Ash Wednesday

Now it is Lent again. Today is the Ash Wednesday and you might have attended Mass to receive ash on your head. If not, no worries, you may receive it during next Sunday Mass in your parishes. Ash reminds us that we are created out of ash and we will return to it when we die. We have to realize that we are just small creatures in front of eyes of God. This is the time to be humble before God who created us and return to him. Caritas Japan has started the Lenten Campaign. You may contribute through your local parishes for the campaign. Alms giving and helping poor and needy during the Lent is the good tradition of Catholic faith. You are also encouraged to join the tradition. Caritas Japan also prepared a booklet called "TSUNAGU" to be your help to reflect and meditate on each Sundays during the Lent. One of the articles in the booklet, titled "The Church Coexisting With People of Various Nationalities: A Wish Of The Priest Who Supports And Works For Migrant Workers" has been translated into English which can be found in the HP of Caritas Japan.

I attended today's Mass for Ash Wednesday in Tokyo with other Japanese Bishops together with entire staff members of the CBCJ, Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan. We are attending the General Assembly of Bishops in Japan from Monday to Friday. Today's Mass was presided over by Bishop Umemura of Yokohama who is the chairman of the liturgical committee. Liturgy is one of the most important agenda for the GA since we are working on the new Japanese translation of the Roman Missal for quite sometime.

Tokyo is cold and weather forecast tells us that we may have snow in Tokyo tonight. Keep warm!