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2. in pain, But not in despair

«I told my wife that I had developed an incurable disease and
had only three years to live, [...] to that wife who had fought so hard
with me. [...] She hugged the child tightly and stood still to listen.
After that [...] she got up, went to the little altar, lit a candle and
began to pray to the Crucifix. [When she finished praying, she sat
down in front of me and, smiling, said: “Whether we live or die, it is
6
for the glory of God» .

ideas For reFlection

• Do I know how to listen silently to a story of pain, or even
simply a story about one’s day, from my spouse or a family member?
• Reflect on whether, in your family life, there is anything in
EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE NAGAI FAMILY
particular that you can entrust to the Lord in your prayers.

3. Hope

«My beloved wife was dead, my house and all my possessions
burned to ashes. My health was already failing and I knew that soon
I would no longer be able to work. All was lost, and yet...when I
realized that what I was to seek was that which does not die... a great
new hope settled in my heart» .
7

ideas For reFlection

• Thinking back on the life of your family, in what situation can
you say that “all was lost, and yet...”. In our hearts, let us thank the
Lord for how He showed His presence, for how He guided us, for how
He made us feel that we were not alone.
• Reflect: What am I looking for? What are we looking for?

6 Cf. Takashi Paolo Nagai, Ciò che non muore mai, op. cit.
7 Cf. Ibidem.