In a memorable scene from “Field of Dreams,” Ray the farmer who is about to lose his farm for building a baseball diamond on it for ball players only he and his family can seemingly see says, when asked by Shoeless Joe Jackson about why he built it then, that he just wants to know what’s in it for him. Shoeless Joe then asks him, “is that why you built it Ray, for yourself?” And, left in silence, he realizes that he’s doing something far greater; building a place that will be special for many and bring healing to his father with whom he never reconciled.
I love that scene and that movie, and it gets at one of the things Saint John Paul II was fond of saying which was that we do not find ourselves except in the gift of ourselves; echoing the council fathers of Vatican II. How true this is in life!
This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday, and in so many ways the Father, Son and Spirit come down to this – a perfect love shared between all.
And so, on this Trinity Sunday, I’d just invite you to think about two things: surrender and giving.
As for the surrender part, the Son surrenders to the will of the Father out of love. He doesn’t let ego or a thirst for power get in the way. In the Trinity, it’s about stepping outside of egotism. Are we willing to surrender to God, and let Him guide our lives? Are we willing to remove pride from our lives and reach out to other people who are there to help us? Are we willing to surrender our own egos and desires for the benefit of a spouse or a family because we recognize the greater good? The paradox of the Cross is that when Jesus to our eyes is seemingly most powerless, in reality it is at this moment He is the strongest, in complete control of the situation, and gives us an enduring sign of how much we are loved and what true love looks like. When we are willing to surrender to God’s will and to the greater good to help others, we too reflect the Trinity.
Finally, the giving part. Through our words and actions, we are giving people love, or we are taking it from them by hurting them. At the final judgment, all of us will be held accountable for our actions and inactions, and we will realize the impact our deeds had on the lives of other people. It is so often the little things that can make such a difference for the good or for the bad. When we say a word of kindness to someone, spend time with someone, or work to build one another up. But the opposite is also true. If we gossip, are unwelcoming, or cut others down, little by little that hurts the other person. If we don’t actively seek to help someone, they can go down a bad path because no one was there to help them, or they may go through life feeling unloved and hurt. When we refuse to forgive and hold on to animosity and grudges, so many relationships that should exist end up being destroyed. This God who loves us holds nothing back – we see that every time we look at a crucifix. Daily we need to challenge ourselves to make sure we aren’t holding back from others the love that we are given. Saint Paul says it best in our second reading: “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
God did not create a baseball diamond in Iowa, but He did create us – and beyond that He came to be one of us and show us the depth of His love and sends His Spirit to help empower us on our journey. All done reflecting the perfect love that is God, one that is given to us, and one that we hopefully try to live out and share every day, making the inner working of the Trinity a way of life.
Have a blessed week!
Fr. Paul
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May 31, 2026