Fr. Ernesto Moriel, s.x.

To be a Missionary in Japan

Fr. Ernesto Moriel - From Missioneros Xaverianos - Mission Magazine from Mexico

 

Four years of life might seem many. But after having lived four years in Japan, for me it’s just the beginning of an adventure. The people of Japan are much to be admired in many ways, for they work a lot, with a great sense of community.

 

Stable and strong Economy

At the end of World War II, Japan was completely destroyed. In the past 20 years, the economy has established itself all over the world. Japan lacks of natural resources, and it’s constantly dealing with natural calamities (i.e. earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons). Despite all of this, Japan has become a strong world economy power, second only to the United States. With a stable and strong economy, all of Japanese know how to read and write, delinquency is minimal, and poverty is almost absent.

 

Japan is very ordered and respectful of the other. It’s people try their best to avoid confrontation or infighting. They are many, on a small territory, and therefore they treasure what they have.

 

My Mission Experience

If I want to describe my mission experience in Japan, I would use the phrase “much challenging and very enriching.” In fact, one of my first surprises on my arrival in Japan was the encounter with the Japanese: caring and full of services towards us foreigners, both Catholics and non.

 

After a month of my arrival in Japan, I started the hard journey of studying the language, tough to pick up and understand. It resulted in two years of intense studies. I was soon assigned to Nobeoka, a city in the island of Kyushu, on the south of Japan.

 

The city counts about 130,000 people, with about 300 Catholics. In this setting, I started my experience among the people of Japan, and to my surprise, I could not understand anything and could not communicate with them. What a big difference between school and real life!

 

With time passing, what I learned in school brought its fruits. I lived two years in the community of Nobeoka, and I had my ups and downs, where I grew in learning about Japanese culture and my own personal growth as a missionary priest. I lived with Fr. Joseph, a Xaverian priest who has been in Japan for 35 years. It’s was a blessing from God to have lived with him, for I learned a lot, and he provided a good introduction to the Japanese world.

 

The joys of the children

My activities are few in my community. We have a kindergarten, and I spend some time with the children, and organize some field trips with them and their teachers. I also follow-up on some maintenance and upkeep of the school. It’s a joy to be with these children, and it brings some peace of mind. All children of the world are alike, truly authentic and serene. Jesus said that “the kingdom of God belongs to they who are like children.”

 

Another activity is of course the study of the Japanese language, which is a lifetime commitment, for we never stop learning. A local religious sister corrects my Sunday homily, and gives me some lessons. Yes, I preach in the parish, every other Sunday, for I take turns with Fr. Joseph.

 

Of course, his homilies are longer and better proclaimed, for his many years of life in Japan. I also visit the sick of the parish with a Japanese person, in nursing homes or houses. Most of them are older people who cannot move too much. I also try to participate to the social and religious activities of the parish, for I need to “combine duties and pleasure.” Isn’t that a truth!

 

Where two or three are gathered

As you can see, it’s not too much, but I consider myself an instrument of God to proclaim the Gospel message to the Japanese. Once I was asked to help out in a different parish, a small community of 15-20 Catholics. And so, here I was, with a written homily, preparing for the celebration of the Eucharist. I was glad inside, for it was the first time I was asked to celebrate in that community. When the hour came, I walked in the church, and to my surprise, there were three people attending: two of them Catholics, and the third one a friend sympathizer, but not baptized! It costs me some great personal sacrifice to celebrate the mass in these conditions… the first time I celebrated the Eucharist with “so many” faithful.

 

Nevertheless, I was able to understand the words of Jesus “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.”Truly, I feel the presence of God in the mystery of that Eucharist, for the Lord was present in this small community at prayer. Blessed be God!

 

I have some many examples like the one above, that are both funny and humbling experiences of my life in Japan. I could write a book. But I don’t want to bore you too much. I just want to ask you, who read this article, to keep me and all missionaries in Japan in your prayers.

 

Pray that these good people of Japan may open their hearts to the message of Jesus, and so experience God’s greatest gift of being call his children.

 

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