g asked him to
worship the sun. St. Shumon replied: "If I refuse to worship the king
how can you expect me to worship the sun, a creature without life."
Being unable to make him worship the sun the king put him in jail for
the night. Next morning the patriarch was taken before the king again.
On his way he met a steward of the king who was a Christian but had
been worshiping the sun to please the king. St. Shumon rebuked the
steward for being faithless. The steward was touched by this rebuke
and, going before the king, confessed that he was a Christian and must
therefore be beheaded. But he requested that a herald be sent through
the streets to proclaim that he had been a faithful subject to his
ruler, and that he must die because he was a Christian. This was
granted.

In company with one hundred bishops and priests St. Shumon was brought
before the king. Again he was told that he could save the life of
himself and his people by worshiping the sun. St. Shumon replied, "We
have one God and Jesus Christ our Savior as the object of our worship.
Our Lord teaches us to be faithful to kings and to pray for them, but
we are forbidden to worship any creature." Then the king commanded that
all of them be beheaded next day. The night in a dungeon was spent in
prayer and song and words of advice from St. Shumon in love and tears
of sorrow. The patriarch consoled his followers by referring to the
fact that St. Paul and apostles spent many nights in prison. He said,
"The prison is heaven because the presence of our Lord is with us. This
is our last night on earth; to-morrow we will be crowned." Taking the
New Testament in his hand he preached to his condemned disciples of the
suffering and death of Christ and then administered the Lord's supper.
At the close of his prayer he thanked Christ that they were worthy to
be His martyrs, and further prayed, "Watch with me, O Lord, help our
infirmity, The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Thanks be to
God that we are to become martyrs on the same day of the week as did
Christ." In the morning he, with his 100 followers stood before the
king. The bishops were first beheaded, and St. Shumon spoke to each one
as follows: "My son, close your eyes, and after one minute you will be
with Christ." St. Shumon had asked to be beheaded first that he might
not see the death of his beloved followers, but he was not heard. At
last came his turn with two chief bishops. When he alone was left he
san