I went to the St. Paul monastery in Tokyo at noon, where Triente Mass was served for the Holy Day. It is quite rare to have such that traditional style of mass in Japan these days. The oratorio is full of communicants and servants. But after the mass, I was very much disappointed at the situations around the contemporary catholic local church in Japan. First, the preach was not satisfactory to understand the meanings of the today's mass. The priest commenced with the Words in the gospel, however it didn't point the meanings of His words. The communicants are not used to the traditional style of mass so that even Credo III was not well recited as should be.


I went back to the Franciscan monastery in North Tokyo and attended at the afternoon mass, where a second issue has emerged in the contemporary mass service. Japan's local church bishops have attempted to remove "kneel" of the mass service in Japan. Its removal is blasphemy, I am literally meaning. What kind of beast could stand during the Sacrament? It seems to me that Japan's bishops would like to bury their sheep into Hades with their souls.


But still we have a hope: pray! Fr. Nicholas remarked to Today's gospel, "We are children of lights! How can you be so as the children of God? Can you love whom you quarrel with? Can you love them? No! You can't. Only by the grace of God, you are to love them. But, how? Pray! Only you can pray for the grace of God, by which you are led to love and cast away the hatred. Why? God loves you; you can love God!" That is the answer to battle with "the darkness".


Friday night was full of hatred, that was done by the children of the darkness. Who can love them? No! But we must fight against such evils. Pray for the grace of God. That is the first step to go forward. While we think and pray, something better shall be a next step to kick off. I believe so.