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