Relationship… What is a relationship?  What is the purpose of a relationship?  A relationship is a connection and interaction between two or more people.  The purpose of a relationship is to share with and learn from others.  Today is about relationships.  The Holy Trinity is a relationship of one God in three persons working in different ways but with one purpose.  What is that purpose???  That purpose is to be in relationship with US!!!

Throughout the Old Testament, we find Scripture which speaks to God seeking a relationship with humanity, even though there were many occasions of falling away from God through negative actions and sin.  The devil tried to step in and destroy the relationship, but failed.  After all, God created us in His own image, so he was not going to abandon us despite our errors of judgment because He loves us unconditionally.  And out of His love for humanity, even though we did not “get it,” He sent us his Son to live among us and try to teach us what this relationship with humanity was all about; the relationship was all about love!  Humanity is to love God, ourselves, and our neighbor.  God made the ultimate sacrifice to save us from our sins, by dying on the cross as the Son.  How much more love could there be for humanity than that???  Even though Jesus died, was buried, and was ascended; our relationship with God still remains because we have the Holy Spirit with us, and is all around us. At the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples that there would be more to learn, but it would come from the Spirit of truth, which we would call the Holy Spirit.  So God as the Holy Spirit is all around us, and working through others to teach us over and over about His love for humanity.

So as we make the sign of the cross and say, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” let us remember that is a relationship of a triune God for the purpose to be in relationship with us.  We need to recognize that the relationship has a purpose, more than to just know us as His creation, but we are to share in that relationship by taking what have been taught through Scripture, and still learning today through the Holy Spirit.  The relationship with Him is about building relationships with others and loving others just as much as God has loved us, to teach others about God’s love.

“Lord, as we pray with the sign of the cross, may we keep in mind the relationship that we share and remember your great love for us, which we are to spread in our ministry.”  Amen.