MEDITATION TIPS — 2nd Sunday of Lent,
March 16, 2025

“This is my Son, the Chosen One” (Luke 9:36).

　These are the words of our Heavenly Father to Jesus, but they are also the words he is speaking to each of us. We, too, are chosen. Being chosen, however, does not mean that our abilities or achievements are superior to those of others, but rather that our lives are unique in this world and cannot be compared to anyone else’s. This can be expressed by the word “individuality.” Each person has their own individuality. Yet, there may be people who think they have no individuality that they can be proud of. However, there is no one in this world who is not at least some peculiar traits.

　“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” (Emerson). Even those who claim to be ordinary and without merit often reveal surprisingly rich aspects when you talk to them. Some people try to hide their valuable personality traits by mistaking them for flaws. On the contrary, “A person who does not show even the slightest flaw is either a fool or a hypocrite. Some defects are so bound up with beauty that they make the beauty stand out and are better left uncorrected” (Joubert). The physical and mental characteristics of each individual, called individuality, are more often derived from flaws than from strengths. Attractive personalities are born from strengths spiced with flaws. Flaws enhance strengths and bring them into vivid relief. People are respected for their strengths and loved for their flaws.

　It is also common for physical and mental disabilities to become a part of a person’s individuality. There are countless people who have contributed to society by listening to their inner voice, finding their unique privilege in the physical and mental limitations of their disability, and using it as a springboard. One such example is Hanawa Hokiichi, a scholar from the Edo period (1603-1868) who influenced Helen Keller, a social activist who overcame the triple disabilities of being unable to see, hear, and speak. When Helen Keller was a child, her mother encouraged her, saying, “In Japan, there is a remarkable scholar named Hanawa Hokiichi who achieved great things despite being completely blind. You can do it too.” She took a Hokiichi Hanawa as her role model. During a visit to Japan in 1937, she visited places associated with Hokiichi Hanawa and said, “I am the person I am today because I worked hard with Hokiichi as my goal, even in times of hardship and suffering. In the Edo period (1603-1867), when Braille was not available, he overcame his complex of being totally blind and became a scholar versed I tens of thousands of books. He accomplished the superhuman feat of classifying and compiling ancient books, something even sighted people couldn't do, publishing the “Gunsho Ruiju” and subsequently nearly two thousand volumes. Although he lost his sight at the age of seven, he was also a man of outstanding character, and at the age of 16 he made a vow not to get angry. He believed that he could not achieve great things if he was angry over trivial matters, and since then, he has never been angry in his entire life. He also devoted himself to improving the social status of people with the same disability.

 　　　　　(Contribution by Father Yutaka Akabae)