The Day of Judgment

"The day of judgment is coming, blazing like a furnace, when all the arrogant and the evildoers will be stubble." Malachi 3:20 or 4:1

I do not think about hell much, but today there is this verse in the readings about the day of judgment and burning. Most people want to believe that a loving God, a compassionate God would not put even the most horrible people in a blazing furnace for eternity. The best future I imagine is for these hopelessly wicked people to burn up and disappear like straw. 

The Book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament, and after the prophet Malachi, God did not speak to the Jews for 400 years. But Malachi's prophecy ends with the promise for those who fear God's name. "The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings, and you will go free, leaping with joy." The Jews always needed the prophets to remind them to turn away from their evil ways, and obey God. Over and over again, the Israelites saw that God kept His promises and what the prophets said came to pass. 

As adopted sons and daughters of God, we too need to take His words seriously. We need to read and study the book He left us so we can understand it. If we do our best to obey, God will do the rest. As a matter of fact, He already did it when He carried our sins on the cross. We can be confident that He who has started the good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6). If we do that, I have no doubt we will be able to enter our Father's house, and not be thrown into the holocaust!!! 

WOYWW: Angry Jonah

Here are some of the cloth collages I've been pinning to sew into purses. Most of the scraps are from my mom's old dresses that have holes and can't be worn anymore. 

"Have you reason to be angry?" 

Jonah 4:4

Jonah is a comic book character to me, but Jesus believes in him and mentions him in Matthew 12:39. Jesus pointed out, probably in exasperation, "No sign shall be given this perverse generation but the sign of Jonah the prophet." Jesus could have said the 'very reluctant prophet'! When I read Jonah's story, I am incredulous. How could Jonah disobey God's clear command to go and preach to the wicked Ninevites, to tell them to repent? The story of Jonah is the story of God's training Jonah to obey, but it also shows God's heart. Even if the people of Nineveh were evil sinful people, God wanted to give them a chance to repent. In contrast, here was Jonah who was so angry with God. "I know You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, loathe to punish. I went around Nineveh proclaiming their destruction, and what did You do? You relented because they repented!!!!" 

God answered him: "Have you good reason to be angry?  Don't you have compassion on the plant that gives you shade? Why should I not have compassion for Nineveh's 120,000 people who do not know right from wrong?" 

We can definitely count on God's compassion. He showed us that we are precious to Him, engraved on the palm of His hand, by sending Jesus to give His life for us. But if we are disobedient, recalcitrant, reluctant to follow Him, we can also count on Him to discipline us, to prune us, to teach us His ways. Let us delight in a God who doesn't abandon us, never gives up on us, and always gives us second and third chances. 

One Thing

"One thing only is required." 

Luke 10:42

I am more of a Martha than a Mary in a way. Although I am seldom busy in matters of the household, I am never idle unless I am sick. These days I am pinning cloth for a livelihood project, preparing items for an auction for a friend, and wrapping Christmas gifts. When Martha complained to Jesus about her sister Mary, He kindly reminded her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; only one thing is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it." 

If we ask people, they would say they pray usually at the end of the day, after they've done all their work, usually when they are tired and sleepy. And Scripture, maybe once or twice a week? Once a month? But Jesus in his reminder to Martha tells us in no uncertain terms, that listening to Him is SO important. Sitting at His feet and getting to know Him and His words will produce more results than any labor we do. 

We can get so disheartened about life sometimes, maybe our work, or relationships gone bad, sickness, finances, what's happening in our country... But what can get us through any seemingly hopeless situation is not racking our brains for a solution, but prayer and reading the Word of God. I heard about this experiment with rats put in water. Some rats were in a dark room and they drowned right away. Others were in a lighted room and they kept swimming for about 72 hours more than the rats in a dark room. The difference? Hope.

Hope is not tangible. We cannot buy it anywhere. Same with peace. Same with joy. But we cannot live a blessed life without these gifts from God. Indeed to be surrounded by His favor, we need only one thing. 

Resting in Thee

"Have no anxiety at all, 

but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God, then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding 

will guard your hearts 

and minds in Christ Jesus." 

Philippians 4:6-7

This is one of my favorite Bible verses, 

and the following passage from St. Augustine's Confessions, seems to be its partner: "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee."

I remember when I had no peace at all, 

little things made me cry, and it seemed as if everything I had done in my life was worthless. I would argue with everyone and fought with my poor mother who could not understand 

what was happening. It was in such a contrast to my usual state of mind 

 where I was content, thankful for everything, and rarely in contention with anyone. My mother called it my MIDNIGHT CRISIS, and so it was! 

I found out eventually there was something wrong with my thyroids that caused all the havoc with my emotions and physical well being. 

Through it all, and it lasted for more than a year, I held on to Philippians 4:6-7. I would confess it, pray it, claim it, repeat it, and I knew that one day, 'this too shall pass'. And thank God, it did!

Peace is not the absence of 

problems, conflict, storms, anger...

It is the surety we belong to Someone 

who loves us and wants the best for us. It is the confidence that everything 

will turn out right, even in spite of ourselves. 

Thank You Lord that even in a world full of tension, strife, and confusion, You are the gatekeeper, and we can enter into Your peace!

http://patsypat.blogspot.com

Awesome!

"Rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven." Luke 10:20

Imagine that we were one of the seventy-two disciples of Jesus sent out in the 10th chapter of Luke. Jesus chose us from among His followers and sent us off ahead in pairs to all the towns and villages He planned to visit. We were the advance party. He prepared us by saying, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Go now, and remember I am sending you as lambs among wolves....Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting Me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting Me. And anyone who rejects Me is rejecting the God who sent Me." 

Anyone who has gone out on a mission of random evangelization would know exactly what these disciples felt! But this is exactly what Jesus sends us out to do even today. We should have the mindset that wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we should plant seeds for the Kingdom, and expect the God of the harvest to take care of the seeds we plant randomly on our pilgrim journey. 

When the seventy-two returned, they were so excited! "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name!" I am sure they had so many stories of their adventures, they were competing to tell Jesus of the miracles! 

I can imagine Jesus smiling just as He smiles when we do His will. But I think He was also saying, "Calm down, calm down! Don't rejoice just because evil spirits obey you, or miracles happen, lives are changed. Rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of heaven!"

Wow! Isn't that the most important thing? When we obey God and do what He wants us to do, we not only become brothers and sisters of Jesus, our names are inscribed in heaven as well! Awesome!

Save Us!

"O Lord, how long? Will You be angry forever?" Psalm 79:5

When I wake up in the morning, I usually ask Lucy, our helper, for the news. She listens to the radio while working and usually knows before all of us what's happening in our country, and in the world around us. I said, "I hope there's no massacre," and she answered me that there were people killed again last night in this horrific war the President is waging against drugs. 

I can't help thinking God is angry with our sins the same way He was furious with the disobedience of the Jews. We can read in Romans 13:1 that there is no authority except that which God establishes. I cannot help but compare our situation to the time Israel insisted on a king. 

Here is what happened at that time in 1 Samuel 8:6-9:

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” Then Samuel enumerated how harshly the king they wanted would treat them (1 Samuel 8:10-18), and yet the people still insisted on having a king. 

When our nation voted President Duterte into office, it was tantamount to rejecting God, the same way the Jews rejected Him. President Duterte clearly enumerated what he would do, that Manila Bay would turn red from the people he would have killed. Whenever he spoke, he spoke of death and curses and one could see his heart, and yet, 16 million chose him to lead us. 

Lord have mercy on us. We confess our many sins and weaknesses. We have done evil in Your sight, O Lord. Please do not be angry with us forever but save us. 

On the left are some unfinished purses. On the right are the finished ones. These are all scrap cloth and lace from old clothes and pillows and tablecloths. I usually bring something to sew when I know I'll have a long wait or I may get sleepy at an evening meeting! 

"Ezra read out of the book from daybreak till midday." Nehemiah 8:3

After the walls and gates of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Jewish exiles returned to the city and the people had settled in their towns. On October 8, 445 B.C., all the people assembled together at the square inside the Water Gate. Then Ezra the priest brought out the scroll of the law and read aloud to the men, women and children gathered there. The people paid close attention, and then after Ezra read from early morning till noon, they lifted their hands and worshipped the Lord. After that, it was the turn of the Levites, the other priests, to explain what was read so the people would understand. 

The people started weeping for they realized their sin before God, but Nehemiah and the Levites instructed them, "Don't weep on such a day as this! This is a sacred day. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Go and celebrate!" 

The Word of God, as it says in Hebrews 4:12, is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife. It can cut deep into our innermost thoughts, and exposes us for what we really are. If we spend time reading it and deliberately trying to understand it as the people in the square did, we will realize how poor and wretched we are before our God. But God does not want us to remain in our wretched state. He wants to pick us up from the mud, and give us new life in Him. That is truly something to rejoice about! 

WOYWW: If My People

This is another envelope of goodies I prepared 

for a mail swap I joined for this month.

I put in a postcard I painted, and lots of scraps and stash 

from my box I play around with for my planner and collages.

"Why do you look sad?" Nehemiah 2:2

There are many evil kings in the Bible, but King Artaxerxes I of Persia was quite benevolent. He noticed that Nehemiah, his governor, looked sad and the King asked him what was the matter. Nehemiah then told him that Jerusalem was in ruins and the gates have been burned down.

Nehemiah found this out when his brother Hanani visited him. When he heard that his people in the city were in great trouble and disgrace, Nehemiah wept and prayed. "O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for Your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against You. We have sinned terribly by not obeying Your laws."

Nehemiah then asked the King if he could take time off to rebuild the city. The whole book of Nehemiah then recounts how Nehemiah travelled to Jerusalem and organized the people to help rebuild the walls and the gates in spite of opposition from enemies. 

After the work was done, Ezra the priest read from the Book of the Law, the people fasted, confessed their sins, and promised to obey God. The book of Nehemiah can be a manual of what to do when our nation is in ruins and in disgrace. We may think that rallying and making noise is the answer but as usual God's ways are different from ours. First we have to pray, fast and confess our sins as a nation. We have to read God's laws and obey. We have to find walls to rebuild and make strong. It may be volunteering to teach poor children good values in Right Start or He Cares, helping to build homes in Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity, or getting to know our neighbors more.

"If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Blessings!

Patsy  

"Burn them up!!!"

"Lord, should we order down fire from heaven to burn them up?" Luke 9:54

Wasn't this presumptuous of James and John that they could actually order a holocaust to destroy the Samaritan village which ignored Jesus? Jesus rebuked them for their audacity. 

I wonder how many times we wished we could call down fire from heaven to destroy people who have insulted us, made us angry, or on a bigger scale, are unfit to hold public office? But what did Jesus do? He reprimanded them and set off for another town. How many of us, if we had absolute power would be able to walk away from using it against our enemies and detractors? We read of dictators and despots who actually get mad from the "hubris syndrome" of power. 

In Deuteronomy 28, we find many curses against those who do not obey God and insist on doing things their own way: madness, defeat, failure, confusion. "You will become a thing of horror to all." (verse 27) 

Humility, kindness, gentleness. We lose these if we are not careful. The day PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi received news that she was appointed to the company's board, she arrived home bursting with the 'huge' news. Her mother asked her whether, she could go out and buy some milk before she told her "great news". Fuming, Nooyi got the milk, and when she returned, her mother reminded her, "Leave your crown out in the garage." 

We do need an imaginary crown to remind us of how loved we are, how unique and precious we are to God. We are His sons and daughters, and that is why we need to learn how to be like His only begotten Son, who puts others first, who was an obedient servant first and foremost. 

http://patsypat.blogspot.con

Springs of Joy

"All my springs of joy are in you." 

Psalm 87:7

In the Amplified Bible we find, "All my springs, my sources of life and joy, are in you, city of our God." Psalm 87 is about how God loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel, more than any other city in the world! But then in the following verses the psalmist claims that people of all nations will become citizens of Jerusalem. God will personally bless the city and when He registers the nations, He will include our names as born in Jerusalem! 

What can that possibly mean? "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people." (1 Peter 2:10) When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, "born again, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23), we become a "chosen race, a holy nation, a people for God's possession" (1 Peter 2:9). 

Indeed, pondering the Word of God can bring us such joy, it is like finding an everlasting spring within our hearts! Thank You that You not only call us by name, but You also call us to be a part of Your chosen people. 

Listen to Him

I'm joining a mail swap and here's what I've got in the package so far. 

So happy that my son Josh has discovered the joy of drawing! 

"Pay close attention to what I tell you..." Luke 9:44

I wonder how many times Jesus told the disciples to pay close attention to His words? Even God the Father told them, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" when they were up on the mountain of Transfiguration. When we pray, do we keep talking and talking? Or do we take the time to listen? If we regularly stay silent for a time and try to hear the Lord, we will eventually recognize His voice. That is His promise in John 10:27. Jesus said that His sheep hear Him. "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. They shall never perish." 

If we meet a new friend, and she calls us up, we may not recognize her voice right away. But if we talk often, we hear her voice all the time, then we will know who she is even if she does not give her name. The key is we have to take the time to listen. James Dobson, the Christian author, prays, "Lord, I need to know what You want me to do and I'm listening. Please speak to me through my friends, books, magazines, and circumstances." 

Most of the time, when I listen for God to speak, I do not hear anything. But there are many times He speaks to me as long as I tell Him I want to hear Him. He has spoken to me through the Bible, through the radio, when I am before the Blessed Sacrament, when I am at the beach, when I am in a garden, when I am alone or in a crowd. He has encouraged me, assured me of His love, admonished me, saved me from mistakes, and given me peace and joy beyond understanding. There is no downside to listening to God. Even when He shows me my sin, there is no condemnation. 

Dear dear Jesus, may I always take the time to be silent and try to listen to You. I so want to be Your sheep, to be part of Your flock, and learn all You want to teach me. 

Jesus in My Heart

"Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?" 

Haggai 1:3

The prophet Haggai was sent by God to encourage the Jews to finish the rebuilding of the Temple. "Consider your ways! He who earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it!" What a vivid metaphor Haggai uses! Those of us who are busy earning money for ourselves are putting our earnings in a bag with holes in it. We cannot keep it for ourselves. 

That's why in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus  teaches: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Haggai was speaking about a physical Temple. But today, Jesus wants us not only to build His Kingdom, but He also wants us to take care of our hearts so He can be more and more at home in it (Ephesians 3:17). It is unimaginable, but we are His house. We who believe in Him are His holy Temple (Ephesians 2:20-21)! Is Jesus comfortable in our hearts? Or is He dismayed that His Temple is dirty, and in ruins? 

Lord, may You find Your home in my heart. 

Take Nothing With You

I am gathering bits and pieces of lace to make another journal. The light blue and white piece  on the right was one of my favorite blouses. A René Derhy. I bought it when I was still single, and now it has a lot of holes. 

"Take nothing for the journey..." 

Luke 9:3

My family knows that when I travel I make such a fuss about packing. The earlier I start packing, the more I bring. If I am going to a cold place, I think twice, thrice, four times about how many jackets, sweaters, blankets, thermal underwear to bring. I always pack so much, because I bring art materials, or a sewing kit, or both. But I'm not the only one who brings odd stuff on a journey. My brother once brought out some cheese and a cheese grater when we went to Coron. 

When Jesus sent the disciples on a mission to proclaim the good news, He told them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking staff nor traveling bag; no bread, no money. No one is to have two coats." The disciples couldn't depend on anything but what they learned from listening to Jesus, and asking Him questions. Obviously, Jesus thought they were ready or He would not have sent them out to be laughed at or ridiculed. They passed the test because verse 6 says they set out from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases. 

We should try Jesus' way sometimes. I don't really mean going off without anything at all, but without the baggage of needing to wait for the right time to talk to others about faith and how God is just waiting for us to approach Him. Wherever we go, there are so many hurting people in the world, needing to hear about our Savior who cares, and who loves us enough to die for us. 

Opened Wide!

Sometimes there are just too many projects I want to do! I am making postcards for a swap, and still making fabric collages for purses. 

I also need to work in my planner! Where do I find the time to play with all my paints, needles and threads, washi tapes, stickers, etc.? 

"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." Luke 8:21

When I was young, I liked pretending I was a princess, or daughter of some important person. I would imagine where I lived, what I wore, what I did. Sometimes my sisters and I would play make believe and choose what actress we wanted to be. I chose Debbie Reynolds and one of my sisters chose to be the more radical Jane Fonda. My other sister wanted to be the lady who advertised Sunsilk shampoo. Isn't that absolutely hilarious?

We can't choose our families, can we? But sometimes, especially when we are mad, we wish we could! In a very real sense we CAN be part of a royal family. Jesus tells us how in Luke 8:21. If we want to be REAL princesses and princes, sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we need to HEAR God's word and ACT upon it. 

Imagine, the gates of the Kingdom of heaven are open to us! I definitely want to walk in! No matter how much of our creativity we use, we will never be able to imagine the treasures, the glory, the magnificence of the Kingdom we are invited to be a part of! Jesus' arms, the Father's arms are open wide for us! Lord, thank You!!!! 

You are My Light

"No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket..." Luke 8:16. 

If we think of absurdities, this can be one of them, lighting a lamp and then hiding it away. Another would be buying a car and pushing it to work! 

Jesus talks of putting a lamp out in the open, where it can be seen. He says this after telling the parable of the sower, where He explains the seed is God's message. 

Clearly Jesus is telling us that we can't keep the Word of God for ourselves. Psalm 119:105 says that God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Others need a light for their path too. David sings in 2 Samuel 22:29 that, "O Lord, You are my light, You light up my darkness." Shouldn't we be like David and not be ashamed to proclaim the goodness God does for us? Indeed, we should look for every opportunity to display the "light of the world" so that more and more people will find their way out of darkness. 

What Meaning is there in My Life?

"I long to be freed from this life..." Philippians 1:23

Yesterday morning my husband and I attended a fundraising for RightStart, a foundation that seeks to provide poor children a creative space where they can reach their full potential. We were surprised because Hayden Kho and Vicki Belo-Kho were there. Apparently they were the proponents behind the event as part of their wedding celebration. 

Hayden Kho gave a testimony and told us that he had reached such a desperate point in his life that he tried to kill himself twice. He had been struggling with drugs for 7 years, and his friends abandoned him after a scandal. He confessed in a public Christian event where renowned apologist Ravi Zacharias spoke, "I am living with pain, shame and guilt, what meaning can I find in life?” Hayden then left his former life, travelled with Zacharias on his speaking engagements around the world in search for that meaning. 

The complete verse above reads, "I long to be freed from this life and to be with Christ, for that is the far better thing." Lord, I thank You that we do not need to hit rock bottom to know we can only find meaning in a life lived in You! 

Scatter it Far and Wide!

"The seed is the Word of God." Luke 8:11

I am wondering how many times I've read or heard Jesus' parable of the sower sowing his seed far and wide. It seems he does not care if the seeds fall on a footpath, on rocky soil, thorns, or on good soil. Shouldn't he take care where to throw the seed so it will grow well?

Most of the time I am like a sower who does not sow my seed until I find the right soil to sow it in. The problem is I really cannot tell. I cannot see inside a person's heart to find out if he is ready to receive the message that God loves him and has a wonderful plan and purpose for his life. I guess we just have to risk rejection if we want to follow Jesus' command to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone!" 

When my husband was young, he was part of Christ's Youth in Action and they had this exercise called random evangelization. One time a group of them were instructed to go around Luneta Park in pairs and just find someone to talk to about Jesus. My husband and the guy he was with walked around the park a long time trying to discern who to talk to. They were hesitant to approach just anybody until the time given them was almost up so they went near this guy who was just waking up. They started talking to him. Amazingly, they found out that this man was contemplating committing suicide! Because my husband and his friend talked to him, he believed that God was watching him and he was able to carry on with his life and his problems. Years later, my husband saw this man's picture in a newspaper with a short article about his success with his job. 

Lord, may I obey You and be like the sower who sows his seed everywhere he goes. There is a lot of seed! We need never worry about the supply! You will take care of the soil, and the sun and the rain! 

Good Fight of Faith

"Fight the good fight of faith." 

1 Timothy 6:12

When I think of faith, I don't really think of fighting. But then I remember the verse about putting on the armor of God: "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:13-17)

It is obvious that Saint Paul cautions us it is not easy to live in faith. We cannot just relax and be complacent. We cannot be at peace with everybody (Luke 12:51). Like Jesus, we have to make a firm stand. Everyone knew where Jesus stood. He made His moral code clear. Where there is evil, where there is injustice, where there is corruption, where there is perfidy, we have to fight the good fight of faith with God's people at our side. 

Sinner to Saint

"What reason can the teacher have for eating with tax collectors and those who disregard the law?" Matthew 9:11

If Jesus was around today, where would we find him? He would probably be consorting with drug addicts, thieves, prostitutes and other sinners. We certainly would not find him with the self-righteous and those filled with condemnation with these "low life". Jesus can see our hearts, what fills our minds. He knows us better than we know ourselves. 

When He saw Matthew seated at his table in the tax collectors' office, Jesus saw not only the corrupt and hopeless sinner, but He saw the man Matthew could be. He did not only see this despicable man who collaborated with the Roman occupying force, but more, He knew Matthew would become His obedient follower, the one who would live and die for Him. Today we celebrate Saint Matthew's feast day. 

We can trust that Jesus does the same for us. He sees our potential, the saints we can become. He says the same to each of us, "Follow me." Lord, may I respond like Saint Matthew, so You can work in my life to bring out the best in me. 

WOYWW: Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gôn

I'm painting backgrounds for a mail swap I joined. So far, this is what it looks like. Just a mess of my favorite colors. 

"It is for Him that I die." 

Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gôn

Today, September 20, is the feast day of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the patron saint of Korea, and the first Catholic priest in Korea. His parents were Catholic and Andrew Kim was baptized at age 15. In 1839, he came to the Philippines to study in Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan. There is a shrine there today dedicated to him run by Korean nuns. When he was ordained a priest in 1844, the Catholic Koreans were so happy because they could hear mass every day and receive the Sacraments. But King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty outlawed Christianity and persecuted the Christians. Andrew Kim's father was martyred along with thousands of Christians who refused to give up their faith. 

A little more than a year after Andrew Kim became a priest, he too was martyred. At the young age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near Seoul on the Han River along with many others. His last words were recorded to be: "This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively...It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is just beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him." Today there are about 14 million Christians in Korea and the Church there is one of the fastest growing in the world.