Blood Of The Martyrs Are Seeds Of Faith
2021년 9월 19일Blood Of The Martyrs Are Seeds Of Faith
<Feast of The Korean Martyrs>
The Catholic Church in Korea has the distinction of being the only church not founded by foreign missionaries. Rather, the faith came to Korea through Korean lay people in trade delegations to China. They learned the prayers, hymns and teachings by heart, then brought these back to the homeland to share with their family and neighbors. In short order, many received Baptism into the Catholic Church. They took the Ten Commandments seriously, especially the first commandment: “Thou shalt not have any other gods before me.” You see, Korea being a Confucian country, praying for one’s dead parents was expected of all children. But in the ceremony for the dead (제사) the souls of the deceased were worshipped as gods (신). When Catholic Koreans refused to perform 제사, the king saw this as undermining the entire Confucian system. It was considered treason and a threat to civil harmony. At one point, so many beheaded bodies were thrown into the Han River, the water ran red with blood.
Fast forward 240 years and 103 of those who died for the faith have been canonized as Catholic saints, whose feast is tomorrow, September 20, but whom we honor today. Some Koreans rightly take pride in being descendants of the Korean martyrs. Did you know our own beloved Fr. Thomas Cheong, who founded our parish, was a descendant of St Paul Cheong Ha-Sang? What’s more remarkable, Korean Catholics once again perform 제사. They do this because they now understand 신 to mean, not gods, but spirits or souls. Also, in the Korean translation of the the liturgy, the Mass is referred to as 제사! As we honor the sacrifice and memory of the Korean martyrs, we should also reflect on our own lives. How do we witness to the faith? Do we make the sign of the cross in a public restaurant? Do we defend our church when others attack or mock it? Remember you are the spiritual descendants of the Korean martyrs! They offered their lives rather than betray their faith. We can at least risk our popularity or reputation.