"Who is that?" you might ask. I know I did when my son came to me and told me he'd settled on this particular saint. {Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.}
Then, my son went on to explain that he had read about St. Peter Yu Tae-chol in Radiate: More Stories of Daring Saints and liked him.
Upon hearing this and noting that St. Peter Yu Tae-chol was the last saint discussed in the book, I wondered if my son had just picked the last saint he read about, so I asked him to think and pray more to be sure this saint is the one calling to him. He did, and, in the end, came back and confirmed St. Peter Yu Tae-chol would be his saint.
At this point, having prayed often and much myself over the last year to whatever saint was calling my son to make himself apparent, and having researched St. Peter Yu Tae-chol a bit more myself, I happily embraced my son's choice, confident that St. Peter Yu Tae-chol picked my son as much as my son picked him.
So it was that my son and I sat down one day and as a combined English and faith lessons, worked on notetaking and essay writing so he could write the brief essay on his chosen saint that our priest requested.
The following is what he turned in, which I share with excitement wondering if St. Peter Yu Tae-chol might call out to you and yours as well.
To Live and Die a Christian
like St. Peter Yu Tae-chol
I have chosen St. Peter Yu Tae-chol as my confirmation saint because he respected his non-Christian family members and others while still refusing to deny Christ. He was also brave up until his death as the youngest Korean martyr canonized by St. John Paul II in 1984. When Peter was a young boy, his father Augustine taught him about the faith and Peter became Catholic against his mother’s wishes. Although Peter’s mother and sisters were not Catholic, he still treated them with respect and obeyed his mother in all things except when it came down to his religious practices. This is relevant to me because some of my immediate and extended family, plus some of my friends, do not believe in Christ while others do believe in Him, but don’t believe in the Catholic faith. St. Peter Yu Tae-chol is an inspiration to me about how to respect these people while still staying strong in my beliefs. I would like him to intercede for me with this.
The other main reason I chose St. Peter Yu Tae-chol is because of his bravery. When Peter was a young teenager, his father Augustine was imprisoned for his faith. Peter’s mother strongly encouraged Peter to deny his faith so he would not be thrown into jail, too. Refusing to deny his faith, though, Peter turned himself in. While in prison, he was tortured 14 times, lashed six times, and clubbed 45 times. Through all of this, he stayed strong and brave. At one point, a guard threatened to put a hot coal on Peter’s tongue if he continued to refuse to deny his faith. Boldly, Peter opened his mouth. The guard was shocked and did not carry through on his threat. Another time, even though Peter was the youngest among the imprisoned Christians, he urged and encouraged others, including priests and bishops, to remain faithful. He even said to one older prisoner, “You are a catechist and a grown man. I am only a boy; it is you who ought to be exhorting me to suffer courageously; how comes it that we have changed places? Return yourself, and die for Jesus Christ.” Soon after that, Peter’s father was beheaded and, then, on October 31, 1839 Peter was martyred through strangulation. Peter lived his short life with fortitude and faith.
At Confirmation, we become warriors for Christ. Like St. Peter Yu Tae-chol, I am young and want to be a soldier for Christ with qualities like Peter had. I would like to stay strong among non-Christian family and friends and live and die a Christian. (I am not sure I want to be martyred though.)
I just love it! What a perfect saint for my son and a good candidate for other young people who need to stand strong, yet respectful in the face of non-believers. If you know anything else about St. Peter Yu Tae-chol, I'd love to hear about it! Tell me, so I can share it with my son. I'd also love to hear who you or your children have picked as a Confirmation Saint and why.
