September 2007 Volume 1 Number 6 Newsletter for Filipino Catholics in Nagaoka District, Niigata Diocese August is the month when we remember the end of the Second World War, and the atomic bombing over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s a month when we pray for peace, a peace so im- portant for this world shaken by war. In August, we also celebrate the Assumption of our Lady Mary to heaven, and remember in our prayers those who have gone before us like our deceased parents, relatives and friends. May they rest in peace, and in the peace of the Lord who is gives eternal life and unending joy. August is also the month when people took time for vacation with their families. Resting is not to do nothing but to have time to reflect about the most important values in our daily life. To reflect is to look back, to meditate, and make resolutions for the future. Having said this, it has been a year since the Franciscan sisters from the Philippines came to work in Nagaoka District, and I think it is time to have a little reflection about what we and they had done for the development of the Filipino Christian Community. They are present in all our district churches. They meet the Filipinos in their houses, and search for persons who could not find the way to the church, and make a registry for the whole church. They facilitate Rosary and Bible sharing within the families, and help in the children’s catechism. I myself thank the Lord for their marvelous work they do, especially thinking how large the territory they work in. From now on, I think it will be necessary to have both Japanese and Filipino Christians from the church to help the sisters in their work, and in so doing, we build a church where both Filipino and Japanese Christians come together. I really enjoy the English Mass at Nagaoka Omote- machi Church every fourth Sunday. I hope one day to see you all at every Sunday Mass too celebrating the Day of the Lord with the Japanese Community, and later on become a vital part of the Christian family in our churches. I hope you had a good summer vacation, and may the Lord bless you all! Fr. Bruno Fabbri, OFM Parish Priest of Nagaoka-Ometemachi, Nagaoka-Fukuzumi, and Tokamachi Catholic Churches A Sort of Reflection on the Month of August BONDING 絆 Fujin no Tsudoi (Women’s Day) Come and join us for a whole day gathering of Christian Women in Nagaoka District! THEME: Living Together in Communion with Sharing When: October 8, 2007; from 9:30 AM until 3:00 PM Where: Itoigawa Catholic Church Speaker: Miyuki Asano (A Lay Missionary in Cambodia) Fee: 1000¥ (Please bring your own o-bento) Deadline of Submission or your names: September 24, 2007 For further inquiries, contact your Parish Priest or call the Filipina SFIC sisters.
Transcript
September 2007 Volume 1 Number 6 Newsletter for Filipino Catholics in Nagaoka District, Niigata Diocese
August is the month when we remember the end of the Second World War, and the atomic bombing over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s a month when we pray for peace, a peace so im-portant for this world shaken by war. In August, we also celebrate the Assumption of our Lady Mary to heaven, and remember in our prayers those who have gone before us like our deceased parents, relatives and friends. May they rest in peace, and in the peace of the Lord who is gives eternal life and unending joy. August is also the month when people took time for vacation with their families. Resting is not to do nothing but to have time to reflect about the most important values in our daily life. To reflect is to look back, to meditate, and make resolutions for the future. Having said this, it has been a year since the Franciscan sisters from the Philippines came to work in Nagaoka District, and I think it is time to have a little reflection about what we and they had done for the development of the Filipino Christian Community. They are present in all our district churches. They meet the Filipinos in their houses, and search for persons who could not find the way to the church, and make a registry for the whole church. They facilitate Rosary and Bible sharing within the families, and help in the children’s catechism. I myself thank the Lord for their marvelous work they do, especially thinking how large the territory they work in. From now on, I think it will be necessary to have both Japanese and Filipino Christians from the church to help the sisters in their work, and in so doing, we build a church where both Filipino and Japanese Christians come together. I really enjoy the English Mass at Nagaoka Omote-machi Church every fourth Sunday. I hope one day to see you all at every Sunday Mass too celebrating the Day of the Lord with the Japanese Community, and later on become a vital part of the Christian family in our churches. I hope you had a good summer vacation, and may the Lord bless you all! Fr. Bruno Fabbri, OFM Parish Priest of Nagaoka-Ometemachi, Nagaoka-Fukuzumi, and Tokamachi Catholic Churches
A Sort of Reflection on the Month of August
B O N D I N G 絆
Fujin no Tsudoi (Women’s Day)
Come and join us for a whole day gathering of Christian Women in Nagaoka District! THEME: Living Together in Communion with Sharing When: October 8, 2007; from 9:30 AM until 3:00 PM Where: Itoigawa Catholic Church Speaker: Miyuki Asano (A Lay Missionary in Cambodia) Fee: 1000¥ (Please bring your own o-bento) Deadline of Submission or your names: September 24, 2007
For further inquiries, contact your Parish Priest or call the Filipina SFIC sisters.
Ang Mabuting Balita ay... Page 2 Ugnayan
Elementary Children’s Camp in Myoko
PAGSIKAPAN NINYONG PUMASOK (Luka 13:22-30)
“Noong panahong iyon, nagpatuloy si Jesus sa kanyang paglalakbay. Siya’y nagtuturo sa bawat bayan at nayon na kanyang dinaraanan patungong Jerusalem. May isang nagtanong sa kanya,”Ginoo, kakaunti po ba ang maliligtas?” Sinabi niya,”Pagsikapan ninyong pumasok sa makipot na pintuan. Sinasabi ko sa inyo, marami ang magpipilit na pumasok ngunit di makapasok.” Kapag ang pinto’y isinara na ng puno ng sambahayan, magtitiis kayong nakatayo sa labas at katok nang katok. Sasabihin ninyo ‘Panginoon, papasukin po ninyo kami.’ Sasagutin niya kayo,’Hindi ko alam kung tagasaan kayo!’ At sasabihin ninyo,’Kumain po kami at uminom na kasalo ninyo at nagturo pa kayo sa mga lansangan namin.’Sasabihin naman ng Panginoon,’Hindi ko alam kung tagasaan kayo! Lumayo kayo sa akin, kayong lahat na nagsisigawa ng masama!’ Tatangis kayo at mangangalit ang inyong ngipin kapag nakita ninyong nasa Kaharian ng Diyos sina Abraham, Isaac, Jacob at ang lahat ng propeta at kayo nama’y ipinagtabuyan sa labas! At darating ang mga tao buhat sa silangan at kanluran, sa hilaga at timog at dudulog sa hapag sa Kaharian ng Di-yos. Tunay ngang may nahuhuling mauuna at may nauunang mahuhuli.” PAGNINILAY-NILAY: Tinanong si Jesus ng isang tao sa ebanghelyo ngayon ng ganito: “Ginoo, kakaunti po ba ang maliligtas?” At tinugon ito ni Jesus:”Marami ang magpipilit na pumasok ngunit hindi makapapasok.” Isinantabi niya ang mga teolohikal na pagtatanong at itinuro niya na mas mahalaga kung paano maliligtas: “Pagsikapan ninyong pumasok sa makipot na pintuan.” Hindi nangimi si Jesus na magsalita. Sinabi niyang upang makapasok sa langit, kailangan magsikap ang isang tao. Hindi basta-basta lamang ang pagpasok sa kaharian ng Maykapal, Hindi ito basta dumarating lamang. Ang pagiging alagad ay ang pagkakaroon ng “disiplina”. Sabi nga sa Hebreo:”Huwag magwalang –bahala kapag itinutuwid ka ng Panginoon at huwag panghinaan ng loob… tiisin ninyo ang lahat bilang pagtutuwid ng isang ama.” (Heb. 12:6-7) Dapat maging handang makinig sa mensahe ni Jesus ang sinumang nais na maging alagad niya. Kailangang isabuhay nila ang kanyang turo. Subalit hindi dapat nakatuon ang pansin natin sa ginugol nating lakas sa pagsunod kay Kristo o sa tagumpay nating sa pagsunod sa kanya. Sa halip dapat nating ituon ang ating pansin sa biyayang ipinagkaloob niya upang mahubog tayo tungo sa isang bagong nilikha. Nagkakaroon ng disiplina ang isang tao kapag alam niya kung paano harapin ang mga pagsubok sa buhay. Hindi natin dapat itinatakwil ang mga pagsubok, sa halip tinatanggap natin ito bilang bahagi ng ating buhay dito sa lupa. May kasabihan nga: “To one’s life, some rain must fall” (sa buhay dumarating ang tag-ulan). Hinahamon tayo ngayon ng pagtutuwid ni Jesus na hindi lamang natin masasabing “we make it through the rain” (nalagpasan natin ang unos), kundi ang makita rin ang bahaghari sa pagtigil ng ulan at maging mas matatag pang mga alagad. (Mula sa SAMBUHAY – Fr. Paul Marquez, SSP) GABAY SA PAGNILAY-NILAY: Hindi pinipilit ni Jesus ang sinuman na maging alagad niya. Isa itong patuloy na paanyaya subalit hindi dapat mag-patumpik-tumpik ang sinuman sa pagtanggap dito sapagkat darating ang araw na magsasara ang pinto. Kaylan tayo tutugon sa paanyaya ni Jesus sa atin?
On August 6-8, 2007, thirty-two elementary children from Takada-Naoetsu (24 children) and Itoi-gawa(8 children) churches held their yearly Summer Camp in Myoko Kogen. Around 15 volun-teers including the Filipina sisters helped in facilitating the activities, preparing food and accom-panying the children in their activities. The children were divided into small groups named after Saints Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Their studies focused on one gospel story found in the dif-ferent gospels which they portrayed during the campfire. The children enjoyed the day when they visited Imori-ike, and Sports Center in Myoko. Likewise, they were inspired by the lessons given to them with actual encounter with Mother Nature. They did not only enjoy studying and playing but also encountering God through prayers and the Holy Mass. On August 8, Fr. Hubert Nelskamp, Fr. Mario Canducci and Fr. Domenico Gandolfi celebrated the Holy Mass with the latter as the main presider as he commemorated the feast of St. Dominic, his patron saint. Though children went home tired, they were also happy that they gained new friends, and bonded with old ones from children coming from their own church and from other churches.
Address: 〒943 ‐0834 Ni igata ‐ken Joetsu ‐sh i Nish ish i ro ‐cho 2 ‐3 ‐20 Telephone Number: 025 ‐526 ‐2026 Fax Number: 025 ‐526 ‐7336
Ugnayan is a monthly publication for Filipino Catholics in Nagaoka District, as a way of enriching their relationship with God and Others, through reflections, shar‐ing, and news in and around Na‐gaoka district. Ugnayan is a Taga‐log word meaning Bonding in Eng‐lish and Kizuna in Japanese
