Korean layman who kept the faith in the persecution of 1839 and was martyred on May 20, 1839.
Life
Protasius Chong Kuk-bo, born in 1799, was a layman who made his living as a craftsman. Arrested in the persecution of 1839, he could not bear the torture and for a time denied his faith and was released.
Back at home, however, he was filled with deep remorse. He went back to the authorities on his own and declared that he was a Catholic, and he was punished again. This time he held firm to the end, and he died in prison from his wounds on May 20, 1839.
Spirituality
The spirituality of Protasius Chong Kuk-bo is repentance and rising again. He fell, but he did not stay down. Trusting in God's mercy, he found the courage to move past his shame and return to the Lord. His life shows that weakness is not the end of the story.
Reflection
Protasius Chong Kuk-bo is a saint who came back to the Lord after falling. Is there a failure in my life that I would rather keep hidden? This week, could I entrust myself again to God's mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation?