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Letter of St. Thomas to His Mother
With the help of the Lord's grace I am writing these lines. The priests and the others who are journeying to be crucified in Nagasaki number in all twenty four, as testified in the sentence that is carried on a board ahead of us. You should not worry about me and my father Michael. I hope to see you both very soon, there in paradise. Although you need the priests, if you are deeply sorry for your sins and have much devotion at the hour of your death, and if you remember and acknowledge the many blessings of Jesus Christ, then you will be saved. And bear in mind that everyone in this world has to come to an end, and so strive so that you will not lose the happiness of heaven. Whatever men may impose on you, try to have patience and show much charity for everyone. It is really necessary that my two brothers, Mancius and Philip, do not fall into the hands of heathens. I commend you to Our Lord, and I send you prayers for everybody we know. Remember to have great sorrow for your sins, for this alone is important. Although he sinned against God, Adam was saved by his sorrow and penance. The 2nd day of the Twelfth Moon, in Mihara fortress, in the kingdom of Aki.
The letter of Thomas as it is recorded in the original of Luis Frois. (Jap-Sin 53, 61-61v)
Translated by Fr. Yuki Ryogo,sj, from the original document of Luis Frois (written in 1597) in Spanish. In the text the number is 24, but as the document tells us, when they arrived to Nagasaki the 2 people who accompanied them, St.Peter Sukejiro and St.Francis (Kichi) were added to the group.
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