St. Paul Miki Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Paul Miki was a Japanese martyr who lived in the 1500s. He was a member of the Jesuit religious order, and he was well-known for his preaching.
St. Paul Miki was killed along with twenty-five companions, under the Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. St. Paul Miki and his companions showed great courage in holding fast to their Faith.
You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this courageous martyr!
About St. Paul Miki
St. Paul Miki was born in Tounucumada, Japan in 1562. His parents were wealthy, and his father was a leader in the Japanese military. Paul’s parents converted to Catholicism when he was very young, and he was baptized at age five.
Paul attended college at the Jesuit school in Anziquiama. He was a gifted student, and he zealously studied the teachings of Buddhism in order to be able to debate Buddhist priests.
Paul entered the Jesuit novitiate when he was twenty-two years old, after studying and training for eleven years. He desired to become a priest, but his vocational journey was cut short by religious persecution.
In 1597, Paul Miki and several others were arrested and jailed by the emperor Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The emperor then had the left ears of Paul and twenty-five others severed as a sign of disrespect. Then he had them paraded through the streets in Kyoto. Many of the onlookers were moved with compassion at the sight, and some of them later converted.
Paul and his companions were made to walk from Kyoto to Nagasaki, about six hundred miles. They sang the Te Deum as they walked, knowing they would soon die.
Once they arrived in Nagasaki on February 5th, 1957, Paul and his companions were tied to crosses. Their necks were secured in place by iron rings. There were executioners waiting beside each martyr, holding lances to thrust into the martyrs’ sides.
Paul preached his last sermon while fastened to his cross. He also forgave his executioners before he died.
While awaiting the moment of their deaths, the martyrs sang together the Canticle of Zachariah. The executioners allowed them to finish the last verse. Then, the executioners thrust lances into the sides of all twenty-six people.
Paul Miki’s companions were laymen, Franciscans, and other Jesuits. They included a carpenter named Francis; Gabriel, the nineteen-year-old son of the Franciscans’ porter; a twenty-eight-year-old carpenter named Leo Kinuya from Miyako; a Jesuit named Diego Kisai; a cook for the Franciscans named Joachim Sakakibara; and a man named Paul Sukejiro who was arrested after being sent by a Jesuit to help the prisoners.
St. Paul Miki and his companions were beatified by Pope Urban VIII in 1627. They were canonized in 1862 by Pope Pius IX.
St. Paul Miki and his Companions were the first martyrs of the Catholic Church in Japan.
St. Paul Miki’s Feast Day: February 6th
Why Pray the St. Paul Miki Novena?
St. Paul Miki is the patron saint of Japan. You can ask for his prayers if you are from Japan, or for someone you know who lives in Japan.
You can also seek St. Paul Miki’s prayers on behalf of the Jesuit religious order, or for a particular Jesuit, since he was a member of the Jesuits and was hoping to become a Jesuit priest.
St. Paul Miki is also a great saint to seek intercession from if you are being persecuted for your Faith, since he endured religious persecution and ultimately died for his Faith.
You can pray the St. Paul Miki Novena for any intention!
St. Paul Miki Novena Prayers
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed throughout his life, from the time of his entrance into Your Church when he was five years old.
St. Paul Miki, your parents were not Christians at the time you were born. But they converted to Catholicism when you were five years old, and you entered into the Church you would serve with such dedication throughout your life.
Please bring my petitions before God with dedication!
As you grew older, you began to desire to serve God more devotedly in this Church you were now a part of. You were ready to dedicate your life to Him in the priesthood.
Pray for me, that I may always be a willing servant of God. Pray that I may be eager to dedicate my whole life to Him.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to dedicate his life to Your service as a Jesuit priest.
St. Paul Miki, you were educated at a Jesuit college as a young man. As you grew in your Faith and your knowledge of God, you came to recognize your vocation to the priesthood.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you longed to serve!
You threw yourself into the task of studying for the priesthood, but religious persecution cut your vocational journey short. You were never able to be ordained, because you were martyred for your Catholic Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be ready to serve God in whatever ways He calls me to. Pray that I may be willing even to give up my life for Him if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in choosing to serve You as a member of the Jesuit religious order.
St. Paul Miki, you received your education from members of the Jesuit religious order. It was not long before you felt yourself called to serve God among them yourself.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You studied and trained for many years before you entered the Jesuit order. You longed ardently to be ordained as a Jesuit priest. But instead, you answered the call to give up your life for your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted to God’s service as you were. Pray that I may even be ready to die for my Faith if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his many years of studying for the priesthood.
St. Paul Miki, you longed to dedicate your life to serving God as a Jesuit priest. You studied and trained for eleven years in preparation, never wavering in your desire to answer God’s call.
Please do not waver in bringing my petitions before God!
You were so filled with the desire to bring souls to God that you even devoted time and energy to study of other religions.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to deepen my understanding of God through study. Pray that I may use my knowledge of God to bring souls to Him, as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in seeking to bring non-Christians to You.
St. Paul Miki, you devoted time and effort to the study of the Buddhist religion, in order to be able to debate Buddhist priests. You longed to bring them to conversion, for the love of God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You were eager to share your Catholic Faith with others, even amidst religious persecution.
You worked to prepare yourself, so that you might be as ready as you could be to help bring souls to God.
Pray for me, that I may be as eager to share my Faith with others as you were. Pray that I may be ready to do all I can to bring souls to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in holding fast to his Faith amidst persecution, even to the point of death.
St. Paul Miki, you were arrested for your Catholic Faith, along with many others. You were imprisoned, and you must have known that your death would come soon. You persevered in your Faith, despite great suffering.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You had your ear severed as a sign of disrespect, and you were made to walk about six hundred miles to the place of your death. Through this suffering, you never wavered in your Faith or your love of God.
Pray for me, that I may be as faithful as you were. Pray that I may never waver in my Faith, no matter what sufferings I may face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the courage he showed in holding fast to his Faith, even to the point of death.
St. Paul Miki, you were studying to become a priest in a society that was becoming hostile to Catholicism. Rather than abandon your vocation amidst the difficulties you faced, you courageously continued on in your Faith.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
You were arrested and imprisoned because of your Faith. Your ear was cut off, and you were made to walk hundreds of miles. You endured these sufferings with great courage, remaining faithful and devoted to God until the end.
Pray for me, that I may be courageous in practicing my Faith. Pray that I may hold fast to my Faith even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in choosing to forgive those who were going to kill him.
St. Paul Miki, you suffered a lot because of your Faith. Despite the many physical sufferings you endured before you were killed, you did not give in to hatred or bitterness. You remained faithful to the end.
Please be faithful in bringing my petitions before God!
You were fasted to a cross to die, because of your Faith. But before your executioner thrust his lance into your side, you forgave him.
Pray for me, that I may have the grace to forgive as you did. Pray that I may be able to forgive even those who have hurt me deeply.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Paul Miki Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Paul Miki, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed throughout his life and martyrdom.
St. Paul Miki, you longed to give your life to God’s service. You entered the Jesuit religious order and intended to become a priest, but God called you to give your life to Him in a different manner.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You willingly chose to suffer great persecution, rather than renounce your Faith. Ultimately, you chose to die rather than turn from God Whom you loved so deeply.
Pray for me, that I may be a faithful servant throughout my life as you were. Pray that I may put service to God even above preserving my own life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Paul Miki, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.