October 2015

For Our Reflection

Ways to Find Peace in a Troubled World

• When you look at the headlines and feel a pit in your stomach, kick it out and let hope take its place in your heart instead. Here are a few ways to help you achieve this.

• Look around you and notice the good in life

• The world is full of kind and caring people. A story in "Reader's Digest" told of a woman driving home in a blizzard. Her tire blew and she pulled off the road. The man in the car behind her pulled off, too. He quickly jumped out and fixed her flat.
  "I was going to get off two miles back," he said. "But I didn't think that tire looked good." The world is full of people who care. Notice them. Be one of them. It diminishes feelings of despair.

• Stay positive

  Recently a woman reported that when she was a young child, her family lived in London. It was during the war, and bombs were being dropped too close to home. After hunkering down in a bomb shelter with his family, her father came out with them, hugged them and said, "All is well. I have my family. And look; the roses are still blooming." She said his positive attitude became her own, and she has been able to find joy throughout her life.

• Be thankful for what you have

  If you have food to eat and a place to live, count your blessings. Look at your family and cherish them. Being genuinely thankful for what really matters takes away feelings of gloom.

• Share your bounty with others

  We became aware of a doctor friend who had taken his wife out for a dinner date. In the restaurant he saw a young couple, holding hands at a nearby table. He thought they might be young married students at the local college. He had the server give him the young couple's bill. He secretly paid it and left. He and his wife smiled all the way home, and we can only imagine that the young couple did, too. Sharing what you have is a great way to chase a dark cloud away.

• Be a light in someone else's life

  If you're worried about the terrible things that are happening in the world, bring a little light into someone else's life. Our widowed aunt was good at this. In her later years she spent time visiting the elderly at care centers and playing the piano for the patients there. She knew all the old favorites, and they loved it. They loved her. A nurse reported that it was the best medicine ever. And our aunt was happier as a result. Fill your life with good deeds and you'll spend less time worrying about the dire situations that are going on in the world.

• Turn a deaf ear to the doomsday proclaimers

  Sometimes that may mean turning off the news. When those who declare bad tidings show up in your life, turn away. Be selective in your listening. You never have to listen to someone who is threatening that the world is coming to an end on a certain date. These doomsday folks have been coming and going for years, and guess what? The world is still here.

• Keep on having fun

  Fill your life with good times. Life can't feel gloomy if you're having good, wholesome fun. It takes a conscious effort to plan these times. Enjoy a concert, have lunch with friends, take your family on an outing, go for a walk and enjoy nature's beauty. There are so many things you can do to have fun in life. It's pretty hard to feel gloomy if you're having a good time.

• Be prepared for emergencies

  Emergencies come -- job losses, illnesses, stock market crashes and raging wars. They have been going on for as long as any of us can remember. They are part of life, but rarely worthy of panic if you plan ahead. Anxieties can be minimized when we are prepared with a few life-sustaining items on hand. Having some food and other necessary commodities in the pantry can bring peace to your mind. A nice little nest-egg savings can help, too.
  
  

• Keep your faith in God alive

  People who realize that God has a plan for them feel much more secure during troubled times. There is nothing quite like having faith in a Heavenly Father who loves you. Knowing that He is watching over you is significantly comforting. Plant that in the minds of your children and they will feel less fear. Faith chases away fear. Keep it alive in your own heart and in the hearts of those you love.
   Give them a try and you'll find yourself smiling. 
  
  

http://www.familyshare.com/faith/10-ways-to-find-peace-in-a-troubled-world

Ofunato Church News

オルテンシア、今朝の岩手日報（いわてにっぽう）に大きく記事（きじ）が出ましたので、これも母国（ぼこく）に送ってください。昨日の教会委員会（きょうかいいいんかい）では、今度のバザーの益金（えききん）を全額（ぜんかく）チリの被災地（ひさいち）のために送ることになりました。10月いっぱい募金箱（ぼきんばこ）で集めたお金に、バザーの益金を足して送りましょう。

ただ、ネパールの災害（さいがい）があったり､日本でも大きな水害があったばかりなので､たくさん集まることは期待（きたい）できません。

少しでも、オルテンシアを通して、オルテンシアの母国に私たちの気持ちが伝わればうれしいです。

Hirosaki Mass

Last September 9, we had our regular mass in Hirosaki Church. I also celebrated the sunday mass of September 6 here in Hirosaki Church.  From this month, we will be helping in the first district of Aomori for their masses. I stayed for five days in Hirosaki Church and had visited some places. 

During our mass we had a birthday celebrant and we had a simple birthday party celebration. Since i have my mass in Oshimizu home for the aged, i left immediately just in time for my 2:30 mass. 

Japanese Proficiency Exam Preparation

Shirakawa Community is preparing for the Japanese Proficiency Exam this coming December.

after the review for the exam - minna gambare

Ishinomaki Hawak Kamay Community

Migrant Day Mass

Some pictures during the Migrant day mass here in the diocese

In Sendai Motodera Church

in Kitakami Church with Fr. Insen

in Ofunato Church with Fr. Edgar

Happy Birthday Fr. Edgar

Last September FR. Edgar had celebrated his birthday with the Ofunato  PAGASA community.

September 2015

For Our Reflection

The Parable of Ten Bridesmaid [Mt. 25:1-13]

It is very difficult for us to understand this parable. Why are ten virgins waiting outside for the bridegroom? Why do they need lamps? Even scholars are not sure. What is definite is that these virgins are not the brides. Our best guess is that they are more like bridesmaid; they are waiting to process the bridegroom into his feast.

Let us forget about the foolish virgins and consider two details about the wise virgins. First, they have flasks of oil with them. What do these flasks signify? We do not know. They are something extra, something beyond, but what they are is uncertain. After all the virgins fell asleep, they need what is in the flask. Perhaps it is prayer or study. The wise virgins had a stronger foundation of prayer and studying the Scriptures and the Catechism, so they were able to be ready when the time came.

The oil in the flask could also be a symbol of the Holy Spirit; oil often is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. Then we would say that the light of faith burned out in those who were relying only on themselves for faith. The Holy Spirit is the only fuel for our faith that is sure to be there when we need it.

The second detail could be called holy selfishness. The wise virgins do not let the foolish virgins share what is in the flasks. There are many people in this world who would like to keep you from doing what you need to do to be ready for Christ, people who will complain that you are praying or studying or going to Mass when they need you for their own purposes. Do not let them prevent you from being prepared. Be selfish!

We do have human relationships which demand our time and effort. Failing to live up to them is not a holy thing. A mother who did not care for her children but spent all her time in prayer as if she were a nun would not be practicing true devotion. Nevertheless, our relationship with God comes first. We must not allow the world or anyone in the world to demand that we stop praying and studying, to demand that we give up whatever is in the flask that allows us to keep the fire burning. We must be selfish because we will not be able to do any good if we do not first seek God.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hirosaki Mass

We celebrated our monthly mass in Hirosaki Church last August 12. We also planned to have the farewell party of Fr. Tou Paul who will be returning to Kenya at the end of the month. During our gathering Ate Pat came all the way from Saitama to be with us for our celebration. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Communion of Shiori Tanabe 

Last August 15 during the Feast of the Ascension, we celebrated together with the family of Tanabe Shiori san her first communion. After some months of preparation, she was able to have her first communion. She thanked Sister Kitagawa who helped her prepare for this great blessing. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sayonara Party 

I was invited to the sayonara part of the Tokyo dress last August 15. The Tokyo dress is a company here in Hachinohe. The workers were mostly from Cebu and they had been very active in the church acting as choir to our English mass and during the international mass here during the fourth sunday of the month. By October 6 Tokyo dress workers and of course our choir members in the church will be returning to the Philippines. I am very happy to be invited during the sayonara party. To all of you, we would like to thank you for your unfailing support for the activities in our church. We will always pray for all of you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blessing of the Chapel in Ofunato

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mass in Ichinoseki

Fr. Edgar celebrated the mass in Ichinoseki this month. There seems to be a growing number of mass attendees in Ichinoseki. We hope we will continue to celebrate and gather together every 3rd Saturday of the month in Ichinoseki Church.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Baptism in Hachinohe Church

We had a baptism of Rika Takemoto chan last August 23 here in Hachinohe church. Rika's parents are from Ninohe but they ask me if they could do the baptism here. After consulting with Fr. Sato, I ask them to prepare Rika for baptism. Rick's grandparents were also here and joined her during her baptism.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bishop Otsuka shares about Takayama Ukon in Kuji Church

Last August 24, Bishop Otsuka of Kyoto came to Kuji Church to celebrate mass and to give a sharing about Takayama Ukon. This is the second time or the third time that the bishop made the visit to the church after the March 11, 2011 disaster. This time through his request he celebrated the mass and met the christians of the church. There several Filipinos who attended the mass and the talk which the bishop really appreciates because Takayama Ukon who will be beatified next year here in Osaka had a connection with the Philippines. And the presence of the Filipinos during the mass and the talk was really a meaningful moment for the bishop and the Kuji community.  

with the Filipinos in Kuji

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Event - After the Rosary

This the common event here in Ofunato after the block rosary. We had been doing our rosary for four years and we are always blessed with the number of children who are present during our Rosary. And of course the walang sawang kainan. Di yan mawawala. More power to everybody and more blessings.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile in Kessenuma

The Filipino group had conducted a cooking class on Philippine food. They shared their knowledge about how to cook our Lumpia prito, lumpia saging and sago at gulaman.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to be Happier

August 2015

For Our Reflection

The Parable of the Sower

In the parable there is a clear crescendo of soil conditions for growth. So in the best soil scenario we would spontaneously expect that the yield would be always 100-fold. Yet Jesus tells us that in some cases it was indeed 100-fold, but in some other cases it was only 60-fold or even 30-fold. What can the Lord be telling us through this? I believe the Lord is teaching us a twofold lesson. First lesson: we cannot judge other people’s yield. It may well be that others are offering optimum soil for growth, but they have been given low-yield grain. We just have no way of knowing what the Lord has planted in their hearts and any expectation on our side lacks a basis for assessment. This means that we simply cannot judge what may appear to us to be low yield. Second lesson: self-perfectionism does not belong in the spiritual life for the parallel reason that we do not know what type of seed the Lord has planted in our own hearts. Even if we prepare optimum soil conditions, we do not have to yield the theoretically possible maximum, nor do we have to make it to the Guinness book of records. We do have to strive to yield the best we can do. Not necessarily the absolute best, but only our best. Our yield potential is not even well known to us. We just have to be good, faithful stewards of the seed planted in us.

Fr. Edgar Celebrates Mass in Iwaki Fukushima

Fr. Edgar celebrated the mass in Fukushima Taira Iwaki Catholic Church last July 19.  After some months of adjusting to his schedule, at last he was able to visit Taira, Iwaki and celebrated the mass with the Filipinos in the community. The parish priest had been asking us to do the regular mass there, we hope to do it with proper coordination and scheduling.




Fr. Garry celebrated the mass in Hirosaki

After some weeks rescheduling our monthly mass in Hirosaki, we were able to agree on a date in which Fr. Garry will be available to celebrate the mass with us here in Hirosaki. During our monthly mass, we gather together offer the rosary to our Lady and pray together our Wednesday Novena.  After our Mass, we decided to go together to Goshogawa and just have some simple sharing.  It was a good way to be together.

CTIC Celebrates is 25th Year

I am able to join the celebration of CTIC 25th year celebration in Meguro last July 20. I decided to join the celebration since I also have a meeting with AOS core group the day after the celebration in Yokohama.  The mass was officiated by Bishop Okada of Tokyo Archdiocese and there were around 30 concelebrants who joined the bishop.
After the mass a simple party is held at the church hall. Its good to meet some good friends and people whom I worked with from the diocese of Hiroshima and people who helped us here in the diocese after the disaster of 2011.

with Fr. Edwin of CTIC 

with some friends from Tokyo

Heroes for Better Award

Heroes For Better is a Global Tribute and Advocacy that aims to celebrate and recognize the efforts of Filipinos around the world who, in their own little way, have given their time, personal resources, skill or expertise to make a positive change. It also aims to showcase them as role models to inspire others to likewise take positive action to help create a better world. This is an advocacy about ordinary Filipinos who were able to achieve extraordinary things through their small acts of giving and heroism.

We are proud to have Adel as one of the chosen heroes. Congratulations Adel and keep up the good work.

Nothing’s new when we thank the heavens for what’s good and beautiful.

But when unfortunate things happen, do we bravely realize the good that happens as an aftermath of what’s bad and sad?

Adelaida Saito went to Japan in 1986 in hopes of giving her family in the Philippines a better life. Overcome with homesickness and longing for her loved ones, the first few years proved to be difficult until she met her husband. Together, they built a family of their own and created a simple yet peaceful life.

But on one fateful day in March 2011, their quiet life in Japan suddenly became swamped by fear. She was busy at work when the 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck. It triggered a major tsunami that swept the Miyagi Prefecture and destroyed everything in its path.  It was a nightmare she never thought would end, coming face to face with fellow residents severely hit by one of the country’s most devastating calamities in modern times.

As a migrant Filipino worker living in Japan for almost three decades, she never knew what it meant to be homeless.  Helpless.  Hopeless.   The only place to go to was the church. “It became our home… it became our comforter ….a dwelling place for the Filipino community in our area.  We were all surprised by the number of kababayans living in our place. We found a family.”

Through the untiring efforts of the parish priest and the Japanese Catholic communities, broken pieces of lives were slowly regained.  And with global help and assistance coming in, Adelaida and her fellow victims survived. “The situation became an eye-opener for me. I realized that I am my brother’s keeper.”

With her experience as church leader, she sought permission from the parish priest to contact other tsunami victims from different areas and gather them inside the Ishinomaki Catholic Church. The gathering opened the floodgates of mutual empathy and stirred heartfelt goodness among the kababayans.  And with much determination, Adelaida decided to spearhead an organization named “Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay” which initially aimed at helping Filipino tsunami victims in Japan.

Although small in numbers, the goodness spawned by the group began to create a major impact stronger than the earthquake that started it.  “As of today, Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay is not only limited in helping Filipinos in Japan. We created numerous activities and events to help people in other parts of the world experiencing emotional, social and economic devastation made by natural calamities.” 

Now a group of 20 passionate individuals eager to lend a helping hand, Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay has already helped countless of typhoon and earthquake victims simply by selling goods and organizing relief drives. The Filipino talent in dance and music was also put to good use, as the group mounted traditional dance festivals to raise funds that the group uses to provide financial aid and relief goods to victims of natural disasters.

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, hit Southeast Asia. The typhoon pummeled a large part of the Visayan region, leaving millions of families devastated and thousands of lives lost. Adelaida and her group were quick to send their love and support to their kababayans through their partnership with an non-governmental organization (NGO).

With the help of international organizations, the group has extended the reach of relief support to other parts of the world. During the aftermath of the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Nepal in April this year, Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay was among the organizations to immediately send help.

But apart from giving financial and material aid, Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay also provides emotional and spiritual refuge to victims. “We believe that aside from material support, spiritual support is most important during the time of sorrow, during the time of mourning and during the time we feel alone and hopeless.” 

Today, Adelaida and her friends continue to “hold hands” that extend to touch the lives of others. The earthquake may have taken everything away from them.  But the impact it left, turned out to be real goodness that now truly matters.  A more meaningful life lived for others.

How about you?  Are you brave enough to be thankful for the earthquakes in your life?

Adelaida is just one of the millions of Filipino migrants around the world.
Each one of them is a hero….
striving to make life better for their families, their communities, their country.

click here for the original article.

http://www.wuheroesforbetter.org/the-heroes/adelaida-saito/

July 2015

FOR OUR REFLECTION

SOMETIMES A FEW MOMENTS of regulated breathing are enough to dispel an agitated state. Other times, we need to widen the gap between arousal and response—the emotion is too intense, the impulse to react goes too deep, the situation’s complexities cloud our vision.

At such times, we need more space in order to emerge from the rapids of reactivity and solidify our footing on the banks of grounded perspective. Catching our breath means taking a break. We need a time-out. We need to let settle the turmoil within. We can do this in multiple ways.

Change your location. Go for a walk, spend time in nature, find a quiet place to sit, take a drive, or take refuge in a sacred site—a chapel, mosque, temple, or monastery.

Engage your body. Do yoga, get a massage, take a bath, go for a run, ride a bike, throw clay, make music, dance, or draw.

Connect with a trusted person. Visit your therapist or spiritual director, talk with a friend, confide in a loved one, consult a mentor or spiritual teacher, seek counsel from a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam.

Perform a spiritual practice. Pray, meditate, journal, repeat a mantra, walk a labyrinth, go on a retreat.

taken from Daily upper Room 

http://daily.upperroom.org/?p=5318




Hirosaki Filipino Community

June 16, we gathered together in Hiroaki Community for our monthly Novena and english mass. There were around 20 of us who are gathering to pray together and have a simple sharing.  We were lucky because most of us had our yasumi from our company so we were able to gather together for the mass.

Ichinoseki Mass

Fr. Edgar Celebrated the monthly mass at Ichinoseki Church. Since it was also a Fathers Day mass, the group had offered this mass for all the Fathers.

First Communion in Ofunato Church

Five children had their first communion in Ofunato church last June 7.  Fr. Shiota also joined us in our celebration.

Welcome Fr. Haru

Before he left for the Philippines to assume the work as formator, Fr. Haru took time to visit the Ofunato community and be with them for a week. It was a wonderful reunion after a year if being out of the country. Fr. Haru celebrated two Sunday masses with the community and even visit Hachinohe.  We pray for you always Fr. Haru and we hope to visit you in the Philippines.

during the mass in Ofunato Church

Terada Sensei post "The prodigal son and his father"