ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 3rd of February
BLESSED JUSTO TAKAYAMA UKON, CONFESSOR
One of the Blesseds remembered by the Church [on] 3 February, is Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon. He was born in Japan in 1552. When Blessed Justo was five years old, his father was appointed samurai for the local feudal lord. The family moved into the castle at Sawa, which overlooked the feudal lands.
In 1564, Blessed Justo’s father converted to the Catholic Faith after meeting with Portuguese missionaries and later Blessed Justo was also baptised. They became enamoured with the spiritual wisdom and intellectual depth of Catholic teaching.
Blessed Justo married Justa in 1574 and went on to have three sons (two died as infants) and one daughter. The couple built a Catholic Centre, where the faithful could gather for religious services, instruction, and meetings. However, it was a time of great turbulence and the family struggled to secure their position. In all things, Blessed Justo chose what was best for the Church rather than the best for himself. He built many churches and saw the number of Catholics greatly increase through his influence. Many of the local prominent Japanese converted to the Catholic Faith.
In 1587, the emperor reversed his position concerning Catholics and ordered them to renounce their Faith or suffer exile. Blessed Justo was taken by the emperor’s henchmen to Miyako. There he was ordered to give up his Catholic Faith or his money and estates and be sent into exile. Blessed Justo chose to keep to his Catholic Faith and, having lost all his possessions, the government exiled him to the island of Shodoshima.
In 1614, along with 300 other Catholics, Blessed Justo was placed in a dilapidated junk which set sail for Manila in the Philippines. We are told that on the journey, Blessed Justo ‘sustained the other exiles with his prayers, patience and exhortations.’ They arrived on December 21 with Blessed Justo suffering with a severe fever. He never recovered and, after receiving the sacraments, he uttered the name of Jesus and died on February 3, 1615. Justo was beatified as Blessed at a Mass celebrated in Osaka, Japan, in 2017 by Cardinal Amato (on behalf of Pope Francis).
Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, pray for us.
(From Spiritual Thought from Father Chris 2/23)
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of the blessed Justo may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment