Since visiting Nagasaki, Japan for the first time in November 1998, I feel like I've been living with one foot in each country. I exchange e-mail with people in Japan on a daily basis. I like to keep informed of the news in Japan through The Japan Times online. And when I look at a clock, I often quickly calculate the time in Nagasaki and think about what's going on there at that moment.
It is now Christmas Day in Japan. In Nagasaki, a very Catholic community, people are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Most people don't think of Japan as a Christian country, but Nagasaki has a 400+ year tradition of Christianity dating back to the time of St. Francis Xavier, S.J. The Catholic presence in Nagasaki is very obvious, as Catholic priests and sisters are visible in Catholic schools, hospitals, and parishes. The beautiful Catholic cathedral of the Diocese of Nagasaki, an impressive red-brick structure rebuilt after the atomic bomb blast in 1945, defines the Urakami district. The Shrine of the 26 Martyrs, which overlooks Nagasaki Harbor, is a grim reminder of St. Paul Miki, S.J. and his companions who were crucified on that site in 1597. And the ministry of the Junshin sisters to the atomic bomb survivors at Meguminooka Nursing Home on Mt. Mitsuyama is certainly evidence of God's presence in Nagasaki.
Therefore, it is with a sense of gratitude ("kansha" in Japanese) that I pray for my friends in Nagasaki today. As they pray in thanksgiving for God's gift of Jesus' birth, I pray with gratitude for the many families who have welcomed me into their homes in the past eight years. I also pray for the many students and teachers of Junshin Junior & Senior High School who have made me feel so welcome in Nagasaki. And I pray for the residents at Meguminooka, who continue to amaze me with their love and optimism. For all of them, my prayer today is "Kokoro kara kansha shimasu," which translates to "Please accept my heartfelt gratitude."
