Poor, Unhappy, but Faithful People to Support Churches
Once or decades ago, there was a seminary student in Japan who was studying in a university in a big city remote from his home village. But he was mentally and spiritually suffering about his future. He was not sure about whether or not he should continue his study to be a priest for various reasons. As his home village was in a unique region with the tradition of hidden Christianity (Christianity had been banned in Japan from the 17th century to the late 19th century, but in some areas people secretly revered Christianity through the period) and his family also believed in Christianity, he naturally proceeded to a School of Divinity to be qualified as a priest. But, in those days, he had a doubt about whether it was a right choice on course of life for him to become a priest.
One day, he came back to his home village and entered into an old church with which he had been familiar from his childhood to pray alone to the God there. Then, there came an old woman speaking to him: "Please continue your study and become a priest. There are unhappy people in this world who need a priest like you. Please become a good priest and save those unhappy people." At the time, he did not respond to the words of the poor little old woman.
When he came back to his old home, he asked about the woman to his family members to be informed that she was a mother of a son who had been a member of a gangster in a big city but recently killed by other gangster members, and she had buried his son in the village recently.
He decided to continue his study to be qualified as a priest. A notable sister of Catholic who believes in spiritual power wrote this story about a certain priest.
However, it should be noted that the key person in this story is not the seminary student but the old, poor, unhappy, but faithful woman. The depth of understanding of love of Christ Jesus is deeper in the old woman than the the seminary student. She needed a church as a place to pray to the God, and a church needs a priest. As she fully learned human unhappiness, her sense must have become keen enough to see unhappiness of others. Therefore, she could see the suffering mind of the student. So, she dared to speak to the student.
Like in this case in Japan, Christianity and churches have been supported all through the history by poor, unhappy, but faithful people who could even foster priests.
Indeed, poor, unhappy, but faithful people are accepted in Heaven after their death in this world to be consoled, satisfied, fulfilled and made happy.
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John 1, King James Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.