Homily for Trinity Sunday Homeschool Graduation May 27, 2018
Fr. Albert Sacred Heard, Broussard
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Typically, at a graduation, someone is chosen to encourage the graduates to use what they have learned, to go into the world and make a difference. Then, someone has to stand up and proclaim that they have the authority to grant diplomas before sending those graduates out into the world.
So, here we are, on the day of your graduation, which just so happens to be Trinity Sunday. And the message Jesus has for the Apostles applies quite well to you. Go, make disciples of all nations. Hand on the knowledge and virtue you have been given.
But let’s not forget where this all came from. You may have learned many things about math and science, history and language, but today’s solemnity is about the source of it all. The Most Holy Trinity. It is the central mystery of the Catholic Faith. It is the biggest secret, the greatest revelation that Jesus gives to us. There is one God, but that God, somehow, is three Persons. And this truth affects our understanding of everything else. If God is the source of all creation and all knowledge, then knowing who God is will affect how we understand all creation and all knowledge. God is Unity and God is Trinity, and there is something to be learned from each of these principles.
Unity. There is one God. We are monotheists. This means that everything and everyone can be traced back to the same source. This means that God is not just one powerful thing in the universe, but the one, transcendent reality above and beyond the universe. No matter what, nothing can compare with God or overcome God. You are either with God or against Him, either going towards the one source of truth and life or away from it.
As you begin your adult life, many, many things will compete for your attention: many voices and desires and options. Everything new and shiny and exciting about this variety can start to tear you apart. In one scene from the Gospel, Jesus faces off against a demon. When he asks the demon’s name, it says “legion, for we are many.” The devil and his angels love to divide, to make noise, and to confuse. He does this to blur reality and to distract from the fact that there is really only one road to happiness, one way to truly live, one who is worth living and dying for. That one is God.
A study suggests that 30% of college students have been “so depressed it was difficult to function” at least once in the past year. There are many factors that contribute to that, but the noise and distractions of a new adult life is a major influence. As you go forward, do not let diversity and excitement blind you. It is true that there are many ways to live for the One God, many ways that God can be in every part of your life, but do not let him become just one interest among many, just another hobby. Make Him the unifying part of your life.
Trinity. God is relationship. His perfection is not that He is alone, but that he is a perfect union of the Divine Persons in an eternal exchange of Love. The Father loves the Son and gives Him everything. The Son loves the Father back and gives Him everything. The Holy Spirit is the Love that they share.
This reality is hidden in the reality of a family, where the love of a man and a woman give rise to a whole new person. It is not a perfect image of the Trinity, but it is nonetheless an important lesson on understanding who we are. We were made in the image of the Triune God, meaning that relationships and love are an integral part of who we are. Do not forget your family, imperfect and sinful though they are.
This brings me to a closely related point. You are still young and most of you already know this, but it bears repeating. Do not be afraid to have children and lots of them – the love of the Trinity produces life, so our love should too. So many young people – and people my age! – say, “we want to wait until we’re settled to have kids.” Being “settled” doesn’t ever really happen. No one is truly “ready” for the sacrifices that children require. I get it, I have many friends with young kids. Their lives are crazy and they suffer a lot, but they also know a joy that my childless friends do not.
I’ve also never met a grandparent who wished they had less grandchildren. Very rarely does someone say, “I’m glad I only had 1.5 children and got a bigger house or a more comfortable car. In 50 years, children will be infinitely more valuable and life-giving than any amount of money or comfort. Now, I am not saying you should rush into it or that everyone should have 10 kids, but I am saying not to let the world convince you to wait too long.
But the lesson of the Trinity carries us beyond just biology into livelihood. Happiness is not found in what we own. It is not found in being self-sufficient. Happiness is found in who we love and how we love. That is why relationships should be at the center of what you decide to do with your life. If you want to be happy in your career, make it about love, not money or power.
In 2011, priesthood was listed as the happiest job in America. In 2017, “religious studies” which includes priests and other religious professions, was number 3. In most years, only one or two of the top ten jobs have 6 figure salaries. Most of the ten are directly related to serving other people: teachers and firefighters and physical therapists. I’m not saying you have to be a people person or an extrovert, but doing something that helps others, even indirectly, is a great way to find happiness. Why? Because you are meant to be in relationship to others, to love and serve. Consider a vocation to priesthood or religious life. Whatever you do, make it a life of love.
And finally, don’t forget to have a relationship with the Trinity Himself. Jesus says, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” He means that, and the Church is proof of that. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you can have a relationship to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son, whose body is the Church. Stay close to your faithful friends. Stay involved with the Church, and don’t be afraid of an ongoing relationship to God the Trinity.
Learn from His Unity to keep God first. Learn from His Trinity to live according to Love. Then “go, and make disciples of all nations.”