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29-05-2006, 10:59 AM
June 7
Saint Joseph TRẦN VĂN TUẤN
Farmer
(1824-1862)
* The Sign of Trust
Optimism in the face of challenges is what God has always wanted from every Christian. We can call this optimism the virtue of Trust which is rooted in God’s strength and the belief of a brighter future. If we have faith in Christ who had triumphed over evil, we can see that nothing can shake the work He left in this world. And to greater challenges such as martyrdom and tortures which could be avoided with just a blasphemous act, a Christian’s optimistic fortitude is a demonstration of Trust, as exemplified by Saint Joseph Tuấn.
After a year and a half of misery in prison, the mandarins only requested the witness to walk over the cross to be free. But God’s servant disobeyed the mandarins, and reverently kneeled in front of the cross, raised his head toward heaven and loudly prayed:
“Oh God, I am thankful wholeheartedly for your infinite love and endless compassion. You are the strength I lean on.”
* A Gentle Farmer
Joseph Trần Văn Tuấn was born in 1824 in the village of Nam Điền, a filial community of Phú Nhai parish, into a family which had been living off farming in the delta of Hồng (Red) River in Nam Định province (presently Hà Nam Ninh) for generations. Like thousands of other Vietnamese farmers, his joy was the buffalo and the plowed fields and the to harvest which yielded heavy wheat, the result of his sweat and labor.
Same as other Christians, Joseph Tuấn’s live suddenly turned turbulent due to the king’s edict of prohibition of Christianity. The persecutions at this highest moment had touched the tiniest and most humble level of the Vietnamese Church. In 1860, Joseph Tuấn was arrested at the age of 36 and brought to Xuân Trường prefecture along with a number of Christians. Later, he was isolated from other Christians and transferred to the village of An Bái in Thuỳ Anh district.
* Blood of Witness
From the beginning of his days in An Bái, Joseph Tuấn was incarcerated in a cramped jail cell, with a cangue around his neck and shackles on his legs. However, the soldier of faith still endured patiently and cheerfully. Following the edict of Separation and Integration of August 1861, soldiers used a red-hot iron rod to carve the words “Bad Religion” on one of his cheeks and his birth place on the other. After months of suffering in prison, Joseph Tuấn’s deteriorating health made the authorities think that he would give up out of desperation, so they had him brought to the tribunal and requested him to walk over the cross. The mandarins also promised to give him money after freeing him.
But the authorities had failed miserably. This average farmer could not be easily tempted into submission. On the contrary, he had more than enough loyalty and courage to demonstrate his faith. Because of his faith in the loving Creator and the Savior, the source of his spiritual strength, Joseph Tuấn reverently kneeled in from of the Redeemer’s icon and said thanks to God whose support he was feeling at the moment. And he had to pay for that faith: the mandarin sentenced Christ’s warrior of Nam Điền village to death. On 6/7/1862, on the way to the execution site, Joseph Tuấn calmly followed behind soldiers while reciting the Litany of Saints. At the execution site, the executioner severed the witness’ head with a saber strike while he was kneeling and called out the sacred name Jesus. The simple and gentle, but brave and religious farmer had used his own blood instead of words to bear witness to Jesus Christ, the eternally indestructible Truth. Two years later, the martyr’s remains was exhumed by Christians and solemnly brought to the church of Nam Điền, his hometown, for burial.
On 4/29/1951 together with the other 24 Vietnamese martyrs, the poor and Piusus farmer Joseph Trần Văn Tuấn was elevated to the rank of blessed by Pope Pius XII.
Today, we are not faced excruciating situations like our martyrs of previous century, but with difficult and challenging conditions that occur daily, let us pray that we found saint Joseph Tuấn’s virtue of Trust so that we can also forever praise God:
“Oh God, I am thankful wholeheartedly for your infinite love and endless compassion. You are the strength I lean on.”
Hoàng Tôn Thất
Saint Joseph TRẦN VĂN TUẤN
Farmer
(1824-1862)
* The Sign of Trust
Optimism in the face of challenges is what God has always wanted from every Christian. We can call this optimism the virtue of Trust which is rooted in God’s strength and the belief of a brighter future. If we have faith in Christ who had triumphed over evil, we can see that nothing can shake the work He left in this world. And to greater challenges such as martyrdom and tortures which could be avoided with just a blasphemous act, a Christian’s optimistic fortitude is a demonstration of Trust, as exemplified by Saint Joseph Tuấn.
After a year and a half of misery in prison, the mandarins only requested the witness to walk over the cross to be free. But God’s servant disobeyed the mandarins, and reverently kneeled in front of the cross, raised his head toward heaven and loudly prayed:
“Oh God, I am thankful wholeheartedly for your infinite love and endless compassion. You are the strength I lean on.”
* A Gentle Farmer
Joseph Trần Văn Tuấn was born in 1824 in the village of Nam Điền, a filial community of Phú Nhai parish, into a family which had been living off farming in the delta of Hồng (Red) River in Nam Định province (presently Hà Nam Ninh) for generations. Like thousands of other Vietnamese farmers, his joy was the buffalo and the plowed fields and the to harvest which yielded heavy wheat, the result of his sweat and labor.
Same as other Christians, Joseph Tuấn’s live suddenly turned turbulent due to the king’s edict of prohibition of Christianity. The persecutions at this highest moment had touched the tiniest and most humble level of the Vietnamese Church. In 1860, Joseph Tuấn was arrested at the age of 36 and brought to Xuân Trường prefecture along with a number of Christians. Later, he was isolated from other Christians and transferred to the village of An Bái in Thuỳ Anh district.
* Blood of Witness
From the beginning of his days in An Bái, Joseph Tuấn was incarcerated in a cramped jail cell, with a cangue around his neck and shackles on his legs. However, the soldier of faith still endured patiently and cheerfully. Following the edict of Separation and Integration of August 1861, soldiers used a red-hot iron rod to carve the words “Bad Religion” on one of his cheeks and his birth place on the other. After months of suffering in prison, Joseph Tuấn’s deteriorating health made the authorities think that he would give up out of desperation, so they had him brought to the tribunal and requested him to walk over the cross. The mandarins also promised to give him money after freeing him.
But the authorities had failed miserably. This average farmer could not be easily tempted into submission. On the contrary, he had more than enough loyalty and courage to demonstrate his faith. Because of his faith in the loving Creator and the Savior, the source of his spiritual strength, Joseph Tuấn reverently kneeled in from of the Redeemer’s icon and said thanks to God whose support he was feeling at the moment. And he had to pay for that faith: the mandarin sentenced Christ’s warrior of Nam Điền village to death. On 6/7/1862, on the way to the execution site, Joseph Tuấn calmly followed behind soldiers while reciting the Litany of Saints. At the execution site, the executioner severed the witness’ head with a saber strike while he was kneeling and called out the sacred name Jesus. The simple and gentle, but brave and religious farmer had used his own blood instead of words to bear witness to Jesus Christ, the eternally indestructible Truth. Two years later, the martyr’s remains was exhumed by Christians and solemnly brought to the church of Nam Điền, his hometown, for burial.
On 4/29/1951 together with the other 24 Vietnamese martyrs, the poor and Piusus farmer Joseph Trần Văn Tuấn was elevated to the rank of blessed by Pope Pius XII.
Today, we are not faced excruciating situations like our martyrs of previous century, but with difficult and challenging conditions that occur daily, let us pray that we found saint Joseph Tuấn’s virtue of Trust so that we can also forever praise God:
“Oh God, I am thankful wholeheartedly for your infinite love and endless compassion. You are the strength I lean on.”
Hoàng Tôn Thất