"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" — the reading made famous by the lucky guy who holds up signs at football games which read "John 3:16." Since this Sunday is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, let's dissect this passage a bit and see what it holds.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son — the Father, out of His infinite goodness and love for those whom He created, saw the anarchy that sin was creating in the human soul and sought to fix the problem. Being God, the plan, which was to be carried out in the fullness of time, was perfect. He decided to send His only Son into the world. He could no longer rely on humans to reset the relationship which had been fouled up with the sin of Adam and Eve. Remember, man’s relationship with God is kinetic. The relationship must be a dynamic one, with communication and effort from both sides. Unfortunately, man had done much to sever the lines of communication and therefore God took it upon Himself to repair and upgrade it. The solution — send the Son.

Everyone who believes in Him might not perish — the Son, united to the Father in love, becomes for everyone, which is to say, every person, the way to the Father and the remedy against perishing. Notice the text does not say die, but perish: to become destroyed or ruined. Christ did not come to save us from dying, but from being destroyed. From ruin. So, Christ suffers, dies and rises from the dead. In doing so, He gives us the paradigm for both a relationship with God and the perfect example of how it is to be done. What He accomplishes and shows is this: that by acknowledging God the Father and being obedient to His will, every person can participate in the love of the Holy Trinity.

But might have eternal life — the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the love of the Father and the Son, is the proper agent of God's love. God is not minatory. He does not send the Holy Spirit upon those unwilling to receive Him. He neither coerces nor pressures. He grants us the opportunity to share in His life and when we, in faith and love and devotion, agree, the Holy Spirit springs into action, guiding us and giving us strength to reach eternal life, which is the end result of a temporal life lived in fidelity to God.

The time to convert is now. Lollygagging gets us nowhere. The Holy Trinity dwells in heaven patiently enduring our faults and failings, waiting patiently for us to reach out and participate in the perfect love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do not delay. Every moment that passes is another opportunity to participate in the only love that is eternal, the love of the Holy Trinity.