He was a doctor who served the poor for free, but eventually got struck with a stomach ailment which he started using opium to treat. As a result, he eventually became addicted to the drug.
His addiction was so bad that his priest, due to a lack of understanding of how addictions work, deemed him unrepentful and decided to refuse him confession.
Even though he could not stay sober and could not go a day without a hit, Tianxiang remained devout in his faith for the next 30 years and refused to stop showing up for mass even if he could not receive the sacraments.
Throughout those 30 years, he prayed for a martyr’s death, as he believed that it was the only way a disgraceful addict like him could be saved.
In 1900, the Lord answered his prayers when he was rounded up along with dozens of other Christians. No torture or threat would make him deny his faith, and he was martyred.
Before he and his family were executed, his grandson looked fearfully at him. “Grandpa, where are we going?” he asked. “We’re going home,” came the answer.
Tianxiang begged his captors to kill him last so that none of his family would have to die alone. He stood beside all nine of them as they were beheaded.
In the end, he went to his death singing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
His story captures the beautiful message of what I like to call “Catholic hope”, the tear-jerking reality of Catholicism that with the unending grace and mercy or God, there’s hope for absolutely anyone to be saved, as long as you never stop trying.
Meanwhile, some Modern Christians would have simply written him off as “he was never truly saved.”
I’ve a podcast about him available on YouTube and all podcast platforms, “The Asian Saint Who Died an Addict”.
Do check it out.
St Mark Ji Tianxiang, ora pro nobis.
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