In the seventeenth century, John Dryden wrote a poem in honor of Saint Cecilia, the patroness of music which begins, "From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began."

These lines capture the essence of the Trinity since we cannot have harmony with only one voice or one instrument; it is the harmony of the triune God that called forth this universe (and all else that has been created). The harmony of God, we name Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to allow our finite minds to tap a corner of this mystery, we assign tasks to each: the Father is the Creator, the Son, the Redeemer, and the Spirit is the Sanctifier, yet somewhere in our understanding we accept that all act as one.

Today's first reading reveals a concept that allows us to approach our God in times of concern and doubt. In this reading, God provides a description to Moses of God's nature "…a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity" (Exodus 34:6). These characteristics are the same ingredients necessary for any successful relationship, and since we are created in the image of our God, these characteristics are the ones each of us must nourish if we are to live in harmony.

With today's liturgy, we bring to a close the joyous Easter season, but that doesn't mean we cease being joyful. Our responsorial psalm rings with praise for our God who deserves all glory and praise.

On this feast of the Holy Trinity, a feast of relationships, Paul in our second reading instructs us regarding our relationships. If we are to act in harmony, we must "…encourage one another…live in peace…and greet one another with a holy kiss." We need to be more attuned to the way we greet each other when we meet. Paul ends this section with an invocation to the Trinity.

One of the most quoted lines in John's writing begins our Gospel, "God so loved the world that He gave this only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life" (John 3:16). These words bring strength and courage to many. Here we find God as father and God's Son as our redeemer; no wonder these words are so often quoted. Recalling the description of God in Exodus, we are reminded that Christ did not come to condemn but to save. God is truly merciful and gracious!

May we set as our goal for the days ahead the task of imitating our Maker as we strive to live in harmony and to treat all we meet with graciousness and a holy kiss.

Miriam Catherine Nevins, O.P.