24th Friday in ordinary time, Feast of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, Priest and Paul Chong Ha-sang and companions, Martyrs, September 20, 2024
1 Cor 15:12-20; Ps 17:1abcd, 6-8, 15; Lk 8:1-3
It is tough being a Christian today but was even tougher during the early 1800s. It doesn’t sound like it was much fun. In fact, the more I read about the Saints, the more horrifying it becomes. Saints Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang and companions, whose feast day we celebrate today, were some of the many Martyrs of Korea in the 1800s.
Saint Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, a priest, was the first native priest in Korea. When he returned to Korea after becoming a priest in 1845, he was instantly arrested and was martyred a year later. The persecutions from 1839 through 1867 claimed the lives of over 100 of the faithful; many of whom were priests and religious. However, that did not stop the faithful from growing the faith. They fled to the mountains and continued to practice, growing in numbers.
Saint Paul, in the first reading, reminds us that unless Christ died, and rose again, our faith would be nothing. It is through Christ’s Resurrection that our faith remains strong, and the truth is born. These Korean martyrs knew that and believed that through Christ’s Resurrection, they, too, would have salvation.
We may think life is tough now, but looking back at the early Christians, our life is a cakewalk compared to theirs. Nevertheless, Jesus still provides for us over 2,000 years later. As long as we believe in the truth, the truth that He died for us and was raised from the dead, our faith will remain strong. As Jesus said, we do not belong to this world, any more than Jesus does.
Our world is the heavenly kingdom that is waiting for us. Thank you, Lord, for those who have gone before us to lay down their lives for the truth so we can live. Especially, Saints Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang and their Companions, please pray for us!
Saint James Catholic Church 