Today’s Readings:
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Psalm 17:1,6-8,15
Luke 8:1-3
Bring your sweat, tears and blood to God. They are the symbols of your work, your daily trials and your life. As we celebrate the Korean Martyrs today, Andrew Kim-Taegon, Paul Hassang and over 10,000 people who were martyred in a stretch of a hundred years in Korea, we see that it is not just the work of ‘fada’ to start a church.
The Church in Korea started with lay people. They had discovered the Christian faith in their brief travels outside of Korea and they brought the faith to their people and continued to sow the seed and water it for over a hundred years, until the first (French) missionary set foot on their land. The advent of the missionaries was greeted with hostility and many more Korean Christians were beheaded, starved, tortured and cruelly killed. This did not affect the spread of the faith. In fact, it made it grow all the more.
At their canonization on May 6th, 1984, Pope Saint John Paul II said:
“The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by laypeople. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these many martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today’s splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians of the Church of Silence in the north of this tragically divided land.”
The Church in Korea flourished because:
Of their faith in the Resurrection of which Christ is the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20).
They each saw themselves as co-workers with Christ, contributing their little quota to the spread of Christ. Everyone (men, women and children) was involved.
In the Gospel, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susana were mentioned by name as collaborators with Christ in his preaching mission. They preached not by speaking but by providing their material resources and resourcefulness. Your work, sacrifices and life can be witnesses to people about your faith and lead others to God if you consciously live each day in union with Christ and offer up even the most mundane activities to God as a living sacrifice. How will you make Christ known and loved by your activities today? What will you do today to make Christ known and loved?
JUDE-MARY OWOH
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness, in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart and lead me in Your path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! Prayerfully look for a living church and meet the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
Prayer:
Lord, I offer my life as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, may I never lead anyone astray today.
Lord, I offer my work as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my relationships as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my marriage as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my ill-health as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my schooling as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my child-bearing and parenting as a sacrifice to You today.
Lord, I offer my past, present and future as a sacrifice to You today. Amen.
May Christ be known and loved through my actions.
May God be glorified in me and may His blessings and favour shower down on me in Jesus' name. Amen
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