Many Americans probably associate the city of Nagasaki, Japan with the second atomic bomb that was dropped there in WWII. However, three and a half centuries before the dropping of that bomb, Brother Paul Miki, a native of Japan and a Jesuit brother, was killed with 25 other Catholics as martyrs for the faith on a hilltop overlooking Nagasaki in the year 1597. This group of martyrs was quite diverse as it included priests, brothers, doctors, catechists, artisans, servants, old men, and children. hey were united by a common faith, a love for Jesus and his Church. In many ways we can see Paul Miki and his companions as prophets to their native land, witnesses to the faith who were not afraid to preach the Good News of Jesus, no matter what the consequences would be in their lives.
At daily mass for the past several weeks, we have been hearing the story of David from the 1st and 2nd books of Samuel. Today, in our last readings about David at daily Mass, we hear from the book of Sirach. That book contains a section which praises the great leaders of Israel’s history, from which we hear about David today. David was an historical king in Ancient Israel, but just like the stories of our heroes that get passed down in our secular world, it is hard to distinguish legend and myth from fact. For example, Sirach extolls David’s courage, stating that he battled lions and bears, whether that really happened or not. David had a great reputation for courage and bravery, but the accounts of his flaws, weaknesses, and mistakes are also found in Sacred Scripture as well. What stands out in our reading from Sirach today is not just David’s strengths, but also his humanity and his love for God. All of us can also turn away from God and make mistakes, but like David, we are called to repent, to receive forgiveness, and to turn back to God. We can turn away from God due to our own will and our own desires, straying from the path of faith. God’s love for his people calls out to us today in the story of David. God also calls out to us today in the Eucharist, as he provides us food and nourishment for our journey. God calls out to us in a special way in the devotion we have to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we celebrate on the first Friday of each month and which we will honor in the litany at the end of Mass today. God always calls us back to him in repentance and conversion. He forgives us for our sins in our contrition when we turn back to him and make amends. In the story of David today, let us find solace and comfort in God’s love and compassion for us.
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