Fr. Michael Coleman of the Tsuchiura Catholic Church reminded us in his homily at this year's First Friday mass to remember our role as evangelizers - to spread God's love wherever God places us in our lives.
"If Christ were to visit now the world that His Father created, He will be saddened to find an entirely different world from that intended by God. It is a very troubled world," Fr. Michael lamented. He said that there are many who profess to love God but very few who actually love Him enough to serve Him by serving others.
Perhaps if there were one resolution that we may all wish to do for this year, Fr. Michael reiterated: think about evangelizing for the Lord.
Others may have resolutions like going on a diet and losing weight for this year but often, resolutions are easily just as forgotten until the next New Year. Fr. Michael shared that the Japanese has this joke: a resolution is made on the first day, is forgotten the next day, and is gone the 3rd day.
Seriously though, Fr. Michael reminded that there are many of those who profess their love for God and others but many more who may never have been aware of their role, of their responsibility to evangelize and to serve others sent their way each day.
Fr. Michael shows us how to effectively evangelize where one is sent.
From Ireland, he was assigned to Japan decades ago, and now at 83, Fr. Michael remains ever energetic and active, not only as a parish priest, not only as the principal of a very prestigious, high quality kindergarten school but as a practicing advocate to make the migrants at the Ushiku Detention Center in Japan realize that they are not forgotten, that they are always remembered through prayers, through visitations, and through the simple and sincere sharing of items gathered from donors and supporters.
Once a week for the past 10 years or more, Fr. Michael has not failed to visit the detained migrants, Filipinos included, to bring them the good news of God's love for them.
He also always makes sure he has various items for them during his visit from what Fr. Michael calls " my grocery store"- one of the rooms in the church rectory where he stores all the donated items that detainees may need (like soap and other toiletries, clothes for all seasons including underwear for both men and women, shoes, especially sports shoes to keep the detainees physically active and fit during their detention period prior to being deported or released for a probationary stay in Japan). There are even formal clothes awaiting detainees who will be released, to make them feel confident moving on to the next phase of their lives.
There are also books to keep their minds and souls strengthened. The books include those about the Japanese language (so the detainees, who have so much time during detention, to learn a new language) and spiritual readings (the bible in several languages and other prayer books). He also makes sure the detainees receive an international phone card, their lifeline of communication with their loved ones.
Fr. Michael is a very important visitor much awaited with joy by the detainees. Through his sincere advocacy, the detainees realize what love means, how much they are loved by God the Father through the selfless time and generosity and support shared to them weekly by Fr. Michael.
Outside of his Tuesday visit to the detainees, for the rest of the week, Fr. Michael joyfully ministers to all others in their Parish and in the kindergarten school that he manages.
May his example remind us that we too can do what God wants us to where He has assigned us now, that we can and must sincerely and joyfully evangelize for God and His people through our lives.
There is so much pain and conflict all around. Can we try to serve even just one person in our midst experiencing that pain and conflict? There are millions needing- they are all around us (more than 11 million families around us in our country) needing our love and care, however we can, whenever we can, the sooner we can.
If we are ourselves short of material resources, can we serve others through our prayers and through our presence and attention?
God gave us life so that we can share with others what a God-given life means. God provides all with grace sufficient for each day- because He loves us best. If we truly love God, we should realize that we also need to share that God-graced life with all else sent our way throughout our lives.
To evangelize is simply to share that joy and love and life that God continues to share with us all. Shall we consider including active, joyful evangelization as our expression of thanksgiving and service for the Lord from this year onward?