Imitating the Faith of Those Who Spoke and Lived God’s Word, Fourth Friday (I), February 6, 2015

Fr. Roger J. Landry
Holy Family Parish, New York City
Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Memorial of SS. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs of Japan
February 6, 2015
Heb 13:1-8, Ps 27, Mk 6:14-29

To listen to an audio recording of this homily, please click below: 

The following points were attempted in the homily: 

• Today in the dramatic account of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, we can ponder two things: first, he was a martyr for marriage; and second, he was a precursor of Christ in this martyrdom for marriage. He communicated that it was not right for Herod to marry Herodias, who was his sister-in-law and niece. Because of this witness to the truth, he was put to death. By this fidelity, he foretold in his body language the martyrdom of Christ in witness to the spousal covenant God made with his people.
• In the first reading, the Letter to the Hebrews remarks on both of these points. First, about marriage, it says, “Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.” In an age in which marriage is so dishonored — both conceptually in trying to change its meaning to make it a husbandless or wifeless institution as well as morally through cohabitation, pre- and extra-marital sex, through sins within marriage, through divorce and “remarriage” — we are all called to honor marriage, even when modern Herodiases will accuse us of everything as a result. That leads us to the second point. Hebrews tells us, “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” The author was referring to, for example, SS. Peter and Paul and the vast multitude of Christians who had already given the supreme proclamation of the word of God in the bloody “outcome” of their lives. We’re called to imitate their faith, the faith that Jesus is worth living for and worth dying for.
• The great saints we celebrate today, St. Paul Miki and his 26 companions, who died on this day 418 years ago in Nagasaki, did remember their leaders, consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. They had their ears clipped and were brought to Nagasaki to be crucified. It was there that with great faith they proclaimed the Gospel until they no longer had voice, giving a witness that led so many other Japanese — 35,000 between 1597-1639 — to remain faithful all the way to martyrdom. The Japanese martyrs knew that to be a Catholic meant to remain faithful to Christ as a faithful bride even when fidelity would cost them their lives. Today we’re called to remember them as our leaders who proclaimed the Word to us, to consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith, fighting the good fight, finishing the race and keeping the faith, so that we might share their eternal prize.
• And we come now to the source that strengthened them, that has strengthened the saints and martyrs throughout the centuries. It’s the consummation of the spousal union that Christ the Bridegroom has entered into with the Church his Bride, which takes place on the altar, as the Bride takes within the Body and Blood of the Bridegroom and becomes one body, one flesh with him. John the Baptist points out to us anew the Lamb of God, the one who is the same yesterday, today and forever, who is about to strengthen us with the courage that made St. Paul Miki and companions martyrs.

The readings for today’s Mass were: