# Blessed Thomas "Kintsuba" Jihyoe

An episode of [Saints Alive Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1598392451), 20 Oct 2025, 35 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1882754/episodes/18000033-blessed-thomas-kintsuba-jihyoe.mp3

In the mid 17th century, a brave Augustinian priest went back to his homeland in Japan to bring the hope and truth of Christ to his people. Blessed Thomas "Kintsuba" Jihyoe is remembered today for his remarkable heroism, persevering to the very end and ultimately giving his life for the truth. In 2019, Pope Francis visited Japan and said, "Let us find powerful inspiration in the story of the early missionaries and Japanese martyrs. May we never forget their heroic sacrifice! May it not remain as a glorious relic of the past, to be kept and honored in a museum, but rather, a living memory, an inspiration for the works of the apostolate and a spur to renewed evangelization in this land" With that in mind, come listen to the incredible story of Blessed Thomas Jihyoe today andlet his story inspire you on your own journey to sainthood! Parental Guidance: True to the story of Blessed Thomas, this episode contains intense themes of persecuted and martyred christians. Please screen at your discretion for little listeners Saints Alive is brought to you by the #1 Catholic Prayer App, Hallow! Sign up today with a 30-day free trial! Please rate, review and share with friends and family! Find out more about Saints Alive at our website: https://www.saintsalivepodcast.com/

## Transcript

[0:01] SPEAKER_09: Welcome to Saints Alive, where we take you with us to meet God's most heroic followers.
[0:07] SPEAKER_09: The Saints were just ordinary boys and girls who allowed God's love to transform them into real life superheroes.
[0:14] SPEAKER_09: Their love for God changed our world.
[0:17] SPEAKER_09: Did you know that God has sent you here to become a saint?
[0:20] SPEAKER_09: It's up to you to choose love over fear, to be courageous, faithful, and kind.
[0:26] SPEAKER_09: The choice to become a saint won't be easy, but it will be worth it.
[0:30] SPEAKER_09: So listen closely and open your hearts.
[0:32] SPEAKER_09: These real life tales of the saints from the past may just inspire you how to live your story.
[0:38] SPEAKER_09: Let's go on this adventure together.
[1:08] SPEAKER_09: Many Japanese men and women eagerly embraced the love of Jesus, and they were called the Kirishitan.
[1:15] SPEAKER_09: At the hands of powerful warlords, these people suffered enormously for their newfound faith.
[1:22] SPEAKER_09: And in their time of need, God heard their prayers for a shepherd and brought them a brave priest.
[1:39] SPEAKER_09: Thomas stood at the bow of the boat, the wind combed through his long black beard, his sword hung at his side, gleaming in the setting sun.
[1:47] SPEAKER_09: The Chinese sea lay still beneath the hull of the ship as he made his way toward his homeland, Japan.
[1:56] SPEAKER_10: Father Thomas, those storm clouds look mighty menacing.
[2:02] SPEAKER_02: Heaven will see us through.
[2:04] SPEAKER_02: You are good to take the risk of this voyage with me.
[2:10] SPEAKER_10: You have not been in Japan for many years.
[2:14] SPEAKER_10: I cannot stay long in the harbor.
[2:17] SPEAKER_10: Takenaka, the governor, hates the Krisitan and has imprisoned your leader, Father Gutierrez, in his fortress.
[2:28] SPEAKER_10: It is good that you have that sword for protection.
[2:32] SPEAKER_02: This huh, this is not for protection.
[2:37] SPEAKER_02: It is for prayer.
[2:40] SPEAKER_10: I see you live by faith, not the sword.
[2:46] SPEAKER_05: Fatten down the hatches! Come on, let's go! This is it! Take in the main sail! Brace yourselves!
[2:54] SPEAKER_09: The seas began to heave, spraying line and foam into Thomas's face as he clung to the rail of the ship.
[3:01] SPEAKER_09: The storm grew in fury until a mammoth wave pressed high above the ship, toppling the sail and capitalizing the boat.
[3:13] SPEAKER_09: Thomas desperately swam to the surface, gasping.
[3:17] SPEAKER_09: Blindly he reached for something, anything to support him.
[3:22] SPEAKER_09: When he had all but resigned himself to a watery end, his hand grasped something solid.
[3:28] SPEAKER_09: He pulled himself up to ride above the waves.
[3:31] SPEAKER_09: Exhausted, he closed his eyes and checked for his sword with his free hand.
[3:36] SPEAKER_09: It was still hanging from his waist.
[3:38] SPEAKER_09: The touch of the steel jolted his mind away from the frigid tempest and back into the warm memories of his childhood.
[3:53] SPEAKER_06: Father, it's time for dinner.
[3:56] SPEAKER_06: That sword, it's magnificent.
[4:00] SPEAKER_12: Ah, made from the finest and strongest Japanese fear.
[4:07] SPEAKER_12: Just like you.
[4:09] SPEAKER_06: It is beautiful.
[4:11] SPEAKER_06: Look at the golden hilt.
[4:13] SPEAKER_06: Did you paint that?
[4:15] SPEAKER_12: Yes.
[4:16] SPEAKER_12: I called it the Kinsuba, the Golden Sword Hilt.
[4:21] SPEAKER_12: Let me show you.
[4:23] SPEAKER_12: Look right here.
[4:25] SPEAKER_12: That is our Lord on the cross.
[4:28] SPEAKER_12: Next to him is our Blessed Mother with a crown of stars.
[4:34] SPEAKER_12: You see, the Garden Hilt reminds us, no matter how strong the steer may be, if it is not dedicated to our Lord, it is of no good.
[4:47] SPEAKER_12: Our greatest gift is the love of God.
[4:51] SPEAKER_12: Steer will rust, but never gourd.
[4:56] SPEAKER_12: So it is with our life of faith.
[4:59] SPEAKER_12: The steer of our flesh will rust and decay.
[5:03] SPEAKER_12: But God's love is more precious than gourd and will always remain.
[5:16] SPEAKER_09: When Thomas awoke, he lay on the shore, clinging to the broken mast of the ship, his sword still hanging from his waist.
[5:24] SPEAKER_09: Waves lapped about him.
[5:27] SPEAKER_09: Slowly he raised himself from the sand, sharp pain firing throughout his weary body.
[5:34] SPEAKER_09: Frantically, he looked for the captain.
[5:55] SPEAKER_10: The Lord has delivered us to Japan.
[6:00] SPEAKER_10: Just not the way we hoped.
[6:12] SPEAKER_10: A short way north of here.
[6:14] SPEAKER_10: They will help me find my way.
[6:23] SPEAKER_10: Nagasaki is a day's journey south on foot.
[6:28] SPEAKER_10: Now go.
[6:29] SPEAKER_10: Do not waste time here with me any longer.
[6:32] SPEAKER_10: I'll find my way.
[6:33] SPEAKER_02: Yes, you're right.
[6:36] SPEAKER_02: Farewell, my Frendo.
[6:39] SPEAKER_02: And for all you have adorned, thank you.
[6:49] SPEAKER_09: Thomas wound his way through the lush forest trails, the sky darkening all the while.
[6:56] SPEAKER_09: When nearly exhausted, he stepped out of the woods into a clearing and discovered a fortress looming on the hill ahead.
[7:04] SPEAKER_08: Halt or lose your head.
[7:08] SPEAKER_08: What is your name?
[7:10] SPEAKER_02: My name is uh Kinsuba.
[7:14] SPEAKER_08: Kinsuba?
[7:17] SPEAKER_08: What brings you here?
[7:19] SPEAKER_02: Oh I am just a wayfarer.
[7:22] SPEAKER_02: A day laborer looking for work.
[7:26] SPEAKER_02: Might I find some here?
[7:28] SPEAKER_08: A day laborer with a sword?
[7:31] SPEAKER_08: What are you?
[7:32] SPEAKER_08: A samurai?
[7:34] SPEAKER_02: No.
[7:35] SPEAKER_02: This sword was a gift from my father.
[7:38] SPEAKER_02: A little piece of home to keep with me on my travels.
[7:43] SPEAKER_02: Hmm.
[7:45] SPEAKER_08: I think I can find some work for you, if you're not afraid to get your hands dirty.
[7:50] SPEAKER_08: Follow me, Kinsuba.
[7:53] SPEAKER_09: Thomas collected himself, calmed his racing heart, and followed the guard.
[7:58] SPEAKER_09: As they walked through the meadow, Thomas caught sight of the fortress walls of the dreaded shogun and his magistrate, Takenaka.
[8:07] SPEAKER_09: The imposing white walls towered over him as they approached.
[8:10] SPEAKER_09: His stomach lurched within him, for he knew somewhere in the bowels of this fortress, bruised and beaten, lay his superior, Father Gutierrez.
[8:29] SPEAKER_09: Meanwhile, safe within these walls, in a stately chamber, the fearsome magistrate Takenaka was scheming to find a way to uproot Christianity from Japan, once and for all.
[8:50] SPEAKER_05: Tell me again, what brings you here to Japan?
[8:53] SPEAKER_05: It is a wrong way from your home in England.
[8:57] SPEAKER_07: For riches, uh, power and honor.
[9:00] SPEAKER_07: Why else would anyone travel the world?
[9:03] SPEAKER_05: I have men in my custody that have come from faraway countries for other reasons.
[9:10] SPEAKER_05: Who are these men?
[9:11] SPEAKER_05: As a matter of fact, at this very moment I have one several floors below us in my dungeon.
[9:17] SPEAKER_05: Father Gutierrez.
[9:19] SPEAKER_07: Father Gutierrez, a Spaniard and a priest, the worst kind.
[9:25] SPEAKER_05: Yes, and he tells me that he has only come to bring good news of God to the Japanese people.
[9:31] SPEAKER_05: That this news can somehow save us.
[9:35] SPEAKER_07: Sir, you cannot trust any Spaniard, especially a priest.
[9:39] SPEAKER_07: It is good he is in prison.
[9:41] SPEAKER_07: Do not let him out.
[9:42] SPEAKER_07: You are a Christian yourself, no?
[9:45] SPEAKER_07: Why do you stop him?
[9:47] SPEAKER_07: He is a papist, not a true Christian.
[9:50] SPEAKER_07: A scoundrel.
[9:51] SPEAKER_07: The Spanish crown sends their priests as a prelude to subjugation.
[9:55] SPEAKER_07: Truly, these priests seem sincere.
[9:58] SPEAKER_05: They receive no riches, no glory, no honor.
[10:01] SPEAKER_05: They really happily go to the most miserable deaths for something which I do not understand.
[10:09] SPEAKER_05: If what you say is true, what must I do?
[10:15] SPEAKER_07: Do what we have done in England.
[10:18] SPEAKER_07: Hunt them down.
[10:25] SPEAKER_09: The weeks passed, and far from Takenaka's tower, Thomas concluded another long day of work in the fortress stable, grooming horses and mucking stalls.
[10:35] SPEAKER_08: King Shuba, once the horses put away, turn in for the night.
[10:39] SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Kenshin.
[10:41] SPEAKER_08: You have it easy.
[10:43] SPEAKER_08: I'd rather muck these stalls than feed the filthy prisoners.
[10:50] SPEAKER_02: Alright.
[10:51] SPEAKER_02: Tonight, the night.
[10:54] SPEAKER_02: I'll sneak along the shadows behind the Kenshin.
[10:57] SPEAKER_02: Find the Father Gutierrez, and then somehow break him out of the dungeon.
[11:07] SPEAKER_02: What?
[11:08] SPEAKER_02: Do you have a better idea?
[11:14] SPEAKER_02: I didn't think so.
[11:18] SPEAKER_09: Under the cover of darkness, Thomas silently followed Kenshin at a distance.
[11:23] SPEAKER_09: Whatever gate Kenshin passed through, Thomas climbed over the wall to evade the guards.
[11:30] SPEAKER_09: Finally, at the most remote part of the fortress grounds, Kenshin's keys rattled in a dungeon door and entered.
[11:42] SPEAKER_09: Thomas crept along the stone wall.
[11:46] SPEAKER_09: In the stillness of the night, he heard whispered prayers through a small grate at the foundation.
[11:54] SPEAKER_04: Lord, look upon me.
[11:58] SPEAKER_04: Have pity on me.
[12:00] SPEAKER_04: For I am alone and after you need to relieve the troubles of my heart.
[12:08] SPEAKER_04: Bring me out of my distress.
[12:11] SPEAKER_03: Father.
[12:12] SPEAKER_03: Father Gutierrez.
[12:14] SPEAKER_03: What?
[12:15] SPEAKER_03: Who's there?
[12:16] SPEAKER_03: It is Thomas.
[12:18] SPEAKER_03: Thomas Chigio.
[12:20] SPEAKER_03: Thomas Chigio?
[12:22] SPEAKER_03: It cannot be.
[12:24] SPEAKER_03: Is it really you?
[12:26] SPEAKER_02: Yes, father.
[12:28] SPEAKER_03: I have come home to find you.
[12:32] SPEAKER_02: The Lord is faithful.
[12:34] SPEAKER_02: I will stay with you.
[12:36] SPEAKER_02: No matter where the road leads.
[12:39] SPEAKER_02: You will not be alone again.
[12:41] SPEAKER_02: I will find a way to help you escape.
[12:44] SPEAKER_02: There must be Thomas!
[12:46] SPEAKER_04: You're too good.
[12:49] SPEAKER_04: But there is nothing you can do for me.
[12:52] SPEAKER_04: No, I can find a way.
[12:54] SPEAKER_04: Thomas, there is but one way.
[12:58] SPEAKER_04: The Lord alone must suffice.
[13:01] SPEAKER_04: But there are many Christian souls in hiding.
[13:04] SPEAKER_04: Men and women struggling to stay true to our Lord.
[13:09] SPEAKER_04: When I was arrested, they lost their shepherd.
[13:13] SPEAKER_04: You must take my place.
[13:16] SPEAKER_04: Shepherd my people, Thomas.
[13:19] SPEAKER_02: Where can I find them?
[13:21] SPEAKER_02: How can I gain the trust?
[13:25] SPEAKER_04: Go into town to the house with three lanterns hung outside.
[13:31] SPEAKER_04: The woman who lives there is named Machu.
[13:34] SPEAKER_04: Tell her these words.
[13:36] SPEAKER_04: I have no greater grace than this to hear that my children walk in truth.
[13:45] SPEAKER_04: This is how we would greet each other.
[13:48] SPEAKER_04: She will guide you to other Christians.
[13:52] SPEAKER_04: But be vigilant.
[13:53] SPEAKER_04: The Shokan has many spies.
[13:56] SPEAKER_04: Now go, my friend.
[13:58] SPEAKER_09: Thomas reached through the narrow grate and grasped the hand of Father Gutierrez.
[14:04] SPEAKER_09: Looking deeply, Thomas caught a glimpse of eternity deep behind the tired but unbroken eyes of Father Gutierrez.
[14:14] SPEAKER_09: At that moment, he knew what he must do.
[14:19] SPEAKER_02: I will be back.
[14:20] SPEAKER_02: You have my word.
[14:22] SPEAKER_04: Go, Thomas.
[14:23] SPEAKER_04: Go.
[14:24] SPEAKER_04: Before you are caught.
[14:31] SPEAKER_09: Under the veil of night, Thomas sped along the forest path.
[14:36] SPEAKER_09: Soft silver threads of moonlight filtered through the treetops, speckling the ground and guiding his way.
[14:42] SPEAKER_09: At the bottom of the hill, he came out onto a street lined on both sides of small, tidy houses.
[14:49] SPEAKER_09: At the end of the street stood a small, humble house with a thatched roof.
[14:54] SPEAKER_09: Three lanterns hung outside.
[14:57] SPEAKER_09: Thomas's heart flooded with relief at the sight.
[15:12] SPEAKER_02: Matsu, daughter.
[15:15] SPEAKER_02: I have no greater grace than this to hear that my children walk in truth.
[15:25] SPEAKER_11: Please come inside.
[15:30] SPEAKER_11: How is it that I pray?
[15:32] SPEAKER_11: Oh my lord, you should come to my house.
[15:39] SPEAKER_02: I am Father Thomas.
[15:42] SPEAKER_02: How are you and the other Koreashitan?
[15:45] SPEAKER_11: Forgive us, Father.
[15:48] SPEAKER_11: Since Father Gutierrez has been taken, everyone is afraid to leave their house.
[15:54] SPEAKER_11: We could lose everything.
[15:56] SPEAKER_02: Rejoice, Matsu, for God's power.
[16:00] SPEAKER_02: He is made perfect in our weakness.
[16:04] SPEAKER_02: And no matter all the head, he will be with us.
[16:09] SPEAKER_02: Every step of the way.
[16:16] SPEAKER_09: After a few months of Thomas's covert ministry to his people, word began to spread.
[16:22] SPEAKER_09: Eventually, the news trickled into the fortress.
[16:27] SPEAKER_07: Sir, there are reports that there is still a Catholic priest in your domain.
[16:32] SPEAKER_07: He defies your orders to cease practicing Christianity.
[16:36] SPEAKER_07: How is this possible?
[16:38] SPEAKER_05: I have Guterres in my dungeon.
[16:40] SPEAKER_05: Can he walk through wars?
[16:42] SPEAKER_07: No.
[16:43] SPEAKER_07: Catholics are like cockroaches.
[16:45] SPEAKER_07: Their faith is difficult to kill.
[16:47] SPEAKER_07: But strike the shepherd and they will scatter.
[16:50] SPEAKER_05: Yes, let's make an example of this, Shepard.
[16:53] SPEAKER_05: Gods prepare an aturusi for Father Gutenz.
[16:57] SPEAKER_07: Ah! The pit! Excellent idea, sir.
[17:00] SPEAKER_07: If he thinks he will get a reward in heaven, let us at least make him earn it.
[17:06] SPEAKER_05: Now, let us find that priest.
[17:16] SPEAKER_09: The next day, while making his daily walk to prison to visit Father Gutierrez, Thomas was halted by the rattle of the fortress gates opening.
[17:25] SPEAKER_09: Father Gutierrez was being led by five soldiers into the woods, to the place of execution.
[17:32] SPEAKER_09: As he began to fade from Thomas's view, Father Gutierrez turned to look back over his shoulder.
[17:38] SPEAKER_09: He gave Thomas a reassuring nod.
[17:42] SPEAKER_02: Go to God, Father.
[17:46] SPEAKER_02: Heaven is waiting for you.
[17:49] SPEAKER_02: Your children are safe with me.
[18:02] SPEAKER_09: The weeks passed, and Thomas carried on bravely, bringing the sacraments and the joy of Christ to the Kirishitan.
[18:10] SPEAKER_02: Saint Paul says to us, I became all things to all men, that I might save all.
[18:20] SPEAKER_02: And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be made partaker.
[18:26] SPEAKER_00: The gods are coming.
[18:27] SPEAKER_00: Hide the scriptures.
[18:28] SPEAKER_00: Put away the choice.
[18:45] SPEAKER_09: Ever prepared, Thomas had an escape route planned ahead of time.
[18:50] SPEAKER_09: He ran out of side door and into the woods.
[18:54] SPEAKER_09: Retreating up the mountain, Thomas found a humble cave for shelter.
[19:06] SPEAKER_09: Back at the fortress, Takenaka was furious.
[19:11] SPEAKER_05: William, I should have known.
[19:13] SPEAKER_05: You should have known there was something odd about that stable boy.
[19:18] SPEAKER_05: Creeping around at odd hours of the night.
[19:21] SPEAKER_05: How will we find him?
[19:23] SPEAKER_07: I know of a way.
[19:24] SPEAKER_07: Do you have any good artists in your court?
[19:27] SPEAKER_07: Ah, yes, one can be found.
[19:30] SPEAKER_07: Let us paste the stable boy's face all over Nagasaki in the countryside.
[19:34] SPEAKER_07: If you offer enough money, someone will turn him in.
[19:37] SPEAKER_07: You'll have nowhere to hide.
[19:50] SPEAKER_09: Now, Thomas was a wanted man.
[19:53] SPEAKER_09: His face was meticulously drawn in parchment and posted all around the town.
[19:58] SPEAKER_09: Wherever he went, he would be recognized.
[20:01] SPEAKER_11: Father! Look at this paper! It is your face.
[20:05] SPEAKER_11: These are everywhere.
[20:06] SPEAKER_11: It says that you're wanted by the shogun himself and offers a reward to anyone who turns you in.
[20:12] SPEAKER_02: Hahaha Yiksu, am I Toruri that ugly?
[20:16] SPEAKER_11: Don't laugh! This is serious!
[20:19] SPEAKER_02: Do not worry, Matsu.
[20:21] SPEAKER_02: I have made my home in a cave in the mountains.
[20:25] SPEAKER_02: They cannot find me.
[20:26] SPEAKER_02: I only come out at night when nobody will see me.
[20:31] SPEAKER_02: I can trust to all the Kirishitan.
[20:34] SPEAKER_11: That is not good enough.
[20:35] SPEAKER_11: Everyone will want that reward.
[20:38] SPEAKER_11: You must always wear a disguise now.
[20:41] SPEAKER_11: Um here.
[20:42] SPEAKER_11: Take this cloak and take this.
[20:46] SPEAKER_11: Here.
[20:47] SPEAKER_11: Chiefs war for a white beard.
[20:50] SPEAKER_11: You will look like an old man.
[21:03] SPEAKER_04: It is just an old man.
[21:08] SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah, to disappoint you, Stirl.
[21:15] SPEAKER_04: This is just a bag.
[21:18] SPEAKER_04: Look at the rise and the dirty face.
[21:24] SPEAKER_02: Oh two?
[21:27] SPEAKER_05: It must be.
[21:32] SPEAKER_02: It is good to see you.
[21:36] SPEAKER_02: Take a care.
[21:38] SPEAKER_05: Wait a minute.
[21:39] SPEAKER_05: Did a bright man just say it was good to see me?
[21:51] SPEAKER_09: Thomas's cunning disguises helped him escape capture again and again.
[21:56] SPEAKER_09: Wisely, he never followed the same path.
[21:59] SPEAKER_09: This wise Spirit infuriated Takinaka to the point of madness.
[22:07] SPEAKER_05: This impertinent Redal Priest.
[22:09] SPEAKER_05: When I catch him, I will make him run out everything he believes.
[22:13] SPEAKER_05: That will crush the fate of these insidious crazy turns.
[22:17] SPEAKER_07: I know how to find him.
[22:19] SPEAKER_05: How?
[22:23] SPEAKER_07: We will play his game and set one trap that a Catholic priest cannot evade.
[22:29] SPEAKER_07: What is that?
[22:30] SPEAKER_07: A trap of mercy.
[22:33] SPEAKER_07: Mercy.
[22:34] SPEAKER_05: What do you mean?
[22:36] SPEAKER_07: A priest never withholds mercy to any repentant sinner.
[22:41] SPEAKER_07: The only thing we need now is a spy.
[22:50] SPEAKER_09: That evening, Thomas prayed for strength and began to descend the mountain to preach to the people below.
[22:57] SPEAKER_09: The golden hilt of his sword caught the fading gleam of the setting sun, and he walked into the night.
[23:05] SPEAKER_11: Father, we have fellow Kirisdan who have come to hear mass.
[23:10] SPEAKER_11: But do not worry.
[23:12] SPEAKER_11: They have sworn secrecy.
[23:14] SPEAKER_11: Father, I must warn you.
[23:18] SPEAKER_11: The shogun is tightening the rope around all of the Kiristan.
[23:22] SPEAKER_11: You must take care.
[23:23] SPEAKER_11: Even the fervent are afraid of another persecution.
[23:28] SPEAKER_11: Stay with us.
[23:30] SPEAKER_11: Here, if you must.
[23:32] SPEAKER_11: Do not go out again tonight.
[23:34] SPEAKER_02: No.
[23:35] SPEAKER_02: I will not put you and your family in more danger.
[23:39] SPEAKER_02: Do not be anxious.
[23:42] SPEAKER_02: God is with us hello, Father.
[23:46] SPEAKER_02: Kenshin! What brings you here?
[23:51] SPEAKER_02: I had no idea you were a Kirishitan.
[23:54] SPEAKER_08: Father, I confess I'm not a Kirishian yet.
[24:00] SPEAKER_08: I still hear Father Gutierrez's voice.
[24:04] SPEAKER_08: In dreams at odd hours.
[24:07] SPEAKER_08: Yet he is gone.
[24:09] SPEAKER_02: God is working in your soul, Kenshin.
[24:14] SPEAKER_08: Maybe so, Father.
[24:16] SPEAKER_08: That is what I wanted to tell you.
[24:19] SPEAKER_08: Someone wants me to do something terrible.
[24:23] SPEAKER_08: And I don't know how to get out of it.
[24:25] SPEAKER_02: I I don't know what to do.
[24:29] SPEAKER_02: Kenshin, it is good you are here.
[24:33] SPEAKER_02: God will give you the grace you need.
[24:37] SPEAKER_02: It is getting great, and we must begin, Maso.
[24:40] SPEAKER_02: But again, it is good you are here.
[24:48] SPEAKER_02: Dear faithful, cling to the truth.
[24:53] SPEAKER_02: This is the universal language that all men of good will speak.
[24:58] SPEAKER_02: The truth.
[24:59] SPEAKER_02: The truth is not owned by any nation, it finds its home in the hearts of all who seek him.
[25:08] SPEAKER_02: Our blessed Lord tells us that for this he was born, and for this he came into the world.
[25:16] SPEAKER_02: He is the light, the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
[25:28] SPEAKER_09: At the elevation of the host, Thomas felt himself holding an immense weight.
[25:55] SPEAKER_11: Please be careful.
[25:59] SPEAKER_08: Father Thomas.
[26:07] SPEAKER_02: It was good to have you there.
[26:10] SPEAKER_08: Yes.
[26:12] SPEAKER_08: Before you go, I know of some other Kurdishitan who needs your blessing.
[26:17] SPEAKER_08: It is only a short distance down the road.
[26:20] SPEAKER_08: Follow me.
[26:21] SPEAKER_02: I believe I have met all the Kirishitan in this build.
[26:26] SPEAKER_08: Oh no, there are more.
[26:28] SPEAKER_08: I must show you.
[26:30] SPEAKER_08: You must come to help them.
[26:32] SPEAKER_02: Very well.
[26:35] SPEAKER_02: Lead the way.
[26:38] SPEAKER_02: Lord, let this cup pass from me.
[26:43] SPEAKER_02: But not my will.
[26:46] SPEAKER_09: Kenshin led Thomas down a dark, lightly trodden path.
[26:50] SPEAKER_09: Weeds and vines reached across the trail, gripping at their ankles as they walked.
[26:55] SPEAKER_08: It is not too much farther.
[26:57] SPEAKER_08: Just up ahead.
[27:00] SPEAKER_08: Father?
[27:01] SPEAKER_08: Why do you brandish your sword?
[27:04] SPEAKER_02: I know, Kenshin.
[27:06] SPEAKER_02: I know what you are doing.
[27:09] SPEAKER_02: What?
[27:10] SPEAKER_08: I'm going to kill me.
[27:15] SPEAKER_02: Kenshin.
[27:17] SPEAKER_02: I know.
[27:19] SPEAKER_02: You are betraying me.
[27:22] SPEAKER_02: Here, take this before it is too late.
[27:26] SPEAKER_02: Your sword?
[27:29] SPEAKER_02: Yes.
[27:30] SPEAKER_02: Keep it.
[27:31] SPEAKER_02: Keep it for yourself.
[27:33] SPEAKER_02: Just remember that a truth is like gold.
[27:39] SPEAKER_02: Steal rust.
[27:42] SPEAKER_02: But never gold.
[27:44] SPEAKER_04: Oh! On your knee!
[27:47] SPEAKER_02: That God forgive you, Kenshin.
[27:51] SPEAKER_02: Know that I do.
[27:54] SPEAKER_07: So here's the mysterious Kinsuba.
[27:58] SPEAKER_07: What is your real name?
[28:00] SPEAKER_02: I am Father Thomas Gichio of the Order of Santo Augustino.
[28:07] SPEAKER_07: Father?
[28:08] SPEAKER_07: Ha! You have no wife.
[28:10] SPEAKER_07: You are nobody's father.
[28:15] SPEAKER_07: Drag him to the dungeon.
[28:17] SPEAKER_09: Thomas's hands were bound behind his back, kicked and spat upon.
[28:21] SPEAKER_09: He was escorted into the darkness.
[28:24] SPEAKER_09: But before he was lost from view, he turned a merciful glance toward Kenshin, who was now kneeling upon the ground, his outstretched hands gingerly supporting the Kinzuka su.
[28:37] SPEAKER_09: He wept.
[28:38] SPEAKER_09: His tears fell, spilling over the golden hilt and the image of the price of God's mercy.
[28:48] SPEAKER_09: After inflicting much pain on Father Thomas, Takenaka was overcome with rage that he could not wear down his faith.
[29:01] SPEAKER_05: So we finally meet the Kinsuba priest.
[29:06] SPEAKER_05: Why did you come to this island?
[29:10] SPEAKER_02: To save souls and win as many for God as possible.
[29:20] SPEAKER_05: Kinsuba, you only bring suffering to yourself and your followers.
[29:31] SPEAKER_02: You are the one to bring suffering.
[29:35] SPEAKER_05: Your Christianity cannot take root on this island.
[29:39] SPEAKER_05: It spoils as soon as it is branded.
[29:43] SPEAKER_02: Takenaka, who made the world and all things therein.
[29:52] SPEAKER_02: He dwelleth not in temples made with hands, but in heaven above.
[30:00] SPEAKER_02: It is he who hath made of one all mankind that they should seek God and find him, although he be not far from every one of us.
[30:18] SPEAKER_02: He is not far from you, Takenaka.
[30:22] SPEAKER_05: Silence! You think you have seen the worst of it.
[30:26] SPEAKER_05: God prepare Anatsurichi, the pit for Father Thomas.
[30:40] SPEAKER_09: The guards led Thomas out of prison and dragged him through the village.
[30:45] SPEAKER_09: Men, women, girls, and boys came pour lanterns in hand and began jeering at him.
[31:04] SPEAKER_09: Thomas closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the hope of heaven.
[31:10] SPEAKER_09: But he felt a suffocating fear and loneliness grip his body and soul.
[31:16] SPEAKER_02: You are with me always until the end.
[31:26] SPEAKER_02: You are with me.
[31:29] SPEAKER_02: Lord, so stay with me.
[31:32] SPEAKER_02: Be with me.
[31:38] SPEAKER_09: When he opened his eyes, he saw a small group emerging from the woods.
[31:49] SPEAKER_09: Tears erupted as he recognized each face.
[31:53] SPEAKER_09: It was Matsu and the others to whom he had ministered.
[31:58] SPEAKER_09: Matsu smiled at him, a wooden cross hanging from her neck.
[32:03] SPEAKER_13: No.
[32:04] SPEAKER_13: Why?
[32:05] SPEAKER_13: Why are you all here?
[32:08] SPEAKER_13: How did they find you?
[32:10] SPEAKER_13: I promise.
[32:12] SPEAKER_13: I did not tell them.
[32:16] SPEAKER_11: No, Father.
[32:18] SPEAKER_11: We chose to be with our priest.
[32:24] SPEAKER_11: Takenaka.
[32:26] SPEAKER_11: We are the Kiritan of Japan.
[32:29] SPEAKER_11: We no longer hide.
[32:33] SPEAKER_11: Father Thomas Kinzubachicho is our priest.
[32:37] SPEAKER_11: His golden sword.
[32:39] SPEAKER_11: The word of God has cut us to the heart.
[32:45] SPEAKER_11: We wish to die with him.
[32:52] SPEAKER_11: See, Father.
[32:55] SPEAKER_11: We will be with you to the end.
[33:08] SPEAKER_13: I have no greater grace than this.
[33:13] SPEAKER_13: To hear that my children walk into the mood.
[33:24] SPEAKER_09: On August 21st, 1637, Father Thomas Jihyo and his companions were martyred on Nijizaka Hill.
[33:34] SPEAKER_09: They persevered to the end and were welcomed into the arms of their Savior.
[34:15] SPEAKER_09: May we never forget the heroic sacrifice.
[34:18] SPEAKER_09: May it not remain as a glorious relic of the past to be kept and honored in a museum, but rather as a living memory, an inspiration for the works of the apostolate, and a spur to renewed evangelization in this land.
[34:34] SPEAKER_09: We have Blessed Thomas as a great friend and mentor in heaven to help us gain courage and persevere in the faith each day.
[34:43] SPEAKER_09: Blessed Thomas Gihio, pray for us, and we don't have to be able to get a lot of money.

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