Homily: Feb 6 2017 - St. Paul Miki and companions - Martyrdom in Japan

A few weeks ago, I mentioned I had recently viewed Martin Scorsese’s new movie, called “Silence” based on the book of the same name, by Catholic Japanese author Shūsaku Endō. In the story, two Jesuit priests travel to 17th century Japan where Christian lay faithful and priests were being arrested and put to some of the most severe tortures in Church history. The story takes place, about 40 years after the martyrdom of today’s saint, St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions.

Christianity had come to Japan at the tail end of the 16th century, particularly through the efforts of the great Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier. Paul Miki was a native Japanese who had entered the Jesuit Order. He studied intensively the teachings of the Buddhists so that he could debate the Buddhist priests in order to convert them.

By 1587, around 200,000 Japanese had entered the Church. Seeing Christianity as a threat to his sovereignty and to his nation, in that year, the Japanese emperor ordered the banishment of Christianity from the land and the expulsion of all missionaries.  The edict was not very well enforced, which allowed many missionaries to remain in the country preaching the Gospel, though at the risk of their lives.

In 1596, the emperor increased his persecution of the Church, he began to arrest Christians in the south-central region of Japan called the Kansai region. They were forced to march 600 miles from Kyoto to Nagasaki. There they underwent some of the most brutal tortures in Church history. Those who did not apostatize were hung upon crosses and then skewered with spears.

Paul Miki was among that first group of martyrs which also 6 Franciscans from Spain, Mexico, and India, 3 native Japanese Jesuits, and 17 lay Catholics: catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children.

While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: “Having arrived at this moment of my existence, I believe that no one of you thinks I want to hide the truth. That is why I declare to you that there is no other way of salvation than the one followed by Christians. Since this way teaches me to forgive my enemies and all who have offended me, I willingly forgive the king and all those who have desired my death. And I pray that they will obtain the desire of Christian baptism.

Though Christianity was almost entirely wiped out from that land, today there are about 3 million Japanese Christians, a half a million or so of them Catholic.

The martyrs inspire us by their courage, they assist us with their prayers to remain faithful in the moments when we are attempted to abandon the faith. They urge us by their witness to continue the proclamation of the Gospel to all corners of the earth for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

The martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith, may we receive the true freedom of the Spirit. We pray to the Lord.

The martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood, may we have a faith that is constant and pure.

The martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross, may we endure courageously our earthly trials and all the misfortunes of life.

The martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, may we be helped by their prayers to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

That all missionaries may have courage and strength in their witness to the Gospel, for an increase in vocations, and that more men and women will take up the missionary call.