This coming Wednesday May 6th will be the 25th anniversary of the canonization of the 103 Korean Martyrs. They were raised to sainthood on the Church's 200 anniversary of its introduction to Korea. John Paul the II had a Mass in 1984 for the canonization ,which was the first time we had such a ceremony outside of Rome.
In declaring someone to be a Saint it is always for our benefit and not for those who are being declared Saints. We are the ones who are to profit from their example of obedience to the will of God ,conquering all worldly desires that would be militating against that will. It is not something easily done and for us an example of the correct priorities that we should have in life. There are 124 more who are being proposed for sainthood by the KoreanChurch and the research is still going on for these.
The editorial in the Catholic Papers had some misgivings in the way the church here in Korea has taken to the 103 that have been elevated to sainthood. The opinion was expressed that the interest is not very great. The example they have shown in their lives is mostly absent from our lives. The speed of our secularization is making this harder all the time. The ability to appreciate what martyrdom means seems to get weaker with the passage of time. The editorial mentioned individualism, relativism, the worship of money, and economic nationalism. These are making it difficult for us to take what the martyrs have taught us and make it a part of our life.
