The Trinity

The Trinity.

16 The eleven[a] disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. 17 [b]When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. 18 [c]Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore,[d] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.[e] And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”-Matthew28:16-20

The Father loves the Son. The Son loves the Father. And this love is the Holy Spirit. Such a simple explanation, but the truth is, the Trinity is a mystery. The Father is different from the Son, the Son - Jesus - is different from His Father, and the Holy Spirit is different from the Father and the Son, yet, they are One. Three persons in One. The perfect family. The perfect community. This perfection is shared to us too. We can be a part of this perfection by allowing the Trinity to reign in our lives, and in our interaction with others.

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Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples[a] were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.[b] The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 [c][Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 [d]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 [e]Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”-John20:19-23

The Holy Spirit would come in so many ways and in so many forms. In Acts2:1-11, the Holy Spirit came in tongues of fire. In today's Gospel, the Holy Spirit came in the form of a breath. Some would describe the Holy Spirit like a diamond with many facets, and each facet is unique. Perhaps the Holy Spirit appeared to us in such an ordinary way today. We know that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. But how do we respond when the Holy Spirit comes knocking in our door today?

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Contact

Jesus ascended into Heaven.

15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. 20 But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.-Mark16:15-20

It must have been very sad for Jesus' disciples to see their Master go. It is very different when you are with people that you love physically versus spiritually. Even though modern day communications and social media connect people, still it is so different when you are actually conversing with them in person. But Jesus comforts His disciples by assuring them that it is for their good that He leave, and He will leave only to return again (in Spirit that is). If we believe that we are a bodied spirit, then our spirit knows how to communicate with Jesus and knows how to listen to Him spiritually as if in person. We are not orphans, for Jesus lives in each and everyone of us. Jesus is very much present with us as if in real life, but it takes a spiritual eye to see Him.

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Spirit of Truth

"I have told you this so that you may not fall away."

26 “When the Advocate comes whom I will send[a] you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
1 “I have told you this so that you may not fall away. 2 They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour[b] is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. 3 They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. 4 I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.
[c] “I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you.-John15:26-16:4

Sometimes we experience an encounter with God at a certain point in our life that left a very deep impact or a massive turning point or change in us. It can be a loss, bankruptcy, imprisonment, or even death. These experiences bring us closer to God. Jesus is saying to us, "I have told you this so that you may not fall away." If we have Jesus in us, we need not fear. Though very tough times may come our way, Jesus is encouraging us to be steadfast in holding on to the Holy Spirit that says, "Be not afraid. I am with you." Through our own experiences of the presence of God in our life, we can contribute and help in spreading the Good News that Jesus is the true Savior and Messiah, and that He is truly with us alive and guiding us every step of the way.

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Jesus reveals Himself

Jesus reveals Himself to those who love Him.

21 Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas, not the Iscariot,[a] said to him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
25 “I have told you this while I am with you. 26 The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.-John14:21-26

So many people claim that they cannot see God nor can they relate to Jesus. They say, "It happened a long time ago." or "Religion is outdated in our modern world." or even question "Can it be true?" Today, Jesus has answer to them, "And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." To see Jesus, one must love Him. Love means believing. There are many ways to know Jesus such as - one must open one's mind to the Scriptures, one must open one's heart to Love, and one must be open to grace.

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