Our Faith Community, and our Calling to Holiness
With our Beloved Mother Mary as our Model
A greeting of Christ`s Peace to all.
I believe that if not all, many of us can say that the movement of our parish community is slowly taking place just as we had before the pandemic. Indeed the more people we see at the church, the more the image of a praying community become visible. It`s always our hope that we can pray together, study together, and work hand in hand in creating activities that will lead us to a meaningful faith sharing, and eventually motivate us more to live our good intentions (to materialize our good intentions) by reaching-out to others further. Let us consider members of our parish community as truly related individuals in our daily life, real friends and contacts in both happy and not~so~happy moments of our lives. We pray that from now on, vacant seats at the church, absence of singing during our mass and devotional prayers, and remote communication in general, will all just be part of the history of our more than four- year past.
Following our Sunday liturgies this recent past, we have shared about some major feasts and solemnities even after the feast of the Pentecost. We have spent necessary time for further reflections about the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, as well as that of the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.. In supplication to the Providential God, we have in us an increased faith. It was the gust of faith that led us to understand that our vocation is to tell others (to spread) too the values and the new society that Jesus had long been introduced to His followers and listeners during His earthly time ( from the beginning of His mission/pastoral ministry, to His passion and death, up to His Resurrection)
Many people have lived a holy life on earth. Though they may have many and different charisms, our generation is looking up to them in terms of faith life and holiness. We have our favorite Saints like St. Martin de Porres, St. John of The Cross, St. Therese of Avila, St. Rose of Lima, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, and many others. Probably most of us Catholic faithfuls keep an image, maybe a statue, for example of our Beloved Mother, Saint Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Maybe in the recent past we have not tackled in detail the meaning of her Immaculate Concepcion (Virgin Birth), as well as her being assumed into heaven body and soul, that was when our Beloved Mother Mary`s life on earth came to an end, So the Catholic Church in the world celebrates the Feast of the Assumption. We understand that her special role, so to say, her unique role in God`s plan of salvation, has made all good and holy things for her, were made possible. The church therefore considers the Feast of the Assumption as the day also for reflection about our calling to holiness. Mary lived and lives for Christ. She is our model, so we put Jesus as the center of our lives and our faith community. Our calling to Holiness makes a lot of sense then for all of us to hope and see too of the possibility of the Kingdom of Heaven which is also for us, and our communion with all the Saints really possible.
We pray that someday, we will all share the grace of the communion with all the saints. While we also pray for all our departed brothers and sisters, we believe that many of them too, not known by all though, share the wonderful communion in the Kingdom of Heaven.
May the soul of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
*The Overflowing Mercy of God in our Community
and the intercession of our Lady of the Assumption
- for the parish community of Catholic Nakahara, Kawasaki City.
A greeting of Christ`s Peace.
Our community has celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary, Our Lady of Mercy. Felicitations to all! We acknowledge each ones` contribution in building rich history for our parish, and in fruitfully extending the Mercy of Jesus to all regardless of race, culture and skin color. We have St. Mary, Our Lady of Mercy, as our model. A truly courageous men and women and children in our parish community, and those who are zealous in celebrating our parish feast day under the patronage of Saint Mary, Our Lady of Mercy, are those who are courageous enough, and are willing from the bottom of their hearts to revisit the vision and mission of our first missionaries who were inspired by the Holy Spirit in establishing our faith community. After spending time in thorough prayer and reflection, the true promoters of the image of Our Lady of Mercy, are willing enough to sincerely open the hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit, continue the vision and mission of our first missionaries amidst many challenges in our modern times. Let us all continue to be faithful to the vision and mission of our parish based on the unending mercy and love of God for all. For us to truly be identified as children of God who is Most Merciful, we remember the heart of Jesus always moved with mercy to all who were thirsty and hungry during His time on earth, and we ask the intercession of our Patron, Saint Mary, our Lady of Mercy, the promoter of God`s mercy, justice and peace. While our Church in Japan and the rest of our brothers and sisters pray and hope for peace and justice in the world, let us deepen our understanding about the message of Mary, our Lady of Mercy.
As a promoter of God`s mercy, justice and peace, our Mother Mary joins the communion of All Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven. We truly acknowledge their holiness because of their outstanding prayer life, and works of mercy when they still live on earth. Our Beloved Mother, our Lady of the Assumption, keeps on reminding us that we too are called to holiness and are recipients too of God`s Kingdom in Heaven. We are called to deepen our connectedness to the Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven. Extending the message of God`s mercy to others means contributing in building the Kingdom of God in the hearts of others. We have all the Saints in Heaven with Our Lady of the Assumption, as our models of holiness and models in doing works of mercy,
As we all strive for holiness too, let us find ways and means to pray for peace and justice for the whole world. We pray for peace in every one`s hearts.
It is also very timely that we all join the rest of our brothers and sisters in Japan to pray for the eternal peace and rest of our departed sisters and brothers. May they too, like our Beloved Mary, a promoter of God`s Mercy and Holiness, our Lady of the Assumption, become recipients of the Kingdom of Heaven.