September 20 2024 - St. Andrew Kim - Christian in word and deed

 Saint Andrew Kim was the first native-born Korean priest, and he was beheaded for the faith. He, and St. Paul Chong Hasang with their 111 companions were martyred over the course of many years, but were canonized together by Saint John Paul II in 1984. 

The first Christian missionary arrived in Korea in the late 1500s, but for centuries, Catholicism was seen as a threat to Korean customs and traditions. The Korean government opposed the spread of Christianity, and in 1801, 200 Catholics were martyred by the government. 

St. Andrew Kim was from a Korean family who suffered under those persecutions. But inspired by the courageous witness of those martyrs, he became devoted to the Gospel. In 1844 he was ordained a deacon, then a year later, he was ordained as Korea’s first native-born Catholic priest. He traveled throughout Korea and visited various Catholic communities, teaching, mostly at night the faith and celebrating the Sacraments. He was arrested for trying to sneak missionaries into the country, he was tortured over the several months, and then finally killed, at the age of 25. 

Andrew wrote to his fellow Christians the following words: “We have received baptism, entrance into the Church, and the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?”

Andrew Kim understood that being a Christian isn’t simply about identifying with a label or belonging to a community. It is about living a life that reflects the teachings of Christ in everything we do.

He calls us to ask ourselves: Are we truly living out the grace of our baptism? Are we allowing the Gospel to shape our actions, our choices, and our relationships? Being a Christian “in fact” means that our faith is not just something we profess with our lips, but something we embody in our daily lives—especially when it is difficult, unpopular, or even dangerous to do so. 

We may not face the same physical persecution as St. Andrew Kim and his companions, but in a very sense, we owe it to him to take his challenge to heart—striving to be Christians not only in name, but in our witness, our love, and our commitment to living the Gospel fully and courageously for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For all Christians facing persecution for the faith, that their sufferings may bring about the conversion of hardened souls to Christ.

For the members of St. Andrew Kim parish and the good Korean Catholics of our diocese, that they may continue to be a blessing to our local Church.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

September 20 2023 - St. Andrew Kim & Korean Martyrs - Satan's Opposition to Church Growth vs. Courageous Christian Witness

 

Today we celebrate the memorial of the Korean martyrs. The first Catholic missionary arrived in Korea at a time of great strife—during the Japanese invasion of Korea under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1593. But missionary efforts were pretty minimal for about 200 years. And it wasn’t until the late 1700s that a native Korean named Yi Seung-hun studied Chinese translations of Catholic texts and sought out a Jesuit missionary in Beijing for baptism. He returned to Korea with a handful of fellow Catholics and really began to spread the faith. 

In 1801, 300 Catholics were martyred by the government of the Joseon Dynasty chiefly for the our faith’s opposition to ancestral "worship" which the State prescribed as a cornerstone of Korean culture. So our faith, really has it’s origins in Korea, in standing up to the idolatrous state religion. Yi Seung-hun was among those first martyrs.

St. Andrew Kim was from a Korean family who suffered under those persecutions. He became a deacon in 1844, and a year later was ordained as Korea’s first Catholic priest. He returned to Korea and traveled around Catholic communities teaching, mostly at night. He tried to get French missionaries into the country, but was arrested on June 5, 1846, and beheaded on September 16 at the age of 25.

The first Catholic priest of a people, martyred. 

Satan’s opposition to the Catholic Church’s taking root in Korea has been mighty. But the witness, and the courage of the Korean Catholics sustained by the grace of God has been mightier. The number of Catholics in the past 20 years in South Korea has increased by 48.6 percent, and today 11.1% of South Koreans are Catholic. The North Korean Government opposes the growth of Christianity with terrible ferocity. But compare the growth of the Church in South Korea to what is going on here in the United States. Sunday Mass attendance has declined that much in the last 20 years. Nuptial masses has decreased by over 40 percent in 20 years. . 

Today we celebrate not just two, but the hundreds of Korean martyrs who died witnessing to the truth of Jesus Christ. No doubt, they have something to teach us in standing up against Satan in this land, may we allow ourselves to be inspired by their courageous witness and imitate them in their fervor for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Sept 20 2019 - St. Andrew Kim, St Paul Chong Hasang, and companions - Blood of Martyrs, Seed of Christians

St. Andrew Kim, the first native-born Korean priest, risked his life smuggling missionaries into Korea, so that his native countrymen might have the Word of God preached to them. For this he was arrested, tortured and killed.

Andrew Kim was canonized in 1984 by Pope St. John Paul II, along with a very heroic seminarian, Paul Chong Hasang, and 103 other martyrs who died for the faith in Korea. When Seminarian Paul Hasang was captured, he gave a written statement to the judge who would decide his fate defending Catholicism. The judge, after reading it, said, "You are right in what you have written; but the king forbids this religion, it is your duty to renounce it” to which the seminarian replied, "I have told you that I am a Christian, and will be one until my death." For this, he too, was tortured and killed.

St. Andrew Kim Parish in Cleveland is named in honor of this courageous martyr, and is home to many Korean Catholics in our diocese. In fact, the diocese has had a long relationship with the South Korean Archdiocese of Daegu which has sent their seminarians to our seminary to complete their formation. They are ordained here in Cleveland, and serve in our parishes for a number of years before returning home. We, in a very real sense, are beneficiaries of the heroic martyrdom of the saints we celebrate today.

For centuries, Catholicism was seen as a threat to Korean customs and traditions, so Christianity took root in Korea only after much struggle and effort. But when it did begin to take root, those roots were strong.

At their 1984 canonization, Saint John Paul II called Saint Andrew Kim, Saint Paul and their 111 companions “the leaven” that lead to the splendid flowering of the Church in Korea.

How are we called to be “leaven” today—the leaven that will lead to the flowering of the Church in our own land? What will we do today that will lead souls to Christ? What will our Christian witness look like today in our own limited capacity?

The blood of the martyrs is the most powerful leaven in the Church, inspired by the heroic sacrifices of the martyrs, may the Holy Spirit teach us to pour ourselves out in faithful service this day, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For all Christians facing persecution for the faith, that their sufferings may bring about the conversion of hardened souls to Christ.

For the good Korean Catholics of our diocese, that they may continue to be a blessing to our local Church.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests, deacons and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.