Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity, which reminds us of the mystery of the one God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is a communion of divine Persons who are with one another, for one another, and in one another. This communion is the life of God, the mystery of the love of the Living God. And Jesus revealed this mystery to us. He spoke to us of God as Father; he spoke to us of the Spirit, and he spoke to us of himself as the Son of God. And thus he revealed this mystery to us. And when, after his resurrection, he sent his disciples to evangelize the nations, he told them to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). Christ entrusts this commandment at all times to the Church, which has inherited the missionary mandate from the apostles. He also addresses it to each of us who, through the power of baptism, are part of his community.

Today's liturgical solemnity, as it invites us to contemplate the wondrous mystery from which we come and toward which we journey, renews our mission to live in communion with God and in communion with one another, modeled on divine communion. We are called to live not apart, above, or against one another, but with one another, for one another, and in one another. This means welcoming and bearing unanimous witness to the beauty of the Gospel; living mutual love and love for all, sharing joys and sorrows, learning to ask for and give forgiveness, and valuing the diverse charisms under the guidance of our pastors. In short, we are entrusted with the duty of building ecclesial communities that are ever more a family, capable of reflecting the splendor of the Trinity and evangelizing not only with words, but with the power of God's love that dwells within us.

The Trinity, as I indicated, is also the ultimate goal toward which our earthly pilgrimage is directed. The path of Christian life is indeed an essentially "Trinitarian" path: the Holy Spirit leads us to a full understanding of Christ's teachings and also reminds us of what Jesus taught us, and Jesus, in turn, came into the world to reveal the Father to us, to lead us to Him, to reconcile us with Him. Everything in the Christian life revolves around the Trinitarian mystery and is accomplished in view of this infinite mystery. Let us therefore strive to always maintain a high standard in our lives, remembering for what purpose, for what glory we exist, work, struggle, suffer, and to what immense reward we are called. This mystery encompasses our entire life and our whole existence as Christians. We remember it, for example, each time we make the sign of the cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And now, I invite you all to make this sign of the cross together, in a loud voice: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!"

On this last day of May, the Marian month, let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary. May she who, more than any other creature, knew, adored, and loved the mystery of the Holy Trinity, lead us by the hand. May she help us to perceive in the events of the world the signs of the presence of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; may she grant us the grace to love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts, so that we may walk toward the vision of the Trinity, the wondrous goal toward which our lives strive. Let us also ask her to help the Church be a mystery of communion and a welcoming community, where every person, especially the poor and marginalized, may find welcome and feel like a child of God, wanted and loved.

Pope Francis

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square

Sunday, May 31, 2015