MEDITATION TIP —33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 13, 2022

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of justice will arise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 3:20)

　The ancients worshipped the sun as a god. Then came the age of science, and people began to say that the sun was not a god. Eventually came the age of mystery, and Francis of Assisi called the sun his friend.

　The sun is the greatest source of heat that gives energy to this earth. Without the sun, human beings would not be able to survive. The sun not only gives energy to this earth, but also gives hope to the human heart. We may wake up in the middle of the night and feel anxious or heavy about something, but when the sun rises in the morning, strangely enough, the anxiety we felt in the middle of the night disappears as if it had never happened. When the sun brightens our surroundings, it strangely brightens our hearts as well. Like a friend speaking gently to us, the sun gives us hope for life.

　Since the beginning of the history of the earth, there has not been a day when the sun has not risen. The fact that the sun rises every morning to greet a new morning means that “yesterday’s wounds will heal themselves today,” “yesterday’s tears will wipe themselves away today,” and “if we failed yesterday, today we will be given a chance to start over again.

　In the same way, what gives our community and society energy like the sun: a forward-looking posture, a positive attitude, and optimism. Proactive, positive people are already making a contribution to society just by being positive. On the contrary, it is easy to ruin people. It is to make people insecure. That is why Satan is always trying to make us insecure. Jesus said, “Be careful not to be deceived. Jesus said, “Be careful not to be deceived. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the one,’ or, ‘The time is near,’ but do not follow them. And when you hear of wars and riots, do not be frightened.” (Luke 21:8-9)

　The Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering upon it. And God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’” (Genesis 1:1-3) In fact, we can reenact this creation by saying one word to the heart of darkness, “Let there be light,” and we can create hope, which is light. Jesus, who declared to the sick, “Your faith has saved you” (Matthew 9:22, etc.), similarly gives us the power to believe and the ability to self-actualize. We become what we believes. In the conclusion of the Gospel, Jesus said, “By your perseverance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19). However, I think it can be read as follows: “By hope you will gain your lives.

 　　　　　(Father Akabae)