Phaolô Hạnh
Layperson
1827 - 1859
Feast day: 28/5
#Layperson
The rice plant blooms.
"The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and whether he sleeps or rises night or day, the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (Mark 4, 26-29).
This gospel passage was experienced in the life of Saint Paul Hanh.
Hanh was born in Tan Trieu, Bien Hoa province around 1827. Growing up, he and his two brothers went to Cho Quan, Saigon for trade. Rumors spread many bad things about him. In his trade, he dealt with some notorious swindlers who exploited the vulnerable. It seems that at one point, he even led a gang of robbers.
However, the gospel he received in his youth continued to grow within him. Even without his awareness, the Word of God blossomed, waiting for the right moment to bear fruit. Once, witnessing a poor young woman being ruthlessly exploited by his associates, he was moved and intervened, forcing them to return everything to the victim, knowing that such a noble act might lead to unfortunate consequences in the underworld. The rice grain was golden, ready for harvest.
A Christian until death
Those he had defeated sought revenge. They chose the cowardly method of "throwing a stone and hiding their hand". They accused him of being a Christian and of collaborating with the French army. In court, he never admitted to treason, as he had not committed it. But when asked, "Are you a Christian?" he admitted and even declared, "I will be a Christian until death."
During his imprisonment, the officials tried to persuade him to renounce his faith. They applied the most brutal tortures allowed by King Tu Duc. They stretched his body to beat him, used cold tongs on his thighs, and red-hot iron bars on his body, forcing him to confess false charges and to step over the Cross. But all these cruel tortures couldn't break his spirit. He consistently affirmed one thing: "I am a Christian, and I will never renounce my faith."
A fragrant flower.
On 28.05.1859, Hanh was executed at Chi Hoa at the age of 32. The martyr's body was buried in Cho Quan.
Pope Pius X beatified witness Paul Hanh on 02.05.1909. On 19-06-1988, Pope John Paul II canonized him.
Historian Rodriguez compared the life of Saint Paul Hanh to the life of a "FRAGRANT PURPLE FLOWER": (Martyrologio Oriental Tr. 253-255)
"Some wild purple flowers grow by the road, and only when a passerby crushes them do they release their fragrance. Paul Hanh is like a flower overshadowed by the Church's path, only when crushed during the persecution does it release a mesmerizing fragrance that intoxicates us."
"In a polluted city full of pettiness, deception, injustice, and suffering, people await the flowers that signal a new Spring is coming, bringing a fresher atmosphere. The flower of Paul Hanh spread its fragrance through the power of the Holy Spirit, making those who despise the cold, sin-filled Winter, deeply imprinting the image of an eternal Spring... feeling an inexplicable joy and overflowing hope for the future."