Memorial of Saint Paul Miki, martyr, and his companions, martyrs

Today's Mass Readings

Today is the Memorial Feast for St. Paul Miki and his companions, all martyrs for the faith. They are Japanese martyrs, crucified in the sixteenth century because of the government’s fear of the Christian missionary activity there. Paul Miki preached his final sermon from the cross, saying, “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die.” “Martyr” means witness. As is often the case on the feast days of martyrs, today’s readings reflect the true meaning and witness of the martyr’s life. We celebrate the martyrs not because they do something great and courageous on their own, but because their lives witness to Christ.

John the Baptist is another witness of faith in Jesus Christ. The parallels between John the Baptist’s story and Jesus’ own story are deliberately mentioned in Mark’s gospel reading for today (Mark 6:14-29). According to the passage, John the Baptist (like Jesus): wandered around in the desert, angered political and Jewish authorities, preached the good news of repentance, had disciples, and, according to Herod, was raised from the dead.

Indeed, the church has always seen parallels between John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist is one of only three people whose birthdays as well as death days are observed in the Christian calendar (the others are Jesus and Mary). John is a very revered person among Christians. Yet still, he is revered not because he is the Christ but because he recognizes who Christ is. He has the humility not to make himself out to be Christ. John the Baptist is the one who baptizes Jesus and who says “I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps.” (Mark 1:7)

We, too, are called to a life that witnesses to Christ, even if our lives don’t quite lead us to martyrdom like it did for Paul Miki and his companions. For the past several weeks, we have been reading through the letter to the Hebrews during these daily readings. The focus of Hebrews is always on Christ, and on the new relationship that God establishes with us, and on how Jesus is our new High Priest.

We might well ask, though – what does that mean “on the ground”? If Jesus is the High Priest, what does that mean for how I live my life? Today’s passage (Hebrews 13:1-8) talks about the practicalities of life with Jesus: love each other, pray for each other, practice hospitality, be content with what you have, etc.

Being a martyr for the faith begins with being a witness for the faith in everything that we do – from the seemingly insignificant (the things we own) to basic courtesy (hospitality), to the overarching meaning of Christian life (love). Today, let us reflect on how we, too, can be “martyrs” – witnesses - for the faith.
- Jana M. Bennett