Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions,
Martyrs
Lectionary: 329
Lectionary: 329
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 104:1-2A, 5-6, 10 AND
12, 24 AND 35C
R. (31b) May the
Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
AlleluiaMT 4:23
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.
Meditation: "Many were made
well"
Do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life? The
Gospel records that when Jesus disembarked from the boat the people immediately
recognized him. What did they recognize in Jesus? A prophet, a healer, the
Messiah, the Son of God? For sure they recognized that Jesus had power from God
to heal and to make whole bodies, limbs, minds, and hearts that were beset with
disease, affliction, and sin. What happened when they pressed upon him and
touched the fringe of his garment? They were made well. The Lord
Jesus is ever ready to meet our needs as well. Do you approach him with
expectant faith?
Faith is an entirely free gift which God makes to us
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing and trusting in God to act in
our lives is only possible by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who moves
the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the mind
and helps us to understand, accept, and believe God's word. How do we grow in
faith? By listening to God's word with trust and submission. Faith also grows
through testing and perseverance. The Lord wants to teach us how to pray in
faith for his will for our lives and for the things he wishes to give us to
enable us to follow him faithfully and serve him generously.
Jesus gave his disciples the perfect prayer which
acknowledges God as our Father who provides generously for his children. The
Lord's prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and to pray that
God's will be accomplished in our lives. The Lord in turn, gives us what we
need to live each day for his glory. The Lord is never too distant nor too busy
to meet us and to give his blessing. Do you pray to the Father with confidence
that he will show you his will and give you what you need to follow him? Ask
the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for his merciful love and
provision for your life.
"Lord Jesus, let my heart sing for joy in your
presence. Give me eyes of faith to recognize your presence and fill me with your
Holy Spirit that I may walk in your way of love and peace."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Christ's wounds bring healing and life, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"The Lord of hosts was not signaling weakness as
he gave sight to the blind, made the crooked to stand upright, raised the dead
to life (Matthew 11:5), anticipated the effects of medicine at our prayers,
and cured those who sought after him. Those who merely touched the fringe of
his robe were healed (Mark 6:56).
Surely you did not think it was some divine weakness, you speculators, when you
saw him wounded. Indeed there were wounds that pierced his body (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:18,
31-37), but they did not demonstrate weakness
but strength. For from these wounds flowed life to all, from the One who was
the life of all." (excerpt from ON
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 4.5.54–55.16)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY
6, MARK 6:53-56
(Genesis 1:1-19; Psalm 104)
(Genesis 1:1-19; Psalm 104)
KEY VERSE: "They laid their sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak" (v 56).
TO KNOW: Jesus' fame had spread throughout the land, so wherever he went, people flocked to him for healing. Picture the excitement when Jesus entered a town or village. Whether at the crossroads or in the marketplace, the people scurried about bringing their sick to him. When Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat at the shore of Gennesaret (Lake Galilee), the crowds gathered again, bringing their sick from far and wide. Their faith was so great that they were healed just by touching the tassel on his cloak (the tassels worn by observant Jews represented the 613 Laws of the Jewish Torah). Although the disciples had seen Jesus' mighty deeds in the wilderness (vs 34-44), at sea (vs 45-51), and now in the villages, they still did not understand the full meaning of these events.
TO LOVE: Do I have more interest in seeing miracles than I have in knowing Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have faith in your words and works.
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki,
priest and martyr, and Companions, martyrs
Paul Miki was one of the Martyrs of Nagasaki, Japan. The son of the military leader Miki Handayu, Paul felt a call to religious life and entered the Jesuits in 1580. A successful evangelist, the political climate became hostile to Christianity, and he was soon arrested. On his way to martyrdom, he and the other imprisoned Christians were marched 600 miles so they could be a lesson to their countrymen. On the way they sang the Te Deum laudamus, (Latin: “God, We Praise You”), usually sung on occasions of rejoicing. Paul Miki's last sermon was delivered from the cross: “The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ I thank God it is for this reason that I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you become happy. I obey Christ. 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.”
Monday 6 February 2017
Mon 6th. Ss Paul Miki and companions.
Genesis 1:1-19. May the Lord be glad in his works—Ps 103(104):1-2, 5-6, 10, 12,
24, 35. Mark 6:53-56.
Readings
What a difference a week makes!
Readings
What a difference a week makes!
In last Monday’s readings, those who
witnessed the dramatic exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac fearfully beg Jesus to
leave the region. Jesus does so, but not before instructing the liberated man
to tell others of the Lord’s mercy and all that God has done for him. The
evangelical efforts of this man and others like him have clearly born fruit,
for today we learn that Jesus is swamped with people longing for his healing
touch. Dramatic conversions and miraculous healings are still part of the
Christian story today, and can help to bolster one’s own faith upon hearing
their testimony. But this seems to be the privilege of a few. The rest of us
perhaps must think a little more deeply about what the Lord has done for us so
that we can become more genuine witnesses to his continuing work in the world.
ST. PAUL MIKI AND
COMPANIONS
On Feb. 6, the Catholic Church honors the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki,
a group of native Japanese Catholics and foreign missionaries who suffered
death for their faith in the year 1597.
During the 16th century, the Catholic faith reached Japan by the
efforts of the Jesuit missionary Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552). Jesuit
outreach to the Japanese continued after his death, and around 200,000 Japanese
had entered the Church by 1587.
Religious tensions led to a period of persecution during that
year, during which many churches were destroyed and missionaries forced to work
in secret. But few episodes of martyrdom took place during this time, and
within a decade 100,000 more Japanese became Catholic despite the restrictions.
During 1593, Franciscan missionaries came to Japan from the
Philippines by order of Spain's King Philip II. These new arrivals gave
themselves zealously to the work of charity and evangelism, but their presence
disturbed a delicate situation between the Church and Japanese authorities.
Suspicion against Catholic missionaries grew when a Spanish ship
was seized off the Japanese coast and found to be carrying artillery. Toyotomi
Hideyoshi, an powerful imperial minister, responded by sentencing 26 Catholics
to death.
The group was comprised of three native Jesuits, six foreign
Franciscans, and several lay Catholics including some children. Sentenced to
die by crucifixion and lancing, they were first marched 600 miles to the city
of Nagasaki.
During the journey they underwent public torture meant to
terrorize other Japanese believers in Christ. But all of the 26 held out
courageously, even singing the hymn of praise “Te Deum” when they arrived at
the hill where they would be crucified.
Three of the best-known martyrs of Nagaki are Saints Paul Miki,
John of Goto, and James Kisai. Though none were priests, all were associated
with the Jesuits: Miki was training for the priesthood, while Kisai was a lay
brother and John of Goto was a catechist preparing to enter the order.
Paul Miki offered an especially strong witness to his faith during
the group's month-long march to Nagasaki, as he joined one of the captive
Franciscan priests in preaching to the crowds who came to mock the prisoners.
The son of a wealthy military leader, Miki was born in 1562 and
entered the Church along with the rest of his family. He joined the Jesuits as
a young man and helped many Buddhists to embrace Christianity. His last act of
evangelism took place as he hung on his cross, preaching to the crowds.
“The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the
doctrine of Christ,” he announced. “I thank God it is for this reason that I
die. I believe that I am telling the truth before 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.”
St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions were stabbed to death with
lances on Feb. 5, 1597, at the site that became known as “Martyrs' Hill.” Pope
Pius IX canonized the Martyrs of Nagasaki in 1862.
LECTIO DIVINA: MARK
6,53-56
Lectio Divina:
Monday, February 6, 2017
1) Opening prayer
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 6,53-56
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and moored there.
When they disembarked people at once recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were saved.
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and moored there.
When they disembarked people at once recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were saved.
3) Reflection
• The text of today’s Gospel is the final part of the whole passage of Mark 6,45-56 which presents three different themes: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray (Mk 6, 45-46). b) Immediately after, he walks on the water, goes toward the disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea (Mk 6, 47-52). 3) Now, in today’s Gospel, when they were already on the shore, the people look for Jesus so that he can cure their sick (Mk 6, 53-56).
• Mark 6, 53-56. The search of the people. “At that time, Jesus and his disciples having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When they disembarked, the people at once recognized him”. The people were numerous looking for Jesus. They came from all parts, bringing their sick. The enthusiasm of the people who look for Jesus and recognizing him follow him is surprising. What impels people to search for Jesus is not only the desire to encounter him, to be with him, but rather the desire to be cured of the sicknesses. “And hurrying all through the countryside they brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he went.
And wherever he went to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all those who touched him were saved”. The Gospel of Matthew comments and enlightens this fact quoting the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, of whom Isaiah says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying”. (Is 53, 4 and Mt 8, 16-17)
• To teach and to cure, to cure and to teach. Right from the beginning of his apostolic activity, Jesus goes through all the villages of Galilee, to speak to the people about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1, 14-15). There, wherever he finds people to listen to him, he speaks and transmits the Good News of God, he accepts the sick, in all places: in the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word, on Saturday (Mk 1, 21; 3, 1; 6, 2); in the informal meetings in the house of friends (Mk 2, 1.15; 7, 17; 9, 28; 10, 10); walking on the street with the disciples (Mk 2, 23); along the beach, sitting in a boat (Mk 4, 1); in the desert where he took refuge and where people looked for him (Mk 1, 45; 6, 32-34); on the mountain from where he proclaimed the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares of the villages and of the cities, where the people took their sick (Mk 6, 55-56); in the Temple of Jerusalem, on the occasion of pilgrimages, every day without fear (Mk 14, 49)! To cure and to teach, to teach and to cure that is what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he used to do (Mk 10, 1). The people were amazed (Mk 12, 37; 1, 22.27; 11, 18) and they looked for him, as a crowd.
• In the origin of this great enthusiasm of the people was, on the one hand, the person of Jesus who called and attracted and, on the other side, the abandonment in which people lived, they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6,34). In Jesus, everything was revelation of what impelled him from within! He not only spoke of God, but he also revealed him. He communicated something of what he himself lived and experienced. He not only announced the Good News. He himself was a proof, a living witness of the Kingdom. In him was manifested what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. What has value, what is important, is not only the words, but also and above all the witness, the concrete gesture. This is the Good News which attracts!
• The text of today’s Gospel is the final part of the whole passage of Mark 6,45-56 which presents three different themes: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray (Mk 6, 45-46). b) Immediately after, he walks on the water, goes toward the disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea (Mk 6, 47-52). 3) Now, in today’s Gospel, when they were already on the shore, the people look for Jesus so that he can cure their sick (Mk 6, 53-56).
• Mark 6, 53-56. The search of the people. “At that time, Jesus and his disciples having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When they disembarked, the people at once recognized him”. The people were numerous looking for Jesus. They came from all parts, bringing their sick. The enthusiasm of the people who look for Jesus and recognizing him follow him is surprising. What impels people to search for Jesus is not only the desire to encounter him, to be with him, but rather the desire to be cured of the sicknesses. “And hurrying all through the countryside they brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he went.
And wherever he went to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all those who touched him were saved”. The Gospel of Matthew comments and enlightens this fact quoting the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, of whom Isaiah says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying”. (Is 53, 4 and Mt 8, 16-17)
• To teach and to cure, to cure and to teach. Right from the beginning of his apostolic activity, Jesus goes through all the villages of Galilee, to speak to the people about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1, 14-15). There, wherever he finds people to listen to him, he speaks and transmits the Good News of God, he accepts the sick, in all places: in the Synagogues during the celebration of the Word, on Saturday (Mk 1, 21; 3, 1; 6, 2); in the informal meetings in the house of friends (Mk 2, 1.15; 7, 17; 9, 28; 10, 10); walking on the street with the disciples (Mk 2, 23); along the beach, sitting in a boat (Mk 4, 1); in the desert where he took refuge and where people looked for him (Mk 1, 45; 6, 32-34); on the mountain from where he proclaimed the Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1); in the squares of the villages and of the cities, where the people took their sick (Mk 6, 55-56); in the Temple of Jerusalem, on the occasion of pilgrimages, every day without fear (Mk 14, 49)! To cure and to teach, to teach and to cure that is what Jesus did the most (Mk 2, 13; 4, 1-2; 6, 34). This is what he used to do (Mk 10, 1). The people were amazed (Mk 12, 37; 1, 22.27; 11, 18) and they looked for him, as a crowd.
• In the origin of this great enthusiasm of the people was, on the one hand, the person of Jesus who called and attracted and, on the other side, the abandonment in which people lived, they were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mk 6,34). In Jesus, everything was revelation of what impelled him from within! He not only spoke of God, but he also revealed him. He communicated something of what he himself lived and experienced. He not only announced the Good News. He himself was a proof, a living witness of the Kingdom. In him was manifested what happens when a human being allows God to reign in his life. What has value, what is important, is not only the words, but also and above all the witness, the concrete gesture. This is the Good News which attracts!
4) Personal questions
• The enthusiasm of the people of Jesus, looking for the sense of life and a solution for their ills. Where does this exist today? Does in exist in you, does it exist in others?
• What attracts is the loving attitude of Jesus toward the poor and the abandoned. And I, how do I deal with the persons excluded by society?
• The enthusiasm of the people of Jesus, looking for the sense of life and a solution for their ills. Where does this exist today? Does in exist in you, does it exist in others?
• What attracts is the loving attitude of Jesus toward the poor and the abandoned. And I, how do I deal with the persons excluded by society?
5) Concluding prayer
How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless Yahweh, my soul. (Ps 104,24.35)
How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless Yahweh, my soul. (Ps 104,24.35)
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