Feast of the Holy Trinity

May 30, 2021                                                                                          Feast of Divine Providence

“All that the Father has belongs to the Son;

through the Spirit of Truth,these gifts are poured out on us.” 

(John 16:12-25)

Dear Sisters, Associates, Circleof Friends and Providence Family,

On May 30, 2021, the Churchcelebrates the Feast of the Holy Trinity and the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providencethroughout the world celebrates “Providence Sunday” as well. This international celebration for us is aday when we are invited to remember and give thanks for the gift of our charism of Providence. We, who are Sisters and Associates (Family,Friends, or Companions) of Divine Providencerecommit ourselves to making God’s presence and love a more experienced reality in our world.

Our Constitutions clearly link the Blessed Trinitywith Providence in Article 33 which states:

As religious, we have a specialrole in creating among God’s people that community of love which has its originin the Trinity. We try to understand the people of our time and their way of life and to enter intotheir hopes and anxieties. In all ourdealings with them, we are disposed to serve and not to be served.”(Mt.:20:28)

Remembering that all we have has been given to us by our Provident God, we cultivate a spirit of genuinehospitality.

This year, perhaps more thanother years, the words of the late John O’Donohue speak strongly to me as I consider the condition of ourworld and what we have been praying for: anend to wars and terrorism, an end tomass shootings, an end to police killings of people of color, peace at the U.S. borders, racial peace,political peace, peace in our Church, our neighborhoods, our families and our work places. We need to pray for those we have made ourpersonal enemies, and those who havemade us their personal enemy. This iswhat he said in his popular book, Anam Cara: A Bookof Celtic Wisdom:

The Christian concept of God as Trinity is the most sublime articulation of otherness and intimacy,an eternal interflow of friendship. Thisperspective discloses the beautiful fulfillmentof our immortal longing in the words of Jesus, who said, “Behold I call you friends.” Jesus, as the Son of God, is the firstOther in the universe; he is the difference.He is the secret anam cara of every individual. In friendship with Him, we enter the tender beauty and affection of the Trinity. In the embrace of this eternal friendship,we dare to be free.  (1)

Further, it is this triune God who carried out the planfor creation. As we know, creation did not springforth from the hands of the Creator complete.The universe was created “in a state ofjourneying” toward ultimate perfection yet to be attained. We call “divine providence” the disposition by which God guides hiscreation toward ultimate perfection. DivineProvidence also works throughthe actions of creatures. To humanbeings, God grants the abilityto cooperate