A Reason to Leap for Joy
| Armando Romero A Blessed New Year to all of us. We are again blessed with another year to continue our journey of loving and living in the presence of God. After all the preparations physically, emotionally and spiritually we finally reach the climax of it, that is: the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. Indeed brothers and sisters, we have a reason to be happy, to rejoice, a reason to leap for joy. But why do we have to leap for joy? What is it there that we have to leap for joy? Allow me to bring you back to the scene of the Visitation, the very moment when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. In here there is this sense of joy brought about by being visited by someone special. Being in Japan for almost 5 years now, I can say that my experiences beginning from the language studies, my internship program and now as a priest were very diverse and challenging. One thing that struck me most is when I do home/sick visitations together with some parishioners. As we all know Japan is an aging society. Most of the people are already old and various establishments are created to cater to their needs. It is a good business so to speak to build establishment like home for the aged etc. There are those who without choice has to be put into those kind of places while a good number of them also choose to stay alone in their houses, apartments with their pets, lucky if they have one. We have to visit our aged and sick parishioners to greet them, know their situation and to give Holy Communion. From there I saw and experienced two realities. First, being welcomed. I saw how they are anticipating our visit to them and the moment they hear our voices, they will do their best to get up and welcome us with all gladness and joy. They have been alone most of their lives and to see us is such a great joy for them. They have stories to share and wanting to be listened upon. Second, being un-welcomed. It was a moment when I felt I was intruding in their lives because they tried to avoid us and they shut themselves (literally and emotionally) to other people. Later on I learned that for most of them they were abandoned and rejected by their children and grand children and that bitter experience was so deep that created a heart of stone in them. They think that everybody are just like those who abandoned them, hence afraid to get in touch and become closer again. This particular experience of mine made me realized that God`s presence brings joy. God`s presence is a reason enough to leap for joy in the same way that a lover awaits her beloved or the way John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth`s womb at the Savior’s coming. Indeed, looking at our society today, there are a lot of thing that can make us happy, but we also acknowledge that they do not last for long. Like money, it devaluates, like popularity, it wanes, like power it can be overcome. All these can be taken away from us at an instance. At one point, we enjoy them and then in another moment we lose them. Then we start asking ourselves, when can we have true and lasting happiness. Through the birth of our Savior, we rediscover the joy of the faith, the joy brought about by the presence of God in our life. It is a joy that can be experienced even when we are put down by our worries and anxieties. Like Mary who shared with her cousin Elizabeth the gift of her very presence and this is the best gift she can offer. It is easy for us to send almost everything materially, but to be the Gift ourselves, to share our time and our presence with somebody, that is the gift that many people long for but seldom receive during Christmas even with family members. During this season of Christmas, let us hope and pray that amidst all this joyful celebration we have in the air, our own joy and happiness are rooted on the everlasting source of happiness, that is the joy being in God`s love and presence when we welcome the child Jesus in our hearts. We delight at in a visit from a friend or a loved one, how much more from the Visit of the lord who comes to us not only on Christmas but each day of our lives? Therefore we are challenged to demonstrate how to become a source of joy to others by giving our time and presence to them during this season. 喜びいっぱいな訳 堺ブロックチーム アルマンド 神父 あけましておめでとうございます。神様とともに愛に生きる新しい旅を、また始めることができました。 おかげさまで、救い主であるイエス・キリストの誕生という頂点に、心を尽くして準備をし、行き着くことができました。 兄弟姉妹の皆様、本当に喜び踊っていいのです。でも何故・どこにそのわけがあるのでしょうか ？ マリア様が、いとこのエリザベトを訪問なさった時のことを思い出してください。特別な人の訪問によってもたらされる喜びの効果がそこに見られます。 日本での５年間で、日本語の学生として、研修生として、今司祭として、いろいろなことに挑んできました。最も心を打たれたのは、信徒の方と病者を訪問したことです。ご承知のように日本は高齢者社会であり、いろいろな受け入れ施設があります。高齢者の受け入れ施設は、もうかる商売とも言われています。そのような施設に入所せざるを得ない人もいれば、一人自宅で、ペットと生活している人もいます。信徒の方々と、病者や独居の方々を訪ね、ご聖体を運びます。この訪問から、２点気づいたことがあります。１点は、歓迎されることです。どれだけ私たちの訪問を待っておられるか、私たちの声を聞くと一生懸命起き上がって、微笑んで迎えてくださいます。孤独であっても、私たちとの出会いを喜びとなさっているのです。他と分かち合い、他を聞く経験の持ち主です。 もう１点は、歓迎されないことです。私たちを避けようとして、心を閉ざされるので、お邪魔かなと思う時があります。後で知ったことですが、自分の子供や孫に捨てられ、邪魔者扱いにされ、あまりにもつらい体験をされ、心が石のようになってしまったのです。みなが自分を捨てた人と同じように見えて、深くかかわることをおそれておられるのです。 この私の体験は、神の現存が喜びをもたらしてくださることを、感じさせてくれます。恋人を待つ人や、救い主と出会ったエリザベトの体内の洗礼者ヨハネが、喜び踊るわけは、この神様との出会いにあるのです。 今日の私たちの社会には、幸せにしてくれることがたくさんありますが、それがいつまでも続くものでないことも知っています。お金・評判・権力は瞬時になくなります。そこで、本当の長続きする幸せを探し求めるのです。 救い主の誕生に信仰の喜びを見出し、私たちのうちにおられる神がもたらされる喜びを見出すのです。悩みや心配で落ち込んでいるときにも味あえる喜びです。 マリア様は、彼女の最高の贈り物として、いとこのエリザベトを訪問なさいました。何か物を贈ることは簡単ですが、自分自身を贈り物として、時間をとったり、一緒にいたりすることは、多くの人が望んでいるのですが、家族の人もこのクリスマスの時期には、難しいものです。 このクリスマスシーズンのあいだ、わたしたちの喜びや幸せは、私たちの心に、幼きイエスを迎え入れるときに神の愛と存在があるという喜びが、幸せの絶えることがない根源であることを思い起こし、祈りましょう。友達や愛しい人の訪問は、うれしいものです。クリスマスだけではなくて、私たちの毎日の生活に主が訪ねてくださることは、なんとうれしいことでしょう。この季節に、時間を設け、ともにいることで他人の喜びとなるように努めましょう。 |