Columban Fr Barry Cairns working at his new carpenter's workbench in Japan. Photo: Fr Barry Cairns SSC
It was the second week of December - that frenetic season before Christmas was upon me. Besides that, winter’s heavy grey skies were getting to me.
I first came to Japan in 1956 from the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand). Even after all those years, while adapting to Japan in most areas, I have never really got used to cold weather at Christmas! For so many of my youthful years, Christmas was a time of sunshine and swimming at the beach. I have never, ever dreamed of a white Christmas! So, as ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ psalm puts it so vividly, my spirit was drooping.
My lifelong hobby has been woodwork. In middle school, my highest marks were for a class called woodwork; the lowest marks were for what was then called arithmetic. I like making things, but, as a priest, I have lived in ageing rectories, so I tend to mend more than make.
Recently, on the Amazon website, I saw a carpenter’s workbench for sale and looked at it with longing. But all I could do was put it on my “wish list”. The sale price was $197. Was that too expensive for me? And if I did buy it, how many years, at 92, did I have left? So, I went to St Joseph the carpenter and asked him to guide me. Joseph had Jesus as his apprentice.
Three weeks later, a couple whose marriage I had witnessed seven years previously came to visit me. At the time of their marriage, both were in their 70s. In both cases, their former partner had died. They came to tell me that this second marriage had given them a wonderful and refreshing happiness. Then they handed me an envelope, saying, “Here is a gift in gratitude to God. Buy yourself a Christmas present.”
Later, when I opened the envelope, there was in Yen exactly $197. So, St Joseph had arranged a Christmas present for me to celebrate the birthday of his foster child and later his apprentice carpenter, Jesus.
These events had the Good Shepherd reviving my drooping spirit.
As a postscript, I add this. The carpenter’s workbench was delivered to the door in an enormous parcel. It was in many parts requiring assembly. Seeing me gaze at the many parts with a worried look, a parishioner said: “Let’s assemble it.” While his wife read the instructions, the four of us (the parishioner, me, Jesus and Joseph) put the bench together and had a lot of fun doing it. So, I thank the couple and the carpenters, Jesus, and Joseph, for their Christmas gift.
Fr Barry Cairns lives and works in Japan.
Listen to "A Christmas present from St Joseph"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - November/December 2024
