일본 26성인과는 1597년 2월 5일 이 일본에서 예수 그리스도를 믿는 때문에 순교한 최초의 사람들입니다.

그들은 가톨릭의 사람들이었지만 개신교의 울타리를 넘어 일본 크리스천에게 특별한 일입니다.

일본의 신앙의 원점과 할 수 있죠. 그들은 말 그대로 천국의 확신을 갖고 죽음에 이르기까지 충실이며, 주로 따라 순교를 하고 갔습니다.

그러나 그저 하늘로 갔을 뿐이 아닙니다. 그, 그들의 흐른 피의 보복으로서 많은 사람들의 구원이 일어나고 있습니다.

 

그들이 걸어갈 택한 그 순교의 길을 통해 주가, 현대를 사는 우리에게 말해 주고 있을 수 있습니다.

일본 26성인이 걸음을 통해 주님이 말해 계시는 그 말에 꼭 귀을 기울여 주세요.

 

On February 5, 1597, twenty six people were crucified in the Nishizaka hills in Nagasaki. Among the martyred were 6 Catholic missionaries and 20 Japanese Catholic Christians. This was the first martyrdom in Japan's recorded history. Hideyoshi Toyotomi was the national ruler of Japan that decided to arrest and martyr Christians. On December 9 and 10, 1596, twenty four Christians were caught and imprisoned. Among the worst punishments that they had to endure were having their left ear cut off and marching long distances with their hands bound together.

On January 10, 1597, they made the torturous walk from Osaka to Nagasaki. Francis and Pedro Sukejiroo were two followers that took care of the martyrs and joined their plight, making the final count 26 people.

The 26 Martyrs walked about 620miles (1000km) over the course of one month. They left Sakai and went to Osaka, Hyougo, Akashi, Himeji, Akaho, Okayama, Omichi, Mihara, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki. They traveled by boat from Shimonoseki to Okura and they walked to Hakata, Karatsu and Sonogi. By traveling the boat from Sonogi they went to Tokitsu and they walked to Nagasaki.

I believe that as they marched to Nagasaki, they were sowing the seed of the gospel. Paul Miki, a 33 year old priest at the time of the Nagasaki marches, spread the gospel throughout the journey.

Among the 26 martyrs were three young boys - Louis Ibaraki who was 12-years-old, Antonio, who was 13 -years-old, and Thomas Kozaki who was 14-years-old. Their leader was Fr. Peter Baptist, a 48 year old Spanish missionary.

They were martyred rejoicing! Returning to Heaven while taking the cross of the Martyr.

More than 400 years have passed since the first martyr occured in Japan. On February 5, 1997, I was very fortunate to stand on the Nishizaka Hill, where the first execution took place. It was the 400th anniversary of the killings.

It was, and still is, very difficult for me to express how I felt. I was amazed to be there. I did not feel sadness nor agony. Rather, my mind was at peace. I thought about the 26 martyrs and read the verse of Mark 8:34: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross , and follow Me."

Taking up their cross to follow Jesus, the original 26 martyrs obediently lived a life devoted to Jesus, setting an example for the generations of Christians to come.

Faith Sasaki (Writer)

Reference:
Wikipedia “Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan” January 20th 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-six_Martyrs_of_Japan (January 26, 2010).