Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent • March 13, 2011

By Deacon Greg Kendra • The Deacon's Bench Blog

Friday morning, when I clicked on my computer at home, I was stunned, like a lot of people, to see the images and video from Japan.

Within hours after it happened, almost instantaneously, hundreds if not thousands of pictures and videos had been loaded onto the Internet, many from cell phone cameras, capturing this disaster as it was happening. It has brought the whole world into this experience in an astonishing way – with an urgency and an intimacy, I think, that rivaled what we remember from 9/11. We have all found ourselves somehow connected to this catastrophe.

Earlier in the week, ironically, the Smithsonian released some pictures that also connected us to another catastrophe: several previously unseen photographs following the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. And they looked like they could have been taken yesterday – because, incredibly, they were in color, using a special technique and camera. It’s a shock to see because, as one historian explained: “We only know the world of the past in black and white.”

But that’s not the way it was lived. I think that relates, as well, to this morning’s gospel. The life of Christ was more than just words on a page, more than black and white. Here we see the savior of the world in living color.

He was God. And he was a man.

He was one of us.

In a few weeks, we will hear again of how he suffered and struggled and bled to death on the cross. But here, we get another glimpse of his humanity, when we see him experience – as all of us do – temptation.

As St. Paul reminded us, Christ was a man like us in all things but sin – a figure of flesh and blood, of joy and pain, of appetites and longings. And this gospel makes that abundantly clear.

But it also assures us of something we so easily forget. God’s entry into history was total. His decision to take on human flesh was just that – a decision, a choice. And Matthew’s account of the temptations in the desert shows us what that choice entailed – and where God chose to dwell.

He didn’t choose the self-satisfied, or the fulfilled, or the powerful, or the secure.

He identified, instead, with those who have nothing.

Look at the temptations he faced: for food, for protection, for power. He rejected them all.

When Jesus was in the desert, preparing for his public ministry, he chose to stay hungry, to fast – and so expressed solidarity with all those who are starving, or thirsting. He would know intimately the desires of all who don’t have enough to eat, or who go to bed hungry.

When Jesus was in the desert, he chose to go unprotected – and so expressed kinship with all those who feel vulnerable or insecure, weak or defenseless. He would know what it is like to feel helpless, and homeless — to risk falling and have no one to catch you, no safety net to save you.

And when Jesus was in the desert, he chose to be powerless. In doing that, he expressed sympathy for all who have no voice, no power, no control. The God who made everything would know what it was like to have nothing. The One who is so vast that He is everywhere would experience what it is like to be small, and fragile, and profoundly human. He would even take that one step further at the Last Supper: the Lord of all would humble himself to be as small as a piece of bread.

The temptations that Christ faced tell us how very human he was – and in that humanity, we not only see ourselves, but we see even more deeply the profound generosity of God. We see how much God loves us. He loves us enough to experience everything that we are, everything that we struggle against – and He did it willingly, as an enduring and complete act of love.

It is a foretaste of what He will do for us on Calvary.

And it serves to teach us just how real and how immediate the incarnation was. Like history, it didn’t happen in black and white. It wasn’t just words on a page. It was in living color.

As we begin Lent, we join ourselves with Christ’s sacrifice – fasting and giving up simple comforts — to express our own humility and unworthiness, and to share the struggles of a suffering world. This weekend, that includes, in particular, the suffering of the people of Japan – the thousands who in their own way are facing their own desert.

In that bleak landscape, they know hunger. They know uncertainty, and worry about poison in the air. They know what it means to be powerless, wondering if the earth could shift at any moment, feeling as if there is no one to catch them if they fall.

This day, our prayers and hearts are joined to theirs. May the Lord of the desert — our God who knows human suffering first hand — protect them and uplift them, console them and strengthen them.

And may He open our hearts to give all that we can in their moment of need.

Japanese quake's epicenter located near Marian apparition site

From the Catholic News Agency

The epicenter of the earthquake that caused a deadly March 11 tsunami is located near the site of an apparition in which Mary warned about a worldwide disaster that could afflict humanity.

Japanese church officials have confirmed that the Diocese of Sendai, in the north of the country, was hit hardest by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake – the worst in Japanese history – and the resulting 23-foot waves.

Hundreds of people have already been confirmed dead in the city of Sendai, located less than 90 miles away from the apparition site of Our Lady of Akita in the town of Yuzawa.

The city of Akita, which experienced fire damage and flooding along with many parts of northern Japan, is a place of veneration for Catholics.

The shrine of Our Lady of Akita

In 1973, the Virgin Mary was said to have predicted a number of future events – including natural disasters even more serious than Friday's earthquake and tsunami – during three appearances to a Japanese religious sister, Sr. Agnes Sasagawa.

The purported appearances of the Virgin Mary in Japan were reviewed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1988. During his time as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI, he let stand the local bishop’s judgment that the apparitions and the messages were acceptable for the faithful.

The messages warned of chaos within the Church, and disasters which could afflict the world.

“If men do not repent and better themselves, God the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity,” Mary reportedly told Sr. Agnes. “If will be a punishment greater than the (biblical) flood, such as never seen before.”

“Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful,” she said. “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church, in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops.”

“Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.”

“Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary,” she told Sr. Agnes. “With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests.”

Two years after the last message, the statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel where the apparitions had occurred began to emit tears and drops of blood. The occurrence continued for more than six years.

Reports from Akita following Friday's earthquake indicate that the city received significantly less damage than other parts of northern Japan, despite its proximity to the epicenter. However, residents did report power outages, burst pipes, and fires.

Bishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Niigata, whose territory includes the Akita apparition site, is also the president of Caritas Japan, which will be working to assist victims of the earthquake and tsunami. The relief organization is accepting contributions to its emergency fund at www.caritas.org.

Catholic diocese first victim of Japanese quake

From indcatholicnews.com

It has been the largest earthquake ever to have hit Japan. As the tsunami caused by the offshore megaquake struck the coast, it has the potential to be more widespread and devastating than if it had occurred inland. Incredible images of tsunami waters forging their way relentlessly inland do not show the number of unsuspecting individuals who were caught in its path. 

Televisions across the world have shown images of large fishing boats rocked, overturned and capsized as they struck buses, lorries and bridges. Walls and buildings collapsed in towns and cities designed to withstand the earth tremors which Japan constantly experiences. At the time of writing, the death toll is completely unknown. Even the greatest experts of the world’s seismologists admit that nobody could have been prepared for the disaster. The US Geological survey described the earthquake of 10 March as ‘one of the great earthquakes’ in history.

Measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, its effects could reach across the entire Pacific coast, affecting countries as distant as Chile. Warnings to Pacific islands urged that coastal areas be evacuated. Some islands will be hit by waves higher than their own highest areas. Even Canada, Alaska and California issued tsunami alerts.

The Catholic diocese of Sendai was the first victim of Japan’s tsunami following the earthquake. Covering a land area of 27864 square miles, the diocesan territory includes the cities of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. Initial reports suggest that Miyagi and Fukushima were the first to fall victim to the 33ft tsunami caused by the megaquake. In Sendai, where a major oil terminal exploded when its cooling system failed, Catholics form 0.15% of the total population of 7,207,624. In Tokyo Catholics are 0.51% of a total population of 18,552,995 people. In both cities, the predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism.

There are approximately 509,000 Catholics in Japan, of whom 10,944 are in the diocese of Sendai and a further 95,877 in the archdiocese of Tokyo, which also felt the force of the earthquake even though it is situated more than 250 miles from its epicentre.

Although relatively small, the Japanese Church is vibrant, perhaps nurtured by the seed of its many thousands of martyrs during the 500 years of its history of Christianity. As a result of a period of persecution which lasted from 1614 until 1858, Japan apparently has the world’s greatest number of Catholic martyrs. In the 17th century alone, it is estimated that there were between 200,000 and 300,000 martyrs. The most famous were the 55 who were executed in Nagasaki on 10 September 1632. After 1632, so many died for their faith, often accompanied by excruciating and virtually unimaginable torture, that it became impossible to collect all their data.

In spite of the importance of the Japanese economy to the world at large, the country’s wealth does not always filter down to the Catholic Church. Japan is proof that a country does not to be poor and part of the developing world to be grouped amongst those that need support from Missio-worldwide. Yet, through Missio-Japan, Japanese Catholics contribute approximately £600,000 annually to help the Church in places where people are in greater need.

Missio is not an emergency aid organisation: its purpose is to be present ‘for the long haul’ in the Church wherever it is young or poor. It is impossible within a few hours of the initial earthquake to know what the needs are and where they should be directed. ‘At the moment, all we can do is to pray’, declared Mgr John Dale, the National Director of Missio-England and Wales. ‘When we know more, we can do more.’

On 22 February, the earthquake that hit Christchurch in New Zealand initiated a campaign of prayer amongst the 150 countries in which Missio is represented. Fr Paul Shannahan SMA, the National Director of Missio-New Zealand remarked at the time that ‘The biggest ‘damage’ is to people. Many were traumatised in the 7.1 quake last September but this one is worse in that it was in the middle of a working and school day. It hit with such vigour. It shook whole building violently. Hundreds have sustained injuries but shock and fear is scaring them even more. Thousands are trying to get home and many more are leaving the city to stay elsewhere.’

The effects on Japan and the Pacific will be considerably greater. We offer our prayers and the promise of future support.

Pray for the people of Japan and those affected by the Pacific Rim tsunami...

Live updates from the Washington Post here...

The Catholic Holocaust of Nagasaki—“Why, Lord?”

Brother Anthony Josemaria

The witness of the Catholics  of Nagasaki shows  God’s providence in the darkest of times.


By Brother Anthony Josemaria


On August 9, 1945, God’s inscrutable providence allowed an atomic bomb named “Fat Man” to be dropped from a B-29 into the heavily populated city of Nagasaki. The epicenter of the blast was the Urakami district, the heart and soul of Catholicism in Japan since the sixteenth century. 

My purpose in this article is to share an insight into God’s purpose in allowing this horrible event, a discovery made from reading (the recent Ignatius Press reprint of) Fr. Paul Glynn’s marvelous book A Song for Nagasaki. The book is subtitled, The Story of Takashi Nagai: Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb.1

Nagasaki is the oldest open-port city of Japan and one of the most beautiful, situated in the southernmost part of the country, on the western side of the island of Kyushu and only about fifty miles from South Korea. 


A natural harbor, the great port of Nagasaki is protected by several islands at its entrance, and consists of a heavily populated residential and commercial area extending a few miles up the valleys feeding the harbor and also along terraces up the hillsides. 


Though commercial activity declined in the twentieth century and especially after World War II (because of the closing of trade with China), industry increased greatly during the twentieth century as Nagasaki became the shipbuilding capital of Japan.

Bombed Nagasaki church

Nagasaki’s Catholic heritage

Nagasaki was first evangelized in 1549 by Jesuit missionaries from Portugal, led by the Spanish Jesuit St. Francis Xavier, who arrived in Nagasaki on August 15, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary. 


Providentially, perhaps, exactly four hundred years later in Nagasaki on August 15, 1949—and exactly four years after Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945—there would be a great celebration of Japan’s evangelization by this great preacher, with high Church officials and a delegate from Pope Pius XII in attendance. 


The coincidence of these three “Assumption events” is quite striking and, as we shall see, not isolated.

Continue to read article... 

The Great Power of the Rosary... Fr. Schiffer and seven other priests survived Hiroshima by praying the Rosary daily…

Rosary from Nagasaki

from Gloria.tv


"Realize the power in your hand with the Rosary, for in your hands you hold the power of God. If you do not recognize the Rosary, can you expect to be recognized by My Son? How much can you expect? Why do you hide My Rosary? It was with a Mother's loving heart that I chose to give you these pearls of Heaven that you reject.


"Woe to all dedicated who seek to remove these from the little ones' hands, for their punishment will be metered in accordance to it!


"Why has sophisticated man cast aside these tokens of My love? Those who remain true to My Rosary will not be touched by the fires. Gather these treasures, My children, for the time will come that you will not find them on the counters of your stores." - Our Lady of the Roses, October 6, 1970


Eight Jesuit priests survived the searing hurricane of blast and gamma rays during the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. They were in a rectory only 8 blocks from the blinding center of the nuclear flash. Although everyone within a mile radius perished, all survived and they attribute their survival to the Rosary and living the Fatima message.


At 2:45 a.m. on August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber took off from the island of Tinian to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the bomb exploded eight city blocks from the Jesuit Church of Our Lady's Assumption in Hiroshima. Half a million people were annihilated. However, the church and eight Jesuit fathers stationed there survived (four of the priests were Fathers Hugo Lassalle, Kleinsorge, Cieslik and Schiffer. According to the experts they "ought to be dead," being within a one-mile radius of the explosion.


Nine days later on August 15, Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, U.S.forces were ordered to cease fire.
This is the incredible story of the late Fr. Hubert Schiffer, as retold by a priest who met him:


I met Fr. Schiffer in the late 70s at the Tri-City Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, as he was going to give a talk for the Blue Army Novena/Triduum. As I chauffeured him around he told me stories of his life, especially of the atomic explosion at Hiroshima. On the morning of August 6, 1945, he had just finished Mass, went into the rectory and sat down at the breakfast table, and had just sliced a grapefruit, and had just put his spoon into the grapefruit when there was a bright flash of light. His first thought was that it was an explosion in the harbor (this was a major port where the Japanese refueled their submarines.)


Then, in the words of Fr. Schiffer: "Suddenly, a terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunder stroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me, whirled me 'round and 'round like a leaf in a gust of autumn wind." The next thing he remembered, he opened his eyes and he was laying on the ground. He looked around and there was NOTHING in any direction: the railroad station and buildings in all directions were leveled to the ground.


The only physical harm to himself was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else physically wrong with himself. Many thousands were killed or maimed by the explosion. After the conquest of the Americans, their army doctors and scientists explained to him that his body would begin to deteriorate because of the radiation. Many of the Japanese people had blisters and sores from the radiation. 


To the doctors amazement, Fr. Schiffer's body contained no radiation or ill-effects from the bomb. Fr. Schiffer attributes this to devotion to the Blessed Mother, and his daily Fatima Rosary. He feels that he received a protective shield from the Blessed Mother which protected him from all radiation and ill-effects. 


(This coincides with the bombing of Nagasaki where St. Maximilian Kolbe had established a Franciscan Friary which was also unharmed because of special protection from the Blessed Mother, as the Brothers too prayed the daily Rosary and also had no effects from the bomb.)