MEDITATION TIPS Solemnity of the Holy Trinity,
June 15, 2025

“Hope does not disappoint us” (Romans 5:5)

　The rainy season has begun, and soon it will get hot as we head into summer. By the way, there are two songs that represent summer, which I particularly like. They are “A New Morning Has Come, A Morning of Hope...” from Radio Taisō (radio calisthenics), and “Clouds Well Up, Light Overflowing...” the theme song of the Summer Koshien Tournament. Hearing these songs every year since childhood, I feel a surge of energy throughout my body no matter how old I get. This is especially true because for me, welcoming “a new morning, a morning of hope” means greeting a new life every day.

　A day that has passed never returns, but the day called “tomorrow” will visit us eternally. The fact that tomorrow comes means that no matter how many mistakes we make today, we are given a new chance. However, to seize that chance, there is something we must always be prepared to do: continuously learn.

　“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” (Mahatma Gandhi) Coco Chanel, who revolutionized the fashion world, said, “Even an uneducated woman like me, who grew up in an orphanage without an education, can still learn the name of one flower a day.” She was a person who continued to learn throughout her life. Indeed, born and raised in an orphanage with insufficient education, she forged her own path and remained at the forefront of the fashion world until her death at 87. The reason she main-tained her position in a fashion world where young talents constantly emerged was because she maintained a willingness to learn. She experienced, as the Bible says, that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (5:3-4), but the source of that hope was her attitude towards learning.

　She also said, “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself,” emphasizing inner qualities like character, speech, and attitude rather than how to make oneself look beautiful. Actress Audrey Hepburn also emphasized that true beauty comes from within, stating, “For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness. For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others,” highlighting that true beauty is a manifestation of “God's love poured into our hearts” (5:5).

　There is a Japanese proverb: “Learning in old age.” While overly curious elderly people who scrutinize every little thing can sometimes be frowned upon, conversely, losing intel-lectual curiosity makes it difficult to maintain mental youthfulness. As long as one maintains intel¬lectual curiosity, never loses the desire to live, actively engages with the surrounding world, and maintains the mindset that life is enjoyable today, mental aging will not come. “People do not grow old by merely accumulating years. They grow old by losing ideals.” “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt.” (Samuel Ullman) Conversely, young people who avoid the elderly may already have a certain degree of mental aging.

　Life is like riding a bicycle. To avoid falling, you must constantly keep moving forward. That forward movement means believing that “hope does not disappoint us,” and contin-uing to learn.

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Yutaka Akabae)