Voice: Mylene
Today is Friday, 6th of February. According to our lectionary, we remember the Martyrs of Japan today. It is the commemoration of the execution of 26 Christians on February 5, 1597, in Nagasaki. They were crucified under the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi as part of a crackdown on missionary activities. The group included both foreign Franciscan missionaries and Japanese lay converts.
Today’s devotion will be a departure from the usual.
We read Psalm 17:1-9
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
We follow Luke’s account of the events after the Passover meal, in Luke 22:24-53. Listening to verses 24 to 26, and then 31 to 34.
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Fumi
Faith Under Pressure — Silence, Peter, and the Grace That Holds
The film Silence is set in late sixteenth-century Japan, during the period when Christianity was first officially banned. This followed a short season in which the faith had flourished, particularly in Japan’s southern port cities through missionary work.
Once the imperial edict was issued, Japanese authorities moved systematically to purge Christianity from the land. This included local Japanese believers as well as foreign missionaries and priests who refused to leave.
To identify Christians, officials used the fumi—a metal plate embossed with an image of Christ. Sometimes the image depicted His incarnation, shown as the Virgin and Child. At other times, it depicted His death on the Cross.
Villagers were lined up, one by one. Each person was ordered to step on the fumi.
- Those who did so without hesitation were deemed not to be—or no longer—to be Christians and were released.
- Those who hesitated or refused were identified as believers. They were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and often executed.
This ritual of identification and persecution is portrayed with harrowing clarity in Silence.
The film explores themes of betrayal, repentance, and forgiveness through the tragic character of Kichijirō. Each time he is presented with the fumi, he steps on it without hesitation. And each time, he later returns to the priest to confess his sin and seek forgiveness.
Again and again, he falls.
Again and again, he repents.
Eventually, he betrays the priest himself, revealing his hiding place to the authorities. The priest is captured. Kichijirō’s act is disturbingly similar to that of Judas Iscariot.
And yet, before we distance ourselves too quickly, Scripture forces us to look closer to home.
Peter once declared:
“Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Don’t we all sound like Peter—until we are tested?
Jesus warned him that he would be sifted like wheat. When the pressure came, the truth was revealed. The chaff was light, blown about by fear. The grain was heavy—but only after crushing.
In that moment of fear, even Peter became Kichijirō.
Not once.
Not twice.
But three times.
Yet Peter’s story does not end there.
Peter would eventually fulfil his earlier promise. According to church tradition, he died a martyr, crucified in Rome.
What changed?
Jesus Himself tells us:
“I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again…”
— Luke 22:32
Jesus prayed.
Peter turned.
We see that turning in John 21:15–17, where Peter confesses his love three times—mirroring his three denials. Grace meets failure not with erasure, but with restoration and recommissioning.
As we reflect on:
- the martyrs of Japan,
- the weakness of Kichijirō,
- and the restoration of Peter,
we are invited to ask ourselves:
Will we turn away from our own rebellious or self-protective ways?
Will we renew our love for the Lord?
Will we recommit ourselves to strengthening and encouraging others, even in costly faithfulness?
In recent years, there has been a renewed effort to bring the gospel of Christ’s love to Japan. Take a moment to pray—for courage, perseverance, and for hearts that hear even when God seems silent.
For it is not the strength of our resolve that saves us,
but the faithfulness of the One who prays for us still.
We pray the special Collect for the day:
O God our Father,
source of strength to all your saints,
you brought the holy martyrs of Japan through the suffering of the cross to the joys of eternal life;
Grant that we, encouraged by their example,
may hold fast the faith we profess, even to death itself;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
In closing be blessed by this classic hymn, God so Loved the World
God so loved the world.
God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoso believeth, believeth in Him
should not perish, should not perish
but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world
to condemn the world.
God sent not His Son into the world
to condemn the world;
But that the world through Him might be saved.
God so loved the world.
God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoso believeth, believeth in Him
should not perish, should not perish
but have everlasting life, everlasting life,
everlasting, everlasting life.
God so loved the world.
God so loved the world.
God so loved the world.
“God So Loved The World” by J. Stainer
Performed by Gracias Choir
Conducted by Eunsook Park
[1] A photograph of one of the fumi-s we have on display in our own Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is accessible at https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1318857. The item itself is exhibited in the Christian Art Gallery as part of the theme of “Faith and Belief”.
[2] A water-colour painting depicting this ceremony is also on display in our own Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). A photograph of this painting can be viewed at https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1552784.
The reflection today is contributed by Angela Chong.
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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