At Home with Faith
Let Your Light Shine
February 5, 2023
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Born into a wealthy Japanese family in the 16th century and educated by the Jesuits, St. Paul Miki ultimately joined the order and became a very well-known and successful preacher of the faith. When the rulers of Japan persecuted Christianity and crucified St. Paul Miki along with 25 companions, the saint preached a final time from his cross: “I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy . . . After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”
Read
Isaiah 58:7-10
If you act justly, God will raise you from the darkness.
Psalm 112
The just one man is a light in darkness.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Matthew 5:13-16
A city on a mountain cannot be hidden. Let your light shine before others.
Talk
Share with your child Jesus’ analogy of a city on a mountain and his call to let our light shine before others. Let your child know that Jesus’ command to let our light shine by being an example of faith applies to him or her. Maybe your child is an older sibling or maybe they have a gift in some area or another that prompts people to admire them. In whatever case, let them know that other people see what they are doing and can be inspired by their example. Let your child know that Jesus wants them to let their light shine through a joyful example of faith.
Go Deeper
Learn about St. Paul Miki and his feast day of February 6:
Read about St. Paul Miki and Companions:
Saint Paul Miki and Companions (Franciscan Media)
Watch this 4-minute video to learn more about St. Paul Miki:
St. Paul Miki: The Story of the First Japanese Jesuit (Aleteia)