Sunday, 31 May 2026 — The Most Holy Trinity (Solemnity), Year A
First Reading: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel: John 3:16-18
Full text on USCCB: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/053126.cfm
It is funny how we treat our phones. A call comes in, and we let it ring. We decide we will text back later. We have learned to prefer connecting only when we can control it. An unscheduled call feels like an intrusion. You might know the feeling when the screen lights up and you think, “I really cannot do this right now.” We used to answer without a second thought. Now, seeing a name sometimes brings quiet dread because we fear what a conversation might uncover.
Honestly, this is not about phones. We are just afraid. We fear long conversations, forgiving someone again, or people needing things we cannot give. Often we think, “If I call, it will be drama,” or, “If I say yes, they will expect it forever.” We call these boundaries healthy. Often, it is just a sad withdrawal from the messy reality of loving people.
Think about Moses climbing the mountain a second time. He made the trek once, only to find his people lost, dancing around a golden calf. Carrying fresh stone, he climbs again. The Lord stands beside him, declaring His name as mercy. Moses asks for something beautiful. He asks God to come along in their company. Moses never promises God a perfect people. He openly invites God into a company of stiff-necked, stubborn individuals. He knows full well that being available to these people is not going to be a cakewalk. Yet, God says yes. That yes is costly. Staying with broken people means being misunderstood, taken for granted, and blamed. Many of you pay that exact cost.
There is a story of a father whose two sons broke his heart. The younger wasted his inheritance far away. Hitting rock bottom, he turned home. His father spotted him from down the road and ran to him. That evening, the older son heard the party and refused to go inside. The father went out a second time. We call this the Prodigal Son, but this is a parable of the Father who went out twice, in fact, who kept going out.
This is the true heart of God. This is the beautiful reality of the Trinity. God is not some distant manager running the universe from a safe place. He is, in His very essence, an endless outpouring of love. We hear this so clearly in the familiar words of John 3:16. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. He willingly entrusted the company of His Son to deeply flawed people. He did not wait for the world to tidy itself up first. He did not hold out for a better century, a more welcoming city, or a perfect family. He stepped right into a crowd of betrayers, doubters, and people who were just plain tired. He met us at our absolute worst, and He chose to stay. If God had waited for us to somehow earn His company, He would be waiting forever.
This brings us to a difficult question. Who are we currently waiting on? Is there a relative we need to see change before we reach out? Is there a friend we expect an apology from before we are willing to call? So often, we make our presence conditional. We withhold our company until people become a version of themselves that we find acceptable. God never did that to us. He drew close while we were still stubborn and stiff-necked, and by His grace, He remains in our company today.
So this week, I invite you to try doing just one thing. Think of one person in your life you have been keeping at a safe, comfortable distance. It might be a teenager you find yourself constantly correcting, a spouse with whom you now only share schedules instead of your heart, or a coworker who always seems a little lonely. Before next Sunday, try to gently move toward them. Take just one small step. Make a short phone call. Ask them over for a simple cup of tea. Send a message asking how they are truly doing. Just pick up the phone. Just show up. Try not to wait for them to become easier to love. Be the one willing to take that first step. When you do, you are beautifully mirroring the very God who goes out again and again toward the people He loves. Today, He is simply asking if you might be willing to go out toward someone else.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.