An inspiring story
A sermon from the cross
What would your last words be?
On 5 February 1597, 26 Christians were crucified on a hill at Nagasaki on the orders of the ruler Hideyoshi: priests, brothers and ordinary believers, among them boys of twelve and thirteen. One of them was Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit. Hanging on his cross, he did what he had always done: he preached to the crowd below. He said he was dying for the gospel, and that he forgave the ruler and everyone who had a part in his death. Why forgive at a moment like that? Because that was exactly what he had preached all his life, and he followed Jesus who forgave from the cross.
Eyewitnesses wrote that the boys sang psalms until the end. Forgiveness was his last sermon, and his strongest.
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.Luke 23:34