Tessa Mangahas
Pilgrim at the periphery
Recent trips showed me how faith is manifested in different ways, from the ostentatious to the meek. Europe has majestic churches that mirror how the Christian faith evolved through the years. From Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica to Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, my mouth was agape at the glorious architecture, the scale of the edifices and the stunning art masterpieces.
However it was in the little, unobtrusive churches tucked in the hills of Japan’s Kyushu region that I was moved by the burning faith that could not be hidden even by the threat of a terrible death. For about 250 years, the so-called Kakure Kirishitan or “Hidden Christians” of Japan were outlawed and its faithful tortured by the thousands in horrifying ways. But their artifacts revealed crucifixes etched at the back of the image of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Maria Kannon, several images of Jesus, rosaries and other evidences of Christian worship. In these small churches and artifacts, which are being considered to be UNESCO Heritage sites, we are stirred by stories of a faith preserved against all odds. It was only after many years, during a historic moment at Oura Cathedral, a church dedicated to the 26 Japanese martyrs, that a handful of Japanese peasants showed themselves to a priest and reunited with their Western counterparts to relive the Catholic faith.
We are about to end a very tumultuous year. Evil seems to be winning over good. Atrocities happen everywhere, but we are too timid to stand up and fight it. We witness the persecution of the weak, but are too scared to say anything. We are too busy worrying about personal interests to stop corruption. Ironically, we have many places of worship and don’t need to hide our faith. As we welcome the birth of the Christ Child, we ask ourselves if we have courage to live the life of a true Christian.