We are back to the ordinary time of the liturgical calendar. This Sunday and next, however, are designated as solemnities—special days that call our attention to central mysteries of our faith. Today on Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity. We commemorate the fact that Our God, who saves us with His boundless love, is not alone but exists in three Persons. Though this concept and truth may be difficult to comprehend, however, one thing we know for certain is that no one desires to be completely alone, because to be alone is a deeply unsettling experience. To eat alone, sleep alone, walk alone, live alone, talk alone, the feeling of being lost, isolated, and unheard can all be overwhelming. Imagine being in a forest, unable to hear any human voice or being locked up in a house for an extended period without any contact with the outside world. For sure, in such solitude, one would undergo a drastic transformation, with external and internal noises becoming louder and more unsettling.

I remember a story about a man who was so alone and lonely that nobody ever shook his hands, patted his shoulders, gave him a friendly push in the ribs, hugged, or even touched him. He felt so lonely that he spent the last of his money, but not on food. Food would not help; because food does not make contact. He did not spend it on a bed; a bed does not help, either. He did not spend it on a drink. Because a drink alone is a poison. The man spent his last money on a hairdresser, so he would be touch and taken care of by someone for a few minutes.

The longing to be connected and not to be alone is inherent in our human experience. We are social beings who crave companionship, touch, and care. We yearn for relationships that provide comfort and belonging, as illustrated by the story of this lonely man who spent his last money to be touched and taken care of for a brief moment.

In the context of today’s focus on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, today’s Gospel is from the beginning of John’s Gospel. The passage we read follows Jesus’ conversation with a Pharisee, Nicodemus, about what it means to be born of both water and the spirit. Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night and acknowledges Jesus as a teacher from God. Jesus tells him that only those who are born from above will see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus misunderstands and questions how a person can be born more than once. Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Yet Nicodemus, we are told, still does not understand what Jesus is saying. Jesus continues by testifying to the need to be born from above so that one might have eternal life. After the dialogue with Nicodemus, the author of the Gospel offers his own explanation of Jesus’ words. This is what we read in today’s Gospel, John 3:16-18.

John 3:16-18 calls our attention to the action of God, who reveals himself in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father, out of love for the world, sent his Son into the world in order to save it. Through the death and resurrection of the Son, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As three persons, God acts always as a God of love; he does not condemn the world but acts to save it. The Gospel also calls attention to the response that is required of us. God’s love for us calls us to respond in faith by professing our belief in God’s son, Jesus, and the salvation that he has won for us. This profession of faith is a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It also reminds us that just as God is not alone, we too are not alone. We will never be abandoned, imprisoned, or lost in our journey through life. Today, let us celebrate the Holy Trinity, embracing the profound mystery of our triune God. In doing so, may we recognize the depth of God's love for us and respond with faith, knowing that we are never alone on our path towards eternal life.