Tightrope Walking

Posted on July 4, 2026 by editor

Bro. Nobuhiko Yagi, OMI – Back when I was a student, I had a summer job at a circus – not as a performer, but as a lighting technician. Behind the big main tent where everyone watched the show, there were animal cages, small tents for the troupe members to stay in, and a medium-sized tent that served as their dining hall. We part-timers would enjoy lunch there together with the troupe members, sharing a friendly, communal atmosphere.

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Excursion to Kyoto

Posted on July 4, 2026 by editor

Bro. Prasanna Perera, OMI –  These days, I am reading a book called “A Concise History of Japan” by Milton W. Meyer. From the title of the book, you may already have understood its content. Yes, it is an introduction to the history of Japan, starting from traditional Japan up until the present day.

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Season of Creation 2026: Living Waters

Posted on July 4, 2026 by editor

Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI – The World Council of Churches calls Christians worldwide to observe the Season of Creation from Sept 1 – October 4, 2026. The Season of Creation is an ecumenical initiative that takes place annually from September 1, the World Day of Prayer for Creation, to October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Creation. This year’s theme, “Living Waters”, comes from Ezekiel 47:9 and 12 – a biblical vision of hope and ecological restoration. During the Season of Creation, we join together as sisters and brothers of a universal family celebrating in prayer and action how to renew our appreciation, our commitment, conversion and our care and activities to protect and bring new life to Mother Earth, our Common Home. For this presentation, I found much information from the Season of Creation website (seasonofcreation.org).

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AI, Faith, and the Future: Becoming the Person God Created You to Be in a Digital World

Posted on June 27, 2026 by editor

Jerome Novotny , OMI –  If I could sit down with a group of university students and young adults today, there is one conversation I would want us to have. It would not begin with computers or robots. It would begin with a much more important question: What kind of person do you want to become?

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A Mini Treason

Posted on May 26, 2026 by editor

Ron Rolheiser, OMI – Thomas Merton once said that what he feared in his own life was not so much a massive betrayal of his vocation, but a series of mini treasons that lead to a different kind of death. And that’s the peril that I fear too, for myself and for our culture.

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The Sacred Silence – Deepening Spirituality in Nagasaki’s Peace.

Posted on May 19, 2026 by editor

Bro. Prasanna Perera, OMI –  Nagasaki, a city of unforgettable joy and pain, carries both discovered and hidden history. I first learned about this city while I was in Sri Lanka, when I participated in the Holy Mass on February 6, the feast day commemorating Saint Paul Miki and his companions, who gave their lives for Christ in this city in 1597.

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Human Life is Sacred from Conception

Posted on May 4, 2026 by editor

Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI – Pastoral Statement: Human Life is Sacred from Conception

1. The Bible clearly teaches that human life is sacred and precious from conception, and that murder is wrong (Genesis 9:6). This sacredness flows from the sacrament of marriage in which a married couple cooperates with God in bringing new human life into our world. Uniquely among all creatures created by God, only man, the human person; the human being, which includes each and every species of homo sapiens at all stages of life, has the capacity for a loving relationship with God. Only man has a soul and is the only one made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). It follows then the human soul must be present from conception. Body and soul cannot be separate until death as determined by God.

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When Silence Feels Too Easy: A Christian Reflection on Abortion Pills

Posted on April 8, 2026 by editor

Jerome Novotny , OMI –  There is a quiet change happening in our world. It is not loud, and many people do not notice it right away. But it matters. More and more, abortion is happening not in clinics, but at home, through pills. It is private, fast, and often done alone. I never imagined I would feel this deeply about something so often discussed in whispers, but headlines such as this, “Abortion Pills Now Kill 2/3 of All Babies Killed in Abortions“, make it harder to ignore.

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Jubilee year being celebrated

Posted on March 20, 2026 by editor

Jude Peirispulle, OMI – (Pastor of Toyohashi Catholic Church). To celebrate the Year of the Pilgrimage, on November 30th, 220 parishioners from Totohashi Church made a pilgrimage to Ogaki Catholic Church, Gifu Catholic Church, Nunoike Catholic Church (Cathedral), and Chikaramachi Catholic Church. We worked hard to prepare for this pilgrimage, and as a result we had a fruitful pilgrimage.

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Cyberbullying in Japan: A Growing Emergency

Posted on March 20, 2026 by editor

Jerome Novotny , OMI –  I’m a third-year junior high student in Japan. My name is Aoi. Every morning I wake up and check my iPhone before I get out of bed. I use LINE to talk to my classmates, Instagram to see pictures, and sometimes Twitter when I want to see what people are saying about school or shows. I like being connected – it helps me stay close to friends and know what’s happening. But sometimes the messages and posts don’t feel friendly. On one occasion, an individual created a fake account and posted derogatory comments about a girl in our class. People started replying and laughing. It spread fast, and the girl looked hurt and stopped participating in club activities. On another occasion, a classmate posted a dance video, and everyone commented, cheering them on – it felt really encouraging and made them more confident. But another time someone recorded a private conversation between two students during break and posted it without permission. The two got embarrassed because people started making jokes in the comments.

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“Sakura Sampradaya”—”The Heartbeat of a Missionary who traveled from Sri Lanka to Japan”

Posted on March 4, 2026 by editor

Bro. Prasanna Perera , OMI –  Japan is famous for many reasons. Among the crowds who come to Japan searching for these reasons, I am just another person. Simply I consider myself someone lost between my own will and the will of God. That is the very reason I gained the experiences and feelings that led me to write this.

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Who Decides When A Life Is Valuable?

Posted on February 28, 2026 by editor

Jerome Novotny , OMI –  Worthy? Who decides? When hospitals, media, and policy accept ending or withholding life for the vulnerable, I see how we begin to treat some people as less than fully human – problems to manage rather than neighbors to love. In this article, I ask who judges a life’s value and moves from institutions to the everyday moments where dignity is made or denied – a hurried bedside conversation, a refused invitation, a steady presence. Drawing on my Catholic faith, Scripture, and stories of the elderly, disabled, and marginalized, I examine how usefulness erodes the worth of a person and show how compassion – listening, shared meals, sacramental care – restores dignity and says, “You matter.”

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