martyrs of Japan

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Saturday, 6 February 2021 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the narrative of the Lord as the Good Shepherd of all the faithful and as the One to guide all the people towards the salvation and eternal life found in God alone. Through Christ, the Lord has gathered all of us to Himself, and He has done this for us so that each and every one of us may be saved, and not fall into eternal damnation.

The Lord offered Himself as the worthy sacrifice and also acting as the High Priest in offering this gift that through His offering all of us receive the assurance of eternal life and true happiness, a joy that is everlasting and true, no longer burdened by the chains of sin. He has done all of these out of love for us, because He has seen how wretched we have been in our condition just as exemplified by our Gospel passage today.

In that occasion, the Lord saw how the people who were gathered to listen to Him were like sheep without a shepherd, without a guide and without a proper direction in life. He showed them the path towards His salvation and taught them even when He and His disciples were tired and exhausted. He dedicated Himself, truly like the Good Shepherd He is, patiently caring for the people entrusted to Him, loving them and showing them the true face of God’s love.

We have seen how God loved us so much that He willingly gave everything for our sake. Do we then appreciate the love He has shown us, brothers and sisters in Christ? Many of us often forget about God and we only remember Him when we need something from Him or require assistance from Him. When things are good for us, and when everything is fine, we quickly forget about Him and carry on living our lives in the same way and routine, again and again.

As Christians, all of us are called to live our lives with God at the centre of our lives and existence. We should do our very best to dedicate our actions and our daily living to glorify God at all times, to the very best of our abilities. We are all called to be inspiration for one another, to be exemplary in how we lead a Christ-like life, to be filled with love for God and to be filled with love for our fellow brothers and sisters.

The Lord has called us all to follow His example as the Good Shepherd, to show love and care for one another, and to be genuinely compassionate towards those who need our help and attention. He wants us to live up to our Christian calling and be genuine Christian at all times, dedicating ourselves to serve God and to stand up for our faith whenever it is necessary. That is how we inspire others to follow the Lord and be faithful as well.

Today, all of us celebrate the memory of the great saints, St. Paul Miki and his companions, the Holy Martyrs of Nagasaki, the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan. At that time, the Church in Japan had been going through a period of very rapid expansion that saw hundreds of thousands of people converting to the Christian faith. However, the initially supportive authorities began to be wary of the rapid expansion and powerful influence of the Church, and the then Regent of Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi began to persecute Christians throughout the realm.

St. Paul Miki was among those who were arrested for their faith, and they were tried and condemned to death in Kyoto, the then Imperial capital of Japan and the seat of the Regent. St. Paul Miki and his companions were forced to undergo the most painful journey from Kyoto to Nagasaki, halfway across Japan on foot, a distance of almost a thousand kilometres, to the place of their martyrdom. Perhaps the authorities hoped that some among them would give up and abandon their faith.

On the contrary, St. Paul Miki and his companions, the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs took courage in God and sang the glorious hymn ‘Te Deum’ in praise of God throughout their journey, thanking and glorifying God as they marched towards their deaths. They remained faithful to the very end and faced martyrdom with courage, receiving from the Lord, their Divine Master and Good Shepherd, the crown of true and everlasting glory and happiness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we willing and able to follow in the footsteps of our holy and devout predecessors? Are we willing to commit ourselves to the good cause of the Lord and to spend the time and effort to proclaim the greater glory of God through our own lives, our actions and deeds? Let us all reflect on this and discern in what way we can live up to our Christian calling, in following the call and example of Our Lord, our Good Shepherd and Master. May God continue to guide us and bless us abundantly in all of our good endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 6 February 2021 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 30-34

At that time, the Apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then He said to them, “Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the Apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

But people saw them leaving and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began a long teaching session with them.

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Saturday, 6 February 2021 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 22 : 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He restores my soul.

He guides me through the right paths for His Name’s sake. Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are beside me : Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

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Saturday, 6 February 2021 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Hebrews 13 : 15-17, 20-21

Let us, then, continually offer through Jesus a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips celebrating His Name. Do not neglect good works and common life, for these are sacrifices pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are concerned for your souls and are accountable for them. Let this be a joy for them rather than a burden, which would be of no advantage for you.

May God give you peace, He Who brought back from among the dead Jesus our Lord, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, Whose Blood seals the eternal covenant. He will train you in every good work, that you may do His will, for it is He Who works in us what pleases Him, through Jesus Christ, to Whom all glory be forever and ever. Amen!

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Thursday, 6 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red (Martyrs)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s readings and the saints we commemorate today match very nicely, in that today, we talk about mission, and about spreading the Good News of the Lord, in evangelisation and mission. Jesus sent His disciples to many places, to bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit in many through their works.

And today we commemorate the feast of St. Paul Miki and his companions, the martyrs of Japan, who lived during the late Sengoku era Japan, when the earlier tolerant and welcoming attitude of the Japanese turned into one of open hostility and persecution, not unlike the persecutions of Christians during the Roman Empire.

And much like those saints and martyrs who died during the Roman persecutions, they were tortured, punished, and forced to reject their faith and embrace the pagan faith of their oppressors. Some of them relented and turned their back on the Lord, but many kept strong their faith in God, and did not give up the faith.

The example of St. Paul Miki and his companions showed us the reality of serving the Lord, particularly those who had chosen to dedicate themselves to a life of mission work, by becoming His priests and missionaries, all over the world, spreading the Good News via various means to different groups of people. And this reality is still true, even to this day.

They have no need to fear, because God Himself will provide for them and protect them. This is what David, the king of Israel, before he died, told his son Solomon, who would succeed him as king. Those who keep God’s commandments and keep their faith in God, shall have great rewards, and as Jesus and His disciples had taught us, that these rewards not necessarily mean a worldly reward, because an even greater reward awaits us in heaven.

Being a follower of Christ almost always means to be in constant odds with the ways of the world, simply because the world does not recognise the Lord, but instead it recognises Satan as its master. That is why being a follower of Christ often means to be rejected by the world, to be an outcast, and at the times of persecutions in the past, and even in the present, many had to brave death to defend their faith in God.

The world which does not know Christ, does not know us. But our Lord knows us and He loves us all equally. He knows us all by name, and He knows all about us. And He cares about all mankind, even those who had done evil things and even those who had persecuted His chosen ones and His faithful. He wants all to be reunited to Him, particularly those who are deepest in darkness and those who are far from His salvation.

Our Lord had offered us salvation in Jesus, His Son, through His own death and resurrection, that all who heard of Him and believe in Him, are promised the promise of eternal life and redemption in Jesus, gaining for eternity the glory God had intended for mankind since the beginning of time. That was what the martyrs gained for their constant and undying faith for the Lord. In death, they received the glory of heaven as saints of the Lord.

St. Paul Miki was born in Japan in Nagasaki, and he was converted to the faith by the missionaries of the faith, who introduced the faith to Japan, by their hard work and preaching. St. Paul Miki himself followed suit and joined the Jesuit order, preaching about the faith to many of his fellow countrymen.

At first, the faith was welcomed in Japan by the local rulers, but with ulterior motive of gaining the European technologies such as guns and other weaponries in exchange for tolerance of the faith. Some of those local lords even converted to the faith, some did it genuinely. However all this changed after a warlord named Hideyoshi Toyotomi managed to reunite Japan under his rule.

The warlord was always suspicious of the faith, and the reunion of the country under his rule gave him the excuse to persecute the faithful. Many Christians including St. Paul Miki and his many fellow faithful were arrested and tortured under threat of death to recant their faith. But they remained faithful and preferred death to apostasy.

He and his fellow companions were forced to march on foot from Kyoto the capital of Japan at that time to Nagasaki, a journey of almost a thousand kilometres, and they did so while praising the Lord and singing the hymn Te Deum. They were then crucified and martyred in Nagasaki, the centre of the faith in Japan at the time. Intended by the enemies of the faith as an example, they instead served as an inspiration to the faithful both in Japan and abroad.

Yes, brethren, we too should be inspired by their tale, and what they had to go through, and their perseverance and persistence for the sake of the faith in God. We must not let their sacrifice and perseverance to go to waste, brethren. Tell of this among many, and tell of their faith to all peoples, that they too may be inspired as we are inspired by them.

And let us seek to be part of God’s mission, which He indeed entrusted to us, that is to bring His Good News to all nations, and to bring all peoples to Him. Let us continue the good works of St. Paul Miki and his companions, and let us all keep our faith in our Lord alive and strong! St. Paul Miki and companions pray for us all! Amen.

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Thursday, 6 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red (Martyrs)

Mark 6 : 7-13

Jesus called the Twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits. And He ordered them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff : no food, no bag, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

And He added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place. If any place does not receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”

So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

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Thursday, 6 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red (Martyrs)

1 Chronicles 29 : 10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd

May You be blessed, YHVH God of Israel our ancestor, forever and ever!

Yours, YHVH, is the greatness, the power, the splendour, length of days, glory, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours.

You are supreme ruler over all. Riches and honour go before You.

You are ruler of all, in Your hand lie strength and power; You are the One who gives greatness and strength to all.

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Thursday, 6 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red (Martyrs)

1 Kings 2 : 1-4, 10-12

When David was about to die, he gave his son Solomon this instruction, “I am about to go the way of all creatures. Be strong and show yourself a man. Keep the commandments of YHVH your God and walk in His ways. Keep His statutes, His commands, His ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go.”

“If you do so, YHVH will fulfill the promise He made to me : ‘If your sons take care to walk before Me faithfully with their whole heart and their whole soul, you shall always have one of your descendants on the throne of Israel.'”

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. David reigned over Israel for forty years : seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father and his reign was firmly established.