John 3:16 – the first verse of the gospel passage we just heard – is a very popular Bible verse. You see the numbers on T-shirts and on billboards, especially if you drive through some of the states to our south. Sometimes you even see the verse: “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.” It is, indeed, a very popular slogan. And, when we really listen to it with open hearts, we realize that it is filed with quiet reassurance. Let’s look at this verse a little more closely.
“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.” You will notice that this assurance of eternal life with God is for everyone. It’s not just for those who have it all together but for everyone, even those of us who feel messy, tired, confused or heartbroken. It’s for all of us with our worries, regrets, fears and concerns. In fact, God’s response to our imperfections was to send us his son and, as we just heard, it was not to condemn us but so that we might be saved through him. That’s very comforting for us, especially on those days when we feel judged by others or even when we judge ourselves harshly. Many of us carry quiet guilt that weigh us down. Guilt about choices we’ve made in the past, things we’ve said or done, or not said or done, people we’ve hurt. Many of us are sure that God is disappointed with us.
Today’s Gospel message tells a very different story. God offers us his love in the person of his son, Jesus Christ. All he asks is that we believe in him and his all-embracing love. Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on how we respond to God’s love. Do we accept his invitation to eternal life through faith in Jesus? And, how do we live out this faith every day? When we begin to feel secure in God’s love, that’s when we can begin to experience greater hope for our future. That’s the good news we carry with us today and every day.
On this solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we are invited not to solve a mystery but to enter into one. Today, we hear Jesus reveal the very essence of God: he so loved the world that he gave his only son. The Trinity – the foundational mystery of our faith – is not just an abstract doctrine reserved for theologians to ponder. It is a most reassuring revelation of the living communion of love that defines God and into which every follower of Jesus Christ is drawn.
At the center of today’s gospel message – and, indeed, our faith – is divine generosity. It is an act of complete giving. God the Father gives, the Son is given, and the Holy Spirit pours this love into the hearts of believers. It all begins with God’s initiative. Before we ever sought God, God sought us. Before we love him, he loved us first. Contrary to what some people may say, our faith is not primarily about rules but about relationship with God who saves. Rules simply guide us to live in that saving love.
Jesus – God made man to show God’s love in the flesh – makes it clear throughout his ministry – and he expresses it explicitly in today’s Gospel – that he was not sent to condemn the world but to save it. In a world often marked by fear, division and judgment, Jesus invites us to proclaim and live the mercy of God. And we hear in today’s second reading how to do that by mending our own ways, encouraging one another and striving always to live in peace. We do this in imitation of the God who reveals himself to Moses in today’s first reading as the Lord who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.
Today’s readings invite us to live in an intimate relationship with God, a communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who live in faithful, fruitful love. Our readings also reassure us that eternal union with God is not earned through perfection, but received through faith in Jesus Christ. It is our task to respond in faith and love and be eager to share our faith so that others will encounter this living God who is not distant but near, not condemning but saving, not solitary but eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Three in One. And so should we be with God, ourselves and others. Then, as we hear in today’s second reading, we will live in the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen.