MEDITATION TIPS 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time,
July 27, 2025

“Ask, and it will be given to you” (Luke 11:9)

　Who will give to us when we ask? Where can we find what we seek? Who will open the door when we knock? The answers to these questions all lie within ourselves. “Wealth, happiness, virtue, harmony, light, talent, love, and wisdom—all of these exist within you. They should never be sought outside of yourself, nor should they be bought with money. They should not be taken from others, nor should they be won through competition and struggle. Simply by shifting your mindset from ‘absence—I don’t have it’ to ‘presence—I have it,’ everything will work out. All you need to do is realize that everything is already within you” (from “Truth: The End of Suffering” by Masami Saionji).

　According to geneticist Kazuo Murakami, genes have on/off switches, and when turned on, they unleash their power. In fact, there is little difference in genes between geniuses and ordinary people; everyone’s genes are usually turned off. This is why many people remain unable to unlock their potential. Whether the switch is on or off is far more important than whether one has superior genes. To turn on that switch, one needs a positive attitude, a willingness to challenge oneself, and a grateful heart.

　Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. However, these things only apply when one is prepared to accept them with a grateful heart. By cultivating a grateful heart, respect for each individual grows, and the circle of life expands. A grateful heart continuously creates a sense of satisfaction, turning ordinary meals into feasts, ordinary homes into households full of love, and strangers into close friends. Additionally, a grateful heart shifts one's focus from what one does not have to what one does have, enabling one to recognize the blessings one is currently receiving. Human beings are interesting creatures; once we focus on what we are grateful for, we no longer care about what we don't have. It is not because we are happy that we are grateful, but because we are grateful that we are happy.

　One of Montgomery’s works is “Anne of Green Gables.” Marilla, a single woman, and her brother Matthew decide to adopt a boy from an orphanage. However, on the day of the appointment, due to a mix-up, the one who arrives at the station is a red-haired girl named Anne Shirley. Marilla tries to send Anne back, but she is moved by Anne’s bright and talkative personality and decides to keep her. Due to a twist of fate, Anne’s future is decided for her, yet in the carriage, she says, “You can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” Anne grows up to be a girl who cherishes the small joys of daily life. Even if we are tossed about by fate in life, let us resolve to enjoy life wherever we are, just like Anne.

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Yutaka Akabae)