Abbot Austin G. Murphy, OSB

05/31/2026

HOW TO KNOW THE TRINITY
Homily for Trinity Sunday, at St. Benedict's Abbey

I am not a poet. And I do know it. But imagine a group of poets who gather together once or twice a year. When this society of poets comes together, they “talk shop”—that is, they talk about poetry. Yes, they read and write poems. But they also reflect on poetry itself. They discuss the nature of poetry, things such as what distinguishes poetry from elegant prose, or what makes a poem a good one rather than a bad one.

Why do these poets talk about poetry? Because they love poetry. When we love something, we talk about it, and find words to express it. That is a way of celebrating what we love. Just so, these poets talk about poetry as a way of celebrating what they love.

So, these poets have two ways of knowing poetry. They know it experientially when they practice poetry, when they read and write it. But when they reflect on poetry and discuss it, they know it in a different way. They have what might be called an articulated knowledge of poetry. They know it through expressions, definitions, and verbal formulas.

The experiential knowledge is the more regular and frequent way in which they know poetry. They have this throughout the year as they read, write, and listen to poetry. But now and again, such as when they gather, they indulge in the articulated knowledge. And as noted, one reason to do this is to celebrate poetry.

How does this apply to Trinity Sunday? Here is my application to the Most Holy Trinity. It has to do with these two ways of knowing something, with experiential knowledge and so-called articulated knowledge. Throughout the year, we Christians have experiential knowledge of the Trinity. We know God through a personal encounter; indeed, we know God experientially through sharing in His life.

This happens particularly through Jesus Christ. We live in Christ. By means of His humanity, we are united to Him through faith and love. And this union with Christ leads us into the Trinity. United to the Son of God, we know the Father as the one from whom Christ comes and to whom He returns. And in this relationship between the Father and the Son, we know the Spirit as the bond of peace and the joy of love. Life in Christ gives us experiential knowledge of the Trinity.

Let me quickly note three special ways in which we have this experiential knowledge of the Trinity, and in which we can grow in this experiential knowledge. One is through the liturgy, especially the sacraments and most especially the Mass—what we are doing right now. In the liturgy, we are united to the Son and in turn we enter into the Trinity.

Another special way is by loving our neighbor. When we love another, especially in a selfless, self-giving way, we are conformed to Jesus Christ. We live in His love and we thus experience closeness to the Trinity.

A final special way is by participation in the Church, in the community of believers. This happens by receiving from the Church and contributing back to the Church. As members of the Body of Christ, we are gathered into Christ, united by the Holy Spirit, and devoted to the Father.

So, we have this experiential knowledge of the Trinity all year round. Yet on days like today, Trinity Sunday, we also reflect on and articulate truths about the Trinity. We use worked-out expressions and definitions to think about the Trinity.

For example, with this articulated knowledge we say things such as: There is one God and yet three Persons in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God, each is fully divine. Still, all three Persons together are not three Gods but one God.

In this articulated knowledge, we also say that the Father is God. And that the Son is God: He is God from the Father—“God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.” We also say that the Holy Spirit is God: God from the Father and the Son. He “proceeds from the Father and the Son,” or we can say, from the Father through the Son.

But why do we bother with these articulations? They can seem abstract and difficult to understand. Why not just stick to the experiential knowledge that comes from living in Christ? Isn’t that enough?

I think we can see three reasons why we have this articulated knowledge. They correspond to the reasons that a society of poets has articulated knowledge of poetry. As noted, one reason is that it is a way of joyfully celebrating what we love. We love God the Trinity and so we celebrate the Trinity by speaking about the Trinity.

Another reason is that the articulated knowledge serves a regulatory purpose. It helps us to see whether we are on the mark or off the mark. For poets, their articulated knowledge of poetry can help them see what counts as poetry and what does not. For us, our articulated knowledge of the Trinity helps us make sure we turn to the true God and not a false idea of God.

For example, we note that the three Persons are not parts of God, which is a common misunderstanding in my experience. The Persons are not parts, as though each were one-third of God. No, each Person is fully God, having all the divine power, wisdom, majesty. Each is fully God and together they are the one God.

A third reason for the articulated knowledge is explanatory. When the poets want to explain to a newcomer what poetry is, they can do so with their articulated knowledge. Likewise, when we want to explain what we believe to non-believers, we can use our articulated knowledge. We can use worked-out expressions and formulas. It is not that we are proving the Trinity to them, but inviting them to believe what we believe.

Much ink has been spilt—and is still spirt—over which to prefer, experiential knowledge or articulated knowledge. But both are indispensable and they go together. Of course, experiential knowledge is crucial. Through it we can develop articulated knowledge. Through their experiential knowledge of poetry, poets can articulate what it is. Through our experience of the Trinity, the Church has articulated what the Trinity is.

Yes, we can get too caught up in articulated knowledge and neglect the experiential knowledge. When this happens, we have those famous words from ‘The Imitation of Christ:’ “What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity?”

But on the other hand, if people say—as they sometimes do—that we do not need an articulated knowledge of the Trinity, that is wrong. We have the witness of the Tradition. Many people, including saints, fought, suffered, and even died for the correct articulations of the Trinity. Let us be thankful for the correct expressions, definitions, and formulas that we have for knowing the Trinity. And to appreciate this articulated knowledge, I offer the three purposes already mentioned: that it is celebratory, regulatory, and explanatory.

05/28/2026

I found this an interesting article, in large part because I had not known there were different versions of Deism, some taking a harder line and some a lesser line on the idea of God as a watchmaker who leaves creation to run on its own after making it.

https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/deism-and-the-declaration/

05/27/2026

AMAZEMENT AND FEAR
Homily for Wed of 8th wk in Ord time, at St. Benedict's Abbey

“The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” (Mk 10:32) These lines from the gospel give two experiences within discipleship: amazement and fear. As disciples we are amazed—amazed that we are called to walk with Jesus, to work with Him in establishing the kingdom. But at times, we also are fearful—afraid of what lies ahead, of the difficulties that come with following Jesus. Both amazement and fear.

The Apostles experienced both: the amazement that drew them on and the fear that made them want to run. And notice how the resurrection is the turning point. Before the resurrection, fear won out and they ran away. After the resurrection, their amazement won out, and they persevered.

For example, think of the Apostle Peter. Before the resurrection, he had both amazement and fear. With this amazement, he wanted to follow the Lord and even die with Him. But fear had the upper hand and, when tested, he denied Christ. But after the resurrection, Peter says yes to serving Christ, though he knows he will be persecuted. And sure enough, he is faithful and courageous, even to martyrdom. Amazed at being a friend of Christ and partnering with Him, he is willing to suffer losing everything in order to stay close to Christ. The words of St. Paul applied to St. Peter: “For the sake of Christ I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Phil 3:8-9).

As we follow Christ, we too have fear and amazement. Sometimes the fear wins out, and we run from following Christ. And sometimes the amazement wins out, and we do follow Christ and stay with Him. We pray that the amazement grow in us, so that we become better disciples.

Today’s saint, Augustine of Canterbury, must have experienced both the amazement and the fear. He must have been amazed to be called by Christ to spread the gospel in England. At the same time, he must have been afraid of what difficulties might await him. But by the grace of Christ the amazement won out and he persevered.

May it be so with us. In amazement, may we come to see that there is nothing more delightful than the voice of the Lord calling to us. Let us be amazed that we are journeying with Christ to the kingdom. The more we are amazed at this, the less we will be daunted by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. Rather, we will be willing to participate in the sufferings of Christ, since we want to be with Christ, to be partners in his kingdom.

05/20/2026

TAKEN UP INTO THE EXCHANGE OF GLORY
Homily for Tues. of 7th wk. of Easter, at St. Benedict's Abbey

In the gospel we hear about the exchange of glory. Jesus is praying to His Father. In the prayer He says that the Father has given Him glory. And Jesus also says that He has given glory back to the Father.

These are mysterious things that speak of the inner life of the Trinity. For all eternity there is, as it were, an exchange of gifts within the Trinity. First, the Father gives the glory He has to His Son. And the Son then gives the glory back to the Father. This exchange of glory does not happen in steps over time, but in a perfect, eternal way outside of time.

As we marvel over this, we then hear something shocking. We overhear the Son speaking about us! And we hear that we too are being exchanged. That is, Jesus says that the Father gave us to Him as His disciples. He speaks of His disciples as “those whom you gave me out of the world.” And He adds, “They belonged to you, and you gave them to me.” Jesus then goes on to indicate that He is giving us back to the Father. He says, “they are yours, and everything of mine is yours.”

Notice, then, that we have been taken up into the exchange of glory. In Jesus, the eternal Son of God, we participate in the exchange of glory with His Father. So, in Jesus we receive glory from the Father. This happens with all the good and glorious things we receive from the Father in the Son. They include wonderful natural goods and even more wonderful supernatural goods. We are to acknowledge and receive them in thanksgiving. Then, in the Son, we are to give all these glorious things back to the Father. That means making use of them and engaging them in ways that please the Father. For example, if I receive more earthly goods than I need, and share them with the poor, I have done this. I have then received glorious things from the Father and returned them to the Father in a way that glorifies the Father.

Jesus in His human life did this perfectly. He received everything from the Father and returned it perfectly to the Father. In His human life, He reflects what He as God is forever doing with the Father. His human life reflected the eternal exchange of glory. And in turn, He has taken His seat at the right hand of the Father. We are now called to follow Him, as members of His body. We are called to receive from the Father and give back to the Father in the Son.

We are, that is, called to live in the Trinity, to live in this exchange of glory with the Father in the Son. We receive wonderful things in the Son and give them back in the Son. And by giving them back, we do not lose them. No, in the Son we share them with the Father, while being wrapped in the love of the Holy Spirit.

05/14/2026

OUT OF PLACE
Homily for the feast of St. Matthias the Apostle, at St. Benedict's Abbey

There is a haunting phrase in the first reading. St. Peter and the apostles are praying that God show who should replace Judas. They say to God: “show [whom] you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” The haunting phrase is “to his own place.”

Judas had a place in the apostolic ministry. The Lord gave him this place. But Judas turned away from it, in order “to go to his own place.” Now, to have your own place would seem to be nice. Wouldn’t we want to have a space all to ourselves? But to me this phrase speaks of isolation, all the more tragic because self-imposed.

In truth, we are called to live in a shared place, shared with God and His holy ones. Not to be with God and His people, now that is misery. With apologies to Jean-Paul Sartre, hell is not having other people.

The alternative is to occupy a place that is shared with God, and by extension with His people. What does occupying this shared place look like? The answer is found in what Judas rejects. He rejects a place in the apostolic ministry. As we know, to be an apostle is to be one who is sent. So, to occupy a shared space with God is to be sent by God. We may put it this way: to stay in the presence of God, you must go forth from God. You must accept being sent.

And if we ask, “What does it mean to be sent and to go forth from God?”, the answer is Jesus. He is the one that comes forth from the Father, the one who is sent by the Father. In Christ, we are sent to love as He loved, to serve as He served, to remain in His love.

So, let us not be out-of-place (ἄτοπος in Greek)—out of the place we belong. Let us be like Matthias, not Judas who refused a place with God for his own place. We want to accept, rather than reject, a place in this apostolic ministry. That means accepting being sent to love and serve as Christ did. And that is what we are doing in this Mass: here we enjoy a place with God and at the same time we are sent forth by God.

Image: St. Matthias, photo taken by Lawrence OP on Flickr

05/09/2026

TOWERING MERCY
Homily for Fri. in 5th wk. of Easter, at St. Benedict's Abbey

Not too long ago, Dennis Macnamara gave a talk at Pace e Bene. The talk was on this abbey church. During the talk he noted the tower of this church, the tower that rises above me, that is directly over the Blessed Sacrament chapel.

He spoke appreciatively of the tower. It would have been easy to omit the tower, for building a sturdy stone tower like this one is expensive. And in our utilitarian thinking, one might easily omit it. But he gave credit to the architect and the monks for not doing so. And so we have this tower that can be seen throughout campus and even from much of town.

Towers can be symbols of human pride. We have only to think of the Tower of Babel. It was an attempt to build a perfect city and to reach the fullness of life without God. But try and try as we may, reaching the fulfillment of life by our own accomplishments, apart from God, will not work.

Of course, the church tower does not represent human pride. What does it stand for, then? Consider a line from today’s Psalm: “your mercy towers to the heavens” (Ps 57:11). We can see the tower as a symbol of God’s mercy—it is a tower of mercy. And as we see this tower over us as we walk around campus, it can remind us that God’s mercy is over us (Ps 33:22 Vulg.).

What is the foundation of this tower? It is the one who laid down His life for us (Jn 15:13). Jesus is the one foundation and none other can be built on, as St. Paul says (1 Cor 3:11). Jesus laid down the foundation when He laid down His life. Upon this foundation the nations that were once scattered are now gathered together.

What rises from this foundation? It is first of all praise. Praises rises up from the salvation that Christ won for us. We praise and thank God for His mercy in saving us through His Son’s act of perfect love on the Cross. As the psalm says, “I will give you thanks among the peoples, O LORD” (Ps 57:10), and when we do, then the peoples, that is, the nations, are gathered around this praise of God in Christ. So, on the foundation which is Christ is built a tower of praise.

What about human accomplishments? What about doing works? Of course, we are still to labor and try to accomplish good things. But we know that our good works are God’s gifts. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your Name give the glory” (Ps 115:1). In His mercy God gives us the good works that we do (see Phil 2:13 and Eph 2:10). We accomplish them in Christ (see Jn 3:21). So, we can also say that on the foundation which is Christ is built a tower of good works done by God’s holy ones. This tower of good works rises up to heaven, to glorify the Father (Jn 15:8, also Mt 5:16).

All this tells us to praise God for the salvation He has mercifully bestowed on us in Christ, and to do good works in Christ so as to glorify the Father. When we do, then our praise and good works will bear witness that God’s mercy is upon us.

05/09/2026

TRUSTING GOD IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Homily for Wed. in 5th wk. of Easter, at St. Benedict's Abbey

Life is hard—and that can especially be true at the end of the semester. There is so much to do and in turn we get stressed out. And the stress makes it easy to commit sins of impatience, of overindulgence, and so on.

What are we to make of this? Sometimes when things are difficult, we think that God is far from us. Or when we mess up, we might think that God has rejected us.

But Jesus in the gospel offers another possibility: it is that God is pruning us. We are told that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We live in Christ and cannot bear fruit apart from Christ.

Now, we might think that if we are branches attached to Christ the true vine, then all is well. We are perfectly healthy branches. But are we in perfect condition? Our sins say otherwise. And Christ indicates as much in the gospel. He says that the Father prunes the branches that bear fruit, so that they produce more fruit. Why would branches need to be pruned, if they are already in perfect condition? Rather, we need to be pruned, to be purified, and that often happens through trials.

Scripture has various lines about this. In Acts, we are told that it is necessary to suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. And Scripture says that God disciplines the sons whom he loves. So, God has not abandoned us. No, He is very close and He is drawing us closer to Himself.

When life is hard, then, we are called to trust God. He has not given up on us, but rather He works patiently with us. Let us not give up but work patiently with Him.

05/07/2026

DEVASTING AND ENCOURAGING
Homily for Tues of 5th wk in Easter, at St. Benedict's Abbey

Jesus’ words are both devasting and encouraging. I am referring to when He says, “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father.” (Jn 14) This is devasting to the apostles. Jesus is telling them that they do not love Him—or at least not as well as they could.

Here is how I am understanding Jesus’ point. The apostles are too preoccupied with themselves. They are worried about losing Jesus and they are not thinking about Jesus’ own experience, since they are preoccupied with their own feelings. Yet Jesus is going to the Father. In His human nature, He will know the fullness of joy in the presence of the Father. No more pain and suffering in His humanity. Then there will be only complete joy.

So, if the apostles loved Jesus, they would be happy for Him. They would be happy that their friend will know the fullness of joy in His human nature. This is a point that Bl. Columba Marmion makes. He says that when we celebrate the Ascension, one reason to rejoice is that Jesus now has perfect happiness in His human nature. But the apostles, being focused on themselves, fail to rejoice for their friend. And of course, we can be like this—too preoccupied with ourselves.

But Jesus’ words are also encouraging. In a way, they contain the logic of the incarnation. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself to become a human being. And so, He humbled Himself to be loved by us as a human friend. The Almighty God allows Himself to be loved by us as a fellow human being! That is amazing.

When we do love Him in this way, we go beyond ourselves. And notice what happens. When we think of Jesus’ well-being, then we are united with His sacred humanity. In turn, we share in the exalted, risen state of His humanity—even now on earth. His joy becomes our joy. So, having gone ahead of us, Jesus is already taking us to Himself. He has already come back and brought us to Himself. Not yet perfectly as in heaven, but still in a partial but real way.

So, let us escape our narrow preoccupation with ourselves. Instead, let us enter into Jesus’ joy, being happy for Him. Then we will share in His joy, share in His resurrected life—even now, albeit imperfectly. In a special way, we are able to share in that joy in this Mass.

05/01/2026

The third and final article in the series I wrote on self-esteem from a Catholic perspective has been published here: https://adoremus.org/2026/04/doctrine-liturgy-and-self-esteem-part-3-of-3-priestly-sacrifice/ -footnote-2-24665

This article considers how this version leads to communion with God and others, using ideas about God's covenant with His people and about the priesthood.

This is the third and final article in a series about how Catholic doctrine and the liturgy enable us to meet the crisis in self-esteem currently found in our society. The first article described how self-esteem should be primarily founded on the doctrine that every human being is made in the image....

05/01/2026

LET'S RECEIVE FROM CHRIST
Homily for Thurs of 4th wk in Easter, at St. Benedict's Abbey and Maur Hill - Mount Academy

Jesus says: “whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (Jn 13:20). But whom does Jesus send? The Apostles. And thus also the Church built upon the Apostles, and all the means of salvation in the Church, the teachings, Scripture, the sacraments.

All these are sent by Christ Himself. When we receive them, we are receiving Christ. And in turn, we are receiving the Father who sent Him. We thereby enter into the life of the Trinity.

Notice how easy the Lord makes this for us. He sends these things to us, including this Holy Eucharist. He sends them to us and we must simply receive them. Yes, discipleship is hard, but it begins with something easy: receiving what Jesus gives to us.

Yet we are often busy with many things—especially at the end of the semester. We are like Martha, trying to do this and that. We fail to be like her sister, Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus. We need to sit at the feet of Jesus and receive.

Also, there is the saying, which I think is true: “It is often more humble to receive than to give.” Sometimes our pride gets in the way of receiving. We want to be the one giving, not the one receiving. Yet, we need the humility to receive, especially to receive what the Lord gives.

As disciples, there is plenty of work for us to do. But the starting point is simple, to receive what Christ gives us. It is good to return to this starting point now and again. After all, how can we give to others, unless we have first received? And what can we offer to the Lord, except what we first receive from Him. Indeed, we must first receive, if we are to be sent by Christ as members of His Church.