+ We celebrate today the feast of two major Korean saints and 103
of their companions who were put to death
in the persecutions against the faith in Korea in the 19th century.
Andrew Kim was born of Korean
nobility; his parents were converts and his father himself a martyr.
Andrew was baptized at age 15, and then travelled 1300 miles to the
nearest seminary in Macao, China. He became the first native-born Korean
priest, and the first priest to die for the faith in Korea. He was the
leader of the “Martyrs of Korea,” 103 of his fellow countrymen who embraced the
fullness of the faith even to the point of martyrdom.
Paul Hasang was the son also of a
martyr in the attack that killed all of the
clergy in the country. Though a layman he reunited the
scattered Christians and encouraged them to keep and live their faith. He wrote
to the Korean government explaining why the Church was no threat to them. He
crossed into China nine times, working as a servant to the Korean diplomatic
corps. There he worked to get the bishop of Beijing to send more priests to
Korea. He pleaded directly to Rome for help, and on 9 September 1831, Pope Gregory
X proclaimed the validity of the Korean Catholic diocese.
When the clergy began to return, Paul entered the seminary,
however he died in the persecution of 1839 before he could be ordained. Paul
Hasang is truly one of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea. Both
he and Andrew Kim were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
In today’s first reading we read what might have kept these
fine Korean martyrs true to the faith: St. Paul tells the Romans – and all
believers – if God is for us, who can be against us? In all things (because
he is truly with us) we conquer overwhelmingly…because nothing
at all – not even persecution and death – can separate us from the love
of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are always safe there, we are always
protected there, we are always strengthened there.
And the gospel passage, once again tells us that losing
life – especially in martyrdom – is the sure way to find it forever.
Spending our lives for others – even at the cost of our own physical
existence – will help to ensure not only our own eternal survival, but
the eternal survival and joy of the ones we help to get there with us by
our sacrifices.
St. Andrew Kim, and Paul Hasang and all you legitimate
Korean Martyrs pray for this globally catastrophic situation – and help to
bring it to a peaceful conclusion.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ,
blessed are you, for the Spirit of
God rests upon you
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