The Laity as Apostles
The Laity as Apostles
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Mrs Emiko Hazama (left), a Japanese lay-woman, sees in the shortage of priestly vocations a summons to the laity to share their faith. |
I am a Catholic living in Chiba Prefecture, (Japan). Having read the article in the (Catholic) Newspaper, dated November 1st, 2007, entitled ‘Consensus at the Asian Vocation Conference’, dealing with the vocation of missionaries, I have decided to send you my thoughts on this subject.
Fr Satoshi Oyama of St Sulpice, the Major Seminary in Southern Japan, who spoke at a recent vocations conference, expressed the opinion that, in training for mission, now more than ever, the power of the laity is necessary. I agree with him completely.
For many years, Chiba Prefecture, in Tokyo Archdiocese, has been served by priests from Ireland (Columban Fathers). Though some of these Fathers are still with us the majority have left (without replacement) because of the decline of vocations to priesthood in their home country. We miss them very much. However, instead of just grieving, there is another way that we can show our appreciation for these Fathers, who have devoted their lives to us. We parishioners should change our attitudes, which have been immature and defensive, and step forward courageously as witnesses of our faith. Fr Oyama spoke of the need for a change of attitude in priests, but I believe that this is not just a problem for priests; it is a problem for all of us, as we face the challenge of evangelization.
At the symposium in Samplang, Thailand, the necessity of having ... "training with a human touch, involving the inner person", for building true relationships of trust,was emphasised. Perhaps in some way, the decline of priestly vocations etc. in Ireland may be related to this. In the so-called developed countries, the educational background of well educated people includes many elements, and some old-fashioned ideas may remain like, “evangelization being one-way traffic - we teach, you learn”.
I think it must be said that the day has passed, when the parish priest alone takes responsibility for managing the parish and directing evangelization. Close cooperation between the priest and the laity is necessary. At any rate, I believe that we can see new hope at the present time. If priests change, and if, at the same time, we lay people are trained as missionaries, I think that the present statistics of 0.4% Catholics in our population will change greatly also.
There are quite a lot of people working in offices and schools around about, full of worry, never having heard the one thing that is most important of all - the Gospel. I believe that God will gladly use us as tools for bearing the Good News to these people, not just because we may be humble or wise or pray, but because we approach this work with hearts that are wide open to people. I think that people whose hearts have been closed, will open up to us, if we are trained to share with them, in an atmosphere of trust, our own weakness and powerlessness.
In reading the account of the fruitful discussions at the symposium on ‘Vocations in Asia today’, I feel that I have a good mental picture of the proper way for us to live and to work as Catholics in present-day Asia.
Pictured above is Emiko Hazama, (centre in red),
catechist to some of the mothers in the church kindergarten.