When it comes to writing a reflection on the Holy Trinity, I struggle. Like every other card-carrying Catholic and Christian. I can publicly proclaim at least once a week: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth…I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, who for us became human…I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son…” (Nicene Creed). But that does not mean that I can get my little head around it, reflects Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

If the gospel-reading for Pentecost, which relates how Jesus penetrated walls and locked doors to appear to the disciples, tells us anything, it is that there are no barriers to the message of God’s peace, love and hope, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald. The challenge for us contemporary disciples is to create a climate that will allow a new Pentecost to find a way into our hearts and our world. The first step might be to start practicing the language of love

The implication of the start of both Acts and Mark’s Gospel is that what Jesus said and taught was but the beginning of his good news to the world and that it was to be continued by all his followers, with the help of the Holy Spirit, until there was nobody left to hear that good news, reflects Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

Jesus (and subsequently, John) uses the image of the vine to illustrate and explain his continuing connectedness to his disciples and their connectedness to God through him and their connectedness (and ours) to one another and to everyone whom they and we encounter. The challenge for us is to live and love as though we really value that connectedness. Our lives are about learning to bear, appreciate and reflect the beams of love, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The real challenges of today’s gospel-reading are, in essence, to be met in the way we respond to a few simple, yet demanding, questions, reflects Christian Brother Julian McDonald. Do I listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd inviting me to shepherd and be shepherded? Am I prepared to spend my life reaching out to those with whom I am asked to share the blessings I have been given, for no other reason than that Jesus says to me: “I love you and you are mine!”? He says exactly that to everyone else as he invites us to be instruments of his love.