Trinity Sunday 30th May 2021

Celebrated by Fr Joseph Camilleri

1st Reading – Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40 Moses said to the people: ‘Put this question to the ages that are past, that went before you, from the time God created man on earth: Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, as you heard it, and remain alive? Has any god ventured to take to

We celebrate our baptism in the name of the Trinity as a result of which we have received the spirit of sons and are privileged to call the great God of glory and majesty our Father.

himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors  – all this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt? ‘Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.’ (The word of the Lord)

Responsorial Psalm Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own. For the word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love. Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own. By his word the heavens were made, by the breath of his mouth all the stars. He spoke; and it came to be. He commanded; it sprang into being. Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

(Cont’d/…)

FOOTNOTES

Three Persons who are one God, because the Father is love, the Son is love, the Spirit is love. God is wholly and only love, the purest, infinite and eternal love. Pope Benedict XVI The God who has claimed us for himself is Father, Son and Holy Spirit; not just Father, not just Son, not just Spirit. God is God FOR US – Father. God is God WITH US – Son. God is God IN US - Spirit. Darrell W. Johnson, US Presbyterian preacher and writer Now that doctrine of the Trinity often seems a very perplexing subject. And no wonder; I for one should be very much surprised if when the truth about God is reached we should not find something which is very perplexing to human minds and something which betrays the poverty of human speech. I expect the truth about the infinite God will always tax the fullest resources of finite minds and tongues and still leave men wondering, pondering and adoring. Robert Drummond, US author of ‘Faith’s Perplexities’ Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience of the person of the Holy Spirit bringing alive in new ways to the graces we have already received through our baptism. And it’s the Holy Spirit coming and bringing new gifts in our lives. Charles Whitehead, National Director of Catholic Charismatic Renewal, London The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. CS Lewis To call yourself a child of God is one thing. To be called a child of God by those who watch your life is another thing altogether. Max Lucado, US pastor and author As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me. Abdul Kalam, Indian Muslim physicist The ego is impatient because time is limited…The spirit is patient because it knows it is eternal. Anon

Sacred Heart Seminary Chapel Enrico Mizzi Street, Victoria

Our Chaplains: Father Loretu Tabone: 99001829 & email:

tabonel@hotmail.com Canon George Debrincat Council Members:

John & Veronica Grech: 2155 1180 David Felice Pace: 9956 0051

Marcel & Sylvia Grech-Marguerat: 7705 1050

Confessions Fr Loretu will hear confessions before Mass..

Please contact him in order to arrange time/place.

Readers Today: Jacque Vassallo (Readings) Franca Fish. (Prayers of the F.) 6th June David C (Readings) Mary Newman (Prayers of the Faithful) 13th June Mary Newman (Readings) David F-P (Prayers of the Faithful) 20th June David C (Readings) Vince Vella (Prayers of the F.)

.

We Pray For… …the sick in our community, those who care for them and all those whose lives have been blighted by the pain that Covid-19 has inflicted on their minds and bodies. We hold in mind, too, all our relatives and friends who have died, especially Mary Grima, Maurice Greck, Peter Shirley, Tonina Pace, Joan Fuller and all those whose anniversaries are at this time.

The English-Speaking Roman Catholic Community on Gozo

Patron Saint - St. Thomas More Our newsletter, always available at : www.esccgozo.org

Donations from Collections

Fr Camilleri's Guatemala mission - €400 (two Sundays’ offerings) Gozo Seminary - €300 Dar tal-Providenza - €300 Fr Anton Grech's Guatemala mission €300 Jesuit Refugee Centre - €200 Dar tal-Kleru - €200 A total of €1,700! Thanks to you!

Feed the Needy Nadur Parish food bank is still giving food to needy families. Donations of pasta, rice, and non perishable food are most welcome and can be given to John Grech or Fr Tabone at Sunday Mass. Thank you.

(…Cont’d/) The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

2nd Reading – Romans 8:14-17 Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.. (The word of the Lord)

Gospel Acclamation Alleluia, Alleluia! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; the God who is, who was, and who is to come.

Alleluia!

The Gospel - Matthew 28:16-20 The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

Memorial Acclamation: When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.

Prayers of the Faithful: Response Lord graciously hear us.

C o m m e n t a r i e s o n today’s Readings Reflection by Fr Henry Wansbrough OSB: On a superficial level this gospel reading seems chosen because of the trinitarian baptismal formula. It is the only time this formula comes in the scripture, and it is remarkable that the trinitarian liturgical formula was already developed while the New Testament was being written. At a deeper level this reading of the final five verses of Matthew gives a wonderful trinitarian view of the work of salvation. The words of the Risen Christ, ‘all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’, are reminiscent of the vision of the exalted Son of Man in Daniel, who comes to the One of Great Age, seated on his throne, and receives from him all power on earth. Only Christ receives all power in heaven too, as ‘the Son of God in power’. In this power he sends out his disciples, promising his divine presence always. The promise of Christ’s divine presence in his Church now (delivered at the end of Matthew’s gospel) balances the promise at the beginning of the gospel when the angel declares that the name of the child to be born to Mary is Emmanuel: Emmanuel means ‘God with us’. So the permanent presence of Christ is the message of the whole gospel. How is Christ present in the Church?

And from Fr Robert Draper: Any book of or any book of philosophy that wants to talk about ‘God’, has to begin by telling the reader of the difficulty involved – the difficulty of trying to find

The Pope’s prayer intention for May is: Let us pray that those in charge of finance will work with governments to regulate the financial sphere and protect citizens from its dangers.

Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina after Holy Communion (extract)

S tay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You.

You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervour. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love. Amen

human language and concepts to express that which is, by definition, beyond human language and concepts. It can sometimes seem that Christianity with its insistence on articulating God as T r i n i t y s i m p l y c o m p o u n d s t h a t impossibility. The readings chosen for today’s feast of the Trinity can offer some insights into approaching the matter. In the passage from Deuteronomy, Moses insists on the unique and supreme nature of God, excluding any other gods; but insists that this ultimate God has actually entered into the lives of this people through the Exodus and the experience of Sinai; God has acted ‘before your eyes’. God has been directly involved with this people. And because of that they are to respond to God in the way he tells them ‘so that you may prosper and live long’. There is to be a relationship between the people and God that will enable them to flourish. In the passage from the letter to the Romans, that relationship is an intimate personal one – it brings the believer into the very life of God – as children of God, and as heirs therefore – ‘and co-heirs with Christ’, as the recent translation of the Second Eucharistic Prayer reminds us. It is because God is Trinity that such is our human destiny – because of the action of the Spirit and Christ with the Father which makes the life of God accessible to humanity. That accessibility is not – as Deuteronomy might imply – only for a select few, but just as the very nature of God is all encompassing, so all peoples can be brought into the intimate life of God – as Jesus’ instruction to the Eleven makes clear. The command to make disciples is the command to bring all people into the life of God, and that life is eternal: ‘I am with you always: yes, to the end of time’. What today’s feast seeks to do is to hold in tension through reflecting on the Trinity the utter immensity of God which is, nonetheless, open to an intimate and permanent relationship (which we call love) with humankind.

“Happy Birthday” June 1st Mary Azzopardi

June 3rd David Carrington June 11th Linda Norman

June 11th Serafina Aryn Pace June 12th Amy McGoey

June 17th Ronnie Camilleri June 30th Kenneth Chima Njoku

Entrance: Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty Early in the morning Our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty God in three persons Blessed Trinity!

Holy, Holy, Holy! Though the darkness hide thee Though the eye made blind by sin Thy glory may not see Only Thou art holy There is none beside Thee Perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty All Thy works shall praise Thy name In earth and sky and sea

Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty God in three persons Blessed Trinity

Offertory: Father In My Life I See Father In My Life I See Father, in my life I see, You are God who walks with me. You hold my life in Your hands. Close beside You I will stand. I give all my life to You, help me Father to be true!

Jesus, in my life I see, You are God who walks with me. You hold my life in Your hands. Close beside You I will stand. I give all my life to You, help me Jesus to be true! Spirit, in my life I see, You are God who walks with me. You hold my life in Your hands. Close beside You I will stand. I give all my life to You, help me Spirit to be true! . Recessional: O Lord my God O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,  Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;  I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,  Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Chorus: Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!  And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;  Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;  That on the Cross, my burdens gladly bearing,  He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus… When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,  And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,  And there proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!”

Chorus…