God speaks Japanese, too

At midday prayer today at the “Little Chapel”, I found myself seated between two Japanese speaking Friars. It was very “interesting” to hear them pray in Japanese. I have always wanted to speak the language but did not have the chance. I had some Japanese classes back in college but it was insufficient to really get to speak comfortably in Japanese. So seated between two friars praying the Office in Japanese felt wonderful. I marveled at the way they pronounced the beautiful Japanese words. Of course, I had the benefit of understanding what they were praying because I had the translation in English. So when they started to say “Chichi to Ko to Seirei no mina ni yotte. Amen”, I know that they started it with the sign of the Cross – “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”. Isn’t it really fascinating how in our Catholic Church we are able to “participate” at set Prayer times with people of other cultures because we say and would have said the same prayers in our own language or in a language understandable to us at set times? Is not that wonderful? If God speaks Filipino and English, God speaks Japanese as well!

blog and blogging

Just created this blog. I do not know what to write about. Recently I was invited by my Religious Community's "Internet Communications Coordinator" to consider the possibility of "chronicling" the first 100 days since my presbyteral ordination. Oh, yes, I am a Roman Catholic priest - and newly ordained at that. I was ordained by His Excellency Donald James Reece, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica last March 14, 2009. So it has been a month and four days since that blessed occasion. I cannot possibly write about all the events that have taken place since then but this much I can say: they have all been life-giving and grace-filled. And it's getting more exciting. I was asked by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement (my religious community) to consider the possibility of serving and ministering in Yokohama, Japan. So, on Monday, April 20, I leave for Tokyo - a little anxious about the upcoming experience but graced as well knowing that there I shall meet the Risen Jesus in the faces of the people I shall be privileged to serve and work with.

Well, this is getting longer. I shall end it here. I hope this is/was a good start.