“On the first day of the week, early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. And she saw that a stone had been removed from the tomb.” (John 20:1)

After Jesus died on the cross, He was buried in the tomb and resurrected on the third day. This is the core of our Profession of Faith, but I have long had a simple question as to why Jesus had to remain in the tomb for three days and why He did not resurrect immediately, say, the next day. What do these three days mean to us? The process of Jesus’ death and resurrection runs inside us every day, and it is only when we experience difficulties that we can understand what it means to get back on our feet, but we often have to wait until then. This waiting is a great test for us, a spiritual graveyard, and that is the meaning of the three days.

　There was once a world-class mathematician named Kiyoshi Oka. I learned the meaning of this spiritual graveyard from his words. He said that once, when he was working on a major mathematical problem, he could not find any solution for the first three months and fell into a state of helplessness and despondency. In the summer of that year, at the suggestion of a friend, he went to Hokkaido for a vacation and continued his research there, but he was still in a state of powerlessness and despondency and spent most of his time sleeping. However, one day in September, after breakfast, while sitting on the sofa casually thinking, his thoughts suddenly came together in a single direction, and he made a major discovery that would remain in the history of mathematics.

　He said, “The fact that I was in a state of total blankness for a long time, and then in a kind of state of despondency, as if I were asleep, was important for the discovery. Just as a seed, when sown in the soil, needs time to grow, and just as crystallization needs to be left under certain conditions, I believe that a discovery must be ready for maturity for a considerable time before it can mature in a satisfactory manner. Therefore, we should not stop just because we no longer have a way to do something. We must wait for something hidden in the lower layers of consciousness to gradually mature and appear on the surface. And when it comes to the surface, the problem has already been solved spontaneously.”

　The Indian philosopher and religious leader Krishnamurti said something curious: “Things are not solved by effort.” However, those of us who have lived with the mentality that “things are solved by effort” do not understand the meaning of these words, and we just focus too much on the results and cannot bear to just wait, which in some cases can even lead to a sense of guilt of sorts. However, when we are in a state of helplessness and despondency, when nothing is going right, that is when something is actually maturing and fermenting in the depths of our consciousness. Everything requires effort. But there must also be a ripening period after the hard work is done. This is because solutions are fundamentally something that comes to us and is given to us. The Bible calls this the work of the Holy Spirit.

　After the death of Jesus, the disciples must have felt powerless and discouraged, not knowing what to do. In fact, the disciples were also in a spiritual graveyard. The disciples actually made no effort to meet the risen Jesus. On the contrary, the resurrected Jesus came to meet them, and the disciples’ faith was also “resurrected.” Jesus remained in the tomb for three days after his death. We, too, have three days in the grave when our efforts are fruitless. It is a period of trial and tribulation during which we cannot see any fruit after our efforts, but in fact, it is a time when something has already matured and fermented. What is important is that we should not give up immediately because we have tried our best but have not seen any fruit, and it is at such times that a great opportunity is right in front of us.

“Truly, this man was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

The Gospel of Matthew, as in the other Gospels, describes Jesus’ missionary activities in a matter-of-fact manner, and then, when it comes to the Passion story, it goes into detail as if it were a script for a stage play, as if the suffering were imminent at every moment. Normally, the Gospel is read by a priest, but in the Church throughout the world today, the priest shares the reading of the Passion Narrative with the entire congregation. By reading it together in this way, we realize that it was not only the Jews of that time who crucified Jesus, but that even now we continue to drive nails into His hands because of our sins.

At the end of Jesus’ Passion and death, which seemed to be a complete defeat, the centurion and the others say, “Truly, this man was the Son of God,” and this single statement is the climax of the Gospel of Matthew, and the long Passion story is there to make us say this one statement. Jesus’ true strength, his resurrection, was born out of this seeming total defeat and weakness.

The same is true for us; our strength grows from accepting and admitting our weakness. Usually, the more we try to be strong, the more we worry about our weaknesses, and the more we try to hide them, the worse our results are. Instead, by accepting and acknowledging our weaknesses, the obsession to be strong disappears. Otherwise, you will act strong and frightened while hiding your weakness, and one day you will collapse. To be strong, we must not imitate those who are strong, but accept and acknowledge our weaknesses, and then we will realize that our true strength lies in what we thought was our weakness.

Jesus consummated his entire life through his Passion and Death. But it is precisely from there that new strength was born through the resurrection. Strength, and even love, cannot increase unless it is fully expended. If you do not give it all out, it will only decrease. There was once a coach in the Kobe Steel Rugby Club named Seiji Hirao. When he was a student at Fushimi Technical High School, his teacher at the time, Mr. Yamaguchi, used to say to him, “Your strength does not increase unless you give it all you have. That is why we must use all of our strength. If you put out all of your strength, which is 10 now, the next time it will be 10.001. If you use up all of the 10.001 in the next match, it will increase to 10.002 the next time. If you hold it back and don’t use it all up, it will decrease.” And he always finished by saying, “That’s what makes it different from money.”

Human power cannot increase unless we give it all we have.” This applies not only to our physical strength, but also to our hearts. Let us use up the precious heart that God has given us for the sake of others every day. It will never run out. In fact, when we decide to live for the sake of others, we can overcome our own limitations.

“Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, he will live” (John 11:25).

What happens to people when they die? How does one’s soul survive? This is a concern shared by all people from ancient times to the present. Ancient people were in awe of the world in which they were born and died and of the nature that surrounded them, and they intuitively perceived the existence of God, the Creator. At the same time, they came to know and revere the unquestionable existence of the soul.

The impact of natural science on human spirituality has certainly been enormous. But in time, man came to believe that there is nothing that science cannot elucidate. If there is something that cannot be explained by science, it means that it does not exist. If one studied science only a little, one would become an atheist. However, many people who have mastered science and made great achievements in their field have come to the conclusion that the existence of God is undeniable, and they have become deep believers in God.

But some, like Thomas Edison, went beyond the study of all earthly inventions and immersed themselves in the study of the soul. He had a unique view of life and death, believing that “the body is the lodging tree of the soul, and after the body perishes, the soul moves on to the next lodging tree.” It is said that he even repeated experiments to prove this belief, and continued to pursue his ambition to go beyond even the concept of death. Certainly, his passion started from a simple curiosity about supernatural phenomena, but in reality, I believe he wanted to reach some kind of truth through the study of the soul.

However, “facts” proven by science and sensed by the five senses are different from “truth” captured by the human sixth sense (the heart). In the first place, the soul and supernatural phenomena are outside the scope of scientific research and do not need to be proven by science. The point is not that supernatural phenomena are meaningful in themselves, but that the revelations we receive through such phenomena, or the ideas and truths we derive from them, are the essence. It seems that within each of us, there coexists, without contradiction, the self that wants to have everything clarified by science and to feel it with the five senses, and the self that feels with the sixth sense that the existence of an invisible God and the souls of deceased family members are always with us, watching over us. While feeling this way, it seems to me that it is important to have an attitude of facing God with humility, saying that, indeed, human beings have the power to know all kinds of things, but that we cannot know now about soul issues and can only feel them with our hearts.

Lazarus died once and came to life again through Jesus. However, Lazarus would have also died someday, either from illness or old age. So, Lazarus’ coming back to life was merely an extension of his earthly life span. But in that event, there is an important sign that cannot be felt with the five senses, but only with the heart. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, even if he dies, he will live. Death is not the end of one’s life journey. I believe that the journey of life, even after physical death, continues forever in a way that can only be felt in the heart.

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

We have five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. We use these five senses to express ourselves and communicate with others. However, there is something beyond the five senses that is difficult to explain with reason, and that is the sense of the heart, which sharply grasps the essence of things. The Bible describes this as “seeing with the heart. This seeing with the heart is generally referred to as the sixth sense or inspiration. However, this sixth sense, the eye of the heart, is not a superpower; it is given to everyone, and in fact, we can see, hear, and even feel at once with this eye of the heart.

We live our lives relying on our five senses, but we sometimes experience that what we actually see with our eyes and hear with our ears is not always true. This is typified by the term “fake news,” but the information itself is always manipulated from somewhere. Therefore, it is necessary to sometimes think or even to question if there is something special or hidden behind everything. As for the sixth sense, it is the “forebode” that tells us that we or our family members are in danger of death. Do animals also have a sixth sense? Migratory birds, for example, travel great distances each year without a map. According to researchers, migratory birds have the ability to sense the earth’s magnetism and use it like a compass to correctly determine their direction, which is a mystery from a human perspective. The changing seasons around us are also mysterious to us, even if we know them theoretically. When interacting with people, we often intuit something important behind the words and expressions of others. It is this sixth sense, the sense of the heart, that allows us to see the invisible and important things, such as the great power that governs nature, or the soul and heart of a person.

The most wonderful and beautiful things in this world cannot be seen with the eyes or touched with the hands. They must be felt with the heart. And the precious things that we feel with our hearts are never transient; they are eternal. This sense of the heart is not like a superpower; it is inherently given to everyone, but we must train it daily in order to live with compassion for each other as we mature as human beings. Otherwise, this wonderful sense will be dulled and communication with others will become difficult, and we will not be able to see what is really going on, even though we can see.

Training for this is to have the sensitivity to feel the joys and sorrows of others as if they were our own, like Jesus did, while keeping the antennae of our hearts up, to always act with a focus on “giving” to others, to always remember to be grateful in everything we do, to think flexibly without judging things based on preconceptions, and to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t do. It is necessary to have such a positive mindset. And by gradually making this training a habit rather than an effort, eventually “everything will be exposed to the light and made clear.” (Ephesians 5:13)

“Jesus’ appearance changed before their eyes; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:2)

“He who drinks of the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:14).

What does “the water I give” refer to? Water is essential for human survival. Likewise, there is water that is essential for human beings to live a spiritually fulfilling life. A hint of this is found in the second reading, the letter to the Church in Rome, “Hope does not deceive us.” (Romans 5:5). The spiritual water we need to live is hope. What is hope, then? It is the desire to achieve something important through action. Happiness is not far away, it is right within our reach. But when we raise our heads and look around us, we realize that there is something we are still lacking, or that we could be doing more. This is hope, the desire to realize that something important by action. So, hope is not just waiting for something, it is constantly demanding action and change in our lives.

Hope, however, does not always work out the way we want it to. For example, when it comes to our profession, if we can get the job we want, that is certainly good. However, getting the job you want is not the same as having something to live for. For example, I have heard that those who are currently in jobs that give them a sense of purpose in life are more likely to be people whose hopes as children were not realized for various reasons, rather than people who realized those hopes, or people who got the job they wanted, but it was not the path they initially thought they would take, and they had to change course several times before they got the job they wanted. In other words, people who have experienced setbacks and failures, and have overcome them, seem to approach their current jobs with a sense of hope. Even if their initial hopes are not fulfilled, they may be able to find what is important to them and their purpose in life by adjusting their trajectory as they go along. This course correction is generally referred to as trial and error.

“Many things have happened in my life, and I have repeatedly made mistakes. But looking back now, everything has helped me to live. Nothing in life is wasted.” People who have this kind of conviction seem to be youthful at any age, always working on something with hope. Such a person seems to be encouraged by the thirst of Jesus, who said to the Samaritan woman, “Give me to drink” (John 4:7). On the contrary, those who live in fear of uselessness and failure are less willing to try anything, their hope diminishes, and their sphere of action narrows.

People who have something they firmly believe in, such as faith or religion, tend to live with more hope for the future. Faith and religion teach us that there is something that will overcome death. Therefore, hope is backed by a firm belief in something. In this regard, it is said that young Japanese have less hope for the future than young people in Europe, the United States, and other countries, and I think this is the reason why. Many Japanese believe in the existence of the soul, but when asked about their religion, many of them do not clearly answer what they believe in, even if they answer in terms of their family religion. However, in order to truly live with firm hope, it is necessary to find a religion to which one can entrust one’s view of life and death. Then we will be able to say, “We do not believe anymore because you told us; we believe because we have heard for ourselves and know that He is truly the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42), and through these words of the Gospel we will eventually encounter true hope.

“Jesus’ appearance changed before their eyes; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:2)

　For some reason, all of God’s messengers throughout the Old and New Testaments are dressed in white. Is this human imagination, or is it some kind of literary expression? I have heard stories from several believers about times when they became unconscious due to illness or accidents. The story goes that they were first walking down the street in a dream and soon saw a gate, and that a person dressed in white was standing by the gate, and that person told them, “You don’t have to come here yet,” and they woke up and regained consciousness. But I am not alone in such stories; in fact, they are commonly told around the world. And they all have one thing in common. That is that they are walking on the road, that they can see the gate, and that there is always someone wearing white clothes. Therefore, the fact that God’s messengers in the Bible are all dressed in white is neither a human imagination nor a literary expression, but an “original experience” of human beings that has existed with human history for thousands of years. Therefore, it is a mystery why God’s messengers, whom we encounter in dreams and visions, wear white clothes. It is a mystery, but humans have seen it for thousands of years.

　In the same way, the existence of human beings is a mystery. Even though it is spring according to the calendar, it is still cold and we are still wearing thick coats. But when the weather warms up and Easter rolls around, we take off the thick coats we have been wearing. Death is like this. We can also be likened to a human being wearing a costume, a body with a computer inside. The computer needs power, and when that power is cut off, that is death. At death, the physical body decays, but the memory of a lifetime of activities remains in the soul even after the power of life is turned off. This is only an analogy, but ultimately the human soul is a kind of bioenergetic body whose essence ultimately cannot be expressed by the power of reason.

　But humans have another faculty, intuition. Faith is a kind of intuition. When we think about it, life events and encounters, such as birth, friends, employment, marriage, and death, occur on the basis of great probability. We sometimes feel deeply that an encounter that we initially thought was a coincidence was meant to be, that it was inevitable. If we believe that life is a school, and that we were sent to this school to learn and deepen something in life, then we can consider all the events and encounters in our lives as not coincidental, but as something that God has prepared and guided us to do. If this is so, then we are all guided and meant to be together, whether at home or at church, and we are meant to be together even after we take off our earthly clothes. This belief in the continuity of life is resurrection faith.

　Paradoxically, death is our greatest salvation. It is because of death that we can and must live diligently during these fleeting years we call life. Living with an awareness of death is quite different from fearing death. To live with awareness of death, which is the conclusion and completion of life, is to live the life given to each one of us better.

“The Lord God formed man (Adam) with the dust of the ground (adamah) and breathed into his nose the breath of life. Thus man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

　Man, created by God, was living in paradise without any inconvenience, but when he was expelled from paradise for breaking his promise to God, God “caused him to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.” (Genesis 3:23) That is, man was driven out of paradise as a result of his sin and forced to work to “earn bread with the sweat of his face” (Genesis 3:19). Perhaps based on this biblical passage, I have heard that some Westerners have the idea that labor is punishment, and that the Japanese idea of learning life from labor sounds somehow false. However, the story of the expulsion from Paradise is an expression of the fact that human beings wear sin all their lives, beginning with Adam’s sin, and it does not mean that labor is a punishment.

If Adam and Eve had remained in paradise without sinning and had done as God told them to do, they might have been happy forever. But then they would have taken that state of happiness for granted and would not have understood what true happiness was. At least I do not feel happy if I am always in a state of ease. I believe that happiness is a way of life in which one feels that happiness is one’s own happiness in relation to others, and that is the kind of happiness that Jesus would have wanted. But it is also true that we have to make some sacrifices to achieve that. If you want to gain something, you have to sacrifice something, and conversely, if you lose something, you will surely be given something in return. This is God’s providence. When God expelled sinful Adam and Eve from Paradise, He did not leave them naked, but “made garments of skins for Adam and the woman and clothed them” (ibid. 3:21).

Unlike the Western view of nature, which makes a strict distinction between subject and object, human beings and nature, the Japanese have always wished to maintain a relationship with nature as one, and to live in harmony with nature according to its principles rather than to dominate it. Therefore, labor has also been considered in the cycle of symbiosis with nature, and value has been placed on it. Labor is sacred, but to understand it, humans often have to make big decisions and sacrifices. Moreover, those big decisions have to be made by oneself. But decisions are a great driver of human growth. Human beings cannot grow unless they bring big decisions into their lives. When a person makes a big decision, he or she will find that many challenges lie ahead. However, trial and error, accompanied by temptation and ordeals, is an essential process for us to learn a new way of life, and it is also a fundamental rule of human life.

The Akoya pearl oyster has the power to transform the foreign body (nucleus) inside into a beautiful pearl. We, too, need the foreign body of trial and error in order to create the beautiful pearls that adorn our lives. Jesus himself went through a trial and error process of temptation and trials in the wilderness, and after making a big decision, he began his missionary work. Someone said, “A person must have the opportunity to jump into the ‘mouth of the devil’ at least once in his life. It would be a shame to die without such an opportunity.” It was precisely in the wilderness that Jesus jumped into the mouth of the devil, and it was there that his life's true value was tested. Jesus’ life was a gamble. At the last moment of his life, when everyone thought he had no chance, Jesus’ shot went through his enemy (death) and finally entered the goal of resurrection. In other words, Jesus transformed the foreign substance of suffering into the pearl of resurrection and thus brought about victory. Even now in heaven, they are basking in the afterglow of Jesus’ victory. Like the jubilation in Doha during last year’s soccer World Cup!

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)

　How often do you use the word “love” in your daily life? I guess you don’t actually use it very often. It is a very important word, but I think it is an out-of-the-ordinary word that we don’t actually use very often. Many people are too shy to say “I love you.” If you say it out loud, it sounds pretentious. But the truth is that somewhere in our hearts, we yearn for this word. Isn't that what love is?

There is a story about when Mother Teresa was taking care of a man who was brought to a relief station in India. She found maggots growing in the man’s infected wound and immediately pinched them off with her fingers. The man asked her, “Why do the other sisters and nurses only call the doctor when they find maggots in the wound, and the doctor only picks them up with tweezers, but you remove them with your own fingers?” She replied, “Please, forgive them. Those people are just trying to love you, but they don’t really love you yet. However, they will learn to love you soon, so please wait until then.” That is, true love has no self-awareness. As long as you are trying to love in your mind, you may still be far from true love. When we see a person’s wounds and maggots forming in front of our eyes, we can see what Jesus wants us to see in the act of reaching out and picking them up with our fingers, even without any consciousness of trying to love at all. I often replace the word “love” with the word “bond. Because we share the same human soul, we feel bonded to each other as human beings. Therefore, before the awareness of love, we are compelled to act if someone is hurt in front of us because we feel a bond as fellow human beings.

God’s love has no self-awareness: “The Father makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). We, too, must draw near to this God and cast aside the distinction of “that man is evil and this man is good.” It transcends even the consciousness of loving, and can be expressed in Japanese terms as “selfless (mushi muga) heart.”

The words of a Japanese person whose life was completely different from that of Mother Teresa is also instructive. Tetsuji Kawakami, former manager of the Giants, had this to say about hard work. He said, “[Baseball players] Oh and Nagashima certainly had the talent, and can be called geniuses. However, even geniuses are only ordinary people if they don't work hard. I think that a genius is ‘a person who has the ability to work hard.’ Everyone thinks they work hard, and that they work harder than anyone else. But in my opinion, this is a lie. There is no limit to hard work, and as long as you think you are working hard, you are not really working hard. You can say that you are working only when you are single-minded and no longer aware that you are working hard.”

Mother Teresa’s “love” that mastered heaven and Tetsuji Kawakami’s “hard work” that mastered baseball, they seem to be saying the same thing from different perspectives.

“Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them.” (Sirach 15:17)

A very simple and true teaching indeed: whichever you desire and choose will be given to you. Some may associate life and death with heaven and hell. Ultimately that may be true, but the bottom line is that the path that makes you live and the path that destroys you, depends on the choice each one of us makes. Simply put, it is the same one day whether you live it with joy and gratitude or with dissatisfaction. It is a question of which way you will choose to live that same day. And whichever you choose will be given to you.

Jesus taught this to live each day like a bird in the sky, trusting in God (Matthew 6:25-34), and actually, other religions teach the same thing. For example, Zen has the teaching, “Every day is a good day.” Today’s day is an independent day, not a day in a series of days that will come again in the future. They say that each and every day is an independent and the best possible day. So, enjoy your life today, do not live it expecting some reward in the future. If you live giving your very best and expecting something in the future, you will not be satisfied until that future comes. But if you have a great day today, you will receive that day’s reward on this same day. Consequently, we do not need to owe anything to the future. Even if tomorrow never comes, if today is the best day of your life, that is enough and you will have no regrets. Therefore, one day at a time, death is a part of each day.

Therefore, in Zen, there is also the expression “chisoku”, “know what is enough”. This comes from Lao Tzu’s saying, “He who knows what is enough will be rich,” meaning that what we need is already given to us now. So, happiness is not about wishing for something in the future. If we wish for happiness in the future, we will not be happy in the present, which will result in unnecessary stress every day. Happiness is to live by accepting and savoring the present, and no matter what circumstances you are born into or what accidents you encounter, you can view them as not excessive or inadequate because they have some meaning. In other words, life is a school, and everything you do is given to you to learn and deepen your understanding of something.

The important thing is to have the presence of mind to savor the events of the day, without letting ourselves be affected by them. Then it will be difficult to feel negative emotions. People who have such an open mind tend to act with an awareness of the happiness of others, and their relationships become richer. Conversely, intentionally trying to be happy can cause stress. Some studies have shown that the more people feel the importance of happiness and the greater their desire to achieve it, the more likely they are to feel lonely.

Psychiatrist and philosopher Viktor Frankl said, “Happiness is never and must never be a goal. Nor can it be a goal. It is only a result.” Happiness is not something to be sought after, but only given as a result. Ways of life and habits can be acquired by will, but happiness cannot. It is only a state of mind, and that too is not a temporary state of pleasure, but a more lasting peace of mind is its essence. To achieve this, we must have the presence of mind to take the time to savor the seemingly simple daily routine. Even negative events should be viewed as spice to better savor the day. A little spice is necessary to savor a meal. Likewise, “Stress is the spice of man.” (Hans Selye) In the same way, if you have the presence of mind to take the time to savor the events of each day, happiness will follow.

“You are the salt of the earth... the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13, 14)

Salt is an essential part of human life. Salt not only adds flavor to food, but also prevents food from spoiling and helps fermentation. Jesus asks us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In other words, we are called to serve God and mankind and to brighten society, but in order to live up to this mission, we must control ourselves with salt in our hearts and keep our hearts always illuminated.

　Human beings have desires. Desire is a human instinct. We have desires to have much wealth, to obtain high status and fame, and many other desires. Certainly, it is undeniable that such desires have been energized by the advancement of science and technology and the building of advanced civilizations, but it is also true that wars have been fought repeatedly and the natural environment has been destroyed by human desire. The German philosopher Schopenhauer said, “Wealth is like seawater. The more you drink, the more you thirst. The same is true of fame.” The same is true of fame.

　But God has given us humans the opposite instinct. It is compassion, caring for one another, and altruism. Every person with a heart has the instinct to do something for others, to be kind and gentle, and this instinct, along with desire, is the great energy that has developed and evolved human society. This can be understood from the fact that countless people have volunteered their services during the many disasters that have occurred in Japan, including earthquakes. This is evidence of the bond we feel in each other’s souls. One person’s sorrow is our sorrow, another person’s joy is our joy, and this is the instinct that God has given to human beings.

　There is a poem by Kenji Miyazawa titled “Ame ni mo Makezu (Undefeated by the rain).” It is a well-known poem that can be found in textbooks, but it is also a poem that still shakes the souls of many people today. I am sure you all know it well, but I dare to quote it in a contemporary version now.

Undefeated by the rain.
Undefeated by the wind.
With a strong body bested by neither snow nor summer heat.
Free of desire | Never angry | Always smiling quietly.
Daily eating four cups of brown rice, miso and a few vegetables.
Without taking everything into account.
But seeing, hearing, understanding and not forgetting.
In a little thatched hut in the shade of a pine forest in the field.
If there is a sick child in the east, he goes and takes care of him.
If a mother is weary in the west, he goes to her and bears her sheaf of rice.
If there is a dying man to the south, he goes and tells him there is no need to be afraid.
If there is a fight or a lawsuit in the north, he tells them to stop because it's trivial.
In times of drought, he weeps | in cold summers, he walks with a wary step.
Called a fool by everyone.
Neither praised nor bothered.
That's the person I wish to be.

This poem expresses well the desire to suppress one’s ego with salt in one’s heart and to do something for others in the light of one’s heart. Kenji Miyazawa was a devoted follower of Nichiren Buddhism, but it would not make any difference to me if Jesus Christ had composed this poem.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

Why should one live righteously? Why should we not hurt others or tell lies? Some of you may have asked these simple questions when you were children. This is because we were taught at home, school, and church that we must live righteously and without deception, but it is also an intuition that we instinctively feel before anything else. This is called the dignity of conscience. It is something that parents in Japan have always cautioned their children who have done wrong by saying, “O-tendo-sama is watching” (God is always watching you, so you must never do anything wrong). There is also the saying, “God dwells in an honest heart.” We came to believe that God protects those who live honestly with a sincere heart, and that we are sure to receive his blessings.

Why do human beings have this conscience? Its existence has not been scientifically proven, nor does it mean that it is not true or does not exist unless and until it is all scientifically proven. In fact, even those who are believers in science, who believe only in what has been scientifically proven, and even those who profess that there is nothing left after death, act according to this intuition of conscience, or the law of the heart, and care if others are in trouble, and believe that what they do not want done to them, they should not do to others. And the reason why people sometimes act against the voice of conscience and regret it later, when they have difficulty hearing the voice of conscience in complicated human relationships or when they are not emotionally at ease, is because the dignity of conscience rules the human mind as an absolute law, and in this we see the guidance of God. In other words, regret is inevitable for those who go against the voice of conscience, but we should try to feel God's mercy behind our regret.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Jesus said. But Jesus is by no means demanding from us the perfect purity. I think it would be good if we take this to mean that “those who, despite their weaknesses and fragility, wish to live righteously according to the voice of conscience will see God in their hearts.” And so, to live according to this guidepost of conscience as much as possible is what makes our lives fruitful and meaningful. “In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.” (Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 16)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17)

January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. For the first 1,000 years, Christianity was united, although there were individual divisions in various places. However, in the 11th century, mainly due to political and cultural conflicts, Christianity was divided into the Western Church, centered in Rome, and the Eastern Church, centered in Constantinople (now Istanbul). Moreover, in the 16th century, the Protestant Church was born as a result of the Reformation, and once divided, it repeatedly split further, creating numerous Protestant churches. The second millennium was therefore a time of schism. St. John Paul II said that the third millennium, which began in the 21st century, must be an era of unity again. It makes no sense to discuss now which side was responsible for the divisions of the past. Certainly both sides must have been responsible. But the important thing is not to make the mistakes of the past the sins of each church or denomination. In today’s world situation, we must return to the original, to what Jesus originally intended, valuing the bond that unites Christians more than the point that separates them.

In this regard, the words of Paul in the second reading are a great message for this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: “I exhort you, Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” (1 Corinthians 10:10) Indian philosopher and former president, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, warned, “What we need is a man who lives by God as Jesus Christ, not a Christian denomination.” and Mother Teresa likewise warned, “Sometimes the Christians are the worst obstacle to those who are trying to get closer to Christ. Often they say beautiful things in words but do not do them in practice. That’s why people don’t want to believe in Christianity.”

Christianity, as well as other religions, tends to deviate from the original intentions of its founders as it becomes codified and organized by its disciples. History has proven that organized religions tend to develop an intolerant and exclusive attitude toward other religions and denominations, sometimes leading to blood feuds. Jesus said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of God) has come near,” but we need to reflect on whether what has actually arrived is really what Jesus intended.

In the Vedas, the ancient Indian religious texts, there is a saying, “The one and only truth is spoken in many names by the saints.” Rather than making truth the exclusive property of a particular religion or cult, we must remember that other religions and cults also have sprouts of truth, and that the danger of falling into error is always latent in each of them.

“I saw the ‘spirit’ descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him” (John 1:32).

How did John see the “spirit” descending from heaven like a dove? Was this just a literary expression? Some say that in those days, when science and technology were not as advanced as they are today, people’s spiritual senses were far more acute than they are today. There have been many stories of apparitions of the Virgin in various parts of the world since ancient times. Regardless of their truth or falsehood, we often hear that children up to the age of about 3 years old have spiritual abilities or can see the “invisible world.” In fact, we sometimes hear that a small child in one family saw a grandfather or grandmother who was supposed to be dead, or an animal who was supposed to be gone. The family members usually laugh and talk about it, but I have also heard such stories many times, and I believe that small children with pure hearts can actually see the “invisible world.” Therefore, I do not deny the stories I hear about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to little children in various parts of the world and to those who are in extreme situations of persecution. Maybe the Virgin Mary or an angel appeared to us when we were small children, too. We just don’t remember. Unfortunately, as we grow up, such spiritual abilities are overwritten by so much knowledge and information from the external environment that it becomes difficult to feel the bliss that we should feel. Conversely, some older people begin to sense the existence of an “invisible world” that they were unaware of when they were younger.

　We often hear the words “power spot.” It refers to a place where, for some reason, you can find a place where you feel a strong energy, and where people who also have strong energy can find a place where they can feel the same energy. But not everyone feels the same way. Only those who feel it will feel it. One person told me that the 10-minute walk to the bus stop after work was the most prayerful time of his day. For that person, that 10-minute walk is a power spot. I also have my own power spots. It is on the bank of a big river. For example, in Hyogo Prefecture, they are the Kako River and the Muko River, which flow into the Seto Inland Sea, and the Maruyama River, which flows into the Sea of Japan. When I start walking along the banks of rivers, my heart turns toward God and my heart overflows with gratitude. Walking becomes a prayer. The river is my second cathedral, giving me spiritual guidance. I especially like to walk upstream. The river comes from the mountains, so I can see a big mountain range in the distance. This mountain range is the altar, and the sun shining down on it is the candle that lights the altar. The trees rustling in the wind are the conductors, and the birds chirping are the choir. The waterfowl on the surface of the river are the offertory servers, and the children playing soccer and baseball on the riverbank are the alter services. The breeze that tickles the cheeks is the scent of incense. And so, when I walk on the thick carpet of green grass toward the mountain range, Christ is waiting for me beyond that mountain range. Whenever I bow my head to the whole forest with this feeling, I find myself looking rather small in the midst of my troubles.

　I hope you, too, will look for a second cathedral where you can feel refreshed. Just express your gratitude there, that’s all you need to do. Sharpen your senses and feel the “invisible world” that keeps you alive in this world. In this way, with an honest heart, let’s see things as they are.

“They prostrated themselves and worshipped the infant, opened the treasure chest, and offered as gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

On Thursday, October 24, 1929 (later called Dark Thursday), the Great Depression began with the stock market crash on Wall Street in the United States. Until then, everyone had stocks, and the illusion that “stocks always go up” collapsed in an instant, and stocks became as good as scrap paper. In the 1930s, people even starved to death in New York City, and this is a story that actually happened that cold winter.

An old woman stole a loaf of bread from a bakery. During the Great Depression, the bakery must have been the victim of frequent bread thefts. The owner of the bakery wanted to take the old woman to court. The old woman had one sickly daughter, whose husband had run away and she did not know where he was now. Her grandchildren were hungry every day. The old woman pleads with him for forgiveness, but the bakery owner stubbornly refused to listen, saying that society would never improve if people like this were allowed to go on free, and that he would take her to court to make an example of her.

Jean Valjean, the hero of Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Miserables,” was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Rumors circulated about what kind of sentence would be handed down to this female Jean Valjean who stole the loaf of bread, and many people came to the court to hear the trial. The old woman heartbreakingly told the judge about her painful situation. The judge listened to her story and, after much deliberation, made the following decision: “Regrettably, you have to obey the law. We cannot make exceptions. You must pay a $10 fine. Failure to do so will result in 10 days in jail.” The old woman broke down and cried on the floor. But the judge continued, “As the judge, I am also ordering you all to pay a fine.” Everyone looked up in surprise, as if to say, “We have done nothing wrong!” The judge continued, “I am ordering a fine of 50 cents for each of you for the crime of living in this city where this old woman was forced to steal bread for her daughter and grandson.” With these words, the judge himself took a ten-dollar bill from the pocket of his suit, put it in his hat, and ordered a young employee of the court to pass it around to everyone. Eventually, the grandmother left the courthouse that day with $57.50 in her pocket and a feeling of gratitude in her heart.

The judge did not grant the grandmother a dispensation from the sentence. Stealing bread is certainly not good. So he sentenced her according to the law. The grandmother paid the fine according to the sentence, but in fact, the $10 fine was money that the judge himself had given as his own fine. And the law that says “the old lady had to steal the bread for the crime of being a resident of this town” is a law that the judge made up on his own, so in essence, it was everyone’s fault that the old lady had to steal the bread, a judgment full of American wit and humor. I think Japanese bureaucrats also need a little more of this kind of wit and humor. By the way, Jean Valjean was saved by his encounter with the good Bishop Miriel. There is something about this judge that reminds me of that Bishop Miriel.

Now, when the judge left the courtroom, just as Ukrainian President Zelensky was greeted with a standing ovation from the deputies when he visited the U.S. Congress, the bystanders stood in total awe and applauded the judge who made this great decision.

The New Year has begun. What awaits us in the year ahead? There will certainly be many challenges ahead. However, even though the world may seem to be full of bad things, please realize that there are more good things in the world than bad things, for society is working properly because of the actions of countless people of good will like that judge.

Today is the Solemnity of the Lord’s Epiphany. The Magi from the East prostrated themselves before the infant Jesus and offered Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But in reality, Jesus Himself is prostrating Himself before the precious life of each one of us and providing us with everything we need to live, isn’t He? Even though God, like that judge,

sometimes commands trials, He Himself also provides us with the strength to overcome them. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13)

I wish you all to continue this year’s journey with serenity and peace of mind.

“Mary kept all these events in her heart and pondered over them.” (Luke 2:19)

Mary is the Mother of God, but at the same time, she is a human being just like us. Just as we face the inexplicable and unreasonable in our lives, Mary faced the same trials as we do. The words that epitomized Mary’s life were, “Mary kept all these events in her heart and pondered over them.” “These events” refer to the life of Jesus. In the Catholic Church, there is the traditional devotion of the Rosary. The Rosary is not a prayer of praise to Mary, but a prayer of contemplation of the life of Jesus with Mary. If so, we could say that Mary’s life itself was a rosary, as she was always contemplating Jesus.

One day in the temple, after the old man Simeon blessed the infant, he said to Mary, “See, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and as a sign to receive opposition — you yourself will have your heart pierced by a sword — that the thoughts that are in the hearts of many may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35). Mary must have been pondering these words. Eventually, these words became reality with the death of Jesus on the cross. But Mary’s true tenderness, which shines eternally, was born out of this great sorrow and trial, rather than innate.

　A man, who was predeceased by his beloved wife and children, expressed Mary’s feelings in these words. “I have shed many tears for each of my loved ones I have lost. It is hard on those who are left behind. But the more tears I shed, the closer I got to heaven. Every time I have lost one of my loved ones, heaven has come closer. This is the privilege of those who have lost many loved ones. The more tears I shed, the easier it is to face my own death. Heaven is very close to me now.”

　There are people who become kinder through hardship, and there are people whose humanity is distorted by the same hardship. Even the same hardship can change the way we live, depending on how we face it. It is up to us to choose whether to live a life of lifelong complaint, placing the responsibility for hardship on others, or whether to find meaning in hardship, develop love, gratitude, and compassion from it, and live a mature life.

　I myself have come into contact with many people and have been deeply impressed by them. I have noticed that people who can smile softly and kindly have actually experienced many trials and losses. Such people have never regretted their past sufferings, but have found meaning and value in them. At the same time, such people also know the art of ending their life’s journey with a deep sense of gratitude and satisfaction.

In the song “Okuru Kotoba” by Kaientai, there is a line that goes as follows:

♪ “It is better to cry until one’s tears dry up than to hold back one’s grief and smile.

The more sorrow one feels, the kinder one can be to others.”♪ 

“Today a Savior has been born to you" (Luke 2:11)

Happy Christmas! Christmas is a nice thing, isn't it? Christmas is a time of wondrous joy with boys happily holding candy and girls cherishing their dolls, bringing us adults back to our childhoods and reminiscing about those happy time. That is why there must be children at Christmas.

But the Bible only mentions a few things about the Nativity of the Savior. Much of what is said about Christmas is what people have thought about the Nativity in later times. For example, the Church celebrates Mass on the evening of December 24 to commemorate the Nativity of the Savior, but the Bible does not say that the Savior was born at midnight. It only says that an angel appeared to a shepherd who was guarding his flock through the night and announced the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:8-11). From this, I thought that the Savior must have been born in the still of the night.

It has also been said that the Savior was born in a poor stable, but there is no such statement in the Bible. The Bible only says that after the Savior was born, he was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7). Usually, a manger is not in people's homes, but in livestock sheds. From this, we have been led to believe that the Savior must have been born in a stable.

Furthermore, the Bible does not say that there were three wise men from the East who came to worship the Savior. The Bible only tells us that each of the wise men offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). This made us think that there must have been three doctors, each of whom offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Legend has it that the three wise men were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, respectively.

At Christmas, a stable is decorated in the church, and not only children but also adults, who normally do not care about dolls, gaze happily at the infant Jesus in the stable. I wonder what they are thinking as they gaze at him.

One day I was riding the train. In front of me sat an elderly man who looked a little tired. I suddenly noticed that he was smiling. I wondered if he was laughing at something or if he was remembering something, and I felt uncomfortable. When I looked at the direction of the man's gaze, I saw a baby laughing in his mother's arms. He saw the baby smiling and smiled with that baby. It was as if God in the baby and God in the man were greeting each other. This is a common scene in everyday life. But it was the baby that brought a little happiness to the man who was tired from his daily work, even if it was only for a moment on that day. For me it was as if that day I had experienced a little Christmas.

“...her husband Joseph was a righteous man” (Matthew 1:19).

What kind of person is a righteous person? I think people have various images of a righteous person, such as a person who is honest, a person who never lies, a person who observes social norms, and so on. What then does Matthew mean when he says, “her husband Joseph was a righteous man”? If Joseph was a righteous man in the sense of obeying the law, which was the social norm and the supreme law of the time, he would have suspected Mary of adultery and accused her of being a woman of sin before their marriage, as she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. But Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to bring Mary into the open. If Mary had been exposed, she would have been stoned to death according to the law. Joseph’s righteousness, therefore, was not the righteousness of obeying the Law, which was the supreme law of the time, but the righteousness of protecting the weak. Joseph has traditionally been called “Joseph the Righteous” by the Church.

Now, Jesus grew up in Nazareth for about 30 years before going on his mission, following in the footsteps of his parents, just as we do. There are passages in the Gospels that remind us of Joseph’s influence on Jesus. For example, the scribes and Pharisees have a woman who has been arrested for adultery stand before Jesus and argue with him, asking him what he thinks about the law that says such a woman is liable to be stoned to death, and seeking an excuse to accuse him. Jesus, however, does not join in the argument, but bends down and begins to write something on the ground with his finger. If Jesus had fallen into the trap of arguing with them at this time, he would have seen the woman’s face pale with embarrassment and fear. This would cause the woman to suffer even more. To the persistent questioners, Jesus rises and says, “He who has not sinned among you, let him first throw a stone at her,” and bends down again. One or two people eventually leave, and when no one is around, Jesus rises, looks the woman in the face, and has a very simple conversation with her. He says, “Woman, where are those men? Has no one condemned you?” The woman says, “Lord, no one,” and Jesus said, “Neither have I condemned you. Go. From now on, sin no more.” (John 8:1-11) Behind this Jesus, I see a righteous Joseph who did not want to put Mary — who was pregnant by the Holy Spirit before their marriage — to shame. Jesus often broke the laws of the time with love when protecting the vulnerable. For, more important than any law is the individual human being.

　There is a saint who appeared in the 19th century, a priest named Vianney. One day in the village of Ars, where he pastored, a man took his own life by throwing himself off a bridge into the river. The church at that time was very strict and such a person could not have a funeral in the church. However, Vianney said that he would hold a funeral Mass for him. The congregation protested, “The church cannot hold a funeral Mass for someone who committed suicide, so why would you do it?” He asks back, “Then, how many meters are there from that bridge to the river?” When the congregation answered saying the length, he replied, “The man may have converted between the time he threw himself from the bridge and the time he fell into the river. That is why I will hold a funeral Mass for him.” What a saint, he had broken the law of the Church at a time when the Church was at its strictest. But he kept God’s law. God’s law is that we cooperate with God, who desires the salvation of all people. Human and social laws often change with the times. But God’s law never changes. Next week is the Nativity. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us also celebrate the Nativity with Joseph the Righteous, keeping in mind the eternal and unchanging truth that the loss of each and every little life, especially the pre-born ones through abortion, for example, is never the will of God.

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” (Isaiah 35:1)

Traditionally, the third Sunday of Advent is called the “Sunday of Rejoicing.” On this day, we celebrate the joy of the approaching Nativity of the Lord and the joy of salvation. Christmas is not only the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, but also the celebration of the gift of life to each of us. Even adults, who normally have no interest in dolls, can often be seen peering with joy at the infant Jesus in the stable on Christmas Day. In other words, Christmas is a time of joy that brings us adults back to our childhood. That is why children must be present at Christmas. And the “precious fruit” (James 5:7) is that we are now living.

　But as we prepare for Christmas, we wonder how many more years we have left to live as friends and acquaintances of our generation pass away. Will this be my last Christmas? Many elderly people are probably wondering if they will be able to see the cherry blossoms next year. There is a disease that often appears as we get older: distrust of people and self-loathing. This disease is paranoid in nature. They have worked so hard to provide for their family, but as soon as they get old, they are treated as a hindrance. When they look in the mirror, they see their own aging reflection and think that they are already a burden to their family. Some people may be suffering from these two paranoid delusions even though they are trying to live a diligent and cheerful life.

To overcome this paranoia, it is important to return to the happy memories of the past. Some people say that living a positive life even in old age is the secret of vitality. While that is important, on the other hand, tracing back to happy memories of the past is said to be highly effective also for psychological healing. We live in a myriad of memories. Let’s take out from the “memory drawer” only those memories that were pleasant and happy, for example, happy events in our childhood, Christmas, New Year’s, etc. When recalling these memories, try to recall in detail the warmth of the stove or the kotatsu, the taste of cake or the warm casseroles, and even the warmth of your parents’ hands, so that you can overflow with a sense of realism. As you chew over the various pleasant memories in this way, you will gradually feel positive that your life is not completely hopeless. As you make it a habit to do so, you will eventually develop a warm feeling that human beings are interesting and lovable. Of course, there are many painful things in life, but you can keep such memories in a drawer. When we are down in the dumps, it is often the humorous stories we tell ourselves that give us strength, or the trivial memories of daily life that soothe us rather than the sayings of great men and wise men. Human beings are interesting and lovable beings.

Misuzu Kaneko, a children’s poet of the Taisho era (1912-1926), wrote a poem about this.

If I say, “Let’s play,” you say, “Let’s play.”

If I say “stupid,” you say "stupid."

If I say I won’t play anymore, you say “I won’t play anymore.”

And then later, feeling lonely, I say “I’m sorry,” and you say “I’m sorry.”

Are you just an echo? No, you are everyone.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（Kodama.)

Kodama is the sound of words thrown from a mountain, which come back as they were said. It creates a sense of security, as if we are enveloped in the bosom of Mother Nature, and it makes our hearts tender. And this is the heart of all people who respond to the thoughts and words that are thrown at them, whether good or bad. There is a resonance in this poem that makes each person feel as if it were their own, creating a sense of security and tenderness in our hearts. Indeed, human beings are interesting and lovable beings.

“From the stump of the Jesse a shoot will sprout, and from its roots a young branch will grow, upon which the Spirit of the Lord will abide.” (Isaiah 11:1-2)

Three years ago today, on December 4, Dr. Tetsu Nakamura was killed by the bullets of Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is still a thorny issue. It is not only civil war and foreign interference that have shaken the country to its very foundations. The most significant cause is the drought that has intensified since 2000 due to global warming. Afghanistan used to be completely self-sufficient in food, and still earned its wealth by exporting its rich agricultural products. However, the rapid desertification of farmland has forced many people to leave their villages, and the country’s food self-sufficiency rate has been cut in half. Dr. Nakamura was engaged in medical activities in this country, but the area where he worked was also hit by a severe drought and turned into a barren desert. Residents left the village en masse, and the number of children collapsing from malnutrition and dehydration skyrocketed, and deaths from dysentery followed in rapid succession. Hunger and thirst cannot be cured by medicine. It was a pre-medical problem. Hunger can only be quenched with food. Food production requires water for agriculture. He advocated “one irrigation canal rather than 100 clinics. Although he himself was a doctor and had no civil engineering skills, he taught himself civil engineering and stayed on site for seven years to lead the project. Finally, in February 2009, he completed the 25-km-long Marwarid irrigation canal across the Gambelli Desert, transforming the barren desert into a green land. He continued to fight sandstorms and floods as he continued to cultivate the desert, but on December 4, 2019, he died as a testimony to the words, “A grain of wheat remains a grain of wheat unless it falls to the ground and dies. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). His way of life struck a chord with many people and was featured in Japanese textbooks.

The “stump of Jesse” at the beginning of this text refers to the once-severed Davidic dynasty, and Jesse was David’s father. The stump is a remnant of a tree that was once cut down and appears to be dead, but a tree with strong vitality can sprout from its stump even after it has been cut down. In the same way, it means that a new savior will be born from the descendants of the Davidic dynasty, which once appeared to be cut off and dead. Dr. Nakamura, too, once felled by deadly bullets and cut down like a tree, but his spirit has not ceased, and we feel many buds of hope sprouting from his stock. Dr. Nakamura was a Protestant layman.

He turned a desert into a green land by drawing an irrigation channel from another river. Let us also change the flow of our hearts. The energy of hate and love is released from the bottom of the same heart. The important thing is to change the path of evil into one of love. If God just changes the flow of the water source pond of our hearts a little, the bad flow will turn into a good flow. In this way, we can change our barren hearts into lush hearts. During this Advent, let us pray that God will change the flow of the water-source pond of ourhearts, and let us pray that Dr. Nakamura will cooperate with us from heaven in creating a waterway for our hearts.　

“You must also be ready...” (Matthew 24:44)

The month of November, the month of the dead, is almost over. Many of you may have visited the graves this month. As we look at the gravestones of each person in the cemetery, we strangely feel our jealousy and unworthy desires for others disappear. Nothing makes us feel more equal than death. That does not mean that no matter how we live, we are all the same in the end. Each of us needs an important guideline to fulfill our life mission. That means envisioning the end of our own life. From there, we can determine what is truly important to us, and from there, we can decide how to live our lives today. Thinking about life in terms of envisioning the end of our life means that we must clarify our destination before we can take the first step. Once we know our destination, we know where we are now. This will naturally lead us in the right direction.

It is so easy for us to get caught up in the work and activity trap. We may think we are climbing the ladder to success, only to find when we reach the top that the ladder has been hung on the wrong wall. One day you suddenly realize that what you sacrificed for the sake of success is actually far more important than success. However, if we discover what is truly important to us and live daily according to that guideline, our lives will change dramatically. To change our thoughts is to change our lives. Therefore, it is only when we begin by envisioning the end of our lives that we can discern what is truly important. Ignatius of Loyola also commands us to contemplate our own deathbed, to see if we can die therein truly satisfied, and to let that guide our actions in life.

　Now picture the scene of a certain funeral Mass. You are now hurrying toward that church. You are about to say your last words to the deceased person in the coffin. But to your surprise, it turns out to be yourself. Around you, relatives and acquaintances are reminiscing about you. And at the end of the Mass, one of your friends is about to give your eulogy. This is the end of the scene I want you to picture. Now I want you to think seriously about what you would like your friend to say about you in his eulogy. It is probably your deepest and truest value. Then, use the content of that eulogy as a guide for your future actions. It may be different from the path you have been envisioning. But by envisioning the end, if you were now trying to hang a ladder on the wrong wall, you will know the true value of life by hanging it back on the right wall. That is why Jesus said, “You must also be ready.”

　There is also the saying, “Sow the seed of thoughts and reap the harvest of actions. Sow the seed of action and reap the harvest of habit. Sow the seed of habit, reap the seed of character. Sow the seeds of character, reap the seeds of destiny.”

“Today you shall be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

On the cross Jesus was told, “You have saved others. If you are the Messiah from God, the chosen one, save yourself.” He is laughed at by the council members and insulted by the soldiers. But if Jesus had defended himself at this time, he would not have been the Savior. Jesus does not protect himself precisely because he is the Savior. Jesus performed many miracles, but He did none for Himself. If he performed miracles for himself, they would no longer be miracles. Jesus' life and miracles were all for others, to bring faith, hope, and love to their hearts. He gave his life for that purpose.

Today is World Youth Day. The Greek philosopher Plato said to the old people of his time, “Go to the places where young people are exercising, dancing, and playing, and rejoice to see in them the suppleness and beauty of the body that you have lost, and remember the beauty and loveliness of your youth.” And he added, “Praise the young people who have entertained so many old people with these pastimes.” Yet, what characterizes the youth is their great energy and hope, but also their uncertainty about the future and the conflicts that arise from that.

One way to overcome this is to go on a journey. There is a saying, “Go out into the world you don’t know, and you will see a side of yourself you don’t know.” This does not necessarily mean to travel far. It means to change your perspective. Talent is unlimited, lying dormant inside of everyone, waiting for the right moment to blossom. You will never know what you are suited for until you run into it. You never know where you will find a road map in life. To do this, we must first do some reading. There are only a few things we can directly experience in our lifetime, and we learn what we cannot experience through reading. So reading is a kind of journey out into the unknown.

“It was on the shoulders of giants that I was able to see so far,” said Bernard of Chartres, a 12th century philosopher. Bernard studied and developed Plato’s philosophy and thought. He compared the classics and their authors to giants and said that those who live today can see more and further into the world by riding on the shoulders of these giants, that is, by studying the classics and their authors. It is the same in the world of faith. We stand on the shoulders of the great faithful of the past. We can access more distant things, distant worlds we have never known before, by studying the Bible and other traditions and teachings of the Church that they cherished so well. And when we come into contact with people of faith who were so faithful that they gave their lives to God, we know that there is a way prepared for us to live our lives as well. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith.” (Tertullian)

It is also necessary to meet many people. Simply put, life is about encounters. Knowledge, in our information society, can be instantly acquired from any source. However, true wisdom for living life cannot be obtained without direct contact with many people. This is because it lives within each person as an individual and irreplaceable way of life. It is something that can never be obtained on the Internet.

Jesus lived and gave his life for the sake of others. When a person decides to live for someone else, he or she can transcend the limits of what they thought they were capable of. You feel an energy welling up from within you that you had never even considered before. The energy to live for others never runs out. On the contrary, when someone does not want to do something, that person is setting his or her own limits.

Youth, go out into the world you do not know. And please discover your own splendor, your own “paradise” (Luke 23:43), which you did not know you had.

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice will arise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 3:20)

The ancients worshipped the sun as a god. Then came the age of science, and people began to say that the sun was not a god. Eventually came the age of mystery, and Francis of Assisi called the sun his friend.

The sun is the greatest source of heat that gives energy to this earth. Without the sun, human beings would not be able to survive. The sun not only gives energy to this earth, but also gives hope to the human heart. We may wake up in the middle of the night and feel anxious or heavy about something, but when the sun rises in the morning, strangely enough, the anxiety we felt in the middle of the night disappears as if it had never happened. When the sun brightens our surroundings, it strangely brightens our hearts as well. Like a friend speaking gently to us, the sun gives us hope for life.

Since the beginning of the history of the earth, there has not been a day when the sun has not risen. The fact that the sun rises every morning to greet a new morning means that “yesterday’s wounds will heal themselves today,” “yesterday’s tears will wipe themselves away today,” and “if we failed yesterday, today we will be given a chance to start over again.

In the same way, what gives our community and society energy like the sun: a forward-looking posture, a positive attitude, and optimism. Proactive, positive people are already making a contribution to society just by being positive. On the contrary, it is easy to ruin people. It is to make people insecure. That is why Satan is always trying to make us insecure. Jesus said, “Be careful not to be deceived. Jesus said, “Be careful not to be deceived. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the one,’ or, ‘The time is near,’ but do not follow them. And when you hear of wars and riots, do not be frightened.” (Luke 21:8-9)

The Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon it. And God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’” (Genesis 1:1-3) In fact, we can reenact this creation by saying one word to the heart of darkness, “Let there be light,” and we can create hope, which is light. Jesus, who declared to the sick, “Your faith has saved you” (Matthew 9:22, etc.), similarly gives us the power to believe and the ability to self-actualize. We become what we believes. In the conclusion of the Gospel, Jesus said, “By your perseverance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19). However, I think it can be read as follows: “By hope you will gain your lives.

“We all live by God” (cf. Luke 20:38).

Today I will speak from a different perspective than usual. 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was created by a huge explosion of subatomic particles at a very high temperature and pressure. This is known as the “Big Bang Theory.” The earth was born 4.6 billion years ago, and life on earth began 4 billion years ago. Life was first generated in the oceans and eventually expanded to the land. Originally, there was no oxygen on the earth, but plants were born, and produced oxygen through photosynthesis, creating an environment in which animals, including humans, could live. Eventually, humans evolved and came to possess advanced reason and a soul different from those of other animals, and they began to hope for the eternity of their souls even after death, that is, “the hope that God will raise them up again” (Maccabees 7:14). Thus, they came to believe in God and to desire to avoid conflict and to live in peace, but as Paul says, “Not all have faith.” (1 Thessalonians 3:5)

The situation where Russia is invading Ukraine is exactly the same as in World War II and shows that humanity has learned nothing from history. Whenever such conflicts occur, I think that human society is actually not evolving. While science and technology seem to be evolving, our minds are not evolving, and because we want to advance technology with that unevolved mind, science and technology also fall into the wrong direction. That is why we need God at all times. Because “all people live by God,” we have a mission to judge what is right and what is wrong, and to urge those who live off the path without knowing God to correct it and turn to Him. Then, as in the First Reading from the Book of Maccabees, we tell those who leave the world believing in God in the midst of suffering that they are promised eternal life, and the faith of such people sustains the souls of those who follow them and help them evolve.

It is precisely because there is death that the energy of life, that is, the soul, is immortal. Just as each person has a different face, personality, and individuality, each person’s given life span is also different. What is important is not merely whether you live a long life or not, but how fulfilling your life has been. A doctor who took care of a 16-year-old girl, seeing as she thanked God and her parents, the doctors and nurses, as the light of her life was quietly extinguished, said with deep emotion that it was a wonderful death that fulfilled the life that had been given to her. Although this girl’s life seemed superficially terminated by death, her soul, the energy of her life, continued to live on as new life, causing the souls of those who were involved with her to evolve.

How to live can be answered through thinking and literature, but the question of how to face the end of one’s life still requires the help of religion. Yet, religion is difficult to acquire through a cursory study. Therefore, we need to carefully think about “this brief period of time called life” from a young age, not just before we die, and find a religion to which we can entrust our view of life and death.

«Zacchaeus came down quickly and received Jesus with joy» (Luke 19:6)

Let us imagine the scene in today’s Gospel. Zacchaeus was a tax collector who went to see Jesus simply out of curiosity. He was called by Jesus, who came down from the sycamore tree and joyfully received him. The question is: Why was Zacchaeus willing to receive Jesus with joy?

He was the head of a tax collector, who was considered a sinner in those days, and moreover, he was rich. The reason why tax collectors were treated as sinners is because Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire at that time, and people had to pay taxes to the enemy Roman Empire that ruled over them, and they despised the collectors of those taxes, calling them “Roman dogs”. In fact, it is said that there were not a few who collected extra taxes and embezzled money. Because of this situation, they were always looked at with contempt by the people, and no one would even smile at them. It must have been the same for Zacchaeus, who was scorned by people, looked at with contempt, and lived his daily life taking it for granted that no one would smile at him.

But today things would be different. From under the sycamore tree, Jesus suddenly calls out to Zacchaeus. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly. I would like to stay at your house today.” The look on Jesus’ face as he said this must have been the kindest look he had ever been given. Receiving such a kind look, Zacchaeus was happy to welcome Jesus into his home. Zacchaeus’ joyful expression was a mirror of Jesus’ kind look. Zacchaeus did not need long prayers or ascetic practices for his conversion. A kind look and a loving word from Jesus were enough.

Interpersonal relationships work like mirrors. If we smile at the mirror, our mirrored selves smile at us, and if we make a sour face at the mirror, our mirrored selves make a sour face at us. In the same way, if we think “I don’t like this person” as we approach someone, it will surely show in our facial expression, and the other person will sense it and make the same face. On the other hand, if we approach someone with the thought, “I like this person,” the other person will feel the same way and give us the same look. The face of the person we are talking to is actually a portrait of ourselves. We have experienced this from the time we were born. Newborn babies cannot speak yet. But they watch their parents’ faces carefully. And they keep asking themselves, “Do my parents really love me? As evidence, when the parent smiles, the baby smiles, and when the parent makes a scary face, the baby cries. In fact, the baby’s smile is a mirror of the parent’s smile. Children receive smiles from their parents and gradually come to realize that they are happy and are grateful to have been born into this world.

The feelings in our hearts are always shown in our facial expressions. We can never live our lives pretending to be something we are not. If we want to live according to Jesus, we must have, to use a very simplistic expression, a heart without falsehood, a good heart, and a heart of respect and love for others.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted...” (Luke 18:14)

Today’s meditation tip is about Judo. One of my favorite ‘judokas’ was Toshihiko Koga, who died of cancer last year at the age of 53. He was known as the “Sanshiro of the Heisei era” (Sanshiro is the name of the talented judoka who is the main character in Tsuneo Tomita’s novel, “Sugata Sanshiro”) for his constant determination to win the ‘ippon,’ his keen technique despite his small size, and his dynamic ippon back throw. However, in his first appearance at the Seoul Olympics, where he was expected to win the gold medal, he was eliminated in the third round. He had been covered extensively by the mass media and cheered on, but after returning to Japan, he was slandered by people who said, “Koga is not world-class,” “Koga’s judo is finished,” and so on, and no one was around him as if the tide was receding. He too became very depressed and distrustful of people.

Then one day, while casually watching an Olympic Games compilation on TV, he happened to see his own game, and his eyes were glued to the screen. His parents were also on the screen, and right after he lost, they bowed deeply to those who had come from Japan to cheer him on. He was shocked and ashamed of himself. Until then, he had taken it for granted that he would be cheered on, thinking, “I trained hard, I got stronger, I went to the Olympics, I lost, and I am the most disappointed of all.” He realized for the first time that he was not fighting alone, but that his parents and many others who supported and cheered him on were fighting along with him. It was truly an eye-opening experience for him. So many people were behind him and fighting together with him! He could no longer make his parents bow down for him. For the sake of those who have supported me, I will definitely win a gold medal at the next Olympics to reciprocate the kindness. This thought drove him to win the gold medal at the next Olympics in Barcelona, even though he was suffering from injuries.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” 

This phrase means that when we exalt ourselves, the eyes of our mind are closed and we can only see our own world, and we cannot see the true nature of the world around us. On the contrary, when we are humble and grateful to those around us who support us, we can see the true nature of things, and this becomes the source of our true power to live. This is called the power of gratitude. However, as Mr. Toshihiko Koga has shown, it is often only after experiencing a setback or failure that the eyes of our mind are opened.

　We do not live alone. Behind us many people live for us and support us. However, although we understand this as a word, it is hard to realize its significance until we hit a wall the first time. However, if we know the support and love of many people through our setbacks and failures, they are no longer setbacks and failures of the past, but “valuable experiences” that help us live in the present.

«Pray continuously» (Luke 18:1)

The Church has traditionally encouraged «to pray continuously.» Prayer is something like breathing, being constantly with God in the depths of our consciousness. We breathe constantly and unconsciously. In human consciousness, beneath the consciousness that can be sensed by the five senses (manifest consciousness), there is an unconscious part that cannot be sensed by the five senses, that is, the subconscious. Prayer means being with God in this subconscious. The human body is composed of countless cells, which live in harmony. Likewise, the human mind must also be in harmony by nature. The word harmony is often replaced by the word peace. For this reason, the Catholic Church has long hoped that through the repetition of simple prayers, such as the rosary in rhythm with breathing, we would call out to God in our subconscious mind and unite with Him to maintain peace in our hearts. The same tradition remains in the Eastern Church in the form of the «Prayer of the Name of Jesus.»

　If we want to change our visible self, let us first change our invisible self. We seek the voice of the heart to speak to God in this deepest part of our consciousness, our subconscious, by continually speaking to Him in correct, beautiful, and simple words, so that our hearts remain at peace, and we can judge right from wrong, free ourselves from sin, and live creatively toward God. This voice is called the voice of God, and the influence of this voice of the heart on great musicians has been significant; Mozart, for example, professed that he was not a «composer» and said, «The music comes to me. I merely transcribe it.» And Beethoven said, «In moments of contentment and fulfillment, music comes to the ears of my heart.» For them, music was not something they created, but something that was given to them when they listened to the voice of their hearts in deep calmness.

“Is there no one else who has returned to praise God besides this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18)

Ten people with leprosy cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us,” and they were healed, but the only person who returned to thank Him was one Samaritan. Ten people called out in prayer and were healed, and only one of them thanked Him. Does this ring any bells with us? We too pray daily to Jesus for “help” and “protection,” but maybe only 1 out of 10 prayers is a prayer of thanksgiving. Certainly, it is nice for Jesus to know that we trust Him and pray to Him. However, I believe that Jesus feels that prayers such as “Please help me” and “Please protect me” are just not enough for him.

For example, let's say you have a close friend who is always asking you to help him or her or protect him or her. It is nice to know that they trust you, but you wouldn’t want them to forget to say “thank you” to you. Jesus would probably feel the same way we do. The important thing, however, is not to be thankful after your supplication is granted, but to present your supplication with thanksgiving. Paul emphasizes this point: “In everything, offer up your prayers and supplications with thanksgiving, confiding what you seek to God, and he will give it to you. Then the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

However, there are many people who may understand the meaning of gratitude as a word, but do not really understand its meaning in reality. Or, perhaps, as people get older, they gradually come to realize the true meaning of thanksgiving. It may take some training and time to experience this thanksgiving, but it is not possible without first having a sense of humility toward others. This must be learned first. What is even more important is that in order to develop a grateful heart, we must not only be thankful in our hearts, but we must also express our gratitude by actually saying it out loud. A “thank you” becomes a “thank you” only when you say it out loud. Thanking someone in your heart does not constitute gratitude. Some people may say that saying “thank you” out of habit does not mean much. But this habit builds character. Habit is a second nature! The Church has traditionally encouraged people to receive the Eucharist and other sacraments as sustenance for their eternal journey before they die. However, it is my opinion that we should not forget to say “thank you” to those who have helped us as well as to receive these sacraments before we die. I believe that, if we say “thank you” with all our hearts to God, the giver of life and of the Sacraments, and to those around us, the Eucharist will shine even brighter. To bring the final stage of our lives to a close, let us continue to offer the Eucharist and our thanks to those around us on a daily basis. Let me say this one last time: habits are second nature.

“Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)

To the apostles who said, “Increase our faith,” Jesus said, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6). Then we could answer, “Give us a grain of faith even as small as a mustard seed, and there will be nothing we cannot do.”

　The Gospel makes several statements about God’s omnipotence. “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) “There is nothing that God cannot do.” (Luke 1:37) The meaning of these words is that we can do anything if we are with God. On the contrary, it is a word that expresses the greatness and barrenness of human beings, who can do nothing if God is not with them.

　The word “faith” is also expressed in the general society as belief, creed, or way of life. There are many people who have achieved what was thought to be impossible through their strong beliefs, not only in terms of science and technology, but also with great courage and hope despite their physical disabilities, and have given hope and courage to many people. I was reminded of this when I watched the Tokyo Paralympics last year and realized that there is nothing that human beings cannot do as long as they have courage and hope. Helen Keller (1880-1968), who overcame the triple handicap of not being able to see, hear, or speak, and contributed to education, welfare, and world peace, and was called “a miracle worker,” said, “I thank God for my disability. It was through my disability that I found myself, my life’s work, and God.” She added, “The enemy for us is ‘hesitation.’ If you think of yourself as this kind of person, you are only as good as the person you think you are.”

　There was a Japanese named Hokiichi Hanawa (1746-1821) who had a great influence on Helen Keller. When she was a child, her parents told her, “There is a person you should aspire to be like. He is Hanawa Hokiichi, a Japanese man who achieved great things even though he was blind.” Hokiichi Hanawa was actually a role model for her in life. When she first came to Japan in 1937, she visited some of the sites associated with Hokiichi Hanawa, and while looking at the simple desk he used and a statue of him with his head tilted back kindly, she said, “When I was a child, my parents encouraged me to follow the example of Master Hokiichi. So today is the happiest day of my stay in Japan.”

　Hokiichi Hanawa lost his sight at the age of 7, his mother at 12, and joined a troupe of blind people in Edo at the age of 15. At the time, it was common for blind people in Edo to join a troupe of blind people to learn the koto (Japanese harp), massage, and acupuncture, but Hokiichi was unable to make any progress in any of these areas. Hokiichi was so disappointed that at one point he considered taking his own life, but he told his master that he wanted to pursue his studies, and thanks to him, he was apprenticed to Kamono Mabuchi, from whom he gained a wide range of learning. He was a dropout in the blind people’ s troupe, but he studied hard, relying only on his ears. Later, he set his mind to “collect precious books that have existed in Japan since ancient times and pass them on to the next generation.” During 41 years, he compiled and edited 17,244 woodblocks of literature written over the past approximately 1,000 years. It was published as the “Gunsho Ruiju.” On New Year’s Day, when he was 16 years old, he made a “vow not to be angry” as a guideline for his life, saying, “No great deed is accomplished if a person is emotionally upset over small matters. I made this vow at the beginning of the year, and I want to carry it out for the rest of my life.” This “vow not to get angry” eventually developed into a heart of gratitude and sincerity toward those around him.

　Many people sympathized with Hokiichi’s sincere personality and his passionate attitude, and some even helped him financially, and many others who told him, “I am poor and cannot help you financially, but fortunately I can see. I can read to you anytime, so don't hesitate to bring your books.” In those days, when there was no Braille, he memorized what many people read to him on the spot, and it is said that he never forgot that knowledge for the rest of his life. Because he was blind all his life and unable to read books on his own, he never forgot his humility and gratitude to those who supported him, and he lived each day earnestly.

There is nothing that a human being cannot do if he or she has faith and follows through. However, that faith must not be distorted grudges or hostility backed by resentment, anger or vanity. Certainly, actions driven by such resentment and anger can be temporarily powerful, but they will surely break along the way. Paul tells us that all things are possible when man lives with God with a right conscience of gratitude, humility, and sincerity in the following words. Paul tells us that all things are possible when we live with God, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control ... Take as your norm the

sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us”. (Second Reading, Letter to Timothy 1:7, 13-14)

“The poor man died, and was taken by the angels to the very side of Abraham, who was seated at the banquet.” (Luke 16:22)

The subject of today’s Gospel is a warning against the temptation of wealth. Not only in today’s Gospel, but Jesus often speaks of the temptation of wealth throughout the Gospels. (Matthew 19:16-24, Luke 12:13-21, etc.) However, Jesus himself socialized and ate with rich people. Wealth and money are not bad, but rather important. The church has always benefited from them. The desire for profit is also the driving force of business and human activity. But as today’s Gospel warns, wealth is not to be monopolized but shared. According to German political scientist and sociologist Max Weber, the original promoters of capitalism were devout Protestants who adhered to a strict code of ethics to practice the love of neighbor that Jesus preached, and they believed that profits should be used for the betterment of society while respecting labor.

There was once an American man named Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). He was born into a poor family in Scotland, immigrated to the U.S. with his parents, and after moving from job to job in search of a richer life, he eventually emerged and started a steel company, predicting that the age of steel would come. He eventually amassed enormous wealth and became known as the world’s steel king. However, he left behind the words, “It would be a shame to die a rich man.” He used all of his wealth in the latter half of his life to contribute to charitable works, world peace, education, and the promotion of academics, among others. In particular, he was self-taught due to poverty, and in gratitude for the libraries that enabled him to study, he donated approximately 3,000 libraries not only throughout the United States but also around the world. Even today, the Carnegie Institution annually honors those who have done much for the promotion of academics and charitable works.

Recently, Kazuo Inamori (1932-2022), honorary chairman of Kyocera Corporation, passed away. He was a man deeply devoted to Buddhism and an amateur in management when he founded Kyocera at the age of 27. After much pondering, he decided to follow a management policy of doing what was right as a human being. Even after the company had grown, when people asked him for management tips and secrets, he would say, “Don’t forget to be grateful, don’t lie, don’t cause trouble for others, be honest, don’t be greedy, think of others before yourself,” and so on. However, everyone who heard these words looked at him with suspicion. How can such a simple thing be enough to run a business? With a look that said, “I heard such a simple thing from my parents and teachers when I was a child. However, because this “simple principle,” which everyone should know, is not practiced, many companies succeed in making profits temporarily, but eventually go bankrupt. The pursuit of profit is definitely not a bad thing. However, its methods must be in line with human principles. One must not run after profit regardless of the means, and one must follow the right path as a human being even when making a profit. His long-held theory was that an altruistic spirit of wishing for the happiness of others would in turn bring benefits to oneself and also expand those benefits.

In the spirit of Buddhist altruism and Andrew Carnegie’s belief that individual wealth should be used for the benefit of society, Inamori contributed his own vast fortune to start the Inamori Foundation, which in 1985 established Japan’s first international prize, the Kyoto Prize, to honor outstanding achievements and contributions in the academic field.

It is important to note, however, that “self-interest,” which seeks only one’s own gain, and “altruism,” which seeks the happiness of others, are always inextricably linked. Herein lies the heart of Jesus’ warning. The temptation to think only of oneself or to give priority to one’s own family or business interests, while claiming to be doing something for the sake of others, is always present. I believe that the secret to avoiding such temptations lies in the “simple principles” commonly taught by religions such as Buddhism and Christianity and practiced by many wise men, namely, to always remember to be grateful to those around us, to speak the truth without falsehood, to avoid self-interest, to wish others happiness, and so on. I believe there is no other way.

“He who is faithful in the smallest things is faithful in the greatest things. He who is unfaithful in very small things is unfaithful in great things.” (Luke 16:10)

Today's verse, “faithfulness in small things,” can be paraphrased as habit. Life is a habit. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Habit is a repeated movement.” In other words, habits form our character and personality. It is often said, “Do everything by habit, not by effort.” Habits are the accumulation of daily activities, so once you make them a habit, you will not feel that they are hard or troublesome afterwards. Therefore, the important thing is to develop good habits early on. It seems to me that a person who early on acquires good habits will reap great fruit in life, and conversely, a person who lives with disregard for good habits will live with disregard for life itself.

Birds cannot change the way they were born to fly. Animals cannot change the way they were born to crawl or run. Only humans, however, can change the way they live. Only human beings can change their way of life, being aware of the limits of their own life and how to live with that limited life. It is a privilege given only to human beings, and that privilege is achieved through the accumulation of small habits. The poet Rilke said, “As the apple has a core, so we are born with the seed of death in us.” At the same time, however, the psychoanalyst Erikson said, “We are beings that continue to grow toward death.”

There are words like “genius” and “talent,” but they never refer to a momentary flash of inspiration, but rather to what comes naturally as a result of the accumulation of daily efforts. It is important to know how much you have faithfully devoted yourself to small things on a daily basis. Athletes often say, “The god of victory watches not only during games, but also in all aspects of your daily life.” In other words, “the god of victory dwells in the details.” Faithfulness to the small things that you do every day can make the difference between victory and defeat. This is not limited to sports, but is a matter of the outcome of our lives, and the same has been said by the great saints of the Church.

Jesus warned, “He who is unfaithful in very small things is also unfaithful in great things.” One will receive what one gives. At the entrance to eternal life are inscribed in vivid letters the words, “One will reap what one has sown.”

“There will be great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7).

There is a painter and poet named Tomihiro Hoshino. His beautiful and delicate paintings of flowers accompanied by poems have moved and encouraged many people. However, he lost all his bodily freedom from the neck down when he accidentally fell head first while performing a model somersault during a club activity on June 17, 1970, at the age of 24. His loss was just too much for him. But when God takes something from us, He always gives us something equal or greater. When God closes the door to our past, He always opens the door to a new future at the same time.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the lost sheep and the lost silver coin. Usually when we lose something, we ask God to give us back the same thing we lost. But God returns it to us more abundantly in another form, sometimes in the form of adversity or even seeming disadvantage, but we are often unaware of it. God’s grace often comes in a different form.

This man, too, was lying on his bed, unable to turn over, spending his days just staring up at the ceiling. In the midst of all this desperation, one day his mother’s hand, which had been spooning his meals into his mouth every day, trembled and spilled the soup all over his face. This slight caused his daily frustration to pile up, and he spat out a grain of rice from his mouth at his mother and in spite of himself shouted, “Damn it, I’m not eating any more, old hag. I don’t care what happens to me. I wish you had never given birth to me.” His mother cried silently, but after a while, when she tried to brush a fly off his face, her hand involuntarily touched his face. The warmth of her moist hand, the rough but soft touch of her hand, was the first time he knew of his mother’s love.

Then one day, a boy in the same hospital room came to ask him to write a note. He may or may not have known that he was paralyzed from the neck down, but he kept on asking. He finally made up his mind. He finally decided to write with a pen in his mouth. He lifted his head slightly and after a long time finally managed to draw a small black dot on a piece of colored paper. This marked the beginnings of the poet and painter Tomihiro Hoshino. Two years later, under the influence of a classmate and friend who became a pastor, he was baptized in his hospital room in 1974.

Before he was hospitalized, his mother didn’t seem very attractive to him, as she spent her days on all fours in the field, shoveling dirt, and her nights whining about the lack of money under a dim electric light while she worked side jobs. He himself said that if he had not been paralyzed from the neck down by an injury, he would have been a proud and unhappy man who would never have known his mother’s love for him.

Here are some of Tomihiro Hoshino’s poems.

“If God could move my arm just once

　I would tap my mother on the shoulder.

As I looked at the shepherd’s purse grass fruit

I felt as if such a day would really come.”

“When I thought that life was the most important thing

living was hard for me.

The day I learned that there is something more important than life

　I was happy to be alive.”

“This road is a thorny one.

　But even among the thorns

　a faintly fragrant flower blooms.

Because I love that flower

　I’ll go on this road.”

“I have a wound,

　but through the wounds

　your kindness seeps through.”

“No one can be my disciple unless he takes up his cross and follows me” (Luke 14:27).

　These are tough Gospel words for today. Each one of us has some kind of cross, large or small, visible or invisible. I have my own cross, too, and not to contradict Jesus, but I do not want to live with a cross. I want to find meaning in my cross. I don’t want to think of the cross as a cross, but I want to find in it a big clue to living. The big clue to getting over the cross is to find meaning in the cross.

　Viktor Frankl, a Jewish philosopher and psychiatrist who experienced Auschwitz, described a young man who was interned there. He had a mother who had been separated from him, and he did not know where she was at the moment. He prayed daily to God that if he should die here, he would give the years he was supposed to live to his mother, whom he did not know where she was, and so he found meaning in his suffering. This is how he survived the concentration camps from which he was finally liberated.

　A Japanese who had met Viktor Frankl while he was still living was told by him: “Every person has an Auschwitz (cross) in his heart. You may be disappointed in life, but life is not disappointed in you. As long as there is someone or something waiting for you, you can survive and realize your self.”

　There is a saying, “Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend.” It does not refer to just people. If we find meaning in the suffering and crosses that were our enemies in the past, and through that we find meaning in living life, then the crosses that were once our enemies will now be there for us as friends.

“Whoever exalts himself will be brought low, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

Today’s Gospel passage is easy to understand, but I think that not many people feel it as it applies to them. For example, making it simple, if you are proud, one day you will be pushed down, and if you are humble, one day you will be blessed with good things. Or many of you may think, “I don’t know if I am humble or not, but at least I don’t mean to be prideful.” But today, let us change our perspective and reflect on ourselves.

In Japan, humility has traditionally been a matter of formality (tatemae), and the mentality that one really thinks something else (honne) is deeply rooted in people’s lives. However, this is not the humility or modesty that the Bible speaks of. The humility that the Bible describes refers to the fact that man is weak and fragile before God, and if so, it is not just him, but also those around him who are weak and fragile as well. We are not bad, we are weak, and it is because of our weakness that we fall into sin. If God accepts, forgives, and guides us despite these shortcomings, then we know that it is not only we who are accepted, but also the weak people around us who are equally accepted, forgiven, and guided. Thus, humility before God leads to compassion for those who are also vulnerable. Compassion for others also leads to gratitude that we, too, are being cared for by those around us.

Gratitude, however, is not only a mere feeling of gratitude, but gratitude can only be true when we return the same feeling to others. For gratitude to be true, we must use our lives for the benefit of others. Life is the time we are given. In other words, to use our life for others is to use our time for others. In this day and age, even though the world seems to be full of all sorts of bad things, society is still able to function because of the work of countless people of good will. Most of them are people who do not know about Christ, the Bible, or the church. Through contact with such people, we have learned that there are people in the world who show us kindness from the bottom of their hearts, people with truly warm hearts, and we have lived until now by taking such kindness into our hearts. And now, by spending our time for the sake of others, true gratitude becomes possible.

　When one decides to “live for the sake of others,” there arises a kind of hope that enables one to overcome one’s own limitations. In medical terms, this hope activates three invisible systems in the body: the endocrine, autonomic, and immune systems. And by holding on to that hope, the immune system is also strengthened, and the power to live becomes stronger and stronger. From this point of view, I would like to say, “The humble are elevated.”

　On the other hand, it is certainly important to do and accomplish everything by oneself without the help of others. However, in order to grow as a human being, it is even more important to be grateful for the help of others. Also, when there is a problem and it is difficult to solve it, there is always one common symptom. That is “blaming others.” “Blaming others” is the biggest cause of disturbance to the harmony among the many people around us who are supporting each other with good intentions and without any compensation. Blaming and criticizing others will not solve anything. Instead, we need to ask ourselves about how we should be and what we can do about it, and put everything in perspective, or else nothing will be resolved. According to the Bible, Adam blamed Eve when God condemned him for his sin, and she blamed the serpent. (Genesis 3:9-13) That is how human suffering began.

　There are several times in our lives when we have to face suffering even though it is not due to our own fault. Instead of blaming others for it and living with negative emotions while resenting them, let us always take meticulous care of our own hearts and cultivate a heart that can feel happiness in any situation. Cultivating the ability to feel and know beauty is the path to happiness. If you have the energy to live resenting others, how much happier would you be if you used that same energy for the happiness of others?

　Jesus said, “He who exalts himself will be brought low.” I can’t help but feel that behind this word “exalt” lurks the evil inclination of human beings to “blame others” whenever there is something wrong.

“Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Luke 13:30)

The concluding words of today’s Gospel may remind some people of the story of the hare and the tortoise, as if people will overtake them if they are careless. However, the story of the last being first and the first being last does not discuss such a competitive principle, but rather seems to offer hints for changing one’s previous way of thinking in a time of great change.

A businessman once told me something that made a deep impression on me. He said that he had been faced with many decisions in his business life, and the decisions that were right were all negative decisions, i.e., decisions to throw away. On the contrary, the wrong decisions were all positive decisions, i.e., decisions to add without throwing away. A decision to throw away is to discard what you have accumulated up to now, that is, your past efforts and hard work. So, when you throw it away, you can estimate a great deal of pain. But what is gained by throwing it away is something in the future that cannot be calculated. Since you are throwing away the pain of the past, which can be calculated, to gain something in the future, which cannot be calculated, you naturally face opposition from those around us.

In order to bring in the new, one must discard the old. First, the old must be thrown away to make room for the new, or the new will not come in. Therefore, when things are going well, they cannot be discarded, so they become hoarded and conservative, making no progress and eventually failing. However, if you fail and are forced to abandon your past efforts and hard work, you have nothing more to lose. So, you are motivated to start something new, and in some cases, that leads to success.

This is just a businessman’s story, but when we look back at the Bible, we realize that such a paradox of “entering through a narrow doorway” (Luke 13:24) is still valid. If a grain of wheat does not die, it does not bear much fruit (cf. John 12:24), there is abundance in poverty (cf. Matthew 5:3), strength in weakness (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:10), and so on. After all, new wine must be put into a new leather bag (cf. Luke 5:38), i.e., in order to accept new ideas, we have to prepare a new heart by discarding the old heart, right? The ancient Chinese thinker Zhuangzi also taught, in the expression “zabo” (to sit and forget), that in order to accept something new, one must first discard the old.

The church, like the human body, is composed of living cells. In order for new cells to be born in the human body, the old cells must die. The church has many congregations, associations, and movements, but as times change, these organizations sometimes dissolve or disappear. However, as long as the cells of the church (which are the hope to live better in each time period) are alive, when something ceases to exist, a new group of prayer and activity will always be born. So, we are not to cling to what is going to pass away, but to cherish what is being born anew. Let us remember Jesus’ warning, “And if anyone drinks the old wine, he will not want the new wine; but if anyone drinks the new wine, he will want the old wine. For the old is better.” (Luke 5:39)

In this time of drastic change due to the protracted Corona virus and Ukraine issues, the church must also make a decision to abandon something that it had previously considered important. The purpose is not to abandon something, but to accept and nurture something new.

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? Not so, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)

What frightening words from Jesus. What a terrible thing for Jesus to say, as if to provoke us during this Peace Season, while we are thinking and praying about peace. On the other hand, Jesus himself certainly said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Is there a contradiction in Jesus’ words? For this we need to look at the historical background of the time.

At the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire had the expression “Pax Romana,” or Roman peace. From the accession of Emperor Augustus in 27 B.C. to the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in 180 A.D., the empire flourished for almost 200 years without war. People called this the Roman Peace. However, behind this prosperity were the sacrifices of many slaves, the monopolization of wealth by a privileged few, and a decline in morals. Records, ruins, and murals of the time give us a glimpse into the lives of luxury and pleasure of the people of that time. People were insatiably in search of gourmet foods from all over the world, same-sex marriages were common, and atrocities were enjoyed as a spectacle. Gladiators, for example, were slaves who were forced to kill each other. People called such a situation peace. Therefore, Israel, which was under Roman rule at the time, was also influenced by this situation to no small extent. Even in Israel, the wealth of a few was monopolized by the ruling class, while the majority of the people languished in poverty, and those who were regarded as sinners were not treated humanely.

To the people of these times, Jesus warned, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? Not so, I tell you, but rather division.” More important than any regulation, law, ritual, or institution is each human being, and if we treat each one of them with pure and unconditional love, as Jesus did, we cannot avoid being misunderstood by those around us, even family members, and we cannot avoid even division. Jesus knew that his way was the way of the cross. But he also taught that it was not his way alone, but the way of all who follow him.

The martyrdom of Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, who followed Jesus’ example, sharply reflects the world of the time. Today, the amphitheater Colosseum is a symbol of Rome’s tourism, but at that time, not only sports competitions were held, but also atrocities were committed. For example, Christians, who were banned and persecuted at the time, were captured and placed in the Colosseum, and then hungry lions and other wild animals were released into the Colosseum, where they chased and ate the Christians. The crowd of thousands of spectators applauded and enjoyed the entertainment. Bishop Ignatius was martyred in this way. Before he died, he left a letter to the Christians in Rome.

“...I can reach God only through the wild beasts. I am the grain of God, to be ground in the teeth of the beasts, that I may be the clean bread of Christ. When the world no longer sees my body, then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I ask Christ for me so that I may be sacrificed to God with these tools (the wild beasts). I want fire, the cross, the battle with the beast, whatever it takes to befall me. My only desire is to reach Jesus Christ.” (Ignatius’ Letter to the Christians in Rome, chapters 4-5)

Bishop Ignatius told the persecuted Church of his day, “When Christianity is hated by the world, the work to be done is not to persuade, but to show greatness” (Ibid., chapter 3). In the midst of a world situation that has become very confusing this year, these words are a powerful message to Japan and the Japanese church, which have not experienced war for 77 years since the end of World War II and have assumed that the world was at peace.

“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”(Hebrews 11:1)

From August 6 to 15 is the Peace Novena. The world is currently in a state of tension over the Ukraine issue, and not only Ukraine, but also the countries of the former Soviet Union, which gained independence with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, are once again facing a great crisis. For example, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast are known as the “Baltic States,” and their history is marked by repeated invasions by Russia, the major power that borders them. From the modern era to the present, the Baltic States were suddenly occupied by the Soviet Union, and instead of national independence, they were denied freedom of thought and speech, and intellectuals and independence advocates were purged at every turn. In the midst of this situation, on August 23, 1989, the people of the Baltic States, demanding freedom, democracy, and national self-determination, and crying out that “the future of our people is in our own hands,” crossed the 600-km border between the three countries and joined hands with each other in Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. Two million people joined hands to build the event that created the largest “human chain” in history, which is known as the “Baltic Way” and is now part of unesco’s Memory of the World Heritage List and an important part of modern history.

One of those Baltic countries, Lithuania, is home to the “Hill of Crosses,” a World Intangible Cultural Heritage site. Its origins date back to the uprising of Poles and Lithuanians against the occupying power, Russia (the November Uprising of 1831 and the January Uprising of 1863). However, the uprising was suppressed by the Russians, and those who mourned the executed insurgents and those who were exiled to Siberia brought crosses one by one to pray. After the fall of the German Empire, Lithuania gained independence in 1918, and the Hill of Crosses became a place to pray for peace and for those who died in the War of Independence. However, in 1940, the Soviet Union invaded Lithuania, and the hardships began again.

It was also during this period that Chiune Sugihara, as Lithuanian consul, saved 2,139 Jews with a “life visa.” In the early morning of July 18, 1940, many Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler’s persecution rushed to the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania, which was about to close, seeking transit visas to leave the country for third countries via Japan. When Consul Sugihara contacted the Japanese government, the reply was that visas should not be issued to those who did not meet the requirements. After agonizing over whether to obey the Japanese government or to save Jewish lives, he issued transit visas for a month, saving 2,139 Jews. Moreover, the visas were all handwritten by him. However, upon his return to Japan, he was accused of issuing visas without authorization from the government and was dismissed from the diplomatic service. His actions were reevaluated in August 1968, when the Israeli Embassy called him and a Jew named Nishri eventually visited him, showed him his tattered passport, and told him, “Thanks to you, we were saved.” In fact, many Jews who had been saved by Chiune Sugihara had been looking for him to express their gratitude but had been unable to locate him. Indeed, it had been 28 years since the “passports of life” were issued.

Lithuania came under the rule of the Soviet Union in 1944 as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Lithuanians demonstrated their non-violent resistance by going to this hill to offer their crosses and pray until 1990, when the country gained independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the meantime, the Soviet government tried three times to destroy the Hill of Crosses with bulldozers, but they could not destroy the faith of the Lithuanian people. Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses in 1993 and told the world that it is a place of hope, peace, love and prayer for the victims. Today, the Hill of Crosses is the largest pilgrimage site in Lithuania, and many people still pray here for peace.

Today let us pray for the people of Ukraine as we contemplate the history of suffering in this neighboring country, Lithuania, by reading today’s Hebrew text as follows.

“Faith is confidence in what we hope for (peace in Ukraine) and assurance about what we do not see (Ukraine’s full independence and the restoration of the country).”

“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Ecclesiastes [Kohelet] 1:2)

What do you all think of today’s First Reading, the words of Kohelet? Some of you may feel like you are being drained of your energy while you are trying your best to live today. However, Kohelet is not talking about pessimism. Indeed, everything passes away. That is why he is stating that we must pursue only what will never disappear and what is truly valuable.

To that end, let us now visualize a sculpture. Let us assume that there is a wooden log in front of you, and that you are now going to carve a statue of Christ. The first thing you have in your mind is the image of Christ. With this image in mind, take a large chisel in your hand and roughly cut around it. Once you have the general outline of the figure, change to a slightly smaller chisel and start shaping the outline. Then, when you come to the final stage, use a fine chisel to carefully and deliberately carve the most important parts, especially the face and the tips of the fingers. Finally, the statue of Christ that you had imagined in your mind is completed. In other words, in order to complete the statue, the unnecessary parts around it are continually carved away, and only what is truly important remains at the end. However, in order to actually carve the image of Christ, love and prayer for Christ are always necessary, and the image will ooze with these thoughts. A sculptor once told me, “Any art created by a person who does not have compassion and kindness for his neighbor is a lie.” I believe this to be true.

So, what is it that we can ultimately bring to heaven? It is only the heart. We cannot take anything else with us. But we need various things to form a rich heart. It is food for life, encounters with people, the blessings and beauty of nature, etc., and these are not empty things. However, there is a condition. That is as long as there is gratitude and compassion for those around us who support us. Without this, everything will be empty.

Time may seem to pass, but in reality, it continues to accumulate in our hearts. Then, on the final day of life, having continuously accumulated gratitude and compassion, let us return to God with our hearts filled with contentment.

“Ask, and it will be given you.” (Luke 11:9)

These words of Jesus are so famous and important, yet many people may be tempted to argue, “Don’t say it so easily, because real life is hard. Life doesn’t go the way we want it to.” Today, the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which was established by Pope Francis. Now that the average life expectancy has increased significantly in Japan, let us consider what many people are seeking, especially the recovery from illness and the longing for good health. From prehistoric times, when everything was primitive, to the present day, when medicine and science and technology have advanced, human beings have continued to wish for “the cure of illness” and “to be healthy forever.” Human beings sometimes receive warnings from their bodies in the form of illnesses, such as when there is an imbalance between mind and body, or when their thinking has become distorted. The majority of Jesus’ miracle stories involve the healing of the sick. However, for many who believe in modern medicine, the biblical miracle stories are a stumbling block, and many people assert that the sick should be left to the doctors. Certainly, there are instances where Jesus healed the sick by touching them or by a mere word, but also by telling them, “Your faith has saved you.” (Matthew 9:22, Mark 10:52, etc.) Human beings are endowed with the great power of self-healing. That is, we have the power to perform miracles on ourselves. It can be said that those who were healed by Jesus were healed by drawing out their self-healing power to the maximum extent through the encounter with Jesus.

Doctors have the skill to take effective measures against diseases, but they can only lessen or suppress the symptoms. It is, in fact, the self-healing power of each individual that can get to the true cause of the disease and cure it fundamentally. The physician’s role, therefore, is to draw out the patient’s zest for life and vitality by providing hope, while utilizing modern medical technology, and to tell the patient that he or she has such a self-healing power and to give the patient the faith that he or she can become healthy. Schweitzer was fond of saying that “every patient has his own physician (self-healing power),” and Alexis Carrel, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1912, cited the example of a patient who was completely cured by prayer when there was no hope of recovery, and stated that every human being has a wonderful self-healing power. We all have a wonderful self-healing power.

　There are many people who are not interested in heaven, hell, or other out-of-this-world things, but who recognize the amazing life force, in some cases even divine, self-healing power within human beings. But it seems to me that religion and medicine both aim in the same direction. Religion is not something that some religious individual can bestow upon a person, but rather a search along with the other person for the God that is already present in the human being, and to maximize his or her power. Just as human beings are endowed with a self-healing power, so are they endowed with a divine power, and the greatest task of religion is to bring this out to its fullest extent.

　“During the past 30 years, I have been called upon by people from every civilized nation in the world to examine and treat hundreds of patients. Without exception, those in the latter stages of life, that is, those over 35 years of age, sought final salvation in a religious outlook on life. It is no exaggeration to say that they were afflicted by illness because they had lost sight of what the living religions of all ages had to offer their congregations. At the same time, those who have not regained their religious outlook on life cannot truly be said to have been healed.” (Carl Jung)

　To the many of you who wish to be healthy, true health is not found in health foods and supplements, but in a state of calm and peace of mind. It is a state of mind that puts anger and hatred behind, is always grateful to the people around and treats everything with love. With such a state of mind, even if there is illness or pain in the body, the person is healthy. In such a state, you will be able to overcome illness and pain and turn them into powerful hope by drawing to the maximum extent on the self-healing and divine power that is inherently given to human beings.

“Ask, and it will be given you.”

“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.” (Luke 10:42)

The story of Martha and Mary in today’s Gospel of Luke is not a miracle story, nor is it a dispute with the scribes or others; it is a common scene of everyday life that can be observed also in our own homes. I believe that women, especially those who have a sister, have experienced this kind of thing in their families in the past and can relate to today’s gospel. Martha, probably the older sister, was busily working to provide hospitality to Jesus, but Mary, probably the younger sister, was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him and not doing anything. Martha was somewhat irritated and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” These words sound like something you might still hear in a home today. In response, Jesus first repeated softly, “Martha, Martha,” and then admonished her by saying, “you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

But I imagine there may be many who are not happy with these last words of Jesus. If “Mary chose the better part,” then the question arises as to whether what Martha did was not good. It goes without saying that Martha’s attitude of trying to entertain her guests is important. However, if both Martha and Mary were busy working for hospitality, they would have left Jesus alone without company. The Japanese love the word “Omotenashi” (hospitality, serving). Many of you may fondly remember the image of Christel Takigawa using her finger to spell the word “o-mo-te-na-shi” during a presentation before the decision was made to host the Tokyo Olympics. Hospitality is not only about serving food, but it is also about being a good conversation partner and not making the guests feel lonely. In fact, I have experienced this myself. I have been to several home meetings in the past. When, after the first part of prayer and sharing, we were about to move on to the second part, the tea time, I could hear everyone going to the kitchen to prepare for the lively hospitality, but as for me, I was left alone in the parlor....

This aside, it is because of Martha’s work that Mary was able to listen to Jesus speak in today’s Gospel, and Mary’s portrayal gives us an idea of what hospitality is all about. This story is not a question of superiority or inferiority, as if one is right and one is wrong, but both are necessary. We need Mary and Martha. We need both of them: an attitude of listening to the Word of God, like Mary, and putting it into action, like Martha. Just as a human being breathes with two lungs, walks with two feet, and prays with two hands, we need Mary and Martha, and we cannot separate the two. Although it is not written in today’s Gospel, I am sure that Jesus would have said to Martha. “Martha, you too have chosen the better part.”

“Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

In today’s Gospel, an expert in the law asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” But he drew a circle around himself and considered anyone who fell within that circle, such as a friend, family member, or fellow Israelite, to be his neighbor. But Jesus used the parable of the Good Samaritan to admonish him not to draw a circle around himself, but to make himself a neighbor to all who need his help.

　Today, let us approach this in a slightly different way, in a scientific setting. From the time of Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. until the Middle Ages, the prevailing view of the universe was that the sun revolved around the earth (geocentric model). However, in the 16th century, Copernicus proposed the sun-centered (heliocentric) theory that the earth revolves around the sun. However, this idea was not accepted at the time, and its successor, Galileo Galilei, was convicted in a religious trial. And although the geocentric theory was once dismissed, no one disputes it today. In the 1960s, 350 years after Galileo Galilei’s death, the Church reversed his conviction and acquitted him.

We all have an innate individualistic tendency to see and think with ourselves at the center. Especially during childhood, everyone has a tendency to be geocentric, as if he or she is the center of the universe. However, through education, habit, order, and prayer, we shift to a heliocentric view, in which we think and act from the standpoint of others. Just as man could not understand the true nature of the universe while clinging to the idea that the Earth is the center of the universe, so, too, he cannot understand how things really work in the world, such as how to cooperate with society or that we live with the support and assistance of many people, as long as we are thinking with ourselves at the center of things. 

What does it mean to be a neighbor to someone who needs your help? Life is the amount of time we have. The weight of life is the weight of time. The way we use time is the way we use life. It is important to use time for ourselves. But to grow further as a human being, it depends on how much of our time we are able to use for others.

The “Copernican turn” (The philosopher Kant's reversal of his view of philosophy, compared to Copernicus' abandonment of the geocentric model in favor of the heliocentric one) is used as an analogy for how a radical change in thinking can open up to a new dimension of things. In this case, if you think you have only spent time on yourself up until now, it is time to take a Copernican turn and spend your time for others, focusing on others.

　Life is the time we have been given. The weight of life is the weight of time. The way we use time is the way we use life. Life is something that is felt and not seen. Let us give our time, which is our life, for the sake of our neighbors who need our help.　　

“Rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

In sending his disciples, Jesus warned them that it would be like sending lambs to a pack of wolves (Luke 10:3), but assured them by saying, “Nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19), and finally encouraged them, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). (Luke 10:20). Paul described it as “I bear the marks of Jesus on my body” (Galatians 6:17).

　We too became disciples of Jesus through baptism, and our names were written in the baptismal register of the church, but at the same time, Jesus also wrote our names in the heavenly register. This is a joyous thing. You then think that Jesus made a point card for us. We have point systems all around us. When you shop for something or use a facility, they put points on your point card, and when you accumulate a certain amount of points, you can shop with them or use the facility for free. However, we often forget about the points, and we often become aware of them when a store clerk sometimes says to us, “You have accumulated customer points,” right?

　Certainly, we often sin without being aware of it. But at the same time, we also do good things without knowing it. A hand gently extended to someone in need, a tear shed with a grieving person, a small word of encouragement to someone who is down in the dumps, and so on. But in many cases, these are just things that we do as a matter of course, and we are not aware that we have done something good, in fact, we often forget about them the next day. In general, there is no such thing as self-awareness in goodness. On the contrary, if we think we have done good, there is some sense of self-satisfaction. Isn’t that so? But it is the many little acts of love that we have forgotten that God is paying close attention to and remembering to give us points in Heaven because of them. Indeed, we have accumulated a lot of sins, and even in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we ask for forgiveness for the sins we have forgotten. But if God is only focused on our sins, then he cannot be our God. God, who is love (1 John 4:7-8), created us human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:27). How then could He not take notice of our goodness?

　Before Jesus died on the cross, He asked God the Father to forgive those who had afflicted Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24). But at the same time, I believe Jesus is forever praying to God the Father for us as well, by saying, “Father, do not forsake them. They do not know the greatness of the little works of love they are doing.” And I hope that one day, when we have completed our earthly duties, the angels, the clerks of heaven, will say to us, “You have accumulated quite a number of points of love,” and our faces will involuntarily be filled with joyful smiles.

“Follow me...” (Luke 9:59)

In today’s Gospel, some people express a fervent willingness to follow Jesus even before He calls them to do so, while others shy away from His call to “follow him” by setting conditions. Certainly, it is important to follow Jesus’ call unconditionally without shying away from it. However, when we want to do our best for Jesus, for the church, and for other people, we need to pause for a moment and reflect on what is the “guidance of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).

A professional golfer once spoke of the, “The miracle formula.” That being, “Miracle = Talent x Effort x Power of gratitude.” He lost many things in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. As a result, he realized that what is important is not money, status, or honor, but love, kindness, compassion, gratitude, and a positive attitude. Before the earthquake, I used to think that a true hero was someone who could persevere in any situation with an indomitable spirit, but after the earthquake, I realized that a true hero is someone who is grateful for being able to do his/her best. You don’t know at that point in life what is a hardship and what is an opportunity. But if you live honestly and without regrets at any time, and with a grateful heart, great power will be generated and miracles will happen. Who makes it happen? He says it is not you, but the people around you. They say that miracles don’t happen by themselves. A grateful heart makes a person big, beautiful, and strong. No matter how strong you are at golf, you will never become a pro. Strong people become pros. And strong people are always grateful to those around them. That is why they become stronger and stronger. He said he thought so by looking at various professional people.

He spoke as a professional golfer, but this word “power of gratitude” also applies to our missionary work. Passion, zeal, and single-mindedness are attractive words, but there is a serious pitfall in them. It is easy to lose sight of what is going on around us. Sometimes we need to stop and look back and wonder if what we are doing is really right. Reflection is especially necessary when we are convinced that we are in no way wrong. Sometimes we are so self-centered that we do not accept the advice of those around us, and we eventually find ourselves in a state of confusion. At such times, is something important missing? The great law that brings great fruit in life and in the life of faith is gratitude to God and to those around us. And that is the “guidance of the spirit.” Gratitude expands our hearts. Gratitude awakens gratitude. And the important thing is not to be thankful after receiving something we have wished for, but to “offer up prayers and requests with thanksgiving” (Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 4:6). Where there is gratitude, there is already fruit. Let’s power up not only in our missionary activities, but also in our professional and study efforts, with the added “power of gratitude.”

“They all ate and were satisfied” (Luke 9:17).

　The word “satisfaction” is one of the words used to express happiness. Here it certainly means that people’s stomachs were filled, however one can only be truly “satisfied” when not only his or her stomach but also his or her heart is satisfied. Our stomach and our heart are somehow connected to each other. When is it that we feel happy after eating a meal? The state of mind when eating has a great influence on the body. “Binge eating” food in a bad state of mind sometimes leads to poor physical condition. Suppose you put a delicious meal in front of your child: he or she will not eat if husband and wife are quarreling. On the contrary, even a seemingly simple meal is a true feast if the family eats it together while laughing. When we eat happily, your joy becomes my joy, and my smile becomes your smile. When we enjoy sharing a meal together, we are also sharing our hearts. A truly delicious meal does not depend on the ingredients, but on whether or not there is joy and peace associated with it.

　I imagine today’s miracle of bread as follows. There was a fullness of love of Jesus caring for the weary multitude. The disciples distributed the bread first to the elderly and children, then to the general public, and finally to the disciples and Jesus. One child was happily eating bread, while Jesus looked at him with the same joy. And Jesus asked him, “Is it good?” The child answered, “Yes, it is delicious.” The crowd ate the bread and at the same time their hearts were filled with the love that Jesus had for them. Because there was love, their stomachs were full, and they were truly satisfied.

　This story of the miracle of the bread is sometimes reenacted in homes and churches. You host a party at church or at home, and an unexpectedly large crowd shows up. Though thinking that this was a problem, you may have experienced that everyone was satisfied while enjoying conversation and eating, and as a result, there even was some food left over. Why was everyone satisfied with a small amount of food and why was there still some food left over? Because joy was there.

　The ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “A wise man is one who does not lament over what he lacks, but rejoices in what he has.” Confucius also taught us to “know what is enough.” To be grateful for what we have been granted and for the family we have been given, and to find joy in it, is the starting point of human happiness across religions.

　Today’s meditation tip: It is not our stomachs that we want to be filled, but our hearts. When we have love and joy, even a little is enough.

“We know that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Hope does not disappoint us.” (Romans 5:3–5)

Suffering does not end with suffering. It will always give birth to hope. It’s a comforting word, and one of my own favorite verses in the Bible. But hardship does not become hope without any effort. It requires a certain amount of awareness, training, and effort. It takes a clear mind and good judgment to see God’s guidance and opportunities in the midst of hardship and transform them into hope. This is generally referred to as an unshakable or steadfast heart. For this reason, the Church has traditionally taught that a regular life is the starting point for spiritual life. The practice of maintaining a steadfast heart by using regularity as a guideline for life can be seen not only in the church, but also among people in leadership positions in society, and even among world-class athletes.

For example, baseball player Ichiro said, “My support is to be my normal self. He says that people around him judge him as being in good shape because he hits well and in bad shape because he doesn’t. Even if he doesn’t hit well day after day, as long as he doesn’t lose his batting sense, he doesn’t worry about it. What is wrong is to get impatient when you don’t get any hits for a number of at bats and carry it over to the next at bat. To avoid this, you need to always be in a calm state of mind, in other words, be your “normal self.

What amazed me was his mannerisms. All his gestures were always the same. For example, when he jumped out from the bench to play defense at the start of the game, he always took 19 to 20 steps to cross the foul line. He would then run toward the right field line, his defensive position, but he always slowed down after 40 steps and was in position after about 15 steps. He was so famous for the way he looked when he entered the batter’s box to get ready for hitting. So he always kept his own rhythm by always acting the same way. His attitude had the flavor of a monk or a nun.

Ichiro also said that on days when he had a game in Seattle, his home stadium, he always had curry and rice prepared by his wife for breakfast, and cheese pizza when he had a game at another stadium. No matter how much he liked it, he would get fed up with it, but he didn’t want to blame the food for any oddities during the game. He achieved that great record by maintaining his “normal self” while thoroughly controlling himself in this way.

Regarding his own goals, he said, “You have to set your goals high, but if you set them too high, you will probably fail along the way. That is why I set small goals for myself and clear them one by one. If you keep accumulating them, one day you will reach your desired goal.” Set small goals that are within your reach if you work hard, not goals that are far away from where you are now, and fulfill the promise you made to yourself by completing them. Having accumulated such a sense of accomplishment, he also said, “The only way to go to tremendous heights is to do small things over and over again. This is something that Jesus and other saints and great figures of the Church, such as Theresa of the Child Jesus, Mother Teresa, and Helen Keller, have all said as well, although their expressions differ.

“The one who is faithful a very little thing is faithful also in much. Whoever is unfaithful in a very small thing is unfaithful also in much.” (Luke 16:10)

“Giving with love in each of our small daily acts of service is the way to the heavenly throne.” (Theresa of the Child Jesus)

“We don’t have to do great things, but we can offer great love in small things.” (Mother Teresa)

“With compassion for others, we can turn small good intentions into great accomplishments.” (Helen Keller)

To complete the ordinary is an extraordinary task.

To transform hardship into perseverance, perseverance into discipline, and discipline into hope is to keep oneself in control, to always maintain one’s “normal self,” and to offer small daily goals with love, while never forgetting to thank those around us who support us.

“Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.”
(Sequence of the Holy Spirit, Liturgical Chant〔352〕)

The resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven and then sent the Holy Spirit upon his disciples. This Pentecost made a 180 degree turn in the human nature of the disciples, who had been so weak, and they became powerful missionaries and went out into the world. Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit is to propel us forward and rejuvenate us. The Holy Spirit is not the object of our prayers in the way that the Son Jesus and the Father are, but rather He is the One who visits our hearts, infuses us with hope, and directs us to the Son Jesus and to the Father. Therefore, there is only one prayer to the Holy Spirit, and that is “Come Holy Spirit.” This prayer is offered today in the Sequence of the Holy Spirit. This prayer was not created in Japan, but has been offered in the Church as “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” since ancient times. The beginning of the song says, “Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light.” The lyrics of this song, using the images of light, water, and wind, bring youth and hope to us and to the church, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that this song is “the church’s youth hymn.” Some older people may scoff at the word “youth,” saying that it is no longer relevant to them. However, youth is not something that can be estimated by age.

There is a poem by Samuel Ullman called “Youth.” After the war, someone saw it hanging in MacArthur’s office and was so moved by it that he translated it. Please read this poem over and over again along with the Sequence of the Holy Spirit.

Youth is not a time of life ― it is a state of mind;
it is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions,
a predominance of courage over timidity,
of the appetite for adventure over love of ease.
Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years;
people grow old only by deserting their ideals.
Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair ―
these are the long, long years that bow the head
and turn the growing spirit back to dust.
Whether seventy or sixteen, there is in every being’s heart the love of wonder,
the sweet amazement at the stars and the starlike things and thoughts,
the undaunted challenge of events,
the unfailing childlike appetite for what next, and the joy and the game of life.
You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt;
as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear,
as young as your hope, as old as your despair.
So long as your heart receives messages of beauty,
cheer, courage, grandeur and power from the earth,
from man and from the Infinite, so long you are young.
When the wires are all down and all the central place of your heart
is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism,
then you are grown old indeed and may God have mercy on your soul.

This poem was written by Ullmann when he was 70 years old. Let us all lift up our heads.

“Jesus was taken up into heaven while they were looking on” (Acts 1:9).

Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. The Ascension of the Lord means that Jesus became invisible and made His definitive return to the Father. Traditional paintings depicting the Ascension of Jesus, such as “The Ascension of the Lord” by the Italian painter Garofalo, emphasize the image of Jesus leaving people and returning to the Father by depicting Jesus floating in the sky and his disciples and people looking up in amazement, according to biblical literary representation. Next week is the Solemnity of Pentecost: after Jesus became invisible, the disciples received the action of the Holy Spirit and understood for the first time the meaning of his words and deeds before his death, and then they became powerful missionaries, preaching the gospel throughout the world. In the same way, children may only truly understand their parents when they die and become invisible. If the disciples grew up understanding Jesus after he became invisible, it is the same for us, and although we may feel a little lonely, let us accept this as a way of life and for the growth of our children.

By the way, in the general society, we sometimes refer to the passing away of a person as “never coming back.” We, however, never use such a depressing expression. We do not become a person who will never come back, but rather we “return” after the journey of life. Where do we return to? We return to the home of our souls, to our Heavenly Father who sent us. That is why in the Church, when a person dies, it is called a “return to heaven.” Jesus was sent by the Father and returned to the Father. We, like Jesus, were sent by God to the world. Generally, those who are sent return to the person who sent them after their mission is over. If a sent person does not return to his/her sender after completing his/her mission, it is called exile or wandering, as the case may be. Even salmon return to the river where they were born to spawn. Why then should we not return to the Father’s house, the home of our souls? When a marathon runner puts in the most effort during the long 42,195-kilometer journey, it is called the last spurt. I believe that many of you are about to come to the last spurt of your life. So let us aim for the finish line and say, “Let us approach God with full trust and sincerity. He who has promised us is faithful, so let us hold fast to the hope we have publicly expressed.” (Hebrews 10:22-23)

“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and make you remember every word that I have spoken to you.” (John 14:26)

We live in a myriad of memories, and our personalities have been formed by countless memories. Memory is part of the human body and all of our spirituality. It was the memory of Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, that made those weak disciples stand up. We believe and hope in eternal life, but we still know it only dimly. But there is one thing we can say with certainty. And that is that the memory will remain. It is not good to live our lives imagining too much about what will happen after we die. What is important is what kind of memories we leave behind after we die. Memories are usually dormant. However, when we are faced with a great challenge, for example, we may recall a memory, such as a word from a deceased parent, and this may help us to walk with courage and hope again, and conversely, a sad memory may suddenly come back and make us feel depressed. We can and must give life to those who will come after us, even after our own earthly life is over. We cannot send the Holy Spirit after we die like Jesus did, but we can send the spirit of love to those we leave behind through good memories. A good memory is a guidepost in life. Jesus told his disciples, “I leave you peace, and give you my peace” (John 14:27). We, too, must leave something behind. And that is a good memory. Let us leave these words for those who will come after us, rereading them this way: “I leave you a good memory, I give you a good memory of me.” The greatest gift we can give to those who come after us is a good memory and a good death.

It is often said that “people die as they lived.” People who have lived gratefully will die with gratitude, and people who have lived with complaints will die complaining. In order to have a good death, one must live a good life, but this is a very subjective matter. For a person, a good life may be like this or like that, and everyone’s life is different. A hospice doctor at a Christian hospital once said, “Having cared for nearly 2,500 people, my feeling is that a good life is a positive life, and one in which one can be grateful to those around them. I feel that these two things are the most important. Everything has a positive and negative side, but I believe that the lives of those who have lived focusing on the positive side of things are positive and good lives. Gratitude is also a very important keyword. I think it is also a good life when we are able to bring to completion our lives while saying “thank you” to our families and to the people around us, and receiving in return a “thank you” from them. I call a person who can fulfill such a life a person skilled in the art of living.”

Good Memory = Positive Thinking x Gratitude　

Now, let us send the spirit of love to those who will come after us.

“I give you a new commandment: love one another” (John 13:34).

To what extent do you use the word “love” in your homes? It is an important word, but in reality, I think we hardly use it on a daily basis. In that sense, I think it is an extraordinary word. Of course, Japanese people have the impression that the word “love” is something ticklish or embarrassing, even though they value and practice it not only in the home but also with each and every person around them.

Originally, Japan did not have the verb “love” until the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Until then, liking toward a person was expressed by ambiguous words such as “koishi” (affection) or “itoshi” (fondness), which expresses a feeling of affection. The word “itoshii” was also commonly read as “kanashii” (meaning “dear” or “precious”). Also, in the Buddhist tradition, the word “love” has a self-centered meaning that expresses attachment to the other person. Rather, the word “compassion” (nasake) has been used to describe a heart that is considerate of the other person’s needs and feelings. In Japan, therefore, there was originally no word other than “ren-ai” (“romantic love”) to express the broader meaning of “love.” In the Meiji period (1868-1912), when translating Western literature, the Chinese character for “love” was taken from the Chinese word of the same meaning, and a new word “ai” was created. However, it was not until the Showa period (1926–1989) that the word came into full use.

Perhaps because the word “love” is still generally used in the sense of romantic love, saying “I love you” out loud may give a somewhat light impression. However, strangely enough, even though the word “love” may give a light impression when uttered out loud, it is actually a word that is yearned for deep in our hearts. That is love. Deep down in our hearts, we wish to love and be loved, but we do not say it directly, but express it with various words such as thoughtfulness, gratitude, preciousness, beauty, etc. Japanese people still live in a culture that values “wabi-sabi,” or the beauty of what is imperfect, impermanent, incomplete, and one of our missions is to approach the gospel from that angle.

“I give you a new commandment: love one another.” While keeping this commandment of Jesus firmly in the depths of our hearts, I believe that putting this commandment into practice in a variety of words and expressions will add depth to the understanding of Christianity in Japan.

“I give them eternal life” (John 10:28)

What is eternal life? Eternal life is a mystery; in fact, I still don’t really know. But “I believe in eternal life. The reason is that I have within me a longing for what is eternal.” (Helen Keller) This “longing for the eternal” comes from the cumulative effect of our small daily lives. Eternity is not a length of time, but something beyond the concept of time. This timelessness lies in the human mind. The mind recalls what happened decades ago and envisions the distant future. It is often said that time passes. Indeed, time seems to pass like the wind, but in fact it accumulates in our mind. Life is like a large sand hourglass. The hourglass shows the passage of time by the decrease of sand at the top, while at the same time the sand accumulates below without making a sound. Like this hourglass, time continues to accumulate in our mind even as it passes. Like the sand in an hourglass, the experiences we have had, the people we have met today, the scenery we have seen today, and the things we have felt today all accumulate in our hearts and minds like snow, weaving through our lives and forming a “longing for the eternal.” This accumulation in our minds is usually dormant, but when we need it, it will wake up for us. There is a poem by Tatsuji Miyoshi called “Snow.”

　Put Taro to sleep, snow falls on Taro’s roof.

　Put Jiro to sleep, snow falls on Jiro’s roof.　

　It is a poem of only two lines, but it evokes a sense of warmth in the midst of a northern winter with a heavy snowfall. Who put Taro and Jiro to sleep? Was it their mother? What does the snow mean? Is it their mother’s love? It can be interpreted freely, but to me it seems that God put the people represented by Taro and Jiro to sleep, and that the snow represents the weight of time. The weight of time, which allowed human beings to experience all kinds of things while they were asleep, that is, unknowingly, will continue to pile up in their hearts. That is why I would like to consider today, this one day, as my entire life, and to expand my "longing for eternity" as I weave my life firmly with all my heart and soul into every moment of it.

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19)

“When you were young, you tightened your belt by yourselves and went where you wanted to go. But when you grow old, you stretch out your hands and let others tighten your belt and take you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this in an attempt to show Peter how he would die so that the glory of God would be revealed.” (John 21:18-19)

Some of you may have sensed in these words of the Gospel what you see in your future. Indeed, when we were young, we did what we wanted to do and went where we wanted to go. But as we grow older, we may not be able to do the things we used to do, and we may be taken care of by our children and, in some cases, taken to institutions we do not want to go to. But whatever form you take, even if it is something you originally do not want, let us trust God’s guidance to the end, maintain our dignity and civility, and in doing so, manifest God’s glory.

In the Edo period, there was a haiku poet named Taki Hyosui in Harima. He was a man of selflessness and abnegation throughout his life. He left behind a haiku poem, “To the seashore, even ama-divers, wear a cape in the rain.” One day, a monk came to visit him, drawn by Hyosui’s fame, but unfortunately he was not at home. Apparently, he had a cold and went to buy some medicine. “Even Hyosui has finally come to be afraid for his life,” the monk said in a half-mocking tone and walked away. When Hyosui returned home, he heard this and delivered this haiku to the monk, who was so ashamed of his own lack of wisdom that he visited Hyosui again and apologized. He never went to buy the medicine because he was afraid for his life, nor did he take life lightly because he was going to die anyway, but he wanted to keep the life he had been given beautifully until the end. With this thought in mind, he composed the poem, “To the seashore, even ama-divers, wear a cape in the rain.” They do not have to go to the seashore soaking wet because they’re going to get wet anyway, or that it doesn’t matter if it rains. Instead, if it rains, they cover up with a cape and go to the seashore while maintaining their dignity as women.

This “seashore” indicates the end of our life. Let’s not be discouraged by saying, “I quit my job anyway,” or “I’m too old for this.” Let’s live positively, let the life we have been given shine beautifully, and walk to the “seashore of life” while maintaining dignity and decorum in trust and gratitude to God, “wearing a cape,” until the last day of our lives.

It is not only the elderly who should not make lax “anyway” decisions, but this applies to the young as well. It is a self-deceiving line that keeps us from doing what needs to be done. When faced with a big challenge, the logic of “it’s impossible anyway” is the reason to run away from it. By switching your mindset from “it’s impossible anyway” to “in that case, I can do it this way,” and striving with courage and hope until the very end, you will open up all kinds of possibilities in life.

Whether you are an elderly person or a young person, this shallow logic of “anyway” or “it’s impossible anyway” will corrupt everything and deprive you of all possibilities.

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19)

The risen Jesus is quiet. He quietly visits the disciples as if nothing had happened, as if the suffering of the Passion was a fake. However, it is a stark fact that there was a Passion, and without the Passion, there would have been no resurrection. Did Jesus, at the height of his suffering on the cross, foresee his own resurrection? If so, it would have been a mere farce and not a Passion in the true sense of the word. The Passion was a state of abandonment, of despair, of forgetting that he was the Son of God.

There can be no Christian spirituality without the contemplation of suffering. But even outside of Christianity, there have been many people throughout history who have tried to find meaning in suffering, setbacks, and trials in order to master life.

The Chinese thinker Mencius (Meng Zi) (ca. 372-289 B.C.E.) wrote the following passage in his “Feng Zhi Chao” (Gaozi): “Shun, a farmer who plowed the fields, eventually became a heavenly prince; Chuanxue, a road construction laborer, was raised to the position of prime minister of Wuding; Jiaokhang, a fish and salt merchant, was adopted by King Wen; and Guan Yigo, a criminal held prisoner by a jailer, was rescued by the king and became the Prime Minister of Kwan-guo. Sun Shu-huang was taken in by the King of Chuxu from a life of poverty by the sea and became the Prime Minister of Chuxu, and Baekri-kei was raised from a humble citizen to become the Prime Minister of Qin by Mu Gong. As we can see from these examples of the ancients, when the heavens assign a person a great task, they always make that person’s spirit suffer, his muscles become tired, his body starve, his actions fail, and his intentions are not what they were intended to be. This is a noble test by which the heavens inspire a person's heart, make him persevere in his character, and thus enable him to do what he could not do before. It is only when a person is suffering from anguish and anguish of mind that he rises to his feet, and only when his anguish and distress become apparent in his face and in his moans and groans that he realizes how to solve his problems. The same is true of a nation. If there are no vassals within the nation to uphold the law from generation to generation and no wise men to assist the sovereign, and if there are no opposing nations or foreign threats outside the nation, the nation will naturally drift into a state of peace and tranquility, and will surely perish. In light of the above, it is clear that an individual or a nation can survive only in the midst of sorrow, and that indulging in ease will surely lead to death.”

God, who guides us through history, teaches us the meaning of life only through many trials, and He wants us to turn those trials into gratitude, so that at the end of our life’s journey, we may return to the home of our souls with the most mature and dignified character and with confidence. 

“Jesus had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9).

The belief in the resurrection is at the core of the Church’s faith, but unlike other ethical teachings of Jesus, it is very challenging. The reason is that we have not yet experienced death as Jesus did. We believe that there must be something greater beyond death, but we have not yet seen it. Our present state can be likened to the state of the daybreak just before dawn. Dawn is the state in which the darkness of the night ends and the light around us gradually becomes brighter. It is an undeniable fact that the sun will soon rise. But we do not yet see the sun.

From another angle, for example, this universe continues to grow while maintaining its balance. The universe repeats birth and death in cycles. That is why life has a definite lifespan. However, the energy of life does not disappear with death; it is assimilated into the energy of the universe and is a preparation to inhabit a new life form again, a return to a new life. This is what the Church calls death and resurrection. Because of death, the energy of life is immortal and eternal. Just as each of us has a different face, personality, and individuality, each of us has a different given life span. The question is how fulfilling a life can be. Jesus entered the tomb at the age of 33.

This world is made up of dualities. Darkness and light, male and female, hot and cold, subjective and objective, inside and outside, positive and negative, entrance and exit, birth and death, and so on. And this duality is the basis of human nature. The American thinker Emerson said that there is a “law of substitution” in this world. For every loss in the world, in nature, and in life, God will always give us something equal or greater in compensation. And conversely, if we gain something, we must lose something else in return. God and nature do not want exclusivity or exceptions. Nothing can simply originate or cease to exist. If you think you have sacrificed a lot in your life, you have actually received greater blessings. Sometimes what you thought were your strengths can hurt you in the end. On the other hand, there is no one who has not been saved by his or her own shortcomings. Our true strength grows out of our weaknesses. For example, when we come in contact with the death of someone close to us, we may be in despair for a while, thinking that it is nothing but a loss, but eventually the memory of the deceased person becomes our guide, pathfinder, and protector in our own lives. That was first experienced by the disciples of Jesus.

When one door to happiness is closes, God always opens a new door to happiness. But often we are so focused on the closed door that we do not notice the new door. Let’s look closely. If we have sacrificed something, God has always given us something equal or greater. Let us open new doors with great hope. We are no longer in the old tomb, just like the resurrected Jesus.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

“Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

Today’s Passion reading from Luke features two criminals. Legend has it that the name of the criminal who taunted Jesus was Gestas, and the name of the one who repented and put his last hope in Jesus was Dismas. In fact, Dismas is said to have been canonized and his name is listed in the Church’s roster of saints. A canonization is a declaration regarding a specific person that this person has entered into the glory of God with certainty, and is usually done by a papal declaration in Rome, but the only person canonized by Jesus in history was Dismas, who was canonized after his conversion on the cross. This is because Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43), which means that he has certainly entered into the glory of God. Therefore, he is properly St. Dismas.

But he is enviable. For with a single word just before his death, he not only went to heaven, but he even became a saint! Sometimes people sarcastically call those who are baptized just before their death or who have not been converted for a long time and who receive the sacraments of forgiveness or the Eucharist just before their death as heaven thieves, but Dismas’ conversion is not a reflection on the gratitude offered to heaven thieves. It means that one is saved when one believes and that the time of grace is when one meets Jesus. Therefore, if we are lazy and think that if we receive the sacraments before we die, we will go to heaven, we will also lose the chance to receive the sacraments. It is too late to prepare for death when we are about to die. It is too late to prepare for death before you die; we must prepare for it while we are still in good health. It takes 20 years for a person to reach adulthood. Then, let’s spend that many years preparing for death as well. This is because death is the culmination of life.

By the way, what happened to Gestas, the man who had scorned Jesus? Dismas was converted and became a saint. Then, Gestas who cursed Jesus went to hell...? We should not, however, short-circuit things like this. While the Church has declared that certain people have entered into the glory of God through canonization, it has never declared that certain people have gone to hell. Salvation is a mystery. Only God knows how He will bring a person to salvation, and we, as His collaborators, must continue to pray for the sinner’s conversion to the end.

But I see both Dismas and Gestas as two aspects of the same person, rather than two people. We can curse God like Gestas, or we can reflect on ourselves and turn to God like Dismas, and we can do this repeatedly throughout our lives. But at the end of our lives, we want to say, like Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

In closing, I would like to talk about Gestas again. He was told by Dismas, “Have you no fear of God, even though you are undergoing the same punishment? We deserve it, because we are getting the retribution for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He then places his last hope in Jesus. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And that’s what he does. Gestas, who was listening to this conversation, being chastised by Dismas, remorsefully says, “Well, I’m sorry too,” and he, likewise, entrusts his last hope to Jesus, saying, “Don’t forget about me, either.” He too was told by Jesus, “You also are with me today in paradise.” Although it is not written in the Gospel, I think it would be in accordance with God’s will for the salvation of all people to read the Gospel in this imaginative way.

“Let the one among you who has not sinned, be the first throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).

The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to test Jesus, and they hurl arguments at him. “Moses commands in the Torah that such a woman be stoned to death. So, what do you think about it?” (8:5) Jesus’ attitude at this point is puzzling. Jesus bent down and began to write something on the ground with his finger.” (8:6) Why did he not immediately engage in discussion? Why did he bend down? In fact, in this attitude of bending down, we can sense the deep compassion of Jesus. The woman’s face must have been pale and slumped over in embarrassment and fear of being killed. If Jesus had argued with the scribes right away, he would have had to look the woman in the face. This would have caused the woman more and more embarrassment. Jesus’ crouching posture shows his deep concern for the woman’s feelings of shame by not embarrassing her by keeping his own face down as well.

But when they persisted in their questioning, Jesus raised Himself up and said to them, “Let the one among you who has not sinned, be the first throw a stone at her.” And again He stooped down and continued writing on the ground.” (8:7) Jesus addressed the people, but still did not look at the woman’s face. As proof, Jesus bends down again. In response to Jesus’ words, one by one, beginning with the elders, they leave, and finally there is no one left. At that moment, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (8:10) When they were alone, Jesus finally raised himself and for the first time looked at the woman’s face. And the woman also spoke for the first time. And with just one simple statement, “Lord, no one.” She did not have the strength to say more. But at the same time, in this one phrase, we see the relief of a woman who has been freed from the fear of death.

In fact, I can see Joseph, her adoptive father, behind this Jesus. According to the Gospel of Matthew, “His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, did not wish to make a public spectacle of Mary, so he decided to divorce her in secret.” (Matthew 1:18-19) If Joseph had been a “righteous man according to the law” of his time, he would have prosecuted Mary for carrying a child before their marriage. And yet Joseph did not want to cause Mary any embarrassment. Nonetheless, Joseph then followed the command of the angel of the Lord who appeared to him in a dream and took Mary as his wife. Joseph’s “righteousness” was not legal righteousness, but rather, keeping God’s law beyond human law, and God’s law is to protect those who are vulnerable. Jesus, who grew up in Joseph’s footsteps, was a “righteous man,” and as a result, he accepted death on the cross.

Jesus did not question this woman’s past at all, but said to her at the end, and to each of us, “I will not condemn you either. Go, and from now on, do not sin any more.” 

Jesus does not question our sinful past. When we meet him, it is the time of grace.　　　　　　　

“His father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20)

Today’s story of the Prodigal Son is the most beautiful parable in the Gospels depicting the conversion of a sinner. Although the title of the story is “The Prodigal Son,” the protagonist is the father. Through his father, the story shows us that God’s only concern is forgiveness, no matter how many sins or mistakes we have committed.　　

When the father sees in the distance his son returning home, ashamed of his own misery after having disobeyed his father and indulged in debauchery, he runs toward him, embraces him, kisses him, and holds a banquet for him. In other words, the father already wishes to forgive his son even before his son’s conversion. The story of the son is easy to understand, but what is difficult to understand is the figure of the elder brother. As the brother himself says, he has never disobeyed his father and has worked diligently, but he is angry and refuses to enter the house, saying that his father did not give him even a single young goat to have a banquet with his friends. So, the father comes out and calms the brother down.

By the way, I understand the brother’s point, but you can see that there is a slight contradiction. When the younger brother asked his father for the property he was supposed to inherit, the father did not give it only to the younger brother, but divided it between the two brothers. In other words, the elder brother already had the right to freely use the property. For this reason, the father said, “Son, you are always with me. All that is mine is yours” (15:31). Furthermore, the elder brother made a great mistake. He coldly refers to his brother as “that son of yours. In other words, once he has left home, his brother is a stranger to him and no longer his brother. That is why he is not happy when he comes back. The truth is that both of these brothers have separated from their father. The younger brother left his father out of selfishness. The elder brother left his father out of envy. The father approaches both of them. He “came running” (15:20) to greet the younger brother, and “came out and soothed” (15:28) the elder brother. Indeed, selfishness and envy, exemplified by the brother’s sin, are the two roots of sin, and many sins stem from these two sins. But God, who is merciful, approaches and condones both of these sins.

It would be easy and fun to respond to this parable by saying, “I am selfish, so I treat my younger brother badly,” or “I tend to be a little jealous of others, so I treat my older brother badly.” However, if that is the end of the story, there is not much point. The protagonist of this story is not the younger brother or the older brother, but the father. The main theme of this story is whether we, too, can approach and accept those who have separated from us for various reasons. Certainly this will not be easy. But faith is not a sport. God looks at our efforts, not our results. On the contrary, sports is all about results, and results are everything. But faith is a process, not an outcome. Even if we don’t get good results, may God turn our daily efforts, that is, our desire to reconcile with those who have separated from us for various reasons, into grace. Let us believe in our small daily efforts.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

“Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” (Luke 13:5).

The Gospel words today relate a story about an incident that occurred at that time that Jesus used as a parable to press for conversion in a harsh tone. Yes, “perish” is a harsh word, but who is going to destroy whom? Paul’s words give us a clue. “Never complain; some of them complained, and they were killed by the Destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). Complaining is a terrible trap that destroys us. The heart attracts what it secretly harbors. It attracts what it truly loves or fears. What the heart does not call does not come. Everything that happens in life is the product of our own heart. What you draw in your mind, what thoughts you have, and what attitude you live with, are the most important factors that determine your life.

In Buddhism, they have the law of retribution. In other words, everything that happens to us always has a cause. It is our daily thoughts and deeds that become causes and bring forth effects. It is the law that if we think something or do something now, it all becomes a cause and will surely result in some outcome. Therefore, what we are now is the result of what we have been thinking and doing.

But today we are going to destroy it together. What are we destroying? It is the wrong us of the past. Jesus met many sinners, but the one thing they had in common was that He never once questioned their past. Even to the disciples who abandoned Him that night of His Passion and fled, the first words of the risen Jesus were, “Peace be to you” (John 20:19), and He made no mention of the disciples’ treachery. This is a happy thing for us. Jesus does not question our sinful past at all. For when we meet him, it is a time of grace. Then let us also destroy the trap of complaint that we have been strangling ourselves with.

The reason we must destroy the trap of complaint is that when Moses asked God for a name, God said, “I am he who is.” (Exodus 3:13) God is the very being that makes the world what it is. The book of Genesis tells us this. “God saw everything that He had made. And behold, it was very good.” (1:31) That is why it is the mission of human beings, created as collaborators with God, to first find the good, not the evil, in everything that exists in the world, and even if there is evil, to transform it into good and to make it grow.

“This is my Son, My Chosen One” (Luke 9:35)

Today, let us receive these Gospel words not only as words given to Jesus by His Heavenly Father, but also as words spoken by Jesus Himself as well as spoken to each one of us. By the way, in the general society, speaking of the “chosen” implies that behind the “chosen” are those who have not been chosen. For example, suppose someone was chosen to be a president or a mayor. This means that others were not elected. The reason for this is that the chosen person had the ability and achievements, while the person who was not chosen lacked them. Thus, in the general society, the chosen person is meant to be more accomplished, capable, and popular than the person who was not chosen.

　But “chosen” before God does not imply such superiority or inferiority. The fact that someone has been chosen by God at the same time means that you and I have been chosen as well. Choice from God does not exclude others; it means accepting the others and walking with them. For example, Mary was specially chosen by God to be the mother of the Savior. That choice is exactly the same as God’s choice for you to be someone’s mother and father. Our life is a unique life in human history that no one else can replace, and it is a special choice entrusted to us by God, who says, “You shall lead this life” (or, “This is the life you are to lead”). We cannot live Mary’s life. At the same time, Mary cannot live our life. Each one of us has been specially chosen by God. At the same time, this means that a special path has been prepared for us that only we can take, a special way to witness to God’s love. Those who have fulfilled this path are called “Saints” by the Church. A saint is not a person who has committed no sin. No one could be a saint if we called saints those who have not sinned.

There is a phrase that says that we as humans are weak and fragile before God. But at the same time, we are strong. Especially when we discover and develop the gifts that are entrusted to us alone, human beings show unparalleled strength, both spiritually and physically. I felt this strongly while watching the Paralympics last summer and this winter, and was moved by the greatness of human beings. I believe that not a few of them found their unique privilege in their physical disability, tuned their wavelength to the divine voice and power hidden in their hearts, listened to it carefully, and found unlimited power within themselves.

　Jesus speaks to each of us today and forever, “This is my Son, my Chosen One”. We are all specially chosen by God. Let us discover the jewel of unlimited potential that God has given to each one of us alone. We are weak in some ways, but we are truly strong when we discover our true selves.

Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit. Then He was led by the “Spirit” in the wilderness, for 40 days, and was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1-2).

Jesus retreated into the wilderness. The wilderness is a place where there is nothing. There is only God and ourselves. There Jesus was with God the Father for 40 days before he went out on his missionary work, and at the same time, he underwent a great trial. The season of Lent has begun. Let us also retreat into the wilderness during this Lenten season. But let us not retreat to some actual wilderness, but to the "wilderness of our hearts." In other words, let's retreat into the world of God and ourselves alone in our hearts and meditate on what we need to do now. This does not in any way mean that we should do nothing during Lent. This Lenten season is the time for taking action. Just as the center of a revving engine needs to be still, the center of our hearts needs to be still with God in order to be more active.

Lent is traditionally a time of fasting. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, he fasted in the wilderness. Fasting has been an important religious practice since Old Testament times, and people fasted when seeking God's will or before making important decisions. However, fasting had a pitfall: it was easy to fall into formalism. This put Jesus at odds with the Scribes and Pharisees. Since fasting is essentially an important religious act, it should be directly related to love for God and man. Jesus himself fasted often. However, Jesus never once commanded his disciples to fast. This is because fasting is essentially directly related to love for God and people, and that love is not something that can be commanded or forced upon others. Therefore, the Church has also encouraged both fasting and activities that testify of love for God and people during Lent.

This Lent began with Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. Every day there are reports of the eye-watering devastation. But military victory does not necessarily mean domination of a country. History has proven this. Now, most of the world is against Russia's military aggression and has acted on it, and the Ukrainian people are more united than ever before. On February 24, in the town of Nichesk in the southern province of Cherson, a Ukrainian woman confronted Russian soldiers armed with machine guns in a scene broadcast on the Internet. The woman accosts the Russian soldier, asking, “What are you doing here?” The Russian soldier replied, “It’s pointless to talk to you.” “Put these sunflower seeds in your pocket. When you die, this sunflower will bloom,” the woman said to the soldier with death-defying sarcasm. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. Since then, people have held sunflowers in their hands as a symbol of resistance in the protests that have been waged around the world. Now, our love for God and man is driving us. Let us, too, each in our own way, look for ways to bring salvation and light to the people of Ukraine, and act on them immediately. Sunflowers will be covering the land of Ukraine again this year.