Sunday Reflections

One of the prayers we most often recite is the Apostles’ Creed.  If you are like me, this type of prayer can easily become rote.  I’m great at recalling its words but rarely prayerfully reflecting on what they are saying about my faith.    

This prayer is a clear statement of what I believe the Holy Trinity is and yet challenges me to explain to non-believers. How can there be 3 persons in one being? However, this is the essence of God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the complexity of God.

Might a more appropriate challenge be how we choose to live our lives as God’s witness, not to clearly articulate this prayer’s meaning?  How do we first love God with our whole heart, our whole being? How do we then practice servant love towards our fellow man up to our willingness to die for another? 

How do we remember that our sinful nature means that throughout our lives we will fail these two tasks?  How do we remember that the Holy Spirit is always there for us when we fail, when we demonstrate false humility and pride?

We read this challenge in today’s first reading from Exodus, “(Us being) merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and obedience”. And from the second reading of St. Paul to the Corinthians, “agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

May we continue to live in true love of God and neighbor.