…the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5)

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It’s a mystery of faith: God is One and God is three, three persons. The apostle John tells us that, “God is love.” (1 John 4). Thus the Trinity is a unity and communion of perfect love, between the Father and the Son, and that love takes concrete form in another person, just like in marriage. In this case, the third person is the Holy Spirit. But it doesn’t stop there. Paul tells us today that this third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love and communion between father and Son, is given to us as a gift, poured out into our hearts. We have entered into the divine love of God through baptism, and we receive a deeper pledge of that through Confirmation.

Today we celebrate Confirmation! (At the 11:00 a.m. Mass) Our young people will be receiving the seal of the Holy Spirit. They will be given the gift of a deeper relationship with the Triune God who loves them so much. They will be strengthened to live in love for God and others; they will be filled with the spiritual gifts needed to live as Catholic Christians in this world, as they grow and take on more independence and responsibility for their own lives. May this day be a reminder to all of us already confirmed to live more fully the divine life that is within us.