by Tori LaBelle, Youth Ministry Director of Our Lady of Mercy Parish
A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
Have you ever seen a waterfall up close? I mean, a REAL waterfall (sorry Louisianans). The near deafening sound, and sense of power of the water gives you pause. I once took a hike in Ecuador called “The Devil’s Cauldron”, and after about 45 minutes of stairs down to the bottom of the falls, I decided to follow another path that goes up behind the waterfall. It was 40 feet of army crawling through a claustrophobia-inducing cave, but the experience of being behind that curtain of rushing water was unforgettable.
Sitting behind the falls in the dark cavern with just enough room for me to sit, the singular sound was the roar of water falling from the cliff and rushing to the lake below. It was a strange feeling to be so close to the intensity of all that water, but sit completely still and unharmed.
When I contemplate the Trinity, I often think back to that waterfall. The Holy Trinity is often explained as the perfect and eternal giving and receiving of love between the Father and the Son; and the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, is that love they share. The giving and receiving of love in the Trinity, is not just in a feeling that comes and goes; but rather, perfect love eternally in rushing motion, never stagnant.
In this passage from the end of the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus tell his disciples that “ ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (Mt 28:18). The Father’s complete and total self-gift of love unto the Son, Jesus Christ, is presented to us one last time. And how are the hearts who heard that proclamation from the Son of God? “When [the disciples] saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted” (Mt 28:17). The half-hearted, uncertain, fickle worship of the risen Christ juxtaposed with the perfect love of the Trinity is jarring.
Jesus didn’t weed out the doubting disciples or lecture them. Like the disciples, our irresolute heart is no surprise to Christ. His response is to remind us of the fullness we’re made for; and as Jesus has received, he now gives the disciples. He gives them (and us) His shared thirst for all nations. He gives us the task of participating in the work of salvation - to win souls over through the magnetic pull of Trinitarian love.
About the Author: Tori LaBelle, who fondly refers to herself as “a yankee,” serves Our Lady of Mercy parish as the youth ministry director and christian formation assistant. Tori grew up in Pennsylvania and had a very strong encounter with Christ where He told her, “If you’re quiet, I can speak,” which has impacted her life ever since. In 2018, she and her husband moved to Baton Rouge and have had two children since they’ve arrived. When she isn’t busy with her ministry or spending time with her two kiddos, Tori can be found watching “The Office”, “Scrubs”, “Community” and “Law & Order SVU.”
How do you like your coffee? STRONG AND ICED
Who is your favorite saint at the moment and why? St. John the Baptist is a regular in my flavor of the month club
What are the top three songs on your playlist? “Caught in the Reeds (Moses)” by Chris Renzema, “Rest on Us” by Maverick City Music, “New Song (Psalm 40)” by The Dodds
What is a random life hack you have? The day before you restock on groceries, pretend like you’re a contestant on Chopped so the weird meal you make with random food in your fridge feels like a success.
The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at [email protected].