As I have been in the past, I was struck once again by the centrality of the Creator in the life and thought of Aboriginal people. The Creator is acknowledged and praised as the author of life and the source of all good gifts. Personal relationship with the Creator is foundational to all human relating. In the life of our First Nations, Metis and Inuit brothers and sisters, God is not eclipsed. His light is allowed to shine to make clear the path to follow.
Here we find that Aboriginal culture points in its own way to what Saint John Paul II long ago identified as the root cause of the tragic suffering affecting the people of our day: "the eclipse of the sense of God and of man." (Evangelium Vitae, 21). When God is eclipsed, the light of truth gives way to the darkness of falsehood. We lose sight of the full meaning of human existence as created by God. Stumbling in the darkness, we end up on paths that lead away from clarity and happiness toward confusion and misery.
This brings us to the urgent importance of the mystery celebrated on Sunday: the Most Holy Trinity. St. Paul teaches that the light of the knowledge of God shines in the face of Christ (cf 2Cor 4:6). So, in Christ, the mystery of God has been revealed to us, has shone forth. The one and only God is a Trinity of Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The light of this knowledge enlightens the mystery of the human person. Since God is, in himself, a perfect communion of love, his choice to create us arose not from need but out of desire. Pope Benedict XVI drew from this the beautiful conclusion that every person is "willed, loved and necessary" in the sight of God.
This message, arising from the very mystery of the Trinity, of the beauty of all human life is urgently needed today. Far too many people, especially among our youth, feel that they do not matter or count, that they are less worthy of consideration than other persons. Small wonder. Messaging abounds to the effect that one's "worth" is conditioned by wealth, beauty, talent, achievement and so on. The mystery of the Trinity enables us to see that the truth is just the opposite: our worth and dignity is inherent, not conditioned by any illusory external standard. We are the beloved children of God. Therefore, every life matters!
Rather than eclipse God, may we reflect his light by fully acknowledging and honouring the beauty and dignity of each person, at every stage of life and in all circumstances.
Here we find that Aboriginal culture points in its own way to what Saint John Paul II long ago identified as the root cause of the tragic suffering affecting the people of our day: "the eclipse of the sense of God and of man." (Evangelium Vitae, 21). When God is eclipsed, the light of truth gives way to the darkness of falsehood. We lose sight of the full meaning of human existence as created by God. Stumbling in the darkness, we end up on paths that lead away from clarity and happiness toward confusion and misery.
This brings us to the urgent importance of the mystery celebrated on Sunday: the Most Holy Trinity. St. Paul teaches that the light of the knowledge of God shines in the face of Christ (cf 2Cor 4:6). So, in Christ, the mystery of God has been revealed to us, has shone forth. The one and only God is a Trinity of Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The light of this knowledge enlightens the mystery of the human person. Since God is, in himself, a perfect communion of love, his choice to create us arose not from need but out of desire. Pope Benedict XVI drew from this the beautiful conclusion that every person is "willed, loved and necessary" in the sight of God.
This message, arising from the very mystery of the Trinity, of the beauty of all human life is urgently needed today. Far too many people, especially among our youth, feel that they do not matter or count, that they are less worthy of consideration than other persons. Small wonder. Messaging abounds to the effect that one's "worth" is conditioned by wealth, beauty, talent, achievement and so on. The mystery of the Trinity enables us to see that the truth is just the opposite: our worth and dignity is inherent, not conditioned by any illusory external standard. We are the beloved children of God. Therefore, every life matters!
Rather than eclipse God, may we reflect his light by fully acknowledging and honouring the beauty and dignity of each person, at every stage of life and in all circumstances.
