I’m not sure if you read about this in your TV Guide for today’s mass, but today actually is a two for one deal. Did you read about that? I’m not talking about not going to mass next Sunday, that’s not what I’m talking about. What I am talking about is this, in Matthew’s gospel that we just heard. Heres the two for one proclamation that Jesus makes to all of his listeners.

The first one, go make disciples, baptizing them. Go to the world and make disciples. That’s the mandate number one. Mandate number two, the two for one deal for today. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

I want to take that second mandate first, because that is in fact the mystery that we celebrate today. The mystery of God who’s Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church dedicates a whole weekend, a whole day to this mystery of the Trinity of God. And we’ve come to understand that God is one in being, but three persons. That’s a mystery that we’ve been wrapping our minds around for the last 2,000 years. One in being, but three persons.

But it’s in this mystery that we come to understand who God is for us. God who’s Father, the Creator of all being. God who’s Son, who brings us hope, and everlasting life, and salvation. God who’s Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that’s with us very much today as we celebrate this mass, tomorrow when we are with our friends and our grandchildren, the following couple days. The Holy Spirit’s very much among us when we proclaim his word and share that word with our brothers and our sisters. That’s the first piece that we hear today. The reminder that God is Father, Son, and Spirit.

The second reminder in the proclamation today, the second reminder that we have is that Jesus invites his disciples to go make more disciples of all nations. That presupposes that we call ourselves disciples right now. So today’s second invitation is this, and really Cardinal Cupich really is inviting us to meditate on this as the movement called, “Renew My Church,” is spreading throughout the whole archdiocese. Really the three fold invitation is to make disciples, build communities, and inspire witness. But for today, make disciples means that we call ourselves disciples. We call ourselves Chicagoans, we call ourselves male and female, Polish, or German, or Mexican, or Puerto Rican, we call ourselves lots of things. But Jesus invites us to call ourselves first and foremost, disciples. Be disciples, his followers. And then make disciples. Share the good news of Jesus with our brothers and sisters.

Can we do that today? Can we hold on to that two fold proclamation? Make disciples of all nations and hang onto that mystery that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and even share that? Jesus invites his disciples to powerful witnesses of his. Can we be Jesus’ disciples and witnesses in the world around us?