A Basic Fear in a Broken World

Posted on January 11, 2025 by editor

Jerome Novotny , OMI – It is estimated that about 38% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, and 26% is above the age of 65. By 2050, one-third will be 65 or older. On the worldwide scale, people aged 65 years or older is expected to reach 1.6 billion in 2050. Population ageing is an irreversible global trend. The number of people aged 80 or older is growing even faster. I myself will become 85 this year.

What basic drive does my generation have in common? Simply put, the older we get, the later we think “old age” starts. Our basic fear is dying.

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A Sabbatical Pilgrimage with our Blessed Mother

Posted on January 7, 2025 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – Having handed over the responsibility to my successor to lead the Oblate Delegation of Japan-Korea, I left Japan on a sabbatical. I felt like I was walking with Mary, our Blessed Mother during this break. I want to share my spiritual journey with Mary in this article.

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Pope Francis’ Peace Message

Posted on January 2, 2025 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – The message of Pope Francis for this year’s “World Day of Peace” is titled “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace”. In teaching us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Pope says, “Jesus begins by asking the Father to forgive our trespasses, but passes immediately to the challenging words: as we forgive those who trespass against us (cf. Mt 6:12). I think, this is where we struggle in living the Lord’s Prayer. We know that forgiveness is not easy but as Christians our Lord expects us to be reconciled with those that harm us by forgiving them.

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Prison Ministry and a Holy Door

Posted on December 28, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – The Holy Doors in Rome’s four major Basilicas are St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year of Hope on Christmas Eve by opening the first Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. He will open the Holy Door of St. John Lateran on December 29th and St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls on January 1st and January 5th, respectively.

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Does Humanity Have a Future?

Posted on December 25, 2024 by editor

Jerry Novotny, OMI – The nuclear family is considered the ” traditional ” family. The nuclear family consists of a mother, father, and their biological children. A single parent is a parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of the other biological parent. Step families are becoming more familiar in many parts of the world today. This type is formed on the remarriage of a divorced or widowed person and that includes a child or children. Blending Families and Joint Families are also entering the scene. Let’s analyze the term “Family” and how it relates to the growth of children and World Peace. Does Humanity Have a Future? What role do children have?

“Our children are our future and we must be concerned as a nation about how we ensure their healthy development. There is no replacement for the fundamental institution called the “family.” – Diann Dawson

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Surgery – an experience

Posted on December 21, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – “It is not a disease but a disorder and a mechanical issue”. This is what I heard from a doctor when he spoke about inguinal hernia. A disorder needs to be fixed, but how it will be done was my concern as I was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia recently. I began a short research on the internet to learn more about it and discovered that a hernia repair can only be done through a surgical procedure. This sounded a bit scary for me as I have not gone through any surgeries in my life. However, having consulted two Doctors I decided to go for a laparoscopic surgery.

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A sad face of Japan

Posted on December 14, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – Japan’s population is rapidly ageing. This year, before the “Respect-for-the-Aged Day” event, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released its population survey. According to that, the number of elderly people in Japan surged by 20,000 from September 2023 to 36.25 million! The main reason for this is depopulation.

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Experience in Aix-en-Provence

Posted on December 3, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – Experience in Aix-en-ProvencThe De Mazenod Experience, sometimes also called DMX, is a program held every year at the birthplace of our congregation in Aix-en-Provence. The program is centred on the charism of our Founder St. Eugene and has a few objectives. They are personal conversion, deepening of the Oblate charism in one’s own life, reflection on the lived experience of the charism, personal renewal in the Oblate vocation, a deeper understanding of the person of the Founder and ongoing formation. The two-month experience, held in an atmosphere of prayer, reflectionandfraternal sharing, enables an Oblate to look back at his own experience of the Oblate charism lived in daily life and ministry. The program has two pillars, namely, pilgrimage and a fifteen-day silent retreat.

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World Day of the Poor: November 17, 2024

Posted on November 17, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI: This year will mark the eighth since the Pope established the “World Day of the Poor”. As has become customary, the Holy Father, after the Eucharistic celebration will have lunch with 1300 poor people. But before the celebration, he will bless 13 keys, each representing thirteen countries where the Vincentian congregation will inaugurate “13 houses” project for the poor.

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“Do not cast me off in my old age”

Posted on September 14, 2024 by editor

The IV World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly was celebrated on Sunday, 28 July 2024. The theme chosen by the Holy Father – “Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71:9) – is meant to call attention to the fact that, sadly, loneliness is the bitter lot in life of many elderly persons, so often the victims of the throw-away culture.

Psalm 71 the Pope states, “speaks to a conspiracy surrounding the life of the elderly.” And he explains, that the “abandonment of the elderly is not by chance or inevitable, but the fruit of decisions – political, economic, social and personal decisions – that fail to acknowledge the infinite dignity of each person, ‘beyond every circumstance, state or situation the person may ever encounter’.”

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Nature – a sacred space

Posted on September 3, 2024 by editor

Brad Rozairo, OMI – Nature is a source of beauty and inspiration that expresses God’s wonderful work of creation. It is also a place for rest and healing. Some people go on walks in nature to engage the senses and connect their spirits to nature. Others go into the woods for bird watching or photographing nature to pause and take in the beauty of creation. Taking time to look at and appreciate creation is a good thing to do; it makes us feel the closeness of God.

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Message of Pope Francis for World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Posted on September 1, 2024 by editor

Hope and Act with Creation

Dear Brothers and Sisters! (1st September 2024)

“Hope and Act with Creation” is the theme of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be held on 1 September 2024. The theme is drawn from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:19-25), where the Apostle explains what it means for us to live according to the Spirit and focuses on the sure hope of salvation that is born of faith, namely, newness of life in Christ.

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