Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

There is a South African legend about a good king who ruled with great justice and wisdom. But a village in his kingdom was led by an arrogant, foolish chief who broke away from the king. The king could have very easily destroyed the chief and his henchmen. But instead, he sent a trusted messenger to the village.

The envoy journeyed alone to meet with the rebel chief to express the king's concern for the breakaway village. Had the king oppressed them? Had he treated them badly or offended them in any way? What was wrong? How could this be made right?

The chief and the elders knew that they had no grievance against the good king; they tried to mask their embarrassment with anger. Despite their harsh words, the messenger remained calm - which infuriated the chief and elders even more. So blind was their anger that they killed the king's messenger. Then, in a repulsive and despicable act, they sent to the king a clay pot filled with the murdered envoy's blood.

As news of the murder of the king's beloved advisor spread, everyone expected the king to send his warriors to destroy the evil village. But that is not what the good king did.

The king took the blood and poured it on the great flat rock that served as a meeting place for the king and his people. In the hot African sun, the liquid blood soon dried into a powder. The king then collected the powder into a medicine pouch made of lambskin. He sent the pouch to the rebellious village with this message:

"The blood of the messenger you killed is in this medicine pouch. It may bring you life or death. Though you killed him, I still invite you to come back into my kingdom on one condition. You must take some of the dry blood, mix it with water, and rub it on your hands. Then come and stand before me at the great flat rock and hold up your hands. In this way you will acknowledge your guilt in my messenger's death but that you now wish to be received back into my kingdom. If you trust my word and wear the blood of my messenger, his blood will be the means of reconciliation between us. There will be no punishment.

"But if you refuse to be reconciled by my messenger's blood, I shall send my warriors on you like locusts.

"The king has spoken. The medicine pouch is in your hands."

This South African folktale mirrors the God of the Trinity whom we have encountered in both Scripture and in the human experience: God who is "Father" of all and "king" who unites all of humanity under his providence; God who is "Son" and "messenger," who reveals the compassion of God for us and, by his blood, reconciles us to God; and God who is "Spirit," the "medicine" of reconciliation and mercy offered to all by God.

Today's solemnity of the Holy Trinity confronts us with God's "medicine pouch" - the realization of the limitless love of God for us and the decision before us every day of our lives to seek and embrace God's love in all things.+