Japanese Martyrs - Church, People of God

The Nagasaki Martyrs (1627) painted by Tanzio da Varallo was presented with a wonderful meditation in our Magnificat this month - see http://www.magnificat.com/ - today is the feastday honoring ST Paul Miki and the Japanese Martyrs.  St Paul, a native Japanese, and 25 others were crucified on this day in 1597... From the sharing..."Among the 20 Japanese and 6 foreigners executed was a Franciscan friar, Philip of Jesus, who had been shipwrecked off the coast of Japan while sailing from the Philippines to his native Mexico for ordination.  He praised his misfortune and embraced his cross saying, 'O happy ship!  O happy galleon for Philip, lost for my gain!'  He became Mexico's first cannonized saint.  Another martyr, the Jesuit Paul Miki, was notable for being the first Japanese member of any Catholic order.  He turned his cross into a pulpit and preached to the onlookers saying, 'I am a true Japanese.  The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ... I hope my blood will fall on fellow men as a fruitful rain."  After being crucified, their bodies were finally pierced through on either side by lances.  Ironically, this kind of execution had been unknown in Japan and was inspired by the iconography of Christ's own death brought to the island by the missionaries."
Fr Micheal Morris, Dominican Professor of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley,CA
"He ends his article with this..."The martyrs of this painting are beloved heroes rising gloriously above the pain.  Baroque art celebrates champions.  But what of the poor souls who fail such a test?"  When I look at this picture and read of the courage and faith of these men... I do ask myself if I would be able to die for Christ, and in such a tortured and painful death!  I hope that I will never have to be put to the test, but I also must realize that we are called to have other types of courage to carry Christ forth into the world and most importantly into our domestic Church - our family!

An amazing self-portrait of Maria taken in Assisi, Italy... her beloved home of her heart, as she was feeling that the Lord was calling her to join the cloistered Poor Clares at this point in her spiritual journey!  Over the weekend in my hit of miss sharing... I was contemplating the beauty of considering the call to consecrated Life with Jesus!  How I would love to know that all young people have that as an option, for just the deep place where you meet Christ and ask Him these questions in prayer and meditation and reading of spiritual readings - just going there is so profound and something that developes that private contemplative space in your soul.  Even though Maria discerned that living the life, and staying there taking the vows was not what she was called to... that contemplative spirit and time with HIM in her life and her family by going to daily mass, doing prayers, and adoration time... these all continue to be pursued and give her little ones and her marriage relationship that Christ centeredness that is the road to sainthood!  The ending of their Christmas letter..."we just wanted to let you know that we are still in the fight.  We want to be saints.  We love Jesus.  We want our children to love Jesus, and we want Jesus Christ to be in everything that we do.  We're not here to quit.... Let us be saints, together - to be anything less is not to have lived."  Right between the eyes!  Maria is so good at reminding me that we are called to give until it hurts without counting the cost!  "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."  ST Paul speaks to us in Galations 6: 14

This picture taken outside of my parish church in Minneapolis - the Bascilica of Mary.  As a new Catholic along with my entire family of 13, we lived in Kenwood and this was our parish!  I was married here, and my dad worked here as a deacon after he was ordained in the first Deaconate class in the Twin Cities!  I am preparing a talk about the Church, People of God, and the hugeness of what the True Church means to me is just bubbling up inside of me!  This picture of my girls standing beside the outside of the Bascilica seems to be to be symbolic of the way that I have been so impressed with each and every new day with all there is for me to learn and grow!  I will never come to a place where I have learned it all!   I do not feel overwhelmed, however, I feel excited and open to what each day will hold for me!  I know that unlike some that are super intelligent and intellectual - like Blessed John Paul II - I am pretty low key, and I am thankful for those that can bring things that some of these super smart people have done and make it easy for even I to understand!  Like Christopher West and his work with The Theology of the Body!  http://thetheologyofthebody.com/  If you are interested... Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful Love!

I found this special one of Susan in her sister's prom dress, as she was going to Snow Week, in my scanned pictures today... when I think of consecrated life...  I am all over the place today with my thoughts and my feelings of JOY and excitement for the day ahead of me - working on my talk and having some time at home after the weekend of the responsibility at the nursing home.  I am falling in love with the Gospel of Mark as we have been reading through it in the Gospel readings for the last month!  Jesus is always in a huge crush of people, who are so drawn to him and crowd around him asking for healing for themselves and their loved ones!  Today he is once again crossing the sea in a boat, and as he leaves the boat - he is recognized... "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 tassle on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed."  Mark 6: 53-56

This is so wonderful to place myself there, and it takes me back to Cor Jesu at St Thomas and that altar cloth - scarf with the fringe on the bottom, which was placed about the monstrance on the altar - filled with the Eucharistic Jesus in Adoration - and those present were welcomed to come forth and touch the tassle of his cloak!  So powerful and so much healing taking place there on their knees with Jesus, as well as in the confessionals throughout the church, where 4 priests - Christ's representatives here on earth healing the sins of those present!  And the praise and worship in song raised the roof of that glorious beautiful Church!  So beautiful as it contains Christ in the tabernacle and in the monstrance!  Too amazing and forever in my heart! 

At this time Maria was in the Poor Clares - since 3 have joined orders and taken vows that I know of for sure - maybe the other two too!  Thank you, Lord!  For your call and for those that are listening to it!  I pray that families may encourage the consideration of a call to religious life.  The asking of the Lord for guidance and input on the future lives of our children is just what they should be doing!  They need to place their futures in HIS hands and Trust in Him!  If they do this their lives will be filled with all the fruits of His Spirit and Truth! ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control." Galations5: 22-23  How wonderful to always put Christ first in our lives and to ask what He has planned for us - not what we want, but what He wants and has in mind for uis!  Jesus, we trust in you!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it."

Mark 8: 35