Podcast Summary: Unpacking The Mass with Keith Nester

Episode: June 12, 2022 Readings - God Doesn't Have to Make Sense to You
Release Date: June 9, 2022
Host: Keith Nester

Episode Overview

This episode of Unpacking The Mass guides listeners through the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Keith Nester dives deep into the meaning behind the lectionary texts, exploring the wisdom, creativity, and the mystery of the Triune God. Emphasizing themes of divine wisdom, trust amid suffering, and the relational nature of the Trinity, Keith encourages listeners to prepare for Mass by rooting their faith not only in what they can understand, but also in what has been revealed—even when it defies human comprehension.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Wisdom and Mystery of God (Proverbs 8)

• Proverbs 8 presents "wisdom" as personified—a poetic, almost song-like depiction of this divine attribute.
  • “This is like poetry. This could be song lyrics. This stuff is so cool.” (01:55)
• Wisdom is shown as present before creation, beside God as "craftsman."
• Main idea: Before there were skeptics or questions, God had already established an ordered universe in perfect wisdom.
  • “Nothing is done by accident... God’s greatness and wisdom precede it all.” (04:10)
• Keith draws parallels to Job 38, where God challenges Job’s understanding of divine providence:
  • “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”
• Human struggle for understanding: Personal experiences of suffering often produce questions about God’s plan.
  • “Have you ever struggled with whether or not God’s real? ...when you filter that through your own personal experience.” (07:56)
• Key comfort: Even what is beyond our understanding is held in the hands of a loving God.
  • “You don’t have to understand... This is where we have to rest in the wisdom of God.” (10:15)

2. God’s Love as Our Anchor (Psalm 8)

• The Psalm reflects awe at the vastness of creation and God’s care for humanity:
  • “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.” (19:00)
• Notable analogy: Searching for cosmic intelligence is compared to perceiving ordered patterns in DNA—signs of an intelligent Creator.
  • “Scientists are all the time looking for intelligence out in the universe... look at the intricacies of what He’s created.” (20:10)

3. Suffering, Endurance, and Hope (Romans 5:1–5)

• St. Paul on grace and affliction:
  • “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (24:00)
• Suffering is acknowledged, but is reframed as producing endurance, character, and ultimately hope—if one perseveres.
  • “Pain is mandatory. Growth is optional.” (27:30)
• Practical application: Growth through suffering is not automatic; faith and cooperation with grace are essential.
• The Holy Spirit pours out God’s love into hearts, making hope a living reality.
  • “When you have that kind of relationship with God... no matter what I’m going through right now, I have hope.” (31:40)

4. The Promise and Work of the Trinity (John 16:12–15)

• Jesus’ words on the coming of the Spirit:
  • “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.” (33:00)
• Jesus explains the interconnectedness of the Trinity: the Spirit receives from the Son, who receives from the Father.
  • “Here we see the inner workings of the Trinity in a powerful way.” (36:10)
• Personhood of the Holy Spirit: Not simply a spiritual “force,” but a divine Person with will and relationship.
  • “Don’t think of the Holy Spirit that way. The Holy Spirit is a Person, a member of the Trinity.” (37:05)
• Keith cautions against individuating truth apart from the Church’s tradition:
  • “You’ve got to filter everything through not just your own thoughts, but through what the Holy Spirit has revealed to the Church and through the Church.” (41:00)
• Catholic understanding: The Spirit’s promise of guidance belongs primarily to the apostles and the Church, ensuring doctrinal unity.
  • “This is why we know that the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of truth, because this was the promise that Jesus gave them.” (43:00)

5. Relating Personally to the Trinity

• The Trinity as more than a theological puzzle:
  • “The Trinity isn’t an idea for you to study. The Trinity is a Person for you to have relationship with.” (50:25)
• Different seasons may call for engaging with different aspects of the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit), but all are united in God.
• Invitation: Listeners are encouraged to embrace mystery and to rejoice that God is greater than human comprehension.
  • “If we could comprehend God fully, then what would that prove? It would prove that we’re just as smart as God is... which, that isn’t the kind of God I want to serve.” (54:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the poetry of Proverbs 8:
  “This is like poetry. This could be song lyrics. This stuff is so cool.” — Keith, (01:55)
• On God's ways vs. human understanding:
  “Sometimes when we fall into things we don’t understand, we have to fall back onto those things we do understand.” — Keith, (14:15)
• On affliction and growth:
  “Pain is mandatory. Growth is optional.” — Keith quoting a friend, (27:30)
• On the relational reality of the Trinity:
  “The Trinity isn’t an idea for you to study. The Trinity is a person for you to have relationship with.” — Keith, (50:25)
• On the human desire to reduce God to manageable size:
  “What person would have made up a religion like that... you’d want to explain everything perfectly, but that’s not where this came from. It’s been revealed to us.” — Keith, (56:10)

Important Timestamps

• Opening and overview: 00:01–01:35
• Proverbs 8 (Personification of Wisdom): 01:35–08:56
• Referencing Job 38, question of suffering: 08:56–16:44
• Psalm 8 (God's care amidst creation): 19:00–23:00
• Romans 5 (Affliction to Hope): 24:00–31:55
• Discussion of the Holy Trinity (John 16): 33:00–50:25
• Relational Trinity and personal application: 50:25–56:10

Final Takeaway

Keith’s central encouragement is to trust in God’s profound wisdom and love—especially when we don’t understand. The episode calls listeners to worship a God who cannot be confined by human logic, but who chooses to reveal Himself in a way that invites both reverence and relationship. As the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity remind us, Christianity is both profoundly mysterious and deeply personal, inviting all believers to fall deeper in love with God—and to bring their questions as well as their faith to the experience of Mass.