May 31, 2026 Trinity Sunday

May 31, 2026

Trinity Sunday

He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, Man-at-Arms, Stratos, Zodac, Beast Man and Mer-Man. If you know these names, you grew up watching cartoons in the 1980s.

They started as toys, small action figures with bulging muscles that could be used in imaginary battles. Then they were featured in a popular Saturday morning cartoon series, comic books, video games, magazines and several feature films. Novelist Brian Cave writes that they had “everything a kid could ask for as part of their weekend plans: a hero they can look up to, a collection of characters with varied powers, colorful villains they can throw around, and a lush world full of adventure.”

Now, a new movie called Masters of the Universe will be released on June 5. The main character is He-Man, said to be “the most powerful man in the universe.” He began life as Prince Adam, the hybrid of an Earthling and an Eternian.

Fans of the series know that Prince Adam becomes He-Man when he holds high his Power Sword and says, “By the power of Grayskull … I have the power!”

But looking around the world today, you have to wonder: Are there any real masters of the universe?

The apostle Paul says yes, and he knows exactly who they are.

Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians was written after he became estranged from this community and feared that another visit would be painful. Although he wanted to visit Corinth, he felt that his leadership there was being questioned, and that his ministry was being disrupted by false apostles and deceitful workers. Similar to He-Man, Corinthians were Paul’s main opponents.

If Paul came to the city, he feared that there would be “quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” Battles would be fought, not with Power Swords, but with “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). But Paul loved the people of Corinth and did not want to fight with them. Instead, he wanted to build them up (2 Corinthians 12:19).

So, what did he do? He offered them a blessing; the one we heard read today.  For Paul, the only real masters of the universe are God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are the greatest of powers and the source of grace, love, and endless sharing and fellowship. What was true for the Corinthians is also true for us. In order for us to thrive as Christians, we need these gifts of God.

Today is celebrated in many churches as Trinity Sunday, the day Christians focus on what it means for our Lord to be one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jews and Muslims affirm that there is one God, but they do not believe that God was fully present in Jesus. We Christians share their devotion to one God, but we have come to know God in three distinct persons.

The Trinity was a hot topic in the fourth century, when some followers of Jesus were saying that he was not fully divine. To set the record straight, the church wrote the Nicene Creed, the oldest of our Christian affirmations of faith. When we say the creed today, we state, “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” That’s one God in the person of the Father.

We also say, “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all ages, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, Being of one Substance with the Father.” That’s one Lord in the person of Jesus, the One who is both “true God” and “truly human.”

Finally, we say, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, together is worshiped and glorified.” That’s one God in the person of the Holy Spirit, a divine power that “proceeds from the Father and the Son.”

One God, three persons: The Trinity. A God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit: The true masters of the universe. But it is not enough for us to describe God in this way. We also need to embrace the gifts that the Trinity gives us: Grace, love and fellowship.

To really know God, we need to know God’s benefits. In the words of Paul, these benefits are the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

First, grace. Paul talks about grace repeatedly in his second letter to the Corinthians, using the word eight different times. At one point, Jesus speaks and says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

But what is grace? Christian writer Philip Yancey was asked to give a definition of the word, and he responded by telling a story. He once got stuck in Los Angeles traffic and arrived 58 minutes late at the Hertz rental desk. He walked up in a bad mood, put the keys down and said, “How much do I owe?”

The woman said, “Nothing. You’re all clear.” Yancey admitted that he was late, and she said, “Yes, but there’s a one-hour grace period.”

So, he asked, “Oh really, what is grace?”

And she said, “I don’t know … I guess what it means is that even though you’re supposed to pay, you don’t have to.”

Although there is much theological definitions of the word, that’s a pretty good definition of grace. Paul was supposed to pay for his sins, but he didn’t have to. Instead, the grace of Christ was sufficient for him, offering him forgiveness and new life. The very same is true for us, when we receive the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, love. When Paul speaks of the love of God, he is using the Greek word agape. This is not the kind of love that we see on television or in magazines, where love is more like the Greek word eros — a word better translated as “desire.”

No, agape is the self-giving love that God offers us, the love seen most clearly in the life of Jesus. This love, says Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, “is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude” (13:4-5). The love of God is a strong and sacrificial love, and it is experienced in communities trying to follow Jesus.

Finally, fellowship. When Paul hopes that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit will be with the people of Corinth, he uses the Greek word koinonia, translated as “fellowship.” This word might seem ancient to us, but it pops up in surprising places.

The letter to the Hebrews says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (13:16). That sharing is koinonia. In the book of Acts, the first followers of Christ “devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (2:42). And in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, “The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (10:16). In the sacrament called fellowship (or “Communion” as we more commonly use when speaking of the Eucharistic aspect of fellowship), we are sharing a meal that connects us to Christ and to each other.

Although Paul and the Corinthians had a history of conflict, Paul wants nothing but the best for them. Pointing them to the true masters of the universe, he offers them the power of God’s grace, love, fellowship. He knows that these gifts will enable them to “be restored,” to “agree with one another,” and to “live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

In our own times of conflict, the same can be true for us. It is not by Grayskull that we have the power. No, it is by the power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray.

On this Trinity Sunday, we reflect on the mystery of God  —  the Father who creates, the Son who redeems and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and inspires. We pray for the grace to appreciate the wonderful gifts of the Trinity:   three benefactors, one God, without end. We pray to the Lord.               

We pray for our Church that at all times it reflects the wisdom of the Father, the love of the Son and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We pray to the Lord.               

In today’s gospel we are told that the Father sent his only Son to save the world. We pray that we, the world and its leaders hear Christ’s message – a message of peace, tolerance, care and love of all God’s children. We pray to the Lord.                      

We pray for peace in our world, particularly in the Middle East and an end to the horrific killing of so many innocent men, women and children. We pray to the Lord.            

On this coming Friday, June 5^th, we celebrate World Environment Day. We pray that the Spirit guide us to protect the wonderful gifts of water, land and climate that our Creator has bestowed on us. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for an increase of priests, deacons and religious. We pray to the Lord.

We pray that those with generous hearts may be led to our small church and give generously to our mission so that we may continue to be a church open to all peoples . We pray to the Lord.

For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.

We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.

Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, you form one communion as three persons. You create promise in our souls for new life. You redeem us by forgiving our sins and making us new. You sustain us in times of trial and call us forth as instruments of your peace. For these good gifts, we are thankful.

May we know that, as three persons in one purpose, you provide all that we could ever need or want. With your blessing, you help us attain new heights of faith, understanding and connection with others. May we know you through communion with you as Three-in-One, even in our ignorance.

Lord God, we come to adore you. You are our Creator, and you granted us being. Without you we could not be. Before we were born, before time began, you were. When time is finished, when the universe is no more, you will still be.

Nothing can take your power from you. Nothing can limit or overcome your love. And in your presence, we can only be silent before the mystery of your being, for no words of ours can do justice to your glory. We ask all these things, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

God Love You +++

The Most Rev. Robert Winzens

Pastor – St. Francis Chapel

San Diego, CA.

As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! Share with us this Christmas, a little sacrifice for the Christ Child. Your generous support also allows us to continue these important projects that fuel the movement of progressive Christianity. Thank you and God bless you! +++

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