Martyred for the faith at Daegu in the Eulhae persecution, 1815 (lunar-calendar record). Beatified by Pope Francis on August 16, 2014.
Life
Francis Choe Bong-han was a layman who kept the faith in Gyeongsang Province. During the Eulhae Persecution of 1815 many believers in the region were arrested, and he too was seized and taken to Daegu.
He did not abandon his faith despite the pain of interrogation and punishment in the Daegu prison, and he was martyred at Daegu around the fifth lunar month of 1815. He was beatified by Pope Francis on August 16, 2014.
Spirituality
Francis Choe Bong-han's spirituality is a trust that does not let go of God even in suffering. In the darkness of prison, he entrusted himself not to human help but to God's mercy. His faith was the conviction that even when everything is lost, God alone never leaves us.
Reflection
Francis Choe Bong-han trusted God even in the darkness of prison. Where is the darkest part of my life right now? Let us offer a short prayer asking for the Lord's light there.