Who Is St. Paul Miki? (A Saint Introduction for Kids)
In this Juice Box episode, families meet St. Paul Miki in a kid-friendly way and learn why his courage still matters today, plus you’ll get a fun, hands-on sushi moment to make the saint story stick.
Who Is St. Paul Miki? (A Kid-Friendly Explanation)
St. Paul Miki is a Catholic saint from Japan who loved Jesus very much and wanted other people to know Him too. He was a great speaker and preacher, and he spent his life sharing the Gospel, even when it became dangerous.
At the time, the government in Japan did not want Christians to talk about Jesus. Because Paul Miki would not stop preaching, he was arrested and eventually crucified. This was very sad, but Paul Miki did not give up or grow afraid. Instead, he stayed close to Jesus and even spoke about God’s love while he was on the cross.
For kids, St. Paul Miki’s story shows what real courage looks like. Courage does not mean never being scared. It means choosing to do what is right and loving Jesus, even when it is hard. Paul Miki trusted God with his whole heart, and his bravery helps us remember that following Jesus is worth it, no matter what.
Key Takeaways
St. Paul Miki is a Catholic saint from Japan who loved Jesus and shared the Gospel with others.
He showed great courage by continuing to follow and talk about Jesus, even when it became dangerous.
Paul Miki was crucified because the government did not want Christians preaching, but he stayed faithful to God until the end.
His story teaches kids that courage means choosing what is right, loving Jesus, and trusting God, even when something feels hard or scary.
Episode Summary
This Juice Box episode begins with a fun, silly moment “something smells fishy!” as Dilly jumps into making sushi. Along the way, we learn about the different layers of a sushi roll, from sticky rice and seaweed to fish and colorful vegetables, and follow simple, step-by-step instructions to prepare and roll it with adult help.
While the rice cooks and cools, families meet St. Paul Miki, the saint the recipe is named after. St. Paul Miki lived in Japan and loved to preach the Gospel and tell others about Jesus. When the government tried to stop Christians from sharing their faith, Paul Miki remained brave and faithful, even to the point of being crucified. He trusted God completely and continued to speak about Jesus until the very end.
The episode wraps up by cutting the sushi rolls, tasting the finished food, and connecting the activity back to the saint’s story. Just as making something yummy can be fun and easy, St. Paul Miki’s life reminds kids that loving Jesus sometimes takes courage; and that God helps us be brave in big moments and small ones.
Parents: If you’d like to make this sushi recipe at home, the step-by-step instructions come from the cookbook we’re using in this episode. You can find it here: Word on Fire Kids Cook Book (This is an affiliate link. Purchases help support Juice Box at no extra cost to you.)
Episode Highlights
Transcript
[00:00:05 --> 00:00:09] Oh, that's just the Miki Maki sushi roll that I made.
[00:00:09 --> 00:00:11] My friends at "Word on Fire"
[00:00:11 --> 00:00:14] named this recipe after St. Paul Miki,
[00:00:14 --> 00:00:17] who is from a super cool country, called Japan.
[00:00:17 --> 00:00:20] Have you ever had sushi before? It's so fun to make.
[00:00:20 --> 00:00:22] Put on your chef hat, boil some rice,
[00:00:22 --> 00:00:25] and let's roll into another yummy recipe.
[00:00:25 --> 00:00:28] [Child] JuiceBox. (chuckles)
[00:00:28 --> 00:00:31] Sushi is a really cool Japanese food.
[00:00:31 --> 00:00:33] Look at those yummy layers.
[00:00:33 --> 00:00:34] We've got fish,
[00:00:34 --> 00:00:35] rice,
[00:00:35 --> 00:00:36] vinegar,
[00:00:36 --> 00:00:39] sugar, nice and sweet,
[00:00:39 --> 00:00:42] salt, nice and salty,
[00:00:42 --> 00:00:44] soy sauce, of course,
[00:00:44 --> 00:00:46] and today, I'm adding avocado,
[00:00:46 --> 00:00:47] cucumbers,
[00:00:47 --> 00:00:48] carrots,
[00:00:48 --> 00:00:50] and what is that?
[00:00:50 --> 00:00:52] Seaweed.
[00:00:52 --> 00:00:53] It might look kind of gross
[00:00:53 --> 00:00:55] when you're swimming in the ocean,
[00:00:55 --> 00:00:58] but it tastes great on sushi.
[00:00:58 --> 00:01:00] First thing we need to do is prepare the rice.
[00:01:00 --> 00:01:03] It's best to wash it a few times to get rid of the starch.
[00:01:04 --> 00:01:07] While the rice cooks, let's make a special mixture
[00:01:07 --> 00:01:09] to make the rice nice and sticky.
[00:01:10 --> 00:01:12] Take a bowl and let's pour in our vinegar,
[00:01:14 --> 00:01:16] sugar,
[00:01:16 --> 00:01:18] and salt.
[00:01:18 --> 00:01:19] Stir it all together.
[00:01:20 --> 00:01:22] You want the rice to be sticky
[00:01:22 --> 00:01:24] so that it keeps everything together nice and tight.
[00:01:26 --> 00:01:29] Let's pour our mixture into the rice.
[00:01:29 --> 00:01:30] (gentle music)
[00:01:30 --> 00:01:33] Stir it up. (gentle music)
[00:01:34 --> 00:01:36] That rice is pretty hot.
[00:01:37 --> 00:01:40] Let's let that cool a bit so we don't burn ourselves.
[00:01:41 --> 00:01:43] (gentle music)
[00:01:43 --> 00:01:46] While the rice cools, let's cut up and prepare our filling.
[00:01:48 --> 00:01:50] (gentle music)
[00:01:54 --> 00:01:56] Have an adult help you cut these things up.
[00:01:56 --> 00:02:00] The knives can be sharp. (gentle music)
[00:02:04 --> 00:02:06] Saint Paul Miki was super brave.
[00:02:08 --> 00:02:10] He loved to preach the gospel
[00:02:10 --> 00:02:12] and tell other people about Jesus.
[00:02:14 --> 00:02:16] The government did not like this,
[00:02:16 --> 00:02:18] and guess what they did to St. Paul Miki.
[00:02:19 --> 00:02:22] (gentle music)
[00:02:22 --> 00:02:23] They killed him.
[00:02:23 --> 00:02:27] He was crucified, similar to how Jesus was crucified.
[00:02:27 --> 00:02:29] But that didn't stop him,
[00:02:29 --> 00:02:33] he even preached the gospel while being crucified.
[00:02:33 --> 00:02:36] (gentle music)
[00:02:49 --> 00:02:50] Let's set up our rolling mat.
[00:02:51 --> 00:02:55] This is a special surface we use to roll the sushi up
[00:02:55 --> 00:02:56] so it's in a nice little wheel.
[00:02:57 --> 00:03:00] Let's lay out our seaweed on the mat.
[00:03:00 --> 00:03:01] This is the base of our sushi.
[00:03:02 --> 00:03:06] Grab a small scoop and lay out the rice on the seaweed,
[00:03:06 --> 00:03:09] not too thick, but not too thin.
[00:03:09 --> 00:03:11] (gentle music)
[00:03:12 --> 00:03:15] Now let's lay our filling over the rice.
[00:03:16 --> 00:03:19] First, the fish. (gentle music)
[00:03:19 --> 00:03:21] Usually sushi has a raw fish,
[00:03:21 --> 00:03:23] but today, I'm using a smoked fish.
[00:03:23 --> 00:03:26] I have salmon and rainbow trout.
[00:03:26 --> 00:03:29] I wonder if rainbow trout is actually rainbow?
[00:03:31 --> 00:03:35] I also have carrots, cucumbers, and avocados.
[00:03:35 --> 00:03:38] (gentle music)
[00:03:42 --> 00:03:46] That looks so colorful. (gentle music)
[00:03:51 --> 00:03:53] You could also add some sauce.
[00:03:54 --> 00:03:59] I'm adding a spicy mayo. Yum. (gentle music)
[00:03:59 --> 00:04:01] Now it's for my favorite part.
[00:04:02 --> 00:04:06] Let's roll it up. (gentle music)
[00:04:08 --> 00:04:12] Nice and easy. (gentle music)
[00:04:12 --> 00:04:15] Now let's cut them up and eat them.
[00:04:15 --> 00:04:18] (bright music)
[00:04:18 --> 00:04:20] Have an adult help you very carefully cut the rolls
[00:04:20 --> 00:04:24] into small circles. (bright music)
[00:04:26 --> 00:04:29] Then grab your chopsticks and taste your great work.
[00:04:30 --> 00:04:33] I like mine dipped in soy sauce.
[00:04:33 --> 00:04:35] Hopefully this yummy food will be a reminder
[00:04:35 --> 00:04:37] of St. Paul Miki's bravery,
[00:04:37 --> 00:04:40] and inspire us to love Jesus like him.
[00:04:40 --> 00:04:44] If you want to make this fish-tastic sushi at home,
[00:04:44 --> 00:04:46] have an adult click the link in the description.
[00:04:46 --> 00:04:49] While they're at it, have them subscribe to JuiceBox
[00:04:49 --> 00:04:51] and make sure you don't miss any great recipes
[00:04:51 --> 00:04:53] or fun activities.
[00:04:53 --> 00:04:54] I'll see you next time at JuiceBox. Bye.
[00:04:57 --> 00:04:58] - [Child] JuiceBox.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is St. Paul Miki for kids?
St. Paul Miki is a Catholic saint from Japan who loved Jesus and shared the Gospel with others. He was very brave and stayed faithful to God, even when it became dangerous to be a Christian. His story helps kids understand what courage and trust in God look like.
Why is St. Paul Miki important?
St. Paul Miki is important because he did not give up on Jesus when things got hard. He kept sharing God’s love, even at the end of his life. He reminds us that following Jesus is not just something we do at church, but something we live every day.
How did St. Paul Miki die?
St. Paul Miki was crucified because the government did not want Christians preaching. It is a sad part of his story, but it also shows how strong his faith was. Even while suffering, he stayed close to Jesus and continued to speak about God’s love.
What can kids learn from St. Paul Miki?
Kids can learn to be brave in everyday ways, like telling the truth, being kind when it is not popular, praying, and choosing what is right. St. Paul Miki shows that loving Jesus can take courage, but God is always with us.
How do you explain St. Paul Miki to a child without scaring them?
Keep it simple and focus on the “why.” You can say, “St. Paul Miki loved Jesus very much and was very brave. Some people did not like Christians back then, and he was hurt because of it, but he stayed close to Jesus.” End with hope by reminding kids that saints show us how to love God and trust Him.
If your kids asked a big faith question this week, you’re not alone. Subscribe so you’ve always got a short, safe, Catholic video ready for car rides, bedtime, or Sunday prep.
Free St. Paul Miki (+ Sushi) Activity for Kids
Introduce St. Paul Miki to your child through coloring and fill in the blanks. Also enjoy a fun sushi cross-section and coloring too!
What's Inside:
Sushi cross-section that teaches how sushi is similar to the Church
Fill in the blanks: Who is St. Paul Miki?
St. Paul Miki Coloring Page
Perfect to use while watching the companion Juice Box video
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