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Paul Miki saw sparkling Nagasaki harbor coming into view. The six-hundred-mile trek from the Japanese capital of Kyoto through the cold and snow was nearly over. It had taken almost one month.
Along the road, villagers jeered at him and the others who had been sentenced to die for their Christian beliefs. “Fools,” they shouted, “Renounce your faith.” Miki, who loved to preach, urged the people to believe in Jesus, the Savior who died for their sins. Not all were insulting the prisoners, however. Fellow believers encouraged and prayed for them, giving them the strength and courage to continue on.
Miki thought how odd it was that he was to die before his ordination as a priest. Now thirty-three years old, he had been a Jesuit brother in training for eleven years. His eloquent and fervent preaching had led to many conversions. Yet he would never celebrate Mass, never raise the consecrated Host in his own hands.
Flourishing Faith. His thoughts often turned to his family. Miki had…
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