Crimson Lilies of the Lord, Flowers of Heaven, Kakure Kirishitan

Crimson Lilies of the Lord

In fields of faith, where crimson hues ignite,
Lilies bloom, a vibrant, sacred sight.
Their petals, stained like blood of martyrs' grace,
Whisper tales of sacrifice and embrace.

Hidden Christians, steadfast in their plea,
Persecuted, crucified, yet unyielding, we see.
Death's embrace, they gladly did receive,
Their faith unshaken, their spirits never leave.

With honor's crown and joy that knows no bound,
They joined the Holy Nation, where love is found.
For absence from the flesh is presence with our Lord,
Where crimson lilies bloom, a testament to His word.

Their fragrance lingers, a poignant reminder,
Of unwavering devotion, a beacon in the finder.
In gardens of heaven, their souls now reside,
Where persecution's chains no longer can hide.

So let us be inspired by their noble fight,
To live in faith, to walk in truth and light.
Like crimson lilies, let our lives proclaim
The glory of our Lord, forever to His name.

"The name manjushage came from manjusaka meaning ''flower of the heaven" in Sanskrit. Yet a traditional story says that the plant was first brought to the country by Portuguese Catholic missionaries. Some of these early missionaries from Portugal who came in the 16th century brought the bulbs of the plant. As they went on tours of Christian propagation, they planted the bulbs on the roadside. They told their fellow missionaries and followers that the red blossoms of the plant would tell every autumn what routes they had taken in their journeys into the interior of the country. "Where the patches of the red blossom end, you will know, will be the place where we have died," they said. The persecution of Christians became severe and many missionaries were murdered or died of sickness in remote districts. Where they died are supposedly marked with patches of the red blossoms." - PG 191& 192,  JAPAN AND THINGS JAPANESE, MOCK JOYA, KEGAN PAUL  London • New York • Bahrain, First published in 2006 by  Kegan Paul Limited UK: P.O. Box 256, London WClB 3SW, England, Kegan Paul, 2006