Matthew 28:16-20

Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40

Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22

Romans 8:14-17

Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,

to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Then Jesus approached and said to them,

"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

Opening Prayer: Lord God, my deepest desire and hope is to see you as you are in heaven. My mind, in this life, struggles to understand how you are a Trinity of Persons. But I believe and trust that one day I will see you face to face. I long for your loving embrace and will do my best to lead others to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. God Chose Israel: In the First Reading, we hear the voice of Moses on the plains of Moab. He has been with Israel during their forty years of wandering in the desert. Before he passed on from this world, Moses gave his last will and testament and began by reviewing the relationship between Israel and the Lord God. The Psalm focuses our attention on the fact that, out of all the nations, God chose Israel to be his own. This was not because Israel was the wealthiest, the most powerful, or the most intelligent. In choosing Israel, God is being faithful to his covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While the Lord has graciously chosen Israel to be his people and has loved them, Israel has consistently acted like a rebellious child. Much of the First Reading, though, is devoted to the wonderful things God has done for Israel: releasing them from bondage in Egypt, vanquishing their enemies, speaking to them on Mount Sinai, and leading them through the desert. Moses proclaims and reveals to the people that there is only one true God, the Lord. That God is triune (i.e., three in one) will be revealed through Jesus Christ.

2. Make Disciples, Baptize Them, and Teach Them: Jesus reveals to his disciples and, through them, to the entire world that the Lord God is one and that God is a Trinity of Persons: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When the eleven Apostles encounter the risen Jesus on a mountain in Galilee, they worship him as Lord. At the same time, there was still doubt in some of their hearts. Some believed but others still struggled to believe. On the mountain, Jesus declares that he has been given power and authority. He is the Son of Man, who is invested with divine authority over heaven and earth. Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, “never ceased to be omnipotent in his divinity, of course, but now he exercises his lordship over the universe through his risen humanity (see Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 370). Jesus’ command to go and make disciples of all nations is the fulfillment of the covenant promise made to Abraham that God would bless all nations in Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 22:17). Jesus gives his disciples and the Church a threefold mission. First, they are to evangelize and make disciples. This involves a radical change in life. “A disciple is one who listens to Jesus (Matthew 17:5) and learns from him how to live (Matthew 11:28-30), how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), and how to do what is pleasing to the Father (Matthew 3:17)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 371). Second, they are to baptize and introduce people from all nations into the life of the Trinity and the Sacramental life of the Church. Third, they are to instruct people from every nation in the teachings of Jesus. “The gospel is meant to give shape and direction to our entire life, so believers must be informed of how it impinges on family matters, economics, relationships, employment, government, education, and so on. In other words, the good news of Jesus Christ must ultimately go beyond personal formation to a broader inculturation. The Lord wants the truth of his message to Christianize all nations as nations. Only when both individuals and societies are conformed to the gospel can we say that the Father’s will has been done ‘on earth as in heaven’ (Matthew 6:10)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 371).

3. The Spirit of Adoption: Over the centuries, the Church grew in her understanding of the revelation of the Trinity. Heresies about the Persons of the Trinity prompted the Church to authoritatively teach what God has revealed. The Creed we profess each Sunday is a fruit of the Church’s reflection on divine revelation: I believe in one God the Father Almighty; I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God; I believe in Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. In the Second Reading, Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit places us in a new relationship with God. Guided by the Spirit, we are no longer merely servants of God but are children of God. The indwelling of the divine Spirit enables us to share in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Living as God’s children means being led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18). Having been adopted as God’s children, we address God as “Abba, Father!” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 134). 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have transformed every aspect of my life and every relationship in my life. Through you, I have become an adopted child of the Father. I am now a member of your Body. I am a Temple where your Holy Spirit dwells. My neighbors have become, through you, my brothers and sisters. What a marvelous family!

Living the Word of God: Am I willing to spend time in prayer and study reflecting on and contemplating the deepest mystery of all, the mystery of the Holy Trinity? Am I indifferent to this great mystery? Should I read the Catechism (nn. 232-267) this week on the Trinity to know what the Church teaches so that I can share this with others?