First Fruits of Love Offering to Christ the King and the Japanese Imperial Feast of Niinamesai

 Besides it is my parents’ wedding anniversary, November 23 in Japan has been traditionally the imperial feast of the thanksgiving offering of the first fruits of the rice harvest of the year.  This feast is called “Niinamesai”(新嘗祭), which literally means new harvest feast. 

At Niinamesai, Emperor of Japan, representing the people of Japan, as their high priest, offers the first fruits of the rice to deities of Japan as token of gratitude for their generous providence and ask for their continuous care for the next year.

Though there has been a period when Emperor of Japan was deified by constitution, Emperor has been the intermediary being between the people of Japan and the deities of Japan. In this sense, Emperor of Japan is like Moses on Mt. Sinai. Pleading to God for His mercy on behalf of the Israelites and receiving the Law from God representing the Israelites.

Because this imperial feast of thanksgiving offering of the first fruits is involved with rice, the feast is believed to trace its roots in the descent of the sun feminine deity, Amaterasu-no-ookami or Amaterasu (天照大神), who is the daughter born to Izanagi-nomikoto (伊邪那岐命) and Izanami-nomikoto (伊邪那美命), the creator deities in the Japanese Mythology.  Upon her descent from heaven, the world of the deities, to the land of Japan, the world of people, the sun deity, Amaterasu, brought the rice cultivation, enabling the land of Japan to grow and harvest rice, in her blessings, so that people of Japan can eat and prosper.

Emperor of Japan, who is believe to be the direct descendant of Amaterasu, serves as the high priest in officiating this annual firs fruits thanksgiving feast ritual in a special shrine set in the Imperial Palace on this day of every year.

There are some elements from the Gospel Readings for the last three Sundays on Cycle A, reflected in contextual juxtaposition to the above-mentioned Japanese imperial feast of Niinamesai.

As the first fruits offered to the deities of Japan at Niinamesai is rice, it is also important to understand what it takes to bring forth the first fruits of rice.

In order to grow rice and enjoy abundant harvest to bring its first fruits worthy to offer to the deities, farmers have to work diligently and vigilantly – from seedlings to harvest. In spring, they carefully prepare rice seedlings, while they fill the rice fields with water for planting. Then, once planting is done diligently. Afterward, farmers need to keep their vigilant eyes to protect growing rice plants into summer and until harvest time. The rice plants can be ruined by insets and weeds. Then, toward the harvest time, the farmers’ vigilant eyes are to protect rice from birds. So, the first fruits of rice fit to be offered to the deities at Niinamesai through the priestly role of Emperor is the fruit of Japanese rice farmers’ diligent and vigilant workmanship out of the rice grain seed first given by Amaterasu upon her descent from heaven.

Diligence and vigilance, required to turn seeds into abundant harvest and finest first fruits are important virtues addressed in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) for the 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Parable of the Talent (Matthew 25:14-30) for the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) is about Christ the King judges on our fruitfulness of the agape-love given and entrusted by Christ.

When Christ descended to earth as Jesus through Mary, he was given to us as a gift of love by the Father in heaven, as indicated in John 3:16. And, this gift of love, Christ the Son in Jesus, is juxtaposed to the original seed of rice, given by Amaterasu, upon her descent.  Then, when Christ was crucified and died, he shed his blood, sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in heaven, given to us as another seed of love. For this seed of love, however, Christ himself commanded to let it grow by loving one another as he has loved us (John 13:34). He also suggested that letting the seed of his love to us is done by integrating Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 – by loving our neighbors – each other – in light of loving God above all and without compromise. And, he also gave a good example of how the seed of his love can be grown into abundant fruits through his Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

So, when Christ the King returns to judge the fruitfulness of our diligent and vigilant work on the seed of love given and entrusted to us, we must be ready to bring forth the finest first fruits of our diligent and vigilant works on God-given seeds of love. 

What is the finest first fruits of rice of the year offered to the deities of Japan through Emperor of Japan on behalf of the people of Japan at Niinamesai is like what is the finest first fruits of love, its seedlings have been given by God the Father through Christ the Son, as results of our diligent and vigilant works on this love, empowered by the Holy Spirit. By offering this first fruits of our diligent and vigilant works of love, in thanksgiving, we also love God, who is love, thus, keeping our observance of Deuteronomy 6:5 together with Leviticus 19:18, all the way to the harvest time of the first fruits of love.

Yes, I am also first fruits – the first fruits of my parents’ love as I am the firstborn son to them, who made their matrimonial union of love on the Japanese imperial feast day of the first fruits of rice thanksgiving offering, Niinamesai, 1964.