Testimony Hour

 

 

This year‘s Church Consecration Festival took place amidst a special atmosphere of God’s immeasurable loving kindness upon His church. On this day, I am sure that many felt the spiritual gaze of our recently departed pastors, Fr. Sasaki and Fr. Kerkmann smiling upon the faithful’s gathering from their heavenly abode. This year, on a last minute decision, it was decided that there shall be no bazaar of things. The Festival, therefore, turned out to be more of appreciating one another’s presence through interpersonal exchanges, something that Fr. Sasaki often emphasized.

 

During the English “Testimony Hour” of which I had the privilege of being the facilitator, I was most humbled and touched by our parishioners’ sharing. In St. Xavier’s Chapel, facing the Tabernacle, we had the opportunity to express to Jesus and to one another, how blessed we are to know God and how He has uniquely touched our lives. The following is a short summary of what was shared in the allotted one hour.

 

The first speaker spoke about how she had been brought up in a warm Catholic family, but later intentionally alienated herself from church. In coming to Tokyo, however, she rediscovered the richness of her faith when the obstructions within her were removed due to a unique experience she had.

 

The second speaker shared about the urgent need she has for physical healing. She proclaimed the goodness of our mighty God who is doing miracles today. She encouraged all of us to never give up, but to continue glorifying God and believing in His miraculous power.

 

The third speaker spoke of how he was once very unsure of his future and lacked the self-confidence he needed in carrying on his life. However, being touched deeply of God’s love for him, there is no more fear, and today, as a foreigner in Japan, he is sincerely concerned of the salvation of the Japanese people.

 

The fourth speaker spoke to us about how real God is, and that she is truly able to see and feel the presence of the Lord. She gave thanks and glorified God, asking the gathered to join in.

 

The fifth speaker spoke to us about the difficulty of living in Japan as one seeking proper visa status from the Japanese government. Though in hardship, he is praising the Lord, and he reminded us that true faith is exemplified in the doing of God’s Word and not just knowing about it, as we find in the Bible, ”Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

 

The sixth speaker shared with us on how Jesus had spoken to her about His cross, which brought about her decision to follow Jesus as a religious. She expounded on the love of Christ for all mankind and the power of His cross.

 

 

Below is one of the testimonies, authorized by the writer to be printed herein.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings! My name is Aldrin Ken Lejano. I am called to talk about faith and how it has helped me in my life. It is impossible to fully talk about faith and hope without talking about love. As St. Paul said “I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains, but if I have no love, I am nothing.” Needless to say, it is impossible to fully talk about my life as a Christian without mentioning love. What is love? Love is self-giving. For Christ, it is a determined act of the will. It is to put the well-being of others above one’s own. His love is unconditional, forgiving, sacrificial, eternal and holy. Faith is belief and trust in God. Hope, on the other hand, is the confident expectation of what is to come based on the trustworthy promises from God. Love is the greatest because Faith and Hope depend on love for their existence, just as we all depend on God’s love for ours.

 

Before I met Jesus, I didn’t know the meaning of love. Since I didn’t know the meaning of love, I didn’t know God because God is love. I was fixated on getting my security, identity and happiness from material things, comfort and pleasures, high performance ratings, awards and recognition.

 

I filled the immeasurable void deep inside of me with worldly things. I was living a very sinful life that was so full of pride. I heavily relied on my own power and strived to prove my worth. I appeared strong on the outside but I was insecure and fearful on the inside. My greatest fear was to be looked down on by other people. I became too concerned with what people thought of me. I was living for the acceptance of the world. I was so exhausted and God drew me to Himself. I began to look at Jesus instead of my sins, weaknesses and attachments.

 

Then God used the following Bible passages to speak to me, “Don’t be afraid!” and “Be still and know that I am God.” For the first time in my life, I became courageous and calm. I started to let go of my worldly desires. I started listening to God. In the process, I began to know more about Him. It was at this point that I began to ask deep questions like “Why did God create me?”, “How does God look at me?” and “Why am I here?” I looked back at my past experiences and recognized the goodness of God. I was loved, gifted and cared for in spite of my shortcomings. By looking at my life, I realized that I was created out of love; God looks at me with love and I am here to love God and others as He has loved us. The deepest reality is that I am God’s beloved child. It was not so much about my love for God but God’s Love and Divine Mercy which sustained me all through-out my life, filling the immeasurable void that only an intimate relationship with God can cover.

 

Now, I no longer strive to prove my worth. IN CHRIST, I know that we are holy and blameless, wise and honored. FOR CHRIST, we are worth dying for. My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us share to everyone that we are all children of God - known, mercifully loved, gifted and cared for - now and forever. To God be the Glory!

 

Overall, the “Testimony Hour” was a very special experience. It confirmed what a friend we have in Jesus and about the faithfulness of God toward His children. We would like to thank everyone who participated, especially those who shared their testimony, for they are truly encouraging as we walk in faith together. We would like to apologize to those who were not able to speak this time because of time constraint. The Peace of Jesus!