THE WORD AND THE SAINTS
February 6, 2026 - Remembering Paul Miki and Companions, among them Gonzalo Garcia!
Ecclesiasticus 47: 2-13; Mark 6: 14-29
We are presented with two kings today in the readings - King David and King Herod! Of one the reading praises without end and the other... we surely know his end! Both kings over Israel... but two totally different sorts of kings. One, who listened to the prophets and the other, who killed them! Not that one was a saint and the other was a sinner... both were sinners; but what made the difference?
While one was merely curious about the things of God, the other one - the reading says, "with his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had His praises sung" (Sir 47:8,9). The place that David gave to God, in spite of all the weaknesses he had, made him a beloved son of God.
It does not matter what heights we reach, or what laurels we fetch, giving the Lord the first place, will set everything else right. Making God the centre of our lives, is what all the saints teach us. And that is the secret to a life, truly happy and meaningful.
It is a wonderful element to remember today, as we celebrate day, that one of the companions of Paul Miki was of Indian Origin - Gonzalo Garcia (though his father was a Portugese), from the Vasai, region of Maharastra - first Indian to have been canonised!