Readings: Proverbs 8:22–31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1–5; John 16:12–15
Grace and peace to you, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. Last Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Today, filled anew with the Spirit, the Church invites us to contemplate the profound mystery of the Most Holy Trinity—the nature and inner life of God Himself.
When we speak of the Trinity, what do we mean?
We profess that there are three Divine Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—but not three Gods. One God in Three Persons. They are co-equal, co-eternal, and co-substantial—distinct yet inseparable, undivided in being, perfectly united in operation, and bound in an eternal communion of love.
This, dear friends, is not a riddle to be solved but a mystery revealed. A mystery is a truth that surpasses our understanding and can only be grasped through faith and revelation.
The Trinity is not merely a doctrine—it is a window into the heart of God. It draws us into worship, it shapes our relationship with Him, and it speaks deeply to the human condition.
Today, I wish to reflect on how the Trinity provides answers to three pressing crises in our world:
The Crisis of Power
The Crisis of Unity
The Crisis of Fatherhood
I. THE TRINITY AND THE CRISIS OF POWER
In our world today, power is often misunderstood, misused, and even idolised. So many of the wounds in families, parishes, workplaces, and nations can be traced back to a corrupted view and use of power. Some use it to dominate, manipulate, silence, or elevate themselves at the expense of others. Power without love becomes tyranny.
But in the Trinity, there is no abuse of power—no competition or domination. Each Divine Person is all-powerful, yet their power is exercised in perfect humility, harmony, and self-giving love.
God teaches us that true power builds, heals, serves, and elevates others.
So, I ask you:
How do you use the power God has entrusted to you?
Do you use your influence to bless or to burden? To heal or to harm? To serve or to be served?
II. THE TRINITY AND THE CRISIS OF UNITY
In John 17, Jesus prays: “Father, may they be one, just as You and I are one.” He knew how essential unity would be in the life of His followers.
Yet today, we are witnessing a breakdown of unity—across families, parishes, communities, and nations. The devil understands the power of unity, especially in the family and the Church, and he works tirelessly to fracture it.
The Trinity is the perfect icon of unity in diversity. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, yet they are One. Their unity is not based on uniformity, but on truth, love, mutual respect, and perfect communion.
Today’s feast calls us to examine how we reflect this unity in our homes and parishes. Are we builders of unity or agents of division?
Let us work for unity rooted in forgiveness, justice, compassion, and mercy. Those who labour for unity make the invisible life of the Trinity visible in the world.
III. THE TRINITY AND THE CRISIS OF FATHERHOOD
This year, Trinity Sunday coincides with Father’s Day—a divine coincidence that invites deep reflection.
Fatherhood is in crisis. So many children today grow up without the loving, steady, sacrificial presence of a father. Some fathers are absent, others abusive, some indifferent, and others emotionally unavailable. Many men are overwhelmed in a world that no longer values or affirms the vocation of fatherhood.
Some walked away. Some were never fathered themselves. Some are trying their best, yet broken by shame, fear, or silence.
We see the consequences:
Broken homes, emotional wounds, youth in search of identity and affirmation, rising addiction, crime, and despair. At the root of many of these is a father wound.
This is not just a sociological crisis—it is a spiritual one. When earthly fathers fail, many find it hard to relate to God as a loving Father.
The prophet Malachi proclaims:
“He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:6)
This reveals how essential fatherhood is to the wellbeing of families and society.
THE CALL TO RENEWED FATHERHOOD
The Trinity offers healing. God the Father is not like our flawed earthly experiences. He is the original, eternal Father from whom all fatherhood takes its name (Ephesians 3:14–15). He never abandons. He never abuses. He is always present, always loving, always faithful.
This Father’s Day must be more than a celebration with cards and gifts. It is a call to renewal—a call to repentance, to truth, and to action.
Let us:
– Affirm and honour those striving to be good fathers and father figures.
– Pray for healing—in families, in the Church, in society—for fathers, and for those wounded by fatherlessness.
– Challenge and call back the indifferent and disengaged.
– Remind men of their sacred call: to protect, not possess; to guide, not control; to bless, not break; to be present, not just provide.
Let every man ask:
What kind of father am I?
What kind of father is God calling me to be?
Am I helping to heal or perpetuate the crisis of fatherhood?
To young men:
Begin preparing now. Learn responsibility, self-control, prayer, selflessness and love.
To the wounded: Let God Father you. Let Him heal your father wound. His love is faithful and His arms are always open.
To all of us:
Let us lift our eyes beyond all brokenness to the perfect love of our Heavenly Father.
Happy Trinity Sunday.
Happy Father’s Day.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on June 15, 2025