to do things our own way we will reach a dead end. We know we are in Christ when the deeper we draw from his well the more truth and life we find.
Everything that the Father has is mine
This is our Father’s world. So, it is Christ’s world also. God’s church is Christ’s church. The Father’s heaven is Jesus’ kingdom. We see clues of this in the Book of Revelation, when we read that the New Jerusalem is lit by the Light of the Lamb. Regarding the Father’s world also being Christ’s world, when I look at a beautiful sunrise–I must admit–I usually think of the splendor of God the Father’s creation. Rarely do I think of creation belonging to Christ as well. But it’s true. Through Scripture he reveals parts of who he is, but he also does this through creation. Every sunrise tells the gospel story of the Resurrection. Every seed that dies and brings forth new life does as well. Think of how much more God the Father and Christ the Son can reveal to us through his many gifts, if we simply ask for the grace and strive to draw closer to him. The Trinity is one God, and each person has different ways to teach us about reality. Don’t try to understand how the three are the same God but different. Just trust that God is the source of all truth and enjoy the journey.
PRAY
Holy Trinity,
You are the God of love, truth and everything I seek. Thank you for your providence. Forgive me for the times I have failed to have faith in you. I ask for the grace to see you in everything I do, everywhere I go. You are the cornerstone that provides a strong foundation, and the mystery that keeps us intrigued and searching to keep life interesting. Help me to see you and never get bored of searching for you. You are so much more than I can ever imagine. Show me how to dive deeper into that belief. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
LISTEN
God has so much more to tell us, but we can’t hear it unless we are listening. What new realization is God helping you to see today, either through this Gospel reading or through life in general. Or maybe you sensed a connection between the Scripture reading and your own life. Whatever the case, God is speaking to us all. We simply have to lend at least one ear.
Kilby is a freelance writer from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.
