February 6 2024 - St. Paul Miki and martyred companions - Courageous Preaching

 Yesterday, the liturgical prayers for the memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr spoke of the courage of her martyrdom. The collect for today’s memorial for St. Paul Miki and his companion martyrs also speaks of courage—holding to the faith we profess until death with courage.

In 1596, the emperor of Japan intensified the persecution of Christians in Japan, seeking to wipe out the Christian faith from the land. He called for the wholesale arrest of Christians in the entire south-central region of Japan called the Kansai region. Christians there were rounded up and forced to march 600 miles 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. St. Paul Miki had his chest pierced with a lance while tied to a cross on 5 February 1597

While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki, a 34 year old native Japanese Jesuit, preached to the people gathered for the execution: “The only reason for my being killed”, he said, “is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ… I thank God it is for this reason I die… After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”

In the Gospel, today, Christ commands us to preach the Gospel and make disciples. St. Paul Miki took serious that missionary mandate. Prior to his arrest his was known for his preaching. Those who were marched to their deaths with him were no doubt people who had converted in response to his preaching. And he continued to preach the Gospel while hanging on the cross.

Nagasaki, the place of those gruesome tortures and martyrdoms, today has the largest Catholic population in Japan. 

We must have the courage to preach the Gospel, in season and out. It is the mandate given to us by Christ himself. To be courageous in preaching means to be fearless in expressing the whole Gospel, not simply those parts of it that are attractive to the worldly. It means not allowing the fear of criticism or rejection to hinder the clear communication of these truths, even when Christian truth contradicts societal norms, cultural values, or individuals who may disagree with or challenge Christian beliefs. Courageous preaching involves the willingness to endure social, professional, even physical suffering, if it would further the mission. 

Courageous preaching involves trusting that God will preserve you throughout those sufferings, and that’s hard for folks who have a superficial relationship with God. To preach the Gospel with Courage, first the Gospel must take root in our souls—for true courage cannot exist without genuine faith and a living relationship with Christ. Unless we have a living relationship with Christ, unless Christ truly lives in us, there will be no real courageous and effective preaching. 

Through the intercession of St. Paul Miki and companions, “may we hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess”, for the glory of God and the 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. 

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.

For the sick and suffering among us, for those who care for them, and for all of our beloved dead, especially X, for whom this mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

February 6 2023 - St. Paul Miki and martyred companions - Make disciples of all nations

 

Christianity didn’t come to Japan until 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 Japan 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 included 6 Franciscans from Spain, Mexico, and India, 3 other native Japanese Jesuits, and 17 lay Catholics comprised of catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children. 

These Christian missionaries took to heart the Lord’s instruction in the Gospel: “go and make disciples of all nations”. 

Though Christianity was almost entirely wiped out from Japan, today there are about 1-3 million Japanese Christians, a half a million or so of them Catholic. A half a million out of a population of 123 million—less than one half a percent of the population. We have some work to do, no?

But then again, we have our challenges here at home, too. Again, St. Paul Miki studied Buddhism in order to convert Buddhists. The American Church likely needs to get a lot more serious about studying the prevailing philosophies, so that we can meet people are with the truth of the Gospel. What do our neighbors wrongly believe about Catholicism that is keeping them from conversion; what missionary activity in our own land is the Lord calling us to undertake?

May the example and holy intercession of St. Paul Miki and his martyred companions assist us in our task, and the Church in every land, 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. 

 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.

For the sick and suffering among us, for those who care for them, and for all of our beloved dead, especially X, for whom this mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

 

February 6 2018 - St. Paul Miki - Hands stretched forth toward heaven

When invited to pray, many modern people close their eyes, bow their head, and fold their hands. We find this posture helps us to speak words of the heart to God. Another common posture of prayer, was to kneel down in worship of God, as the Psalmist says, “Let us worship and bow down, let us kneel down before the Lord our Maker.”

Another very common posture of prayer described in the Old Testament, was to spread out the hands toward heaven in a gesture of surrender and openness. The priest adopts this gesture—of hands extended toward heaven—throughout the mass, particularly when he is praying on behalf of the whole Church.

This posture is adopted by Solomon: with the Temple complete, Solomon, stood on the steps of the Temple, and offered a very priestly prayer, with hands extended to heaven, he prayed that the Temple be a place where heaven and earth would meet: a place where God was honored, a place where God would hear the petitions offered by his people.

In the Gospel, Our Lord condemns a certain posture of prayer, one that was taken by the Pharisees. And this was an internal posture, of honoring God with their lips, while their hearts are far from Him. The Pharisees adopted grand gestures, but their hearts were hardened.

On the cross, Jesus unites word, gesture, and heart: with arms and hands outstretched in perfect surrender to the will of the Father, Jesus prays and offers his life for us. We adopt the gesture of kneeling, bowing, stretching our arms to heaven in prayer, that our whole lives might become a prayer of surrender to God, like Christ’s.

The martyrs of the Church, like St. Paul Miki and his companions honored today, imitate our Lord in his self-sacrificial prayerful offering. They assume, in their martyrdom, the posture of surrender, offering their lives, in union with Jesus, for souls and the good of the Church.

Paul Miki and his companions were marched, processed to the hill of execution at Nagasaki, Japan. And there, they were hung on crosses. With arms outstretched, St. Paul Miki prayed for his persecutors. He said, “The only reason for my being killed”, he said, “is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ… I thank God it is for this reason I die… After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”

May our prayer today, our Eucharistic celebration, enable us to offer out lives in complete and humble offering for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of February, that those who have material, political or spiritual power may resist any lure of corruption. We pray to the Lord.

For Christians who are persecuted throughout the world, especially those who face martyrdom, that they may have a faith that is constant and pure.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord