Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection for Pentecost - Sunday, June 15, 2025

Feast of Holy Trinity/Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day! It’s pretty easy for those of us who have fathers to take them for granted. At 93 years old, my dad is still present in my life. My dad was a NYC firefighter for over 30 years. He was also a house painter, worked at a fish market, helped a house builder. He taught me the value of hard work and being happy in each moment. My dad’s father died when my dad was only four years old. So, my dad had to figure out how to be a father even though he didn’t have a father in his life. He did a heck of a job. I’m blessed that he inspired me to be a better father to my son.

It is fitting that we celebrate Father’s Day on the feast of the Holy Trinity when the Church celebrates one God who exists as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus refers to God as “Father” over 165 times in the Bible. Just in John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase “My Father” 34 times. The Trinity reflects the perfect love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Last week we celebrated the presence the Holy Spirit in our lives to inspire and to motivate us to perform “great deeds.” Jesus emphasizes God as both his Father and our Father. Fathers are often driven by love to perform great deeds for their families. We tend to throw around the word “love” rather casually these days. We “love” pizza or we “love” the Dodgers or the Angels. More than pizza or sports teams, we love our Lord, our spouse, our children, our parents, and our dear friends. Unfortunately, we use the same word “love” for those relationships as we do for teams and snacks.

Yet, even the best of our human love a small and imperfect representation of the infinite and perfect love that God our Father feels for each of us. There is no comparison between our human ability to love and the love that God feels for us. No matter what we say or do, God can never stop loving us and He invites us to experience His love through the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. May we always feel that love!

Fr. Mike