Office of Readings
0206 Martyrs Memorial
Invitatory Antiphon
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the God who save us.
Let us come before him giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us
for he is our God and we +
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert +
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
For forty years I was wearied of these people
and I said: 'Their hearts are astray,
these people do not know my ways.' +
Then I took an oath in my anger:
'Never shall they enter my rest.'"
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Hymn
Faith of our fathers! faith and prayer
Shall win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife:
And preach thee too, as love knows how,
By kindly deeds and virtuous life.
PSALMODY
Antiphons and Psalms and The First Reading of the Weekday
The Second Reading
A reading from the letters of Saint Peter Baptist (Written 4 January and 2 February 1597 in A.I.A 1916 pp. 303-309)
We lose our life for the sake of preaching the Gospel
Of the brethren who are here six have been arrested and kept in prison for several days, together with three Japanese Jesuits of whom one is a professed religious, and some of the laity. We are twenty four all told. We are now on the road in this rather bitter winter, and have an escort and a very imposing guard. Some days there are as many as two hundred men set to guard us. Despite all this we wend our way very happy in the Lord and comforted by him, since the sentence passed on us friars is that we are to be crucified for preaching the law of the Lord and so contravening the royal edict: the others, for being Christians. This is the opportunity for those anxious to die for Christ. To my mind it would have been a great support to the faithful if the religious of our Order had been here. They should be in no doubt that as long as this king is in command, they will not remain long in the Franciscan habit in Japan: he will despatch them post-haste to eternal life, which is our destination too.
The sentence of condemnation is written on a placard and carried in front of us. It says that we have been condemned for preaching the Nauan (Christian) law contrary to the edict of Taicosama and that we are to be crucified at Nagasaki. We are deeply happy and comforted in the Lord that our lives are forfeit for the preaching of the Gospel. There are six of our brethren and eighteen Japanese all for execution, some for preaching, some for professing the Christian faith. Of the Jesuits, one is a lay brother, one a catechist and one a layman.
They took us from prison and put us on wagons. We each of us suffered partial mutilation of one ear and were shown off round the streets of Meaka, surrounded by people and soldiers, and finally returned to prison. Another day we were manacled and led by mounted guards to Osaka. The next time we were led on horseback for the parade through the town. They then took us to Sacay and repeated the performance. In all three cities there was always a public harangue. We knew we were to die but it was only when we came to Osaka that we were informed that our destination was Nagasaki. For the love of God, let your charity zealously commend us to God that the sacrifice of our lives may prove acceptable to him. From what I hear, I gather that our crucifixion is set for next Friday; that was the very day they mutilated our ears at Meaka. That we accepted as a gift from God. So now all of us beg you with all our hearts, for the love of God, keep us in your prayers.
My dearest brothers, support us now with your prayers that our death may be acceptable to the divine majesty; in heaven, whither, God willing, we hope to go, we shall be mindful of you. I have not forgotten your love, not even here. I loved you and do love you with all my heart. I commend to you the peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Farewell, my very dear brothers. Time for talking has run out. Till we meet in heaven. Remember me.
Responsory [Gal. 6, 14; Phil. 1, 29]
【V】: We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which saves us and sets us free; *
【R】: there we find our salvation, life and resurrection.
【V】:God has given you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him; *
【R】:there we find our salvation, life and resurrection.
Concluding Prayer
O God, you are the strength of your saints. You called Saint Peter Baptist and his companions to eternal life by way of martyrdom and the cross. Grant, through their intercession, that throughout our lives we may hold courageously to the faith we profess. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the God who save us.
Let us come before him giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us
for he is our God and we +
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert +
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
For forty years I was wearied of these people
and I said: 'Their hearts are astray,
these people do not know my ways.' +
Then I took an oath in my anger:
'Never shall they enter my rest.'"
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
【Ant.】:Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Hymn
Faith of our fathers! faith and prayer
Shall win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife:
And preach thee too, as love knows how,
By kindly deeds and virtuous life.
PSALMODY
Antiphons and Psalms and The First Reading of the Weekday
The Second Reading
A reading from the letters of Saint Peter Baptist (Written 4 January and 2 February 1597 in A.I.A 1916 pp. 303-309)
We lose our life for the sake of preaching the Gospel
Of the brethren who are here six have been arrested and kept in prison for several days, together with three Japanese Jesuits of whom one is a professed religious, and some of the laity. We are twenty four all told. We are now on the road in this rather bitter winter, and have an escort and a very imposing guard. Some days there are as many as two hundred men set to guard us. Despite all this we wend our way very happy in the Lord and comforted by him, since the sentence passed on us friars is that we are to be crucified for preaching the law of the Lord and so contravening the royal edict: the others, for being Christians. This is the opportunity for those anxious to die for Christ. To my mind it would have been a great support to the faithful if the religious of our Order had been here. They should be in no doubt that as long as this king is in command, they will not remain long in the Franciscan habit in Japan: he will despatch them post-haste to eternal life, which is our destination too.
The sentence of condemnation is written on a placard and carried in front of us. It says that we have been condemned for preaching the Nauan (Christian) law contrary to the edict of Taicosama and that we are to be crucified at Nagasaki. We are deeply happy and comforted in the Lord that our lives are forfeit for the preaching of the Gospel. There are six of our brethren and eighteen Japanese all for execution, some for preaching, some for professing the Christian faith. Of the Jesuits, one is a lay brother, one a catechist and one a layman.
They took us from prison and put us on wagons. We each of us suffered partial mutilation of one ear and were shown off round the streets of Meaka, surrounded by people and soldiers, and finally returned to prison. Another day we were manacled and led by mounted guards to Osaka. The next time we were led on horseback for the parade through the town. They then took us to Sacay and repeated the performance. In all three cities there was always a public harangue. We knew we were to die but it was only when we came to Osaka that we were informed that our destination was Nagasaki. For the love of God, let your charity zealously commend us to God that the sacrifice of our lives may prove acceptable to him. From what I hear, I gather that our crucifixion is set for next Friday; that was the very day they mutilated our ears at Meaka. That we accepted as a gift from God. So now all of us beg you with all our hearts, for the love of God, keep us in your prayers.
My dearest brothers, support us now with your prayers that our death may be acceptable to the divine majesty; in heaven, whither, God willing, we hope to go, we shall be mindful of you. I have not forgotten your love, not even here. I loved you and do love you with all my heart. I commend to you the peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Farewell, my very dear brothers. Time for talking has run out. Till we meet in heaven. Remember me.
Responsory [Gal. 6, 14; Phil. 1, 29]
【V】: We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which saves us and sets us free; *
【R】: there we find our salvation, life and resurrection.
【V】:God has given you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him; *
【R】:there we find our salvation, life and resurrection.
Concluding Prayer
O God, you are the strength of your saints. You called Saint Peter Baptist and his companions to eternal life by way of martyrdom and the cross. Grant, through their intercession, that throughout our lives we may hold courageously to the faith we profess. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.