"Our brother, Paul Miki, saw himself standing now in the noblest pulpit he had ever filled. To his “congregation” he began by proclaiming himself a Japanese and a Jesuit" [from the second reading in today's Office of Readings].
When in Japan in 1992 I was not yet a Jesuit. I was most impressed to stand on the shore where St. Francis Xavier, S.J., brought the Catholic faith to Japan. I was moved at this Shrine of the the Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki. Inside is a museum of artifacts of things Catholic and about the history of the Catholic Church in Japan.
Three years later I sensed interior movements that Jesus was calling me to follow him in a way in addition to a diocesan priest, which I was for over 10 years. I and other s realized I also had the vocation to religious life as a Jesuit.
I consider Francis Xavier and Paul Miki and his companions my own companions helping me to discover my true self. I pray they continue to brighten my witness to Jesus.
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Photo of the Monument to the Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki, Japan was entered in the public domain by its author, Fg2.
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