Homily on John 16:12–15: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity: The Mystery of the Holy Trinity in Daily Life

Praise be to Jesus Christ

Once, a little boy was walking with his grandfather near a river. As they walked forward, watching the flow of water, the boy asked his Grandfather with great curiosity, “How can water be in the river, in the clouds, and steam all at the same time?” The grandfather smiled and said, “That is because water has the power to take different forms. When it is cold, it becomes ice. When it is hot, it becomes steam. When it flows, it is a river. And when it rises, it forms clouds. But in every form, it is still water. Its shape may change, but its core nature never changes.”

This small story, though, not a full explanation, can help us to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. One God, but three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each one acts in a different way, but they are not three gods. They are one God.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus says something very important: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” It shows us that God does not force us to understand everything at once. He knows we are weak so He speaks to us little by little. He sends the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to guide us one step at a time.

Some people ask, “How is it possible that there is one God, and in that God, there can be three Persons? Is not that a contradiction?” We might have many doubts like these about God. It might be because we may not have taken enough effort to understand Him or we might have misunderstood God. So what do we mean by God? Who is God? The reality we call God is omnipotent. This means that the God we believe in can do absolutely anything He chooses to do. In fact, God created the universe through a simple word, “Let there be,” and then everything began to exist. Humanly speaking, this is impossible and there is no logic in it but with God, it is possible. If God is not all-powerful, then He is not worthy to be called God at all. Everything is possible for God. And if all things are possible for God, then He can certainly have one divine nature and exist as three distinct Persons. Accordingly, there are three distinct Persons in one God, all of whom share the same Divine Nature, and are co-equal and co-eternal. This is only possible for an all-powerful God, and that God is the Trinity. This is one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith that we may not fully understand this.

Saint Augustine once said, “If you understood Him, it would not be God.” If we could fully understand God, then He would not be God. This does not mean that the mystery of the Holy Trinity is against reason, but it means that this truth is beyond our reason. Saint Thomas Aquinas once said that we cannot understand the Trinity just by using our human logic. It has to be revealed to us by God Himself. And this is what we know from that revelation: the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. But all three are one God. They are united perfectly in love.

So what does all this mean for our lives? The Holy Trinity is not just something to study in theology books. It is a way of life. The Trinity is about love, unity, and relationship. Our God is not a lonely God. From all eternity, the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, and the Spirit is the love between them. So we need to understand that our God, the Holy Trinity, is a God of relationships. The Father loves and shares Himself with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son, in turn, relates deeply to the Father and the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit moves in love between the Father and the Son. This deep relationship of love and unity between the three Persons of the Trinity is not just something we admire. It is the model and foundation for all human relationships. Just as the Trinity lives in love, we too are called to live in love with one another.

At the same time, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equal in power, glory, and majesty. They are co-equal and co-eternal. This clearly means that none came before or after the other. In truth, all three Persons are perfectly equal, and their relationship is not about rank or importance, but about perfect love. The Father loves the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son loves the Father and the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is the very bond of love between the Father and the Son. That is why the Bible doesn’t just say God has love. The Bible says, “God is love.”

If that’s how God lives, that’s how we are called to live too.

When a mother cooks for her family out of love, she is living the love of the Father. When a father forgives his child’s mistake, he is acting like the Son and when a child comforts his grandmother with a kind word that is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not far away. The Trinity lives in our homes when we live in love.

One simple example: a family that prays together every evening. The father leads the prayer, the mother joins with love, and the children respond with trust. No one is more important than the other. Each one gives their part. That little circle of prayer reflects the Trinity, unity in love, peace in diversity.

That’s why the most important word in today’s Gospel is Truth. Jesus says, “The Spirit of truth will guide you.” But truth is not only about facts but it is also about  living rightly, living in love, living with forgiveness, and living with trust in God.  Hence, on the great feast of the Most Holy Trinity, let us, more than trying to solve the mystery of the Trinity with our minds, try to live the mystery of the Trinity with our hearts. 

Oh! Most  Holy Trinity, make us persons of love as  YOU  are love.

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God Bless…