HOMILY TRINITY SUNDAY 2026
RESPONDING TO NICODEMUS, THE DOUBTFUL SEARCHER FOR TRUTH
Jn 3.16-18 Ex 34.4-6,8-9 2Cor 13.11-13
When it comes to Solemnity of Trinity, I can’t help but go back to Prep in 1958 with Presentation Sister Bernadine PBVM, who drew an equilateral triangle (not that I understood equilateral then!) on the blackboard, to explain the mystery, as we learned about the Sign of the Cross, demonstrating that, every time we prayed. Later on, there was the mathematical Venn diagram, with 3 intersecting circles, St Patrick’s 3 leafed clover demo, and finally the theological hypostatic union of Father, Son and Spirit. It just got more complicated as time went on!
And here’s the AI version: “Most commonly, Trinity refers to the foundational Christian belief that God is one Being who exists eternally in three distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – One in Nature, Three in Persons!” So there we have it!! “Because the Trinity is a mystery beyond human comprehension, Catholics understand it through divine revelation rather than human logic. It forms the foundation for Catholic worship (eg Sign of the Cross and baptism) and reveals that God’s very essence is a perfect community of self-giving love.” So, AI can be helpful in summing it all up! The self-giving love is a practical reminder to you and me of how we are to live the Gospel in our own lives.
Now, just this week, Pope Leo XIV issued a new encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”), wherein he “addresses one of the defining questions of our age: how to safeguard human dignity in the era of artificial intelligence… The document, explores technology, human identity, work, truth and the Christian vision of authentic humanity.” The bottom line is that no machine can replace the “God-given magnificence of the human person.” That’s not to say, however, that new technologies can’t be used for positive purposes and for the good of humanity, with the appropriate checks and balances and oversight. (Remember HAL, the computer in the 1968 movie, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, which takes control of the spaceship en route to Jupiter!)
Like his namesake, Leo XIII, whose encyclical of 1891, concerning social justice, addressed the condition of the working class, post-Industrial Revolution, with concerns about “the relationships between labor and capital, as well as between government and its citizens… Of primary concernis the need to alleviate the poverty of the working class… rejecting the extremes of state socialism and laissez-faire capitalism.”
So, here we have our Church leadership engaging with the realities of the world around us, offering insight and guidance into how the Gospel should be lived, for the common good of all of humanity, and not just the Catholics, or any select grtoup!
Now, for the concrete human reality, we move from the Spirit descending, back to Nicodemus, a questioning Pharisee who appears from the darkness, seeking the truth as to who Jesus is. Naturally enough, he expresses his doubts about Jesus’ identity and withdraws back into the night, as John presents a monologue of Jesus reflecting on being sent to bring life to the world, from a God of life, described as ‘realized eschatology’ by the scholars, but let’s not get too complicated about that!
The focal point is that Jesus reveals the truth, as he challenges his followers to live in the light, and to believe in him as sent by God, to show the way in the material world in which we live. It’s not an automatic or spontaneous process, as with Nicodemus, who pops up again a number of times in John’s Gospel, finally bringing the myrrh and aloes, the spices for anointing the body of Jesus before burial. Ironically, he comes to the fore, just when all seems lost, in the human tragedy and injustice of the death of Jesus. Yet, here he is, finally professing faith in the person and message of Jesus, along with the faithful women.
Along the way, he publicly defends Jesus cautiously, asking his peers “Does the law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (Jn 7.50-51), seeking a fair go for Jesus before the Temple Police who resented his person and his teaching.
Interestingly, in Wikipedia, AI (Artificial Intelligence) tells us “Nicodemus didn’t follow Jesus publicly due to his fear of losing his prestigious position in society, the pressure of his peers on the Sanhedrin, and the radical life-upending demands of discipleship… Biblical accounts suggest he was a sincere believer who secretly supported and eventually honoured Jesus.”
Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church, in real time, as the promised Holy Spirit descends to guide, inspire and enthuse (meaning ‘God within’) those who respond in faith and action.
The celebration of Trinity reminds us of the theological mystery of faith in our Christian tradition, that the God of life and love, revealed through the person of Jesus, is not an interventionist God, who has everything wound up and pre-determined from the start, but who gives us free will to make our own decisions and a conscience to discern what is the right thing to do, in terms of choosing good and rejecting evil.
Finally, on Friday, I was the stand-in substitute celebrant (when I am usually the bishop’s sidekick, or flowerpot man!), to confirm 50 or so, of our Grade 6 students at OLN. So we reflected on the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, which are to flow from a determination to live the way of Jesus as faithful disciples. I made the point that there’s no ‘automatic pilot’ to direct us, but that we have to make the right choices, in living as Spirit filled people, producing the fruits of the Spirit, starting with the core values of love and peace, as Paul expresses in the second reading today, following on with kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, joy, patience and self-control.
Also, this weekend, we have our candidates preparing for First Reconciliation, so we welcome them and their families too. And a little story to conclude about saying sorry and our need for forgiveness, titled “I’m Sorry” (by Sam McBratney). We are much happier people when we can let go of our anger and forgive each other, as we prepare to receive God’s forgiveness.
And there is the Winter Vinnies Appeal, so please generously support that good cause too. Let’s not forget either, it’s Reconciliation Week as well, acknowledging the rights, culture and spirituality of Indigenous First Nations Australians.
john hannon 31st May 2026