Niigata area has been suffering from heavy snow since Christmas and we had yet another heavy snow last night. Of course, total snowfall in Niigata city area is nothing compare with one in mountain area such as Tokamachi, but it has been quite enough for the city which does not have so much snow usually. Despite heavy snow fall and severe cold weather, quite number of parishioners made effort to join the Sunday Mass in Aoyama Catholic Church in which 7 ladies received the sacrament of confirmation. Since 5 out of 7 were from youth group, high school students and college students, number of their friends from neighbouring parishes also join the celebration. (photo above: preparation by Fr. Raul, the parish priest, before Mass)
Gospel today was the famous "Sermon on the Mount" from Matthew. Jesus began with a declaration of "Blessed are those" and draw attention of people who had wanted to know how to be blessed people. However, Jesus did not taught them how to become blessed but rather he declared "Blessed are the poor in spirit". As if to explain the meaning of the "Poor in Spirit", today's Mass offered us the first Corinthians as the second reading. Through the second reading, we get to know that what we could be proud of is not what we have but rather the source of what we have which is the source of our life, God. So we would be blessed if we are able to surrender ourselves completely to God.
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