November 19(33rd Sunday in Year A)

Father Ken’s Message:

Good afternoon, everyone and welcome to our Cathedral Parish Sunday English Mass. Today’ s Bible Readings are work and about the gifts or tools God has lent each of us to do the work. Jews and us Catholics believe that work is a good because God the Father was a worker. Father God created every thing and every creature in just 6 days. On the 6th day God, the Father created Adam. And the first thing God the Father said to Adam was to work to care for the animals and the plants. This conversation between God the Father and Adam happened before Adam and his wife Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit (the apple), so it implies that “work” is not a punishment, rather it is a gift from God. We are co-workers with God the Father to care for and to develop the world, to make it better. In Japan we have a government Office to help people get jobs called “Hello Work.” I think God the Father was the first Hello Work officer.

But, in other countries around ancient Israel, work was seen more as punishment. Elite people in Greece, Rome, and Egypt did not work. They thought that work was for animals or slaves to perform.

The story that Jesus told in the Gospel of Matthew that I read was about a Jewish landlord and his 3 slaves. But in Israel, “slaves” were not abused or treated like animals, they were more like paid employees of the household that bought them or hired them. They could buy their freedom and work as free men or women. Jesus told the story in the Gospel today shortly before he died. I think Jesus told this story to remind us of the importance of our work to improve the quality of life (QOL) for all people in the world. Through the gift of work we get to use our gifts from God and improve them. Some of the gifts of God include, love, time, free will, and decision-making. This week at my Catholic College we will have the Nurse Capping Ceremony. Women will receive a nurse cap and the male students a pin. The cap and pin are symbols for these nursing students to approach the work and patients entrusted into their care with love, light, and joy.

The Bible is full of stories of work. Noah built the Ark to save animals and his family from the Flood. Joseph of Egypt saved the people in his day by distributing food. Moses rescued the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. David founded the city of Jerusalem. Solomon built the First Temple. Mary volunteered to be the mother of Jesus. Joseph kept Mary and his foster son Jesus safe from harm. Jesus was a carpenter for 30 years then changed jobs to be a healer, a preacher, a dietician handing out food, a politician arguing with stubborn religious leaders, a friend to the lonely, and a martyr dying on the Cross to save us from the clutches of the devil.

My friends, let us by way of the Bible Readings about “work” today honor our gift from God and use it to honor him by helping people through it to develop the world and fill it with love.

Finally, this afternoon I want to explain the green stole I am wearing this afternoon. It was hand-made by my mother, who died a few years ago. She gave it to me on the day I became a priest. On the right-hand side is a shepherd holding a little scared sheep. And on the left-hand-side is a mother chicken protecting her little chicks. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter23 verse 37 Jesus used this image to his disciples to explain his love for them. He said, “How often would I have wanted to gather you children of Israel together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” For me when I look at this stole made by my dear mother, I remember all the times in my life that she protected me. And I think about all the hours it took my mother to embroider these two images onto the stole. It makes me aware that when work is done in a spirit of love for another that work too is love.

My friends let us follow after Mary, Jesus, God the Father and my own dear Mother and approach the work entrusted to our hands as a form of love.

Thank you very much. Enjoy your visit to our beautiful City of Sapporo.