I never thought that my photo would be on the front cover of a book – admittedly with fourteen others! All of us, in our 80s, are foreign missionaries still working in Japan. The book in Japanese, is entitled “Father, why did you come to Japan?” with the further question: “Why are you still with us?” We fifteen missionary priests were interviewed by a Paulist Sister for the book.
April 19, 2021
O Lord, Jesus Christ,
Redeemer and Savior,
forgive my sins,
just as You forgave Peter's denial
and those who crucified You.
Count not my transgressions, but,
rather, my tears of repentance.
Remember not my iniquities, but,
more especially, my sorrow
for the offenses I have committed against You.
I long to be true to Your Word,
April 18, 2021
Graciously hear us, O Lord, when we call upon You,
and grant our humble request for a calm atmosphere,
that we, who are justly punished for our sins,
may be spared, by Your protecting mercy,
from the ravages of storms and floods.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
April 17, 2021
Father in Heaven,
ever-living source of all that is good,
keep me faithful in serving You.
Help me to drink of Christ's Truth,
and fill my heart with His Love
so that I may serve You in faith
and love and reach eternal life.
In the Sacrament of the Eucharist,
You give me the joy of sharing Your Life.
Keep me in Your presence.
April 16, 2021
How happy my soul was, good Mother,
when I had the good fortune to gaze upon you!
How I love to recall the pleasant moments
spent under your gaze,
so full of kindness and mercy for us.
Yes, tender Mother, you stooped down to earth
to appear to a mere child.
You, the Queen of heaven and earth,
deigned to make use of the most fragile thing
April 15, 2021
How often in the down-sided moments of life
we can lose our sense of fun, and scowl and frown
around us.
We punish others for our lack of peace
and then feel a thousand times worse.
April 14, 2021
Risen Lord, You prove the power
of love over death.
Help me to show love
in my thoughts, words and actions.
April 13, 2021
Some of us are very vulnerable at this time
of pandemic. We rely on the assistance of those who
are our neighbors.
Bless those who aid the sick.
Give your power to those who serve the
most severely ill from Covid.
Help us Lord God to be brothers and sisters
treating each with dignity.
We pray in Your Holy Name Jesus the Christ.
Amen.
April 12, 2021
O glorious St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus,
you provided for the Holy Family.
We commit to your protection all our crops
and farm industries.
We humbly ask you, to intercede
in our behalf with Almighty God,
who rules the seasons, so that our fields,
being safe from pests and favored by the weather,
may yield abundant crops that will allow us
April 12, 2021
Part of life while growing up was the occasional phone call I would receive from my uncle, Columban Fr. Tomás King, who is a missionary priest in Pakistan. Every conversation I had with him over the phone would include the question, “When are you coming to Pakistan, Dáire?” While I knew he was usually joking, it still made the phone call a little awkward as I was unable to tell him I had never planned on going to Pakistan to see him. I would always answer
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.