From Deuteronomy to Discipleship: Holy Trinity Sunday's Origin Journey

Are you ready to uncover the profound connections woven through the Bible, linking the Old Testament to the New? On this Holy Trinity Sunday, embark on the fascinating journey tracing the typological threads from Deuteronomy to the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew.

Transport yourself back to the time of Moses, as he delivers his farewell speech to the Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. 

Witness his urgings to remember God's mighty acts and miracles that delivered them from Egyptian slavery, setting them apart as His chosen people.

Discover how their witness to God's power foreshadowed a greater mission yet to come.

Then, fast-forward to the tumultuous days of the early Christian community, facing persecution yet boldly spreading the gospel, as told in Paul's Letter to the Romans. Despite opposition, this new movement continued to grow and impact the Roman Empire.

At the heart of this journey stands the pivotal moment when the resurrected Jesus claims supreme authority over heaven and earth.

Marvel at His Great Commission to the disciples:  to baptise all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making them obedient followers of Christ.

Discover the typological significance of this charge, fulfilling the Israelites' role as a light to the nations through the work of the Church spreading the gospel globally.

Follow this thread from Deuteronomy's old covenant witness to the new covenant's discipleship call, leading to a profound revelation of the Holy Trinity's mystery and significance on this feast day.

Join Julie South as she guides you along this typological journey, unlocking the depths of Holy Trinity Sunday through the unbroken tapestry of God's Word.

Holy Trinity Sunday Bible Passages - Catholic Church - Year B:

• Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
• Romans 8:14-17
• Matthew 28:16-20

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Your Catholic Corner is sponsored by the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Chapters

• 3:16 What is Holy Trinity Sunday and why is it important?
• 6:17 Typology - Deuteronomy and Matthew are connected how on Holy Trinity Sunday
• 8:59 History and context: Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40, Romans 8:14-17 and Matthew 28:16-20
• 19:18 Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
• 21:01 Romans 8:14-17
• 21:59 Matthew 28:16-20
• 23:12 Julie's reflections on her nudge from God on Holy Trinity Sunday
• 25:04 help spread God's Word

Transcript

Julie South [00:00:04]:
Welcome to Your Catholic Corner. I'm your show host, Julie south. Your catholic corner helps Catholics spiritually prepare for each Sunday's mass. Starting midweek each week, you can listen to your catholic corner@yourcatholiccorner.com today we're uncovering the biblical gems hidden in the books of Deuteronomy, Paul's letter to the Romans, and from the Gospel of Matthew in catholic speak. We've officially finished Easter for this year and are now celebrating a very special day, the most Holy Trinity Sunday. We're still in year B, though, because this is a special day. You'll notice your priest will be wearing white this coming Sunday. The format for today's show is to look at what connects our Bible passages being read on Holy Trinity Sunday, so we better understand why these specific three passages have been selected.

Julie South [00:01:04]:
We'll have a quick look at how holy's Trinity Sunday came about. After that, we'll have a look at what was going on in the world at the time these Bible passages were written to help give us some context and some history. We'll pray these passages together, and then I'll share my reflections, what God was saying to me and how I understood God's personal nudge to me with you. Remember that when two or more are gathered in Jesus name, like we are right here and right now with you and me, he is here with us today. We are reading from the books of Deuteronomy, chapter four, verses 32 through 34, 39 and 40 Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter eight, verses 414 through 17 and the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 28, verses 16 through 20.

Julie South [00:02:05]:
But before that, a quick word about your catholic corner, just in case this is your first time here, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, whether you've only just heard of that man called Jesus, you're new to Catholicism or you're a cradle Catholic. My prayer is that your catholic corner will help bring God's word to life in your heart through insights, reflections, and practical applications that help deepen your relationship with God. Every Thursday we'll start preparing for mass by uncovering the richness hidden in each Sunday's Bible readings, from Old Testament prophecies to gospel parables. I invite you to join me and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, sponsors of your catholic corner so that together we can hear God's word and echo. Samuel, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Now let's get back to today's show.

Julie South [00:03:16]:
Trinity Sunday, also known as the feast of the Holy Trinity is a christian festival celebrated by western churches. It falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, which is the 50th day after Easter. The purpose of Trinity Sunday is to honour and celebrate the mystery of faith and the unity of the Holy Trinity, which, as we know, hopefully consists of. Well, hopefully we know, consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The exact origins of Trinity Sunday can be traced way back to the 9th century, during the time of Pope Gregory IX. However, it wasn't until the 14th century that Trinity Sunday was officially established as an important feast day for all western churches and that was instigated by Pope John Paul XXI. During this time, the church was faced with heresies such as the arian heresy, which challenged traditional christian belief in one God in three divine persons. To affirm and emphasise belief in the Holy Trinity, the church composed a mass in honour of the Trinity.

Julie South [00:04:36]:
The designation of the Sunday after Pentecost as Trinity Sunday was chosen because it gave an opportunity to reflect on the mystery of God after the reception of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. This gives christians the opportunity for us to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the Trinity, recognizing that the full understanding of the Trinity is actually well beyond human capability and requires the guidance and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Trinity Sunday is actually celebrated by a few christian denominations, for example, us Roman Catholics as well as the Anglicans, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians and the Methodists. Churches usually commemorate this day with special services that focus on the Trinity and its importance in the christian faith. The liturgical colour associated with Trinity Sunday is usually white, which represents purity and joy. That means that our priests this coming weekend will be wearing white vestments. I think that when we pray the passage from Matthew together, in a bit, you'll understand why that passage is read on Holy Trinity Sunday and how the divine inspiration for this day came about. Well, that's the thought that especially struck me.

Julie South [00:06:17]:
Now let's have a look at the a top level look at the biblical typology we have happening with these readings today, or these readings on Holy Trinity Sunday. Remember that typology refers to when a person, event or a thing, usually from the Bible's Old Testament, foreshadows someone or something or an event in the New Testament. The typological connection between the Old Testament passage of Deuteronomy that we have today and the New Testament passage in Matthew involves the themes of God's authority, the witness of the nations, the great commission. I'll go into that in a bit more in a bit. And the role of the church. In Deuteronomy, God demonstrates his supreme authority through the mighty acts and the miracles he performed for the Israelites when freeing them from Egypt. No other nation had witnessed such a direct, direct and a powerful interaction with the one true God. This highlights God's ultimate authority over all creation and all peoples.

Julie South [00:07:31]:
In Matthew's gospel, it then records Jesus after his resurrection, claiming to have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus commissions his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey his commands. This is known as the great Commission. The typological connection, therefore, is that the witness and the role given to the Israelites in Deuteronomy foreshadowed the worldwide witness and role that Jesus then gave to the church in Matthew. Just as the Israelites were called to obtain God's laws, the church is commissioned to teach obedience to Christ's command to all nations. So this typology reveals the continuity between the old covenant witness of the Israelites to God's authority and the new covenant witness of the church to Christ's authority over heaven and earth itself. The great commission fulfilled the Israelites missionary role to the nations through the work of the church, spreading the gospel globally. So that's some of the typology we've got going.

Julie South [00:09:01]:
Now let's have a look. Let's go a little bit deeper into each passage to give you some context, some historical biblical context to help you understand. In Deuteronomy, chapter four, verses 32, 33, 34 and 39 and 40, we have Moses talking to the Israelites who are about to enter the promised land. He is reminding them of their special relationship with God. Moses wants them to think back on all the incredible, amazing things and miracles that God did for them. God performed mind blowing plagues against Egypt to force pharaoh to let the Israelites go free from slavery. Things like turning the Nile river into blood, sending swarms of locusts and three days of thick darkness that covered the land. God then parted the Red Sea so that Israelites could walk through on dry ground while the egyptian army drowned.

Julie South [00:10:07]:
When the waters rushed back for 40 years in the wilderness desert, God provided the Israelites with manna, a bread like food that appeared for them each morning. He also miraculously gave them water from a rock when they were attacked. It was God who gave victory over their enemies. These were just some of the powerful supernatural acts God did to protect and provide for his people. Moses points out that no other nation has ever directly experienced and witnessed the one true God like the Israelites did. He asks if any other people have actually heard God's thunderous voice speaking from fire on a mountain and lived to tell the story about it. This was one of a kind, one of the jaw dropping events that set the Israelites apart. Imagine what it would have been like back then.

Julie South [00:11:11]:
Moses is encouraging them to always remember these wonderful deeds, these amazing deeds and the miracles, and therefore, because of that, to obey God. He reminds them of the incredible things that God did to prove his love for them as his chosen students, special people. He also sternly warns that if they ever turn away to worship fake gods, it will lead to their destruction and their exile from the promised land. Just imagine living back then, witnessing those mind blowing miracles that gave the Israelites an amazing sense of awe and reverence for God's power with their own eyes, they saw God conquer pharaoh. They saw the sea split, provide food and water. Enemies defeated. They were finally going to settle in the promised land, just as God had told their ancestors long, long ago. It was an exciting, highly anticipated moment, but it also came with great responsibility.

Julie South [00:12:24]:
As gods set apart people, the Israelites had to constantly obey his laws and depend on trust and seek guidance from him. This was a pivotal turning point in their history as a nation. Moses was reminding them of God's awesome faithfulness and urging obedience because of their uniquely intimate relationship with the one true God. So that's what was going on with deuteronomy. Now with Romans. Romans, chapter eight, verses 14 through 17. It was written during a time during the early christian community when it was facing lots of challenges and lots of opposition. It's believed that this letter was written by Paul around the mid to the late fifties AD, while he was in Corinth.

Julie South [00:13:23]:
At that time, Christianity was still a relatively new and growing movement. Believers were facing persecution and huge discrimination from both jewish and roman authorities. The Roman Empire region had all sorts of different cultures and belief systems going on. Back then, the teachings of Jesus and his followers were seen as a threat to the established religious and social order. At that time, Rome itself was a huge, crowded city with people from all over, but it also had lots of, as you can imagine, corruption, inequality and social unrest. For the early Christians, it was an extremely difficult place to be. They faced discrimination and persecution just for believing in Jesus. Often they had to hide their faith to avoid being arrested or punished.

Julie South [00:14:22]:
The Romans saw Christians as troublemakers who disrupted their way of life, and believers were frequently blamed for the whole of society's problems. Back then, some major events made life even harder for them. The roman emperor at the time, Nero was known for being absolutely ruthless and totally cruel to christians. After the huge fire that destroyed part of Rome, Nero falsely accused and brutally persecuted christians as being the cause for that great fire. It's thought that Nero actually executed both Peter and Paul at this time. Besides outside persecution, the early church also struggled with internal conflict. Believers disagreed over things like jewish laws allowing non jewish followers and the role of grace in faith. Paul's letter to the Romans that we're praying today tried to provide guidance for them for these disputes, should they find themselves caught up in such types of debates.

Julie South [00:15:35]:
Daily life was really tough and scary for those early Christians. They had to meet in secret, often in each other's homes, to worship and to learn scripture. There was always the fear of being discovered. But despite of, and in spite of all of this, the christian faith kept spreading across the Roman Empire. And then our third passage today, Matthew's gospel, chapter 28, verses 16 through 20. Matthew's gospel begins with the disciples going to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. This occurs after Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection, and it marks one of the last recorded encounters between Jesus and his disciples. It's a huge, significant moment for the disciples.

Julie South [00:16:30]:
Think about it. They've just gone through all the disorientation and emotional turmoil, the pain of witnessing Jesus's arrest, his crucifixion and his burial. They'd lost their beloved teacher and their friend. Further, they were still trying to comprehend and understand Jesus's resurrection. They were struggling to make sense of these events that did not make sense, as their understanding of the world and their jewish faith didn't match with what they were experiencing. Imagine, what would it been like for you. It's important to note that during this time, the disciples were still coping with doubts and uncertainties. While they worshiped Jesus, others doubted the reality of what they were witnessing.

Julie South [00:17:26]:
If you were alive back then, which camp do you think you would have fallen into? The camp of the believers or the camp of the doubters? Big times. Important times. In this context, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He assures them of his authority. He declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. This statement highlights his divine nature and his supreme power. This is what validated his resurrection. It starts the foundation for the great commission, which outlines the mission of the disciples and the church.

Julie South [00:18:08]:
The great commission instructs the disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaches them to obey all that Jesus has commanded. Hopefully you can see now why or how Holy Trinity Sunday came about. Father, Son, Holy Spirit throughout the gospel of Matthew. And we're only reading a little bit today, Matthew is portrayed as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the embodiment of God's authority and righteousness. The great commission reflects this overarching theme by connecting the disciples work to Jesus authority and emphasising the disciples responsibilities in spreading the teachings of Jesus. Now, with all of that as the backdrop, let's pray. Holy Trinity Sunday passages together. The first reading is from the book of Deuteronomy.

Julie South [00:19:28]:
Moses said to the people, put this question to the ages that are past that went before you. From the time God created man on earth, was there ever a word so majestic from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire as you heard it and remain alive? Has any God ventured to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors? All this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt. Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart. The Lord is God indeed in heaven above as on earth beneath. He and no other keep his laws and commandments, as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you forever. The word of the Lord. A reading from Paul's letter to the Romans. Everyone moved by the spirit is a son of God.

Julie South [00:21:11]:
The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again. It is the spirit of sons. And it makes us cry out, Abba, Father, the spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children, we are heirs as well. Heirs of God and co heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory. The word of the Lord. A reading from the gospel of Matthew. The eleven disciples set out for Galilee to the mountain where Jesus has arranged to meet them.

Julie South [00:22:10]:
When they saw him, they all fell down before him. Though some hesitated, Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you and know that I am with you always. Yes, to the end of time. The gospel of the Lord what was God saying to you? Remember that what God is saying to me might not be what God is saying to you, because he speaks to each of us differently. For me today, there's only one takeaway, and that's to live in alignment with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is exactly what Holy Trinity Sunday is all about, right? What might that look like for me? Well, for me, the nudge is, the nudge from God is for me to stop and ask myself more often, what would jesus do in this situation? This in air quotes in this situation, what would God want me to do here? Whatever here is.

Julie South [00:23:58]:
Or also, perhaps, if I were to stop right now, what would God be saying to me? What would I hear God saying to me if I stopped and quietened down? If I stopped and listened? At the same time, Jesus is also asking me to spread God's word. I like to think that I do that every week with this podcast. What about you? What was God saying to you on this holy trinity Sunday? I hope you found all of this interesting and helpful. I hope this podcast helps you prepare and maybe even understand just the teeny tiny, incy wincey dinky little bit better, the wonderful word of God and the catholic faith. Thank you for spending the last 25 or so minutes of your life with God and me. If you enjoyed today's show, can you please help me spread God's word about your catholic corner? All you have to do is tell three people what you get out of listening to this podcast so they can hopefully benefit as well. Letting them know about it is really easy. Just tell them to visit your catholiccorner.com where they can follow the show.

Julie South [00:25:30]:
From there. It's free. It doesn't cost anything. Thank you. Wherever you are, I pray that God's glass of love overflows in your heart and your life, and that when you're ready, you're able to accept God's invitation to you to join him and share in holy Communion at your local parish. And finally, I'd like to say thank you to the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, who helped me bring this podcast to you today. This is Julie south signing off until next week. Peace be with you.

Julie South [00:26:11]:
God bless.