Brief Background:

St. Paul Miki and Companions were a group of 26 martyrs—missionaries and lay faithful—who were executed in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1597 during a time of intense persecution of Christians. St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit priest and gifted preacher, was crucified alongside Franciscans, catechists, and young lay believers. Even while dying on the cross, Paul Miki preached forgiveness and proclaimed Christ, offering his life as a witness to faith, hope, and love.

They are honored as patron saints of Japan, martyrs, and persecuted Christians, reminding the Church that faithfulness to Christ sometimes demands courage, perseverance, and trust—even unto death.

REFLECTION:

Today, some of our LifeTeen students and I will be helping lead a retreat for the Maryknoll School staff. The retreat is inspired by the story of the Road to Emmaus and focuses on the art of listening—not just listening, but listening well. And it’s striking that today’s readings carry that same theme, inviting all of us to reflect on how we listen to God and to one another.

In the first reading from Sirach, we hear about the great King David. Sirach doesn’t remember David primarily for his power or success, but for his relationship with God. David listened. He listened to God’s call, to God’s guidance, and even to God’s correction. When David failed, he listened well enough to repent and return to the heart of God. His greatness came not from being perfect, but from being attentive to God’s voice and responding with prayer, worship, and trust.

The Gospel from Gospel of Mark presents a very different kind of listening in Herod. Herod hears about Jesus. He had also heard John the Baptist and knew that John was holy and righteous. Yet none of that hearing led him to change. Surrounded by fear, pressure, and concern for his image, Herod allowed other voices to speak louder than the truth. He heard—but he did not listen well.

These two figures place an important question before us today. Listening is not just about sound reaching our ears; it is about whether what we hear is allowed to shape our hearts and our choices. David listened and was led toward repentance and life. Herod listened and remained trapped by fear and indecision.

The Road to Emmaus story reminds us of the same truth. The disciples walked with Jesus and heard him speaking, but they did not fully understand until they slowed down, opened their hearts, and truly listened. It was then that their hearts began to burn and their eyes were opened.

For us as parishioners, today’s readings are an invitation to examine how we listen in our own lives. God is always speaking—through Scripture, through prayer, through the people we encounter, and through the quiet movements of our conscience. The challenge is whether we make space to listen well or allow noise, busyness, and fear to drown out God’s voice.



Today, we are invited to ask for the grace to listen like David and not like Herod—to listen with humility, courage, and openness. When we do, we may discover, like the disciples on the road, that the Lord has been walking with us all along, waiting for us to truly hear him.