January 2021 In a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris the one that helps us accept our corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope weakness, because “it is through” and Francis describes Saint Joseph as a despite “our fears, our frailties, and our beloved father, a tender and loving father, weakness” that most divine designs are an obedient father, an accepting father; a realized. “Only tender love will save us father who is creatively courageous, a from the snares of the accuser,” working father, a father in the shadows. emphasizes the Pontiff, and it is by The Letter marks the 150th anniversary encountering God’s mercy especially in of Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph the Sacrament of Reconciliation that we as Patron of the Universal Church. To “experience His truth and tenderness,” – celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis because “we know that God’s truth does has proclaimed a special “Year of St not condemn us, but instead welcomes, Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of embraces, sustains and forgives us.” and full of hope, he is able “to accept the Immaculate Conception 2020 and Joseph is also a father in obedience to life as it is, with all its contradictions, extending to the same feast in 2021. God: with his ‘fiat’ he protects Mary and frustrations and disappointments.” The Holy Father wrote Patris corde Jesus and teaches his Son to “do the will In practice, through St. Joseph, it is against the backdrop of the Covid-19 of the Father.” Called by God to serve the as if God were to repeat to us: “Do not pandemic, which, he says, has helped us mission of Jesus, he “cooperated… in the be afraid!” because “faith gives see more clearly the importance of great mystery of Redemption,” as St John meaning to every event, however “ordinary” people who, though far from Paul II said, “and is truly a minister of happy or sad,” and makes us aware the limelight, exercise patience and offer salvation” that “God can make flowers spring up hope every day. In this, they resemble Welcoming the will of God from stony ground.” Joseph “did not Saint Joseph, “the man who goes At the same time, Joseph is “an look for shortcuts but confronted unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden accepting Father,” because he “accepted reality with open eyes and accepted presence,” who nonetheless played “an Mary unconditionally” — an important personal responsibility for it.” For this incomparable role in the history of gesture even today, says Pope Francis, reason, “he encourages us to accept salvation.” “in our world where psychological, verbal and welcome others as they are, A beloved, tender, obedient father and physical violence towards women is without exception, and to show special Saint Joseph, in fact, “concretely so evident.” But the Bridegroom of Mary concern for the weak.” expressed his fatherhood” by making an is also the one who, trusting in the Lord, A creatively courageous father, offering of himself in love, “a love placed accepts in his life even the events that he an example of love at the service of the Messiah who was does not understand, “setting aside his Patris corde highlights “the creative growing to maturity in his home,” writes own ideas” and reconciling himself with courage” of St. Joseph, which Pope Francis, quoting his predecessor St his own history. “emerges especially in the way we deal Paul VI. And because of his role at “the Joseph’s spiritual path “is not one that with difficulties.” “The carpenter of crossroads between the Old and New explains, but accepts,” which does not Nazareth,” explains the Pope, was able Testament,” St Joseph “has always been mean that he is “resigned.” Instead, he is to turn a problem into a possibility by venerated as a father by Christians.” In “courageously and firmly proactive,” due trusting in divine providence.” him “Jesus saw the tender love of God,” to the “Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude,” Continue Reading on Page 3 St. Ignatius Catholic Church Address: 6-5-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0083 www.stignatius.jp/en/ Tel No. 03-3263-4584 / 03-3263-4576 Fax No. 03-3263-4585 Monthly English Bulletin JANUARY 2021 R.I.P. Archbishop Emeritus Peter Takeo Okada (岡田 武夫) died December 18, 2020 in Tokyo at age 79. He served as bishop for twenty- nine years, seventeen as Archbishop of Tokyo. A native of Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, he graduated from the University of Tokyo with the LL.B. He was President of the Japanese Bishops' Conference, a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Saitama. In 2017, Bishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D. of the Niigata Diocese succeed him as Archbishop of Tokyo. Archbishop Okada often presided over many important events in the Church of St. Ignatius. We thank the Lord for his great dedication as Shepherd of the Church in Japan. Let us pray for his eternal repose. Advent Recollection of Fr. Jerry Cusumano, SJ Year-End Retreat of Fr. Daniel Collins, SJ “Words of Encouragement from St. Paul, Link: on The Examen -an Effective Way to Holiness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RneAD4KDiQw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RneAD4KDiQw Three events to look forward to as we begin the New Year: Mass in honor of Sto. Niño (Infant Jesus) on January 17, 3rd Sunday, 4: 30 p.m. Mass. It will be in Tagalog. The 4th Anniversary Celebration of the St. Ignatius International Youth Ministry (SIIYM),January 24, 4th Sunday, 4:30 p.m. Mass. Anniversary of John de Britto English Center to be celebrated February 7, at the 12:00 p.m. English Mass led by the Indian community. Come and join us in the celebration Register early online or join us in the Live streaming of these events. DID YOU KNOW that in spite of the hard economic times, many contributed to the SRI LANKA and Philippines Christmas Fund Drive? And that volunteers of John de Britto Center helped several of our members in difficulties have a brighter 2 Christmas? Yes, “God is with us!” and you were instruments of His love and concern! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Page St. Ignatius Catholic Church Address: 6-5-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0083 www.stignatius.jp/en/ Tel No. 03-3263-4584 / 03-3263-4576 Fax No. 03-3263-4585 Monthly English Bulletin JANUARY 2021 Continuation From Page 1 A father “in the shadows,” centered on Mary and Jesus Taking a cue from The Shadow of the Father — a book by Polish writer Jan He had to deal with “the concrete Dobraczyński — Pope Francis describes Joseph’s fatherhood of Jesus as “the earthly problems” his Family faced, problems shadow of the heavenly Father.” faced by other families in the world, “Fathers are not born, but made,” says Pope Francis. “A man does not become a and especially those of migrants. In this father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility sense, St. Joseph is “the special patron to care for that child.” Unfortunately, in today’s society, children “often seem of all those forced to leave their native orphans, lacking fathers” who are able to introduce them “to life and reality.” lands because of war, hatred, Children, the Pope says, need fathers who will not try to dominate them, but persecution and poverty.” instead raise them to be “capable of deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and As the guardian of Jesus and Mary, exploring new possibilities.” Joseph cannot “be other than the This is the sense in which St Joseph is described as a “most chaste” father, which guardian of the Church,” of her is the opposite of domineering possessiveness. Joseph “knew how to love with motherhood, and of the Body of Christ. extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the center of things. He did not “Consequently, every poor, needy, think of himself, but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus.” suffering or dying person, every Happiness for Joseph involved a true gift of self: “In him, we never see stranger, every prisoner, every infirm frustration, but only trust,” writes Pope Francis. “His patient silence was the prelude person is ‘the child’ whom Joseph to concrete expressions of trust.” Joseph stands out, therefore, as an exemplary continues to protect.” From St Joseph, figure for our time, in a world that “needs fathers,” and not “tyrants”; a society that writes Pope Francis, “we must learn… to “rejects those who confuse authority with authoritarianism, service with servility, love the Church and the poor.” discussion with oppression, charity with a welfare mentality, power with A father who teaches the value, destruction.” dignity and joy of work True fathers, instead, “refuse to live the lives of their children for them,” and instead respect their freedom. In this sense, says Pope Francis, a father realizes that “A carpenter who earned an honest “he is most a father and an educator at the point when he becomes ‘useless,’ when living to provide for his family,” St he sees that his child has become independent and can walk the paths of life Joseph also teaches us “the value, the unaccompanied.” Being a father, the Pope emphasizes, “has nothing to do with dignity and the joy of what it means to possession, but is rather a ‘sign’ pointing to a greater fatherhood”: that of the eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own “heavenly Father.” labour.” This aspect of Joseph’s At the conclusion of his Letter, he adds a prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages character provides Pope Francis the all of us to pray together: opportunity to launch an appeal in favour of work, which has become “a burning social issue” even in countries with a certain level of well-being.