Categories
HOMILIES

FOIL (The feast of Paul Miki and companions)

This homily was delivered on 06 February 2014 on the Feast of Paul Miki and his companion martyrs of Japan.

One religious shrine that has left a deep impression on me is the Martyrs’ Shrine in Nagasaki, Japan. The first thing you’ll see when you get there is a row of 26 figures: the martyrs of Japan, each one hand clasped in prayer, with a distinctive facial expression. Some are Japanese; others foreigners. Some are priests and religious; others lay people. Among them is a Japanese youth, the Jesuit novice Paul Miki, who was well-known for his preaching.

Martyrs' Shrine, Nagasaki

Eye witness accounts tell us that he was crucified along with his companions, and in his last moments, he preached to the crowd (certainly the last thing I would do if I were crucified!). Paul Miki took the occasion to address the crowds, preaching about forgiveness but also about hope.

Categories
HOMILIES

SLEEPING ON THE JOB

This homily (on 2 Samuel 12:1-7A, 10-17 and Mark 4:35-41) was delivered on 01 February 2014.

Storm at Sea by Robert Salmon

Whenever I come across a Gospel story that’s recounted in several of the gospels, the biblical scholar wannabe in me sits up and pays more attention than usual. What we have just heard today, “the Storm at Sea,” is one such story. It is reported in all three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Interestingly, all three versions include one apparently unnecessary detail–namely, the Lord sleeping in the boat at the height of the storm–although Mark, usually the least elaborate of the evangelists, adds a charming detail about Jesus asleep on a cushion.