The mystery of the Blessed Trinity- three Persons in one God-was not revealed to the Jews of the Old Testament. They were not yet fit to accept this truth. Surrounded as they were by nations that practiced polytheism (many gods) there would be danger that the Jews would see three Gods in the Trinity – it would look like polytheism to them. Hence it was not revealed to them and therefore we have no Trinitarian text in the Old Testament which could be read on this feast of the Blessed Trinity.
The text chosen gives the basis for its eventual revelation. Yaweh made a covenant with Israelites. He made them this chosen People, through whom he would eventually send his divine Son and the Holy Spirit to give man – the whole chosen human race- the possibility and the means of reaching the destination that he had planned for them from all eternity. The covenant made by Yahweh with Moses on Mount Sinai was the preparation for the revelation of the dogma for the Blessed Trinity and its relationship with our salvation.
The Israelites were stubborn, unfaithful and ungrateful to God in Spite of all he did for them. Yet God was long suffering. He put up with them for centuries and in spite of their infidelities he proved himself faithful to his promises. He sent to them (and to us through them) the Messiah – the promised King, Priest and Prophet (teacher) who brought to a happy conclusion the divine mankind.
If the Israelites were stubborn and so often unfaithful, what can we say of ourselves? They were so ungrateful and so forgetful of favours ? We have a better knowledge of God’s love and Mercy than the Israelites had. Are we not worse than they? They saw the power of God so often used in their favour; we have seen the weakness of God who took our human nature and suffered died for our sakes, and we can do forget this infinite love of God for us.
Yeweh (the particular name for himself which he gave as a special favour to the Israelite) was with the Chosen People all through their journeying in the desert and eventually he led them but his Almighty power into the promised land of Canaan. His divine Son whose name, Jesus means saviour of all became one with us in his human nature and as he promised, is with us through the humiliation and sufferings which his Incarnation brought on him. Yaweh fed the Israelites in the desert with manna to give them the strength to reach Canaan. Christ, his son, has given us his own body and blood under the mysterious form of the Blessed Eucharist to be our Spiritual sustenance on our journey to heaven.
Is there really any comparison between what God did for the chosen People of the Old Testament and what he has done and is daily doing for us – the chosen people of the new Covenant? True we are dealing with a God abounding in steadfast love. But let us not put all these loving qualities of our good God too much to the test. He will never let us down but we could let ourselves down by presuming too much on God’s loving kindness and forgetting that he does ask of us certain proofs our love in return.
Our simple resolution would be to promise to make the sign of the cross as an act of dedication and thanks giving to the loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who have already done and are daily continuing to do so much in order to bring us to heaven.