I just got back from a Japan trip recently and I am still not sure if I already have collected my thoughts. The trip gave me mixed emotions, but something in me definitely changed.
I intended to film materials for Catholic City channel and Catholic City fanpage, and so we went to the sites where Catholicism was brought to Japan. My favorite saint, St. Francis Xavier, was the one who personally went to Japan to spread the good news, and left a few years after to spread the Gospel somewhere else. I even found the handwritten letters of St. Francis of Xavier and St. Ignatius de Loyola! What a treat! It was an overwhelming feeling seeing these awesome saints' handwriting!
Letter of St. Ignatius de Loyola
Letter of St. Francis Xavier
To be honest, I didn't expect anything coming here. My enthusiasm as of late have gone down the drain. I didn't really feel hyped or excited. I was indifferent. My devotions were just routinary. I was just doing things because I had made my commitment with God. It had been months since I have been this way. Despite all this, I still stayed and did my devotions as faithful as I can, not because I am holy, but because I knew that if I let go of God, I will completely drift away to nothingness. I am not afraid of anything in this world anymore, not even death--- I am only afraid of the day I will let go of God's hand.
But all things changed, the day I visited the Museum of the 26 Martyrs. I was facinated with the facade!
There were the statues of the 26 martyrs on display, and overlooking was the St. Philip Catholic Church which looked so artistic against the winter sky. It was a different architecture from what I was used to with Catholic churches, but it stood so majestic. (the picture below didn't do the architecture justice)
Before coming to the 26 martyrs museum, I had previously visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, and there, I felt so down. The deaths were sudden and none of them expected that they'd die that day. My heart was heavy just thinking about the poor people who suffered the tragedy. Their death was not their choice, so I wondered, where did their souls go?
However, my encounter with the 26 Martyrs was different. Though they were dealing with death too, the difference here was that these 26 men were martyred and it was a choice they had made! They had chosen to serve Jesus, even if it meant hiding in caves, in undergrounds, and suffer horrible totures, just so they could practice their faith.
What's more impressive was that these people weren't just uneducated fanatics or ignorant people, rather, they were the brilliant minds of their lot. Some of them were very influential people in their society who had a lot to lose, and yet, they set it all aside for the love of Jesus!
One of these martyrs was St. Paul Miki, a son of a wealthy military leader. He entered the Jesuit seminary to serve the King of kings at a young age of 18. He was a renowned brilliant speaker who was supposed to be the first Japanese priest if he had escaped arrest.
Saints Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai
His last words from the cross were:
"All of you who are here,
please listen to me,
I did not come from the Philippines,
I am a Japanese by birth,
and a brother of the society of Jesus.
I have committed no crime,
and the only reason why I am put to death
is that I have been teaching the doctrine of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
I am very happy to die for such a cause,
and see my death as a great blessing from the Lord.
At this critical time, when,
you can rest assured that
I will not try to decieve you,
I want to stress,
and make it unmistakeably clear,
that man can find no way other than the Christian way.
The Christian law demands that we forgive our enemies,
and those who have wronged us.
I must therefore say that I forgive Taikosama (Hideyoshi).
I would rather have all the Japanese become Christians."
(From Luis Frois S.J.'s Martyrs Records, 1597)
That must be tough, and tough is an understatement! I am impressed with his eloquence, and most of all, I couldn't help but admire their steadfast convictions.
They were persecuted and were horribly tortured for being Christians, and despite all the threats intended to make them give up, they became emboldened and chose to die happily for the Lord Jesus. This is what a glorious death looks like! Foolishness in the eyes of the world, but in reality, this is a privilege given by God to only a few.
I was deeply affected reading about them. Getting to know these martyrs made me envy their martyrdom! What courage! What love for Jesus...such devotion! Only those who are humble before God can undergo all the hardships and pain they went through. They have fought a good fight.
Gracia Hosokawa, she was well known for her virtue, intelligence, and beauty. She endured many trials and stayed faithful to Christianity until her death. She was killed in 1600.
As I reflected on their lives, in contrast with mine, my efforts were just so miniscule compared to them. Because of their way of life, I got convinced of what a great God my God is... I once again became curious of the kind of Lord we, as Christians, served---that these people left everything, suffered hardships, lost their lives, just for this great God. I am amazed that, through their way of life, and even through their deaths, they could still preach to people like me even when they died centuries ago! My heart became alive, I was awakened, no doubt about it! The fire in my soul was fueled!
And now, I feel so blessed to belong in the Church these brave souls are members of. It's people like them who make me stay in the Church, even when it seems that the ship of Catholicism nowadays is sinking, (but will never be effaced until the end of time Matthew 16:18 "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.").
Truly, the blood of the martyrs is the lifeblood/foundation of the Church. I have benifitted from their martyrdom, and I feel that I can go on in my commitment with more zeal and vigor because they have been true witnesses of Christ. They are my big brothers and sisters who went before me to the kingdom of God, true soldiers of the King, my King. They are a great example, and I want to be just like them! The trip was worth it, because I came back home wanting to serve and love God the way they have loved Him. Thank God for their witnessing, thank God for the blood of these martyrs! Now, like them, I would never want to give up till my last breath!
Saint
Martin of the
Ascension, Saint Pedro Bautista, Saint Philip of Jesus, Saint Francisco Blanco, Saint Francisco of
Saint Michael, Saint Gundisalvus (Gonsalvo) Garcia, Saint Antony Dainan, Saint Bonaventure of
Miyako, Saint Cosmas Takeya, Saint Francisco of
Nagasaki, Saint Francis Kichi, Saint Gabriel de
Duisco, Saint Joachim
Sakakibara, Saint John Kisaka, Saint Leo Karasumaru, Saint Louis Ibaraki, Saint Matthias of
Miyako, Saint Michael Kozaki, Saint Paul Ibaraki, Saint Paul Suzuki, Saint Pedro Sukejiroo, Saint Thomas Kozaki, Saint Thomas Xico, Saint James Kisai, Saint John Soan de Goto, Saint Paul Miki,
Deo Gracias!
