Holy Trinity Sunday (CL)

Acts 2:22-36

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning him,

“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption.

²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

This work was not achieved by Christ himself.  We say salvation belongs to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given us life.  Jesus Christ died for our sins.  Jesus Christ has been raised to new life so that we may have life.  But St Peter stands before the people and still reminds them this work is not just of some man, but the work of God, the Holy Trinity.

"Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing."  What we see and hear does not come from Christ alone, but God alone.  It is the Work of the Father who loved the world and has had compassion on all his children.  It is the Work of Christ our Lord who came in the flesh and died for our sins.  It is the Work of the Holy Spirit by whom Christ was conceived and by whom the people still bear witness.

The work of the Holy Trinity is the work of our Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification.  Therefore, our faith must not be placed in the God/Man but in the Holy Trinity in Holy Unity.  St Peter proclaims this truth.  Just as David's statement of "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand," was one of great confusion as to whether it applied to his Son or his God.  Jesus Christ brings both those truths together.

This is the Holy Catholic faith that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  They are united together and work together for our Salvation.