05/31/2026
"Tokyo Trains and the Holy Trinity (東京電車·聖三位一体)" --Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9/Dan 3/2 Cor 13:11-13/Jn 3:16-18
Before I preach about today’s Solemnity, I’d like to share one big aspect about my Japan Trip where much of my time was spent: the train system in Tokyo. If you’re familiar with it at all, it’s huge! And when you look at a map of the whole system (see attached), it looks complicated! And even when I took time to learn about it before my trip began, it felt overwhelming. But here’s the thing: though daunting at first, I actually quickly acclimated to it. When I did, a thought came to my mind, and it stayed with me for the rest of the trip because I knew my first Mass back here would be on this Solemnity. This is my thought: the Tokyo train system is a good analogy for the Holy Trinity!
How so? Well, let’s hop on the train and find out! 3 points stand out from this idea. First: the system itself. The train system looks complicated at first for many reasons: there are so many train lines with different names and colors, different companies own and operate these trains, there are different types of trains (subway, metro, rapid express, bullet trains, etc.), there are many train stations, each station has different platforms, and even when you’re on the right platform, you still have to make sure you get on the right train. You could accidentally board a train that was heading to a different destination than the one you’re trying to get to (that happened to me a few times). But here’s the thing: even though the system looks complicated, and even if you never fully understand it, it works! It’s very efficient! If you use it correctly, it will get you where you need to go in relatively quick time.
Doesn’t that sound similar to the Holy Trinity? Well, let’s see: the Holy Trinity is likewise very complicated—in fact, it’s even more complicated because it’s God Himself. He is one God, and yet, at the same time, He is three divine persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To the human mind, this makes no sense to us. And yet, much like the Tokyo Trains, it works. It works because that’s who God is. God is eternal, complete, and in this community of Persons, there is a perfect relationship of perfect love.
Second, is that there are ways and resources to help you better understand and navigate the complex system. When it comes to Tokyo, do you know what the best resource is to help navigate correctly? The answer: Google Maps! Seriously: Google Maps tells you everything. When you plot your destination, it tells you which station to get to, which trains to take at what time, how much it will cost you, which platform to get on—it even tells you which numbered car you should board so that you can have the fastest transfer at the next station! There’s also another source you can use to help you: the locals! My friends there, such as Sr. Noriko, knew what trains to take without looking at their phones, all because they know the trains so well at this point.
Likewise, it’s the same with understanding the Trinity. Granted, since God is eternal, we’ll never fully understand Him. And that’s okay. Still, thankfully, we have help to aid us in understanding who God is as much as we can. Similar to Google maps, we have Sacred Scripture (the Word of God Himself) and Tradition (which helped define the Dogma of the Trinity) to teach us. How often do we go to those sources to try to understand God better? Naturally, we also have the Catholic Church herself, who was born out of God, knows God, and wants to lead us to Him. Finally, there is our own prayer life. God is a person, so how can we come to know Him unless we spend that direct time with Him, communicating one-to-one in the silence of our hearts?
The final point of this analogy explains “why”. Why bother trying to understand something so complicated? The reason: it’s all about connection and going in the right direction. That’s the purpose of the Tokyo Train system: it unites people together and makes it easier to travel. As long as you understand the basics and take the right trains, you’ll get to where you need to go in relatively quick time.
The same is true for God. Because God is our Creator, and the central Mystery of Our Faith, it’s necessary for us to understand who God is to the best we can. If we don’t, or if we have some misconception about who He is, then we won’t be able to relate to Him, and it’ll be much easier for us to go in the wrong direction and worship something other than God.
But we also must understand God as Trinity because of that other reason: connection; or should I say, unity. Remember what I said earlier: as Trinity, God enjoys perfect communion. Indeed, He is love. And what does love do? It unites: it brings people together to make them one. But God wants that unity not just within Himself, but in every aspect of creation. He wants us to be united with Him, and us united with each other. We know we’re made for unity, but we often try to do that without relying on God, trying to go about it some other way. If we do that, our love will be incomplete, and it’ll be easier to get lost in life. If we want that true unity we were made for, we must go to God. And it takes seeing Him as He is, as a Trinity, to fully appreciate the love He has for us, and how much He wants to bring us together.
Like the trains in Tokyo, God is the fastest, and the only way, to true unity in which our hearts will be made one in love: with each other, and with almighty God Himself: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
