Advent – A Reminder that We are Samurai Servants of Christ the Lord – Christ the King - Virtue of Vigilance: First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Happy New Year!

You may find it rather odd to hear “Happy New Year” as it is still December,  not even Christmas yet. But, to the Catholics throughout the world, I say again, “Happy New Year!”

Though Christmas is still more than 3 weeks away, it’s already a new year in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, as a liturgical year begins with Advent and ends with the Saturday of the Christ the King week. 

As the last Sunday was the Christ the King Sunday of the Year C (11/24/13), the very last Sunday of that liturgical year, this past Sunday (12/1/13) marked the beginning of a new liturgical year, Year A. And, it was also the beginning of Advent for this year. 

The Church’s liturgical years go through an A-B-C three-year cycle. As we completed the 3-year cycle last Saturday, as it was Year C, we have now begun a new cycle with Year A.

Though we tend to associate ringing in a new year with a merry and jolly time, marking the new liturgical year with Advent is far from such an impression of “Happy New Year!” impression. Rather, a liturgical year begins with a somber tone, reflecting the penitential nature of Advent, with which a liturgical year begins. 

The penitential nature of Advent parallels that of Lent, as symbolized with purple liturgical color – except for Gaudette Sunday in the Advent season and Laetare Sunday in the Lenten season. Thus, penance is a primary task in our preparation for the coming of Christ during Advent season. 

Advent literally means “coming” (from the Latin word, “adventus”: advenīre, from ad- to + venīre to come).  In the Christian context, it means the coming of someone noble, the coming of the Christ the King. 

Notice that the liturgical year ends week of the Christ the King Sunday, to give its way to the Advent of the following liturgical year.  A connecting theme of this transition from an outgoing liturgical year and an incoming liturgical year is our hope and desire to welcome in the Christ the King.

The last Sunday of a liturgical year, Christ the King Sunday, symbolizes our realization of Christ’s identity as the King of all kings. On the very last Sunday of a liturgical year, we finally come to become enlightened to know that  Jesus, whose teaching we have been heeding in the Gospel readings throughout a year, is not the king of the Jews, as those who conspired to kill him mocked, but rather the spiritual King, whose Kingdom is the spiritual paradise.  This aspect of his Kingdom was hinted in Jesus’ words to the “good thief”, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”(Luke 23:43), when he said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom(Luke 23:42). 

The previous liturgical year ended with our realization that Jesus, indeed, is Christ the King, as the “good thief” became aware of.  And, now, as we have just begun this new liturgical year, we are not simply waiting for but actively preparing the coming of the Christ the King in this Advent season!

So, how are to actively prepare for the coming of Christ?

For the first Sunday, the Gospel reading (Matthew 24:37-44) reminds us of our needs to be ready to welcome Christ in at any time.  In other words, Christ’s coming cannot be predicted.

Let’s go over the Gospel reading:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Note that Jesus is talking about what his second coming, parousia, would be like to his disciples.  And, on the very first Sunday of Advent, we read this Gospel story to prepare for Christmas, the first coming of Christ, in our collective memory  - in anamnesis, juxtaposing our current hope and active preparation for Christ’s second coming with our anamnesis of Christ’s first coming, anticipating for Christmas.  Thus, this Gospel reading alludes to the duality of the Advent nature: preparing for Christ’s second coming (parousia) in reality, while preparing for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, in anamnesis, as prophesized in the Old Testament – as the Israelites had for more than 1,000 years since it was allegedly indicated by Moses in Genesis 3:15, and perhaps more consciously for at least 600 years since the virgin birth of Christ was prophesized by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14. And, we wait for Christ’s coming, saying “maranatha” (“Come, Lord!” (μαρανα θα - "marana tha") – 1 Corinthians 16:22).  Or, singing J.S. Bach’s Advent cantata - BWV 61 , "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Now come, Savior of the Gentiles):

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,
Der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt,
Des sich wundert alle Welt,
Gott solch Geburt ihm bestellt.

(Now come, the gentiles' Savior,
As the Virgin's child revealed,
At whom marvels all the world
That God him this birth ordained)

So, the dual nature of Advent, characterized by our “maranatha” or “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” hope can be summed as below:

First Coming (Christmas)	Gospel (Prophesized in prophecy books in the Old Testament) i.e. Genesis 3:15 (prophesized) - Matthew 1:20 (fulfilled) Isaiah 7:14 (prophesized) -  Matthew 1:22-23 (fulfilled) Isaiah 11:1 (prophesized) – Matthew 1:23 (fulfilled)	Repentance, as encouraged by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12), to be worthy of receiving the Messiah
Second Coming (Parousia)	Gospels (i.e.  Matthew 24:37-44) Epistles  (i.e.  1 Corinthians 15:23) Book of Revelation – especially Chapter 19	Judgement to be determined who are to be in Heaven that comes with the return of Christ

With this understanding of the dual nature of Advent, we now better appreciate Jesus’ teaching on how we keep our maranatha hope as we prepare ourselves for the Christ’s coming. 

First, Jesus tells us that his coming is like the Flood (Genesis 6:1-9:17), saving those who are prepared but let those who are not perish. This also suggests that the parousia and judgement are all together. In our preparation for parousia, we sure want to be worthy enough to be saved with Noah.

Back then, Noah was given 120 years to save himself and his company, by building the Ark. The 120 years given to Noah was also a “grace period” that God gave to His people to prepare themselves to be saved by repenting, as they were morally corrupted. Only Noah, who was righteous and those who repented and converted (metanoia), returning to God, were saved from the Flood. 

So, here is an indication of continuity of this Gospel reading into the Gospel reading of the Second Sunday of Advent – Matthew 3:1-12, which emphasizes on the importance of repentance. 

It is also important not to confuse the disasters in the Philippines (Typhoon Haiyan) this November, in Japan back in March 2011, in Indonesia back in December 2004, and other natural disasters in the world, to God’s judgement – just because the Flood in Genesis was so.  Those who argue that these disasters are God’s judgements or punishments must be false prophets or false teachers that Jesus warns (Luke 21:5-19).

What is important is that we are prepared to the coming of Christ not just as Noah prepared the Ark and those who were saved from the Flood repented during the “grace period” but to be ready to meet the judgement and Christ, who is coming, at any time. 

The latter half of the Gospel reading emphasizes the importance of our readiness – readiness of any time, because nobody knows when Christ will return.  That is why Jesus tells that his coming is jut as unpredictable as a burglar breaking into a unguarded house in the night. So, the way we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ is like how must stay awake and remain on guard. The importance of vigilance in preparing for parousia is also addressed by Jesus through the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and we sure want to be as prepared as the wise virgins who never let the lamp oil run out. 

Being a descendant of a samurai in Japan, Jesus’ emphasis on vigilance as our way to prepare for his coming invokes how my ancestor, samurais, practiced their virtue of vigilance. 

Samurais were servants, by definition, rather than warriors – though they were practically so. Their primary purpose is to guard and protect their feudal lord, whom they serve with absolute loyalty and love (agape).  As good servant to their feudal lords, samurais strived not only militarily but also spiritually so that they are not just good warriors in battles but also to guarding their lords all the time. It is indispensable to provide impervious and impregnable protection for their lords by keeping their watch all the time,  just as Jesus teaches vigilance in this First Advent Sunday Gospel (Matthew 24:37-44 – especially vv. 42-44) and his parable of ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). 

Of course, such vigilance was also to protect samurais themselves as there were always many people who were after their lives, as well as the lives of their lords. 

To sum up what we can gather from the First Advent Sunday Gospel, Jesus advises us to be good samurai servants as we prepare for his coming.  As Christ is our Lord, we serve him all the time and keep our watch all the time – though we may not know when he comes. One thing we know for sure is that he comes when he comes – in his time but not in our time.  Thus, we must be patient in our vigilance. 

17th Century Japanese Christian Samurai Feudal Lord - Justo (Ukon) Takayama of Settsu (Osaka)

 *Justo Takayama was one of samurai feudal lords, who became Christian, and later endured persecution. Justo was expelled by the Tokugawa Shogunate and reached Manila, Philippines, where he died from exhaustion. Because he refused to denounce his Catholic faith, he lost his castle of Settsu (northeastern Osaka) and his territory as a punishment. But, his real Lord, not the Tokugawa Shogun, but Christ, blessed him abundantly, for his absolute loyalty.

 

Also, as samurai servant of Christ the Lord, we never let our weapons and armor down!

So, in order for us to journey through this Advent season, let us strive to become better samurai servants of Christ the Lord, keeping our spiritual weapons and armors all the time and remaining vigilant – not only to prepare for the coming of Christ the Lord but also to prevent enemy’s (Devil’s) attack in the meantime. 

For this, as a descendant of a real samurai of Japan, I want to add these words of St. Paul to enhance the First Sunday Gospel reading:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18 

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In this blog, I addressed samurai’s relevance to Christian faith in the following articles:  

Let the Divine Mercy Fuel Us to Serve the Lord as Lorenzo-like Christian Samurais! Bushido, Martyrdom, Samurai, San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila -9/27/13          

    

Jesus Teaches Bushido as Necessary Conditions to inherit the Kingdom of God – 19th Sunday Gospel Reading Year C. Assumption of Mary, Bushido, Jesus Christ the Lord, Miyamoto Musashi, the End of Time - 8/15/13         

St. Ignatius of Loyola – A Saint of Gutso, Who Asks, Seeks, and Knocks, as Taught by Jesus Ignatian spirituality, persistence, prayer, St. Ignatius of Loyola  -  8/2/13    

Costly Grace in Bushido-like the Christian Discipleship - A Reflection of the Scripture Reading on the 12th Sunday Year C Bushido, Christian discipleship, Courage, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Fear, Martyrdom, Morita Therapy, San Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Peter, the Book of Hagakure, Zen    -    6/25/13

Let the Divine Mercy Fuel Us to Serve the Lord as Lorenzo-like Christian Samurais!

September 28 is the feast day of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila (St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila). 

Lorenzo and his companions arrived in Japan to preach the Gospel, during the time of intense Christian persecution.

In my last two blog entries on St. Cosmas & St. Damian and St. Vincent de Paul, whose feasts precedes the feast of San Lorenzo, I pointed that the spirit of mission is one common factor among these saints, as Jesus' compassion, from which ministries of charity, such as the works of St. Cosmas, St. Damian, and St. Vincent de Paul, have evolved, has been the driving forces to send out missionaries to wherever there is a need of works of mercy.

For St. Cosmas, St. Damian, and St. Vincent de Paul, their primary works of mercy were the corporal works of mercy. For San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, it is more of the spiritual works of mercy, in particular, instruction.

In reflecting San Lorenzo's mission to Japan at the time of severe persecution, these words of Jesus from his mission discourse in Matthew 10 come up:

"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.  But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:16-22)

Unbeknownst to Lorenzo and his companions, they were sent out to Japan from Manila, Philippines, like "sheep in the midst of wolves".  No turn back. 

Soon after their entry into Japan through Okinawa, Lorenzo and his companions were arrested by Japanese officials and sent to Nagasaki for execution. 

Like Japanese martyrs, such as St. Paul Miki and his companions, San Lorenzo and his companions from Manila kept praising the Lord for their opportunity serve Him in the most honorable way, by shedding their own blood, on their gruesome long  journey to Nagasaki. 

Imagine a bunch of captured soldiers were praising the Lord during the Bataan death march of 1942. How Lorenzo Ruiz and his companion, as well as Paul Miki and his companions, were during their respective excruciating journeys to executions in Nagasaki would seem like a group of captured soldiers marching on the Bataan death march, shouting and singing their praises to the Lord. 

As a Japanese Catholic, who has been benefited from the seed of faith that he had planted with his own blood in my country, I have a special a feeling toward San Lorenzo. Also, as a person of Samurai ancestry, the way he responded to a Japanese executioner, tempting him into denouncing his faith to save his own life,  really makes me consider Lorenzo as "Samurai" in Christian faith. The Lorenzo's way to chose death for his Lord, Christ,  is what the Code of Samurai in the Book of Hagakure teaches. 

For Lorenzo, as an exemplary Christian Samurai, his Lord to serve with his life was Lord Jesus Christ, while Japanese samurais had their respective feudal lords to serve likewise. 

The Lorenzo's Samurai-like courageous faith also makes an interesting contrast to the coward faith of Padre Rodriguez in Endo Shusaku's "Silence". In this Japanese Catholic writer's historical fiction story, Padre Rodriguez apostatized for his fear of losing his own life. Though the way Endo wrote his story may suggest that the apostasy of Padre Rodriguez might serve its unique purpose for surviving to continue preach the Gospel underground. Maybe it is so. But, in light of the Samurai's spirit, it is Lorenzo, not Padre Rodriguez in Endo's "Silence", who is considered as honorable. 

In honoring my favorite saint, San Lorenzo, also in light of the spirit of the Divine Mercy, I have contributed an essay to a publication of the Divine Mercy Community of Illinois. And, I thought that it would be a good opportunity share it here today, in honoring San Lorenzo.

Adelante!

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Let the Divine Mercy Fuel Us to Serve the Lord as Lorenzo-like Christian Samurais!

by Masa Nakata *

On September 23, 1637,  in Nagasaki, Japan, when he was given a chance to be set free upon renouncing his faith San Lorenzo told his executioner: “I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for the Lord; If I had a thousand lives, all these I shall offer to Him”. Leaving these powerful words, after a series of gruesome tortures, Lorenzo offered up his life. 

As a Japanese Catholic with Samurai ancestry, I find the Filipino Saint to be exemplary in responding not only to the call of Jesus: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”(Luke 9:23), but also to the ideal set by the Book of Hagakure, the Code of Samurai: “The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim.”

In fact, San Lorenzo is a great Samurai to Christ, the Lord.  His faith in Christ the Lord, is as strong as the loyalty of Samurai to his feudal lord because the martyr’s faith withstood fear of death and agony of tortures.  Because Lorenzo loved the Christ with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength and with all his mind, he was as selfless as he was willing to give up his own life for the Lord.  This is like how Samurais are trained to be selfless in the Zen Buddhist tradition in order not to give into the temptation to betray their lords out of fear of dying.

Our Lord Jesus Christ desires a steadfast faith, like San Lorenzo’s. In fact, upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, we have become soldiers of Christ – Samurais for Christ, strengthened by the Holy Spirit!  In response to this desire of our Lord, we must cultivate our faith to make it strong like the Christian Samurai’s or San Lorenzo’s. If we are not like San Lorenzo, it really hurts our Lord, because it means a compromise in our loyalty and discipleship.

In his message to St. Faustina Kowalska, Jesus said: “Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: "Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will." For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy.”(1228). 

To strengthen our faith, we must respond to the calling of our Lord Jesus Christ to immerse ourselves in the Divine Mercy, symbolized with the blood and water gushing from his wound marks. By letting our souls be cleansed by the blood and water of Christ, the Divine Mercy, we can courageously endure tribulations, no matter how agonizing they may become, and joyfully offer up our own lives, as San Lorenzo did, like an exemplary Samurai, in Japan.

Let us make this Divine Mercy Community a gathering of Christian Samurais, like San Lorenzo, empowered by the Holy Spirit and fueled by the Divine Mercy. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

(*The writer is a Japanese Catholic with Samurai ancestry, a graduate of Loyola University in pastoral studies, an active member of the Life in the Spirit community in Chicago, and a devotee to the Divine Mercy)