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.’
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.
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