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By SDB Prenovice Lorenzo Ruiz Kenji Hasegawa

Chofu, Tokyo, Japan, 15 February 2021 -- The Salesian Family in Japan province (GIA) held the annual Salesian Family Spirituality Seminar inspired from the strenna “Moved by Hope” on 13 February 2021. Due to the pandemic situation, this year’s Spirituality Seminar was held online, aired on both Facebook and Youtube. The endeavour was initiated by the Salesian Community along with those in the initial formation in Chofu, Tokyo as a means of responding to the online need in carrying out the said event.

The program was hosted by Fr Micaer Haruyama, the Vice-Provincial, and Fr Francis de Sales Okamoto from the Social Communication Committee of the province. The program was initiated with a prayer of the Salesian Family and was followed by the opening remarks from Fr Jacob Hamaguchi. Father Provincial first thanked the endeavors of each of the members of Salesian Family in the province. In his remarks, he stressed the importance of changing one’s perspective by alluding to the view one could see on board a plane soaring in the high sky above the clouds and under the clouds. He related that in the midst of the pandemic situation, only the view under the clouds is seen without realizing the beautiful view found above. The time requires one to change one’s perspective from self-centeredness to selflessness, from man-centeredness to God-centeredness, hence, Christ-centeredness. In doing so, one may come to see a new perspective one has never imagine to realize. It is in the midst of hopelessness when hope that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ truly moves a person to act and renew things. Towards the end of the remarks, Fr Jacob Hamaguchi challenged the participants to embrace changing one’s perspective to that hope the Lord gives through the encounter one has with the young people.

Responding to the Strenna, the members of the Salesian Family from Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), Caritas Sisters of Jesus (CSG), Association of Salesian Cooperators (ASC), Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA), Past Pupils of Don Bosco, and Past Pupils of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, lay mission partners, and members of the Salesian Youth Movement in Tokyo, gave testimonials of what they hope in the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic.

Fr Paul Tamura, the rector of the Salesian Formation House in Chofu, Tokyo, highlighted the key points of the Strenna. With the pressing reality, aside from COVID-19 pandemic, the reality of the infectious presence of war, terrorism, human trafficking, slavery, crime, sex slavery, and child warriors cannot be denied. Fr. Tamura stressed that hope is something that runs through one’s vein to grow in faith. Hope surely allows one to live in charity through faith in God, the source of very hope despite the dark reality one faces in the society. In the Salesian Spirituality, this hope is mirrored by the life of Don Bosco through his utmost faith in God and in the Blessed Mother. The Divine Providence became Don Bosco’s hope in carrying out his apostolate just like when he invited the young people in the oratory to assist the people inflicted with cholera. Fr, Tamura remarked that the Salesian sanctity is a great witness living in hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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