OKLAHOMA AND THE MOST HOLY TRINITY – GOD'S ETERNAL EXCHANGE OF LOVE

“Man Lives In God and by God”

The ancient tradition of the Roman Catholic Church calls for celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity on the Sunday following Pentecost. This year that Feast Day is TODAY, May 25^th. And so, we are reminded that “by sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange” (Catechism 221).

An old friend of mine was fond of saying, “Here’s what that [exchange] looks like” – the eternal exchange of God’s trinitarian love lived out by and among His people. In the aftermath of Oklahoma’s devastating tornado this past week, we have seen, time and again, that exchange magnified. To steal the off-quoted line from the baseball movie that was about so much more, “Is this Heaven? No, it’s Oklahoma – in the face of tragedy, death, destruction, and heartbreak.”

Here’s what the eternal exchange of love has looked like right here in the Sooner State:

•       TV meteorologists with urgency in their voices and deep concern in their eyes pleading with   folks to take cover from incoming deadly storms
•       Neighbors opening their storm shelters to strangers and friends alike
•       Teachers covering school children, without regard for their own lives, as tornadoes strike
•      First responders working tirelessly to rescue victims, save lives, and recover the lost and console the grieving
•     Print and television media types working long and exhausting hours (away from their own families) to tell stores of heroic courage in the face of grave danger, compassionate consolers comforting those suffering the greatest of loss, hope overcoming despair, and community rising again to trample devastating destruction
•      Dignitaries and celebrities -- like the President, the Governor, the Thunder (KD, Russell, and the rest of the Boys, Sam P, and so many others) , the college “head honchos” (from Joe C to Bobby Stoops to Sherri to Travis Ford, etc.) and their players, the Oklahoma country singers (Toby, Blake, Miranda, you name ‘em) – helping in the ways they can to make the lives of the victims and those aiding in their recovery just a little bit easier
•       The Churches and Non-Profits and Businesses all working cooperatively to make all types of support – food and drink, clothing, shelter, toiletries, health care, counseling, and supplies – readily available to any and all in need
•       John Q Oklahoman trying to help in some meaningful, tangible way – even to the point of being willing to “stay home” so as to not interfere with the professionals doing what they’re trained to do and resigning themselves to “just” write a check, send supplies down, and “pray without ceasing” for those affected

Since the Murrah Building bombing in 1995, our State’s response to devastating tragedy has become known everywhere as “the Oklahoma Standard.” Long before that tragic day in April 1995 (and the seemingly endless parade of deadly tornadoes that have descended upon our great state since), “the Oklahoma Standard”, wherever demonstrated, actually has been nothing less than the “Eternal Exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” – or as R.P. Philippon says, “The complete Trinity dwelling in [God’s people].” In the words of Blessed John Paul II, “In the communion of grace with the Trinity, man’s ‘living area’ is broadened and raised up to the supernatural level of divine life. Man lives in God and by God.”

Indeed, the Most Holy Trinity, God’s eternal exchange of love, lives and breathes and moves in this time and place by, through, and in Oklahomans suffering from the tragic loss of devastating storms, supporting one another through the horrific devastation, and moving forward in faith, hope, and love.

Yes, I am convinced, this is exactly what God’s Eternal Exchange of Love, lived out here and now by His people (Oklahomans and our friends near and far) looks like. Yes, indeed.

-Denis P. Rischard*

*Denis Rischard is a life-long Oklahoma Catholic. He and his wife of 27 years, Susie Bolka Rischard, have nine (9) living children (ranging in age from 23 to 5) and one, Lucy Catherine Rischard, in heaven. Denis was raised on a produce farm in southwest Oklahoma City (just outside of Moore) and is a graduate of Oklahoma City’s Sacred Heart Catholic Grade School ('75) and Mt. St. Mary Catholic High School (’79), the University of Notre Dame (’83) and the University of Oklahoma College of Law (’86). Since his graduation from law school, Denis has been a practicing attorney in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area for the past 27 years. He has represented Oklahomans as well as local and national businesses in a variety of civil litigation matters over the years. Just recently, Denis has expanded his practice to include Elder and Special Needs Law, in which he, through specialized planning techniques, protects the rights of seniors and other vulnerable Oklahomans, helping them attain the government benefits to which the existing laws entitle them while simultaneously preserving their hard-earned assets and family legacies. If you or those you know and love might benefit from Denis’s services, please feel free to contact him at The Law Offices of Denis P. Rischard, 100 Park Avenue, Suite 707, Oklahoma City, OK 73102; (O) 405-235-2393; drischard@rischardlaw.com; or facebook.com/TheLawOfficeOfDenisPRischard