Our deepest identity. Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

 

The Gospel of John (1:29-34)

Directed by Philip Saville

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

http://www.universalis.com/20230115/mass.htm

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel John 1:29-34 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)  

The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Léachtaí i nGaeilge 

Fr Barry Cairns and Mr  Dismas Shigeru Kato 

Fr Barry Cairns, a Columban priest born in New Zealand in 1931 who is still enthusiastically  testifying in Japan that this is the Son of God tells a story in a number of our Columban magazines of one of his parishioners, Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato, who is doing the same in his 90s.He became a Catholic as an adult. Only about one person out of 200 in Japan is a Catholic.  Father Barry tells us about his parishioner when they were both younger.

I would like to introduce Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato. He was born 91 years ago in a small fishing village called Kushimoto in Wakayama Province of Japan. In his youth and when drafted into the wartime army he built up a massive debt for alcohol at different bars.

Then he got married. His wife was very patient with him. Mr Kato worked for the Kansai Electric Power Company. He cared for external power lines. He was paying off his debts bit by bit.

Then Mr Kato became a Christian, first with the local Protestant Church and later the Catholic Church where he was baptized. He chose as his baptismal name Dismas, which is the traditional name of the penitent brigand on a cross beside Jesus at his crucifixion.

At this time I was pastor of Kushimoto which was one of the smallest parishes in Japan. It was definitely a mission of primary contact to the un-evangelized! At Sunday Mass we had 5-10 people attending. However after Mass, 50 non-Christian children from the village came for Sunday school. Mr Kato's daughter, Majimi, was the only Christian.

It was here that Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato really shone in the darkness. For the children we used a projector showing a film strip about a small Catholic boy in Africa. Remember this was before TV came into the village. The film strip was in colour and most extensive with many episodes. Mr Kato would study each episode during the week and in the darkness needed for the projector could tell the story without looking at the script. Each character in the story was given in its own distinctive voice. It was a masterful and captivating presentation. I often heard the children discussing both the developing story and its Christian message.

At this time too Mr Kato was giving witness in another field. The Kansai Electric Company had a trade union seminar. The subject was traffic safety. During the open discussion Mr Kato stood up and said: ‘As many of you know I am a Christian. You have probably heard that Christ 2,000 years ago was strong on love of others. A modern aspect of love of neighbour is safe driving. Let the driver be concerned and respectful for others who use the road. Aggressive, dangerous driving can be a form of self-centredness. Careful, considerate driving is a form of love of neighbor. Let this be our motive for safe driving.’

A moment of spontaneous reflective silence was followed by massive applause. This was a new, different, and appealing approach.

The provincial section of the newspaper featured Mr Kato and his talk emphasising motivation for safe driving instead of just keeping rules for their own sake.

At 91 Shigeru Kato has moved into a Catholic-run retirement home. Here he is a leader of a group who pray the Rosary together.

I pray for more like Mr Kato to evangelize this nation of Japan.

+++

Mr Kato's life, where his Catholic Christian faith permeates everything he does, reflects the spirit of the Letter to Diognetus, written in the second century, which speaks of how we Christians are meant to live in the world. We can get a flavour of it here.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe . . . They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed.

People in many countries, and many here in Ireland itself, were utterly shocked and disheartened at the many voters here in recent referendums  - one in 2015 that re-defined marriage as no longer necessarily involving a man and a woman, the other in 2018 to do with the sacredness of the life of the unborn child - who saw no connection between their faith and the way they voted. We can never separate the reality that through our baptism we become the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and of one another, from the reality of our daily lives and our lives as citizens. Everything is meant to be permeated by that marvellous truth in which we find our deepest identity, the truth that by baptism we are the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father.

Kinasai-omoniwo-oumono

Composed by Saburo Takada

This Japanese hymn is based on Matthew 11:28-30. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Feast of the Santo Niño (Philippines)

Señor Santo Niño de Cebú

[Wikipedia]

You will find Sunday Reflections for the Feast of the Santo Niño, observed this year on 15 January, here.

Traditional Latin Mass

Second Sunday After the Epiphany

The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-15-2023 if necessary).

Epistle: Romans 12:6-16. Gospel: John 2:1-11.

Marriage at Cana (detail)

Paolo Veronese [Web Gallery of Art]

'I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.' Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. [In the Philippines, The Feast of the Santo Niño]

The Gospel of John (1:29-34)

Directed by Philip Saville

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Gospel John 1:29-34 (New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)  

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

John 1:29-34 in Filipino Sign Language

In the First Reading the Prophet Isaiah says, And now the  Lord who formed me in the womb to be his servant. In the last line of the Gospel St John the Evangelist writes: And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.

The readings for me point towards our basic vocation or call from God arising from our baptism  to testify that this is the Son of God. In other words to be living gospels.

Fr Barry Cairns and Mr  Dismas Shigeru Kato 

Fr Barry Cairns, an 88-year-old Columban from New Zealand who is still enthusiastically  testifying in Japan that this is the Son of God tells a story in a number of our Columban magazines of one of his parishioners, Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato, who is doing the same in his 90s.He became a Catholic as an adult. Only about one person out of 200 in Japan is a Catholic.  Father Barry tells us about his parishioner when they were both younger.

I would like to introduce Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato. He was born 91 years ago in a small fishing village called Kushimoto in Wakayama Province of Japan. In his youth and when drafted into the wartime army he built up a massive debt for alcohol at different bars.

Then he got married. His wife was very patient with him. Mr Kato worked for the Kansai Electric Power Company. He cared for external power lines. He was paying off his debts bit by bit.

Then Mr Kato became a Christian, first with the local Protestant Church and later the Catholic Church where he was baptized. He chose as his baptismal name ‘Dismas which is the traditional name of the penitent brigand on a cross beside Jesus at his crucifixion.

At this time I was pastor of Kushimoto which was one of the smallest parishes in Japan. It was definitely a mission of primary contact to the un-evangelized! At Sunday Mass we had 5-10 people attending. However after Mass, 50 non-Christian children from the village came for Sunday school. Mr Kato's daughter, Majimi, was the only Christian.

It was here that Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato really shone in the darkness. For the children we used a projector showing a film strip about a small Catholic boy in Africa. Remember this was before TV came into the village. The film strip was in colour and most extensive with many episodes. Mr Kato would study each episode during the week and in the darkness needed for the projector could tell the story without looking at the script. Each character in the story was given in its own distinctive voice. It was a masterful and captivating presentation. I often heard the children discussing both the developing story and its Christian message.

At this time too Mr Kato was giving witness in another field. The Kansai Electric Company had a trade union seminar. The subject was traffic safety. During the open discussion Mr Kato stood up and said: ‘As many of you know I am a Christian. You have probably heard that Christ 2,000 years ago was strong on love of others. A modern aspect of love of neighbour is safe driving. Let the driver be concerned and respectful for others who use the road. Aggressive, dangerous driving can be a form of self-centredness. Careful, considerate driving is a form of love of neighbor. Let this be our motive for safe driving.’

A moment of spontaneous reflective silence was followed by massive applause. This was a new, different, and appealing approach.

The provincial section of the newspaper featured Mr Kato and his talk emphasising motivation for safe driving instead of just keeping rules for their own sake.

At 91 Shigeru Kato has moved into a Catholic-run retirement home. Here he is a leader of a group who pray the Rosary together.

I pray for more like Mr Kato to evangelize this nation of Japan.

+++

Mr Kato's life, where his Catholic Christian faith permeates everything he does, reflects the spirit of the Letter to Diognetus, written in the second century, which speaks of how we Christians are meant to live in the world. We can get a flavour of it here.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe . . . They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed.

People in many countries, and many here in Ireland itself, were utterly shocked and disheartened at the many voters here in recent referendums,  - one that re-defined marriage as no longer necessarily involving a man and a woman, the other to do with the sacredness of the life of the unborn child - who saw no connection between their faith and the way they voted. We can never separate the reality that, through our baptism we become the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and of one another, from the reality of our daily lives and our lives as citizens. Everything is meant to be permeated by that marvellous truth in which we find our deepest identity, the truth that by baptism we are the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father.

Take and Receive

Words and music by Fr Manuel V. Francisco SJ

Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty;

Take all my will, my mind, my memory.

All things I hold and all I own are Thine.

Thine was the gift, to Thee I all resign.

Do Thou direct and govern all and sway.

Do what Thou wilt, command, and I obey.

Only Thy grace, Thy love on me bestow.

These make me rich, all else will I forego.

A contemporary setting of the Suscipe prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola by a Filipino Jesuit and  sung by a Filipino choir in Singapore. 

Feast of the Santo Niño (Philippines)

Señor Santo Niño de Cebú

[Wikipedia]

You will find Sunday Reflections for the Feast of the Santo Niño, observed this year on 19 January, here.

Columban Fr Keith Gorman RIP. 'Having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity.'

Fr Keith Gorman

(21 January 1920 - 19 December 2016)

Keith Francis Gorman was born in Brisbane, Queensland, on January 21, 1920, an only son between two sisters. In 1937 he came to St Columban’s, Essendon, where he did his Spiritual Year and Philosophy. Then in 1940 he went to St Columban’s Seminary in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, to do Theology as WWII prevented him from travelling to Ireland. He was the first Australian Columban seminarian to do this but he was joined by others the following year. He was ordained in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Buffalo, New York, USA, on 18 December 1943 by Bishop John Aloysius Duffy. 

Church of the Assumption, Yakatamachi, Wakayama City [Source]

In 1944 Father Keith returned to Australia and worked in a number of parishes until 1948 when he was appointed to China but this was changed to Japan after a few months in Shanghai. He studied the Japanese language in Yokohama and was then appointed as pastor at the parish of Chigasaki, Diocese of Yokohama. After vacation in 1955 he was appointed pastor at Yakatamachi in Wakayama City.

Fr Barry Cairns, a New Zealander, writes about his experience as a young priest in Yakatamachi with Father Keith here.

In 1964 Father Keith was appointed to the Australia - New Zealand Region, stationed at first at the Columban House in Toowong, Brisbane. Then he did parish supplies for three years and Columban promotion in the Archdiocese of Perth.  This was followed by a few years as Bursar at the seminary in Turramurra, New South Wales, and then as Vocations Coordinator in the state of New South Wales.

Father Keith the gardener

In 1975 Father Keith began a ministry to the aged as chaplain at Nazareth House Aged Care, Turramurra. After a sabbatical and some studies in the subject of ageing he continued in this ministry as chaplain to the retired Presentation Sisters at Windsor in Melbourne.  Around the same time he helped to found ROTA - Religious of the Third Age - a social and spiritual organisation for retired Religious. During this period he wrote a number of articles on the theme of ageing, some of which were printed in The Far East.

Embracing the 21st Century

Read Father Keith's Old Age, a Gifted Time.

Father Keith himself retired to St Columban’s, Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, in 1997 and was a lively and cheerful presence there until a fall in September 2012 resulted in hospitalisation and a subsequent move to Mercy Place Aged Care, Parkville.

'A humble man with time and respect for everyone'

He is remembered as a humble man who always had time and respect for everyone. He excluded no one. He was fun-loving and always ready to laugh, share a joke – even one on himself – and join in whatever was going on. In one of his articles he wrote that his idea of heaven was having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity, following the scene in John 21.  May he be enjoying that breakfast now. 

'Having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity' [1:57 - 2:50]
From The Gospel of John directed by Philip Saville.

You may read some of Fr Gorman's Reflections here.

St Columban's, Essendon

I met Father Keith on my first visit to Australia in May 1990 in St Columban's Seminary, Turramurra, near Sydney, which is now closed. I was struck by his delightful personality and sense of humour. I remember him laughing when I quipped that he had been ordained so long ago - the year I was born - that the ceremony had been in Aramaic! I met him again in Essendon in 2009 when I was doing mission appeals in Melbourne. While I was there he won a very large TV in a raffle in a nearby Anglican parish and his delight was utterly childlike when it was delivered.

And what a beautiful image of heaven he had: Having breakfast with Jesus on the shores of eternity. 

The light of heaven upon Father Keith  - and may we all join him with Jesus for breakfast on the shores of eternity when our time comes!

'I know my own and my own know me.' Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday of Easter, Year B

From The Gospel of John (2003) directed by Philip Saville

Today's Gospel, John 10:11-18 [1:19 - 2:30]

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

              

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Gospel John 10:11-18 (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, Canada) 

Jesus said:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Fr Barry Cairns with a First Communicant in Japan

Fr Barry Cairns is a Columban priest from New Zealand who was ordained in 1955 and went to Japan in 1956 where he still is. He writes frequently for our various Columban magazines. I met him only once but I know him to be the kind of joyful proclaimer of the Gospel that Pope Francis so often speaks about. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday and I thought that this article of Father Barry, published inthe April issue

of The Far East, the magazine of the Columbans in Australia and New Zealand, was very appropriate.

I do think it necessary that we pray for our priests, for those preparing for the priesthood and for those being called by God to the priesthood.

We priests have taken a battering in recent years because of wrongdoing by some. There is no excuse for that. But since Vatican Two it seems that the vocation of the priest has been 'downgraded' by many in an effort to highlight the dignity of the vocation of lay persons to be fully involved in the mission of the Church. Father Barry gets the balance right below: It happened that I was hijacked into doing a Marriage Encounter with another priest. In an open-sharing session a married man said, It is seeing you priests living a celibate life that helps me remain faithful in my married life. It is this prayerful solidarity with married couples which I believe is important for priests in their vocations. We share a journey.

Fr Barry Cairns

50 Years of Holy Disquiet

Being a Missionary Priest at 80 years of age

Fifty years ago when I was a very young priest, I read a prayer composed by Romano Guardini that went like this, O Lord give me the gift of holy disquiet…take my hand; help me to cross over to you. This is a healthy disquiet because it leads not to discouragement but to reliance on the Lord. I still value this prayer.

I ask the reader (of this article) these questions:

• Do you somehow feel dissatisfied with life at the moment?
• Do you have an unfulfilled yearning in your heart?
• Do you feel there is something missing in your life?
• Do you want for something in life, more than what you have?

At various times in my 50 years as a Columban missionary priest, I have answered yes to all of these questions. There are various strategies to escape from facing the disquiet. It is so easy for a priest to get very busy. Among other escapes, I used to flee to the wide open spaces of the Arizona desert with a Louis L’Amour western!

As a young priest

When I was a young priest, full of first fervor, I prayed that I would 'stay on the rails'. Then came the stark realisation that I could leave the priesthood tomorrow, especially when faced with the loneliness of living in another culture. I had realized that to be a faithful, celibate priest was absolutely impossible on my effort alone. It was a total gift from God, I was just called to cooperate. I became free! I was called to rely on Christ’s strength.

In my 50s

In my 50s, as time wore on, I was doing the priestly thing every day – Mass, Sacraments, Homily, instructions for Baptism and so on. It happened that I was hijacked into doing a Marriage Encounter with another priest. In an open-sharing session a married man said, It is seeing you priests living a celibate life that helps me remain faithful in my married life. It is this prayerful solidarity with married couples which I believe is important for priests in their vocations. We share a journey.

This Holy Disquiet seems to hit me every 10 years! 

In my 60s

It was in my 60s that I was asking myself, Is my enthusiasm for overseas mission waning? It is my personal experience, that it is not the actual work of the missionary priest that leads to stress, burn out and early retirement. Rather it is the mistaken notion that the priest has to do everything himself. That kind of responsibility is draining.

Fr Barry Cairns with Izumi and Mina, two 20-year-old parishioners celebrating Coming of Age Day.

In my 70s

My turning point came at 70. I had just been appointed by my Bishop to an inner city parish in Yokohama, Japan. Our bishop in a pastoral letter had used the difficult word "subsidiarity" (even more difficult in Japanese!). I was asked to explain what this word meant during a meeting with Japanese priests, in our inner city deanery. I said that 'subsidiarity' means delegating authority and various jobs to others and trusting them to do the job given. The parish priest gives me encouragement from the sideline, "and it is very much a team effort". The parish priest is the symbol and source of unity for all the various jobs, especially in the liturgy.

Having studied this theory, I decided to consciously put it into practice. Within two years, in a deeper way, our community became missionaries in their own milieu. They became more united, more welcoming to the stranger and more concerned for the poor. They became just plain happy, and our liturgy became vibrant.

In my 80s

A lovely side effect of all this, is that at 80 I felt free from stress. I feel that I am a far more effective missionary than the days of my 'do-it-yourself' youthful vigor! My prayer is still, O Lord keep causing holy disquiet and keep giving me the courage to face it.

Blessed Rupert Mayer SJ

Blessed Rupert Mayer SJ

(23 January 1876 - 1 November 1945)

This German Jesuit priest was another Good Shepherd. He volunteered to be a chaplain in the German Army during the Great War (1914-18) during which he lost a leg. He was highly critical of Hitler and the Nazi regime and for that he spent time in a concentration camp.

He died of a stroke while celebrating Mass.

The song below is based on a prayer of Blessed Rupert.

Music by Fr Manoling Francisco SJ, performed  by Bukas Palad

Lord, what You will let it be so

Where You will there we will go

What is Your will help us to know

Lord, when You will the time is right

In You there's joy in strife

For Your will I'll give my life

To ease Your burden brings no pain

To forego all for You is gain

As long as I in You remain

Because You will it, it is best

Because You will it, we are blest

Till in Your hands our hearts find rest

Till in Your hands our hearts find rest

The lyrics of this song are by Blessed Rupert Mayer, S.J. a contemporary Jesuit recently beatified. Moved by the text, Father Manoling wrote the music during a retreat in Baguio.

Lyrics Blessed Rupert Mayer, SJ

Music Manuel V. Francisco, SJ

Arrangement Arnel d C. Aquino, SJ

These are but two of countless Good Shepherds whom God has called to serve his people as priests.

Pope Benedict XVI [Wikipedia]

Collect, Mass for Priests

Lord our God, who in governing your people 

make use of the ministry of Priests, 

grant to these men 

a persevering obedience to your will, 

so that by their ministry and life 

they may gain glory for you in Christ, 

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God, for ever and ever.