A Second Missionary Journey

By Fr Barry Cairns SSC (pictured below)

Twenty-five years ago I began my second missionary journey. I had been away from Japan and its difficult language for 16 years. During my first missionary journey (1956-1969) I had been stationed in the far south, in fishing villages. The language had been unsophisticated, not yet influenced by the newly-arrived TV programmes. On my return I was appointed to Fujisawa, a large city just 50 kilometres from Tokyo. Both the language and the culture were different. For me, this second exposure to culture-shock was far more difficult than the first. Here I was bursting with missionary zeal and I could express the Gospel message only in very inadequate language. I felt useless both as a priest and a missionary. I did not want to go out of my room. I felt it woud be better to return to my own country where there was a shortage of priests.

Rereading Pentecost
Then I had to renew my own understanding of Pentecost. Before the first Pentecost, Jesus had given a mission to his disciples, "Go to the whole world".

But they were afraid and powerless, too frightened to open the barred door of the upper room. They thought they had to fulfil Jesus’ wishes by their own human strength alone. So, with Mary in their midst, they prayed and waited for the promised Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who gave them courage and taught them the deep meaning of Jesus’ promises,

"Fear not, I am with you always" (Matt. 28:20);

"You cannot do anything without me" (John 15:5);

"The Holy Spirit will teach you what to say" (Luke 12:12);

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you... then you tell everyone about me... everyone in the whole world" (Acts 1:8).

A New Start
At first, with help, I wrote out every word of my homilies and Bible classes, and I would read my text. After a while I found myself not needing to read. Still later, all I needed in front of me was just an outline of the class or homily: the content however was still very basic. Sometimes I would not know the right word so I would go around it by describing the context with my limited vocabulary. I used many visual aids (I still do!). One Sunday our Regional Director, a skilled linguist, celebrated our evening Mass and I was preaching. After Mass he said to me in the sacristy, "My word, that was certainly rough basic Japanese!". Then, as an afterthought he added, "but you certainly got the message across". I took this as a compliment to the Holy Spirit. For me his offhand remark constituted a mini-Pentecost.

In Constant Need of the Spirit
Some twenty-four years later I am still nervous as I stand to address people in Japanese. To tell the truth, sometimess I wake up in the morning nervous just about facing the day. That very nervousness now reminds me that I am an instrument of Jesus and that He is with me. I ask Him to send the Holy Spirit anew, because that is where my strength and courage come from. I feel that this attiitude applies to all facets of our daily lives - not just to the "holy" times. For me, this is the meaning of Pentecost today.

[Far East Magazine]