A Journey in Hirosaki
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| Kevin has been working in Japan for 6 months and joins us in our Novena and Mass in Hirosaki Church |
Living in Japan for the past six (6) months has been a rewarding experience both from my personal and career perspectives. The first time I came here was in 2003 when I visited my brother who was studying at Nagoya University. It was a month-long stay and I enjoyed a lot because I was able to see the beauty of Japan in terms of its culture and advance technologies. Now that I am back, I have this feeling of gratitude for another valuable opportunity to witness the inner and physical beauty of this country. Japan never fails to amaze me and I always look forward to each day that pass, anticipating new discoveries as my journey here unfolds.
I work for a company which is into the business of used car recycling. It is one of the biggest recycling companies in Tohoku region with several branches all over Tohoku. The company recovers scrap metals and used car parts and sell them China, Korea and Malaysia, which are then used as raw materials to manufacture iron. The business of scrap metal recycling is huge in Asia where demand is increasing exponentially. Thanks to the booming economies in this part of the world, resource consumption has been at an increasing rate and there is profitability in recycling. But for the Company that I work with, its corporate agenda is recovering valuable materials for recycling so that there is no more need to use fresh resources to create new products. With recycling, it is able to help our fragile environment by lessening dependence on exploiting our forests and mountains. Japan for one has a big appetite for metals and other resources because of its industry-based economy.
Living in Japan is all about convenience. I always tell my friends abroad that everything is convenient here from riding trains to buying food. Vending machines and convenience stores are everywhere. Going home even late at night is not a problem since Japan is very safe. The challenge though is learning the Japanese language in a country where English is rarely used. I would say it is not a walk in the park to learn because of its complexity and the use of characters which are brain-wracking and at times confusing. But with constant communication with locals, I think mastery of the language is not farfetched.
I am grateful to have known Filipinos here through the local Hirosaki Catholic Church. Meeting hardworking Filipinos overseas has always been my source of pride and happiness. We never fail to impress our host country because of our faith, unbreakable unity and care for each other amidst the challenges of living in a foreign country. It is the spirit of kinship and determination that make us survive regardless of where we are.
Our government calls us “unsung heroes” because of our contribution in building our country. Silently, we toil tirelessly to earn a decent living to support our families back home. In addition, we are also ambassadors of our culture promoting our identity and our country. We take lessons from Japan where culture is deeply embedded in their consciousness no matter how advanced they are. We watch in awe how the Japanese people segregate their waste and put them in designated recycling bins with dedication and discipline. Indeed, we need to take a cue from them to collectively desire progress in our country with our own culture as the backbone of our modernity.
Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
By ;
Kevin Roy
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| After mass sharing |
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MIYAGI KEN
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Watari Mass and Baptism
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| Rika chan during her baptism |
We celebrated together the Baptism of Rika chan. The community celebrated together to welcome Rika to the Watari Community. We celebrated our second International Mass and we were almost overflowing inside the small church of Watari, yet it did not stop us to be joyful to welcome Rika chan. There were also other children who joined in the mass. After the mass Aiko san gathered them together and thought them a song.
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| Aiko san teaching some basic guitar cords |
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Minami San Riku Tagalog Mass
We had our monthly mass in Minami San Riku last Aug. 17 in the temporary building owned by Amelia Sasaki. Despite the busy schedules of community we were able to gather together for our mass. The group from Ishoni Arukou project also joined us in our mass. The group is from the Anglican Church who helped the community to study Japanese and get their licence to be a care-giver.
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Ishinomaki Japanese Mass
After some weeks of being in the hospital, Fr. Aizu joined us in our mass last Aug. 17 in Ishinomaki Church. We welcome Fr. Aizu and told thank all of us who prayed for him and visited him when he was hospitalised. We also introduced Claire to the community.
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FUKUSHIMA KEN
Shirakawa Block Rosary and Tagalog Mass
We have our block rosary and Tagalog mass every first saturday of the month here in Shirakawa Church. We were lucky to meet Fr. Eteme who is leaving for the burial of his father. We assured him of our prayers to him and to the family.
After the mass, we gathered together to pray the rosary and have a house blessing of Maribel.
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| while we were praying the rosary the children were gathered to have their catechism with Aiko san |
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Noda Machi English Mass
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| after mass picture with the community |
We have our monthly masses in Noda machi every first Sunday of the month. Since it was too hot that day, there were only around 10 of us to celebrated the mass. After the mass the Hawak Kamay gathered for their monthly meeting in preparation for their up coming activities.
We were invited too to celebrate the birthday of Aya Ishikawa san, the daughter of Mimi.
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Koriyama Tagalog Mass
On the fifth Sunday, we decided to have a Tagalog/English Mass in Koriyama Catholic Church. This is the first time we celebrated the mass together. Although there were few of us, we were able to make the celebration lively through our songs. We blessed to have a guitarist and a good singers among us. Our next mass will be on Nov. 30, 2014 at 3 pm.
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IWATE KEN
Ichinoseki Children prepares for their First Communion
There will be five children who will be receiving their first communion this month and Sister is preparing for them for that event.
First Communion of 5 Children in Ichinoseki
We thank the Lord for blessing our five children in Ichinoseki Catholic Church on their first communion. After some months of preparing them for this big event, the children received their first communion last Aug. 10 in Ichinoseki Catholic Church.
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Kuji Japanese/Tagalog Mass
We had our monthly mass in Kuji Catholic Church last Aug.9. Despite the impending coming of a strong typhoon, we manage to arrive safely in Kuji. Since it a vacation time for most children this month, we have quite a few of them came to the church and celebrated the mass with us.
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Ofunato Church
Shira Hyaku Gakuen ...
Students from tokyo visited us here in Ofunato . After reading my column at ”Fukuin Senkyo”. they dropped by after their volunteer work in Kamaishi. Since 3.11 they do volunteer works at Caritas kamaishi. I have to make a one hour talk with them. Thank God Erva came in the middle of the talk.
By Marife Sugawara
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AOMORI KEN
Hachinohe English Mass
We had our monthly mass in Hachinohe Catholic Church last Aug. 10. Despite the rain and a sudden earthquake that hit the area, many of us gather for the mass. We celebrated the birthday of Monica. There were also some of us whose parents are here for vacation.
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Hirosaki Catholic Church Tagalog Mass
We had our monthly Tagalog mass in Hirosaki Church last August 13. We started with the Novena prayer. While we were praying I noticed that there were tourist who were coming to see the church. Hirosaki is known for its Churches and Cafe as Terada Sensei would say. During our mass, we have some tourist who joined us for our mass. They were from Chiba and was going around Tohoku during this boon period.
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Diep and Yuki San
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Seiji Saito Baptism in Ishinomaki Church
The Christian community of Ishinomaki Church welcomes Seiji Saito the son of Shima and Gilbert Saito who was baptised last Aug. 31 in Ishinomaki Church. Fr. Aizu and me did the rite of baptism for Seiji. The christian community indeed were happy to witness the this special event for the Saito family.
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Last Aug. we have been reflecting about Peter in Matthew's Gospel. I would like to share the reflection of Fr. William Grimm, MM on Mt. 16:21-27
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AOMORI KEN
Hachinohe English Mass
We had our monthly mass in Hachinohe Catholic Church last Aug. 10. Despite the rain and a sudden earthquake that hit the area, many of us gather for the mass. We celebrated the birthday of Monica. There were also some of us whose parents are here for vacation.
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Hirosaki Catholic Church Tagalog Mass
We had our monthly Tagalog mass in Hirosaki Church last August 13. We started with the Novena prayer. While we were praying I noticed that there were tourist who were coming to see the church. Hirosaki is known for its Churches and Cafe as Terada Sensei would say. During our mass, we have some tourist who joined us for our mass. They were from Chiba and was going around Tohoku during this boon period.
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Diep and Yuki San
I'm happy to inform that my daughter was born on 27th May 2014. Her name is Yuki Koshino. In winter 3 years ago, Hirosaki welcomed us with snow. Snow is everywhere, the roof and the ground were covered by snow. Coming from the tropical country we were impressed by snow and choose it as my daughter's name .
With not so much experiences to being mother, I felt a little stressful and worry about a way to take care my daughter . However, I have received a lot of help from my mom, my husband and also from the doctor and nurses in the hospital so that everything becomes easier .
She came to the church when she was one month and got a blessing from Father Paul Too and many people in the Church. We want her to be baptised next year here in Hirosaki.
Thank You .
By :
Diep Koshino
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Seiji Saito Baptism in Ishinomaki Church
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| Seiji with his parents, brother and a very proud birthday celebrant Adel |
The Christian community of Ishinomaki Church welcomes Seiji Saito the son of Shima and Gilbert Saito who was baptised last Aug. 31 in Ishinomaki Church. Fr. Aizu and me did the rite of baptism for Seiji. The christian community indeed were happy to witness the this special event for the Saito family.
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Last Aug. we have been reflecting about Peter in Matthew's Gospel. I would like to share the reflection of Fr. William Grimm, MM on Mt. 16:21-27
There is no Christian life without the cross.
Yet, we do not want it. As a decoration, it looks nice. As the searing torture of body, mind, and spirit that is really is, we want no part of it. Peter was not the last follower of Jesus who has left,'God forbid it, Lord!' This must never happen to you - or me.
In Matthew`s Gospel, today`s passage follows Peter`s declaration that Jesus is "the Messiah, the son of the living God." Peter liked the thought of Jesus as the Christ, the anointed one of God, sent to bring about the fulfilment of God's plan for the world. We like that, too.
What Peter could not handle was the fact that "from that time on" Jesus started talking about suffering and death as his way of messiahship. Peter and we like our gods to be powerful, not suffering. More to the point, we like ourselves to be powerful, not suffering. God, however, sees things differently. The pains, the crosses of our life, bring us to complain to God.
In my own life, some of my most honest prayers have been at such times. No fancy words, not set phrases, just raw pain, confusion, and anger. In other words, my true self.
Apparently, God prefers the complains of Jeremiah to the solicitude of Peter. When Peter tries to head off talk of suffering, Jesus calls him "Satan" . Jesus says yet another shocking thing about Peter : "You are a stumbling block to me" . How can Peter`s hope that Jesus not suffer be a stumbling block?
Peter is renewing the temptation that Satan presented to Jesus at the start of his ministry, the temptation to avoid the painful way and take the easy way. Jesus is upset because it is a real temptation that Peter presents to him. The cross was Jesus' vocation, but that does not mean he liked it or did not hope for some other way. He prayed for as much in Gethsemane.
The temptation to avoid the cross is not one that Jesus alone faced. We, too, face it. That is the reason Jesus tells us that we must be willng to take up the cross. We, too, must face and overcome the temptation Jesus faced and overcame.
"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up thier cross and follow me." He wants us to follow him to the cross and through the temptation to avoid it.
What is the cross?
It is not merely the instrument of torture on which Jesus was killed.
It is certainly more than a decoration or a piece of jewelry. The cross is the way in which God relates with the world. We say that God is love, and that our lives are meant to be signs of that love for the world, but what is love?
Love is not merely the emotion that is a real part of every healthy human life. The kind of love that characterizes God is not an emotion, but an activity. It is a giving of one`s all for the sake of the beloved. This is symbolized in Christian marriage, where the couple commit themselves to sharing not an emotion, but a life.
The ultimate self-emptying, the ultimate offering we can make in love, is the offering of our whole life. God did that in Jesus on the cross. If we want to know what God is like, we must look at the cross. If we want to show what God is like, we must take up our cross. But, that has implications for us who call ourselves Christians. We must be willing to face the cross, willing to sacrifice even life itself for the sake of God and others. We do it knowing that in becoming like Christ on his cross we also become like him in his resurrection.
As St. Paul says "If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. "
Does that mean we must go on in search of opportunities to suffer?
No.
We need not search.
They will come.
What we must do is to spend our lives facing the mirror crosses that come our way, learning patience, humility, and service. Then, when the big demands come, we will already have learned to deny ourselves and follow The Lord. Then, we will be able to face The Lord in his glory and receive the reward of those who show the unlimited love of God to the world, unlimited life.
link to the homily
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SEPTEMBER 2014 Mass Schedule
September 6 - Shirakawa Catholic Church - Tagalog Mass 1 PM
September 7 - Watari Catholic Church - Japanese/International Mass 11 AM
Noda Machi Catholic Church - Tagalog/English Mass 3 PM
September 10 - Hirosaki Catholic Church - Novena to the BVM 11 AM
English Mass 12 Noon
September 13 - Kuji Catholic Church - English/Japanese Mass 2 PM
September 14 - Hachinohe Catholic Church - English Mass 1 PM
September 20 - Ichinoseki Catholic Church - Tagalog Mass 2 PM
September 21 - Ishinomaki Catholic Church - Japanese Mass 10 AM
Minami San Riku - Tagalog Mass 3 PM
September 28 - Iwaki Catholic Church - no mass
