The First Saturday overnight prayer meeting in Naju —  May 1, 2004

Praise be to Jesus and Mary,

May the Love of the Lord and the Blessed Mother be with all of you around the world who love Our Lady of Naju!

May is the Month of Mary. A few days before Parents’ day (May 8^th in Korea), many pilgrims including those from other countries came to the Blessed Mother’s Mountain and the Chapel in Naju in order to offer up their gratitude, respect, and consolation to the Lord and the Blessed Mother. Abundant graces were sent down by Our Lady to her beloved children who came to Naju.  She consoled all of us as our Refuge and the Ark of Salvation to take all of us to the Heavenly Harbor.

There also were more than 20 pilgrims from Hong Kong. Most of them were young ones who came to Naju for the first time. Even if we were not able to speak to one another freely because of the language barrier, we could feel that we were all brethren and children in the Love of the Lord and the Blessed Mother.

Shedding tears and tears of blood for the conversion of sinners and for the salvation of the human race, the Blessed Mother of Naju has bestowed her love and graces upon all of us, not leaving us even for a single moment for many years. On June 30, 2004, it will be 19 years since the Blessed Mother first wept tears for all the children in the world. Instead of being recognized by the Church authority in Korea, however, Our Lady of Naju has been receiving severe insults, malignant false rumors, misunderstanding, and criticisms from the majority of her beloved children.

Jesus said to us, “Have complete trust in and reliance on My Mother who is also your Heavenly Mother. My Mother, who is united to the sufferings of My Sacred Heart and is weeping tears and tears of blood and praying constantly so that all the children in this world may leave their sinful ways and return to My Bosom of Love, is the only one who can turn the just anger of God the Father away from you”. The Blessed Mother is constantly shedding tears and tears of blood (even though not externally visible at this time) and exuding fragrant oil by squeezing all of herself for the salvation of all her children on earth even at this moment. At least we, who know the high, deep, and wide love of the Blessed Mother, should make efforts to be the faithful children by wholly trusting and relying on her.

Let us meditate on the messages of love given by the Lord and the Blessed Mother, practice them, and turn our whole lives into prayers. Let us live a life of prayers, sacrifices and reparations and renew our lives with the spirit of self-renunciation and poverty. Thus, we will be able to live a life of consecration spreading joy, love and peace to the people around us. This will be the greatest gift we can give to the Lord and the Blessed Mother, which cannot be compared with any other flowers in the world. It will be much joy and consolation to the Lord and the Blessed Mother.

Jesus said to us, “When you open your hearts widely and return to Me, I will not question your past, but will bestow the cup of blessing on you.” This is because Jesus does not want even one of the children in the world to be condemned and fall into eternal perdition, but wants everyone to be saved however wicked a sinner he (or she) may have been.

As Jesus said to us, “Completely offer up the pains given to you and pray and pray that they may also win Victory against the devil, who wants the sinners to rush toward perdition, and may eat the fruits of the tree of eternal life.”, let us not waste any difficulties and pains that we face in our lives, but offer them up gracefully by turning our lives into prayers and offer up little flowers woven with renunciations. By doing so, we can become the tailors of love who sew up the torn Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the handkerchiefs of love which wipe away Jesus’ blood and sweat and the Blessed Mother’s tears and tears of blood, and the pliers of love which pull out the thorns and nails that we drove into the Lord by committing sins.
 

The pilgrims who arrived at the Blessed Mother’s Mountain offered up candles and roses to the Blessed Mother with their earnest hopes and intentions. Smelling an intense fragrance of roses on the Blessed Mother’s mountain, on the water of graces and in the shower room, all of the pilgrims experienced and felt the presence of the Lord and the Blessed Mother more deeply.

At 3 p.m., pilgrims began the Stations of the Cross. In the evening they came to the Chapel and the First Saturday overnight prayer meeting began at about 8 p.m., led by Peter Kim from the City of Daegu. There were around 1,500 pilgrims filling the Chapel and the yard of the Blessed Mother’s House.

Following the ladies who were dancing gracefully to Marian hymns in the beautiful traditional Korean clothes in the front of the Chapel, they joyfully sang, giving praise and glory to the Lord and the Blessed Mother. On behalf of all people who were attending the prayer meeting, several people dedicated flowers and candles with a respectful bow to Our Lady of Naju and one pilgrim read a consecration letter filled with our love and devotion to the Blessed Mother in commemoration of the Month of Mary.

After offering several prayers from the Catholic breviary, they prayed the rosaries with all their hearts. We do believe that each and every bead of the rosary we prayed turned into a beautiful and fresh rose, forming a beautiful wreath that adorns the head of the Blessed Mother.

Then, Ms. Leona Kim, who has been making Naju known and been leading many people to Naju, spoke on the subject, “How can we spread wisely the messages of love that Our Lord and Our Lady has given to us in Naju?”, based on her experience and graces received through Our Lady of Naju.

When I came here for the first time led by other people, I just wondered if the fragrance of roses I was smelling was really true. A few days after I returned home, the handkerchief with which I wiped away tears I wept during my pilgrimage to Naju gave off an intense fragrance of roses, which made me become an instrument of making Our Lady of Naju known.

Recently, many pilgrims come here to offer up sacrifices. At that time, however, I had a hard time in my life since my husband lost his job. So, I came here alone to receive graces. Julia Kim said to us during her talk, “Someone came here with the wish that one woman with a mental illness be healed. If she is offered up completely to the Blessed Mother, she will be healed.”

When I heard Julia Kim, I could not write down my husband’s name on the petition letter to the Blessed Mother. It was because I was praying a Rosary Novena for one woman who was suffering from a mental illness at that time. She was not healed of her mental illness even by the people from across the country who were good at exorcism prayers. So, I wrote down her name on the petition letter with an explanation of her mental illness.

On that day, I heard about the graces some of the foreign pilgrims had received by praying before the picture of the Blessed Mother’s weeping tears of blood. Following their example I also prayed the Rosary Novena before the picture of Our Lady’s shedding tears of blood with a candle lit. When I was in the middle of the prayer, I got a phone call from the very woman with the mental illness for whom I was praying. To my amazement, her voice and speech were totally restored to a normal state.

She has been completely healed of her mental illness and now is working eagerly for the Church.

At that time, my family was in financial difficulties without enough money even to buy rice that we needed. But after this event, the Blessed Mother relieved my family from hunger and also bestowed the graces by which I didn’t lose our house. So I was so grateful that I volunteered to make Naju known.

There were many difficulties after the Declaration of the Kwangju(=Gwangju) Archdiocese. But I was determined to offer up sacrifices and go to daily Mass. And I always prayed during Communion like this, “Lord, let me be your instrument of delivering your words and let me be humble.”

One day, I realized that I had to meet people individually in order to make Our Lady of Naju known to them and set a fire of love for Jesus and Mary in them. So, I volunteered to be a leader of a small group in the parish church I was attending.

People usually don’t want to be a leader of a group in the church even when they are asked. But after becoming the leader, I spread the words about Our Lady of Naju,  I said to the people I met, “Abortion is murder”.
 

And I talked about my family for the sanctification of many families. I was not on good terms with my husband. But it was thanks to my husband that I began knowing about Our Lady of Naju. Whenever I came to Naju, I prayed sincerely in tears, “Please, let me know what mistakes I’m making.”

One day, Our Lady let me realize that if I had opened my eyes spiritually and had become a good example to my husband, he would have been already changed. Then, I realized that I was not qualified for pointing fingers at my husband, but everything was my fault.

First, I didn’t catch the meaning of Julia saying everyday, “It’s my fault.” But, as I continued to go on pilgrimages to Naju, I finally realized that the Blessed Mother was the one who could wash away my spiritual dirt. As my life gradually changed, my husband changed also.

The Lord Who can turn evils such as our mistakes into good uses.

One day, I was doing shopping at a supermarket. The shopkeeper picked up a thousand-won bill and asked me if that bill was mine. Pretending it was mine, I told him to give me a thousand’s worth of chocolate. I gladly ate it with my mother. Some days later, when I was giving a talk in a jailhouse, I had to come up with some common ground with the inmates so that they could open up their hearts. Then, a good idea struck me and I began my speech like this.

“I’m also a thief who sold my conscience for only one thousand won.”

This single word made them all laugh and got their eyes and attention focused on my talk and I could deliver the love of the Lord and the Blessed Mother very well.

Our Lady of Naju asked us to spread her messages bravely. But wisdom was needed when I made Naju known in a public place crowded with the audience. So, when I spread the messages in such places as retreat, Legio, Curia, and so on, I talked about the conversion of some Protestants through the Blessed Mother, the Blessed Mother’s water of graces and the shortcomings of my family so that people could be relieved and make a fresh start following the Blessed Mother. I also told them about the reason we should pray for the sanctification of priests and about the Blessed Mother’s words on the Sacrament of Confession and sacrilegious Communions based on my experiences so that people could accept them well.

Let us read through the messages of love given by Our Lady of Naju and carry with us the book titled “Turning our lives into prayers” and the water of graces given by Our Lady of Naju. For the conversion of a single soul who is going astray we should offer up our time completely as sacrifices. We do need such courage and love for the salvation of one soul.

Let us make efforts to be the apostles of the Lord and the Blessed Mother of Naju and set a fire of love for Jesus and Mary in the souls of others more wisely.

You have been called to be the apostles of making Our Lady of Naju known. So I wish that not only you, but also the people around you receive the graces from Our Lady of Naju. Amen.
 

After Leona’s speech, pilgrims took a short break, and the second part of the prayer meeting began with a prayer consecrating ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. One helper talked about the pains that Julia was suffering at that moment for the conversion of sinners and for the healings of those who came to Naju with various spiritual and physical problems.

Especially, Julia Kim was suffering pains in reparation for abortions and she really looked like a woman who was about to give delivery. She was offering up the intense pains gracefully for the conversion of the miserable sinners who are walking on the road toward hell because of abortions and for the souls of aborted babies.

Then, all the pilgrims watched a video of the overnight prayer meeting held in Novembr 1996. The following is a summary of Julia’s speech at that prayer meeting. (Note : In 1996, Julia could attend the prayer meeting. The negative declaration of the Kwangju Archdiocese was announced on Jan 1, 1998.)

Jesus and Mary called many children and you came here responding to the Blessed Mother’s call with “Amen”. The Blessed Mother said, “the Mary’s Ark of Salvation is My bosom of love, greater than the universe.” You have now come on board the Mary’s Ark of Salvation.

So, not getting off the ark, not looking back, and not looking sideways, let us help many people come on board the Mary’s Ark of Salvation and arrive at the Heavenly Harbor.

Sometimes, we could think to ourselves, “By how much would the Lord be consoled even if I lived a good life?” This kind of thought is very wrong and this is what the devils really like.

Even if we are all unworthy, it will be a great merit if we offer up our whole lives praying, “Lord, please receive this little devotion”, spread the messages of love to many people, and help them live according to the messages.

Furthermore, if you lead many people living in sins to the Blessed Mother and they are changed with the Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you will also accumulate great merits in Heaven.

All over the world in this age many families are sick. Because so many families are sick, the families should be healed first. So, if at least you, who are here, achieve sanctification in your families, light will shine on others through you. If they receive the light and, therefore, the light will shine on other people through them, the Lord’s Kingdom will be established in this world.

Jesus has sowed good seeds in our hearts. That we may reap a hundred-fold harvest, let us open our hearts widely and reflect on what I have done wrong and what I have given to the Lord until now.

Let us remove the spiritual stones from our hearts and root out the spiritual weeds from our hearts. However hard we may try always to pull out the root of pride, if there remains a little bit of it, it does not only grow back, but also sprawl out to the neighbors.

Today, let us all pull out completely the root of pride. As soon as we do, the devils will come and  try to sow the seeds of pride in our hearts right away. So, we should always remain awake so that the devils cannot instill pride into our hearts.

How often do you kiss the cross? We can be saved only through the cross. There is the cross on the rosary we hold and on the scapular we wear around the neck. So, always seek Jesus earnestly, carrying the cross all the time, kissing it and praying like this, “Oh! My Jesus, I love you. Please, have mercy on me."

Please, don’t pray perfunctorily like this, “What grace will the Lord grant me, if I pray?” The Lord asked us to kiss the cross truly for His sake. I make the Sign of the Cross even when I take only one sip of water because I’ve loved the cross so much from the beginning. Thinking that the cross is so precious to me, I have always kissed the cross. If all of you think the cross is always very precious to you and kiss it, Jesus will be consoled by you and He will bestow graces on all of you.

When you feel your cross is too heavy, always look at the cross and converse with Jesus, saying, “Jesus, You carried my cross like this instead of me”

Even when someone slanders and curses at me, let’s remember Jesus praying on the Cross,  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” and pray like that with a sincere heart.

Let us pray,

Oh, Lord, I want to meet You as a miserable sinner. Jesus, please, forgive us if we have not loved others because of many wounds received from them. Please, wash our souls and bodies cleanly with the Precious Blood from Your Seven Wounds and open what has been clogged in us and heal us, miserable sinners.

Oh, Blessed Mother, embracing all of us in your bosom of love, feed us spiritually with the milk that you gave to the Baby Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. So, change us so that we can become sanctified and can embrace and console many people.

Lord, we have lived in a sick family until now. But, who would want such a sick family? We have lived in a sick family and received many wounds. And instead of giving consolation to You, we have been inflicting many wounds on You. But by deciding to make a fresh start again today, we wish to come closer to You with tears of repentance.

Lord, I beg you to forgive us, miserable sinners. Help us become always awake so that we can become the pliers of love that pull out the nails, thorns and swords that we drove into the Lord by committing sins until now; become the tailors of love who sew up the torn Hearts of Jesus and Mary; and become the handkerchiefs of love that wipe away Jesus’ blood and sweat and the Blessed Mother’s tears of blood.

Lord, grant us the grace of repentance if we still have what needs to be repented and wash our dirty souls and bodies clean with the Precious Blood from Your Seven Wounds and open what has been clogged in us. Help us achieve triumph in the war against the three enemies (the devil, the flesh, and the world) by turning our lives into prayers at every moment so that we may enjoy exultation, love and peace and may win the victory of resurrection.

Following Julia’s hymn entitled “I, a miserable sinner”, the Lord who had heard our prayers filled with love bestowed on us the light from His burning Sacred Heart and the light of His mercy and the Blessed Mother also bestowed on us the light from her Immaculate Heart and the streams of water of mercy. Therefore, many opened their hearts that had been closed and hardened for a long time by various wounds, pains, hatred, and complaints and drew closer to the Lord and the Blessed Mother, praying with tears of repentance and realizing that “It’s not your fault, but my fault.”

The Lord and the Blessed Mother has let us realize how miserable and pitiable sinners we are and how unworthy we are, sending down on us the graces of repentance and healing like a waterfall and washing our dirty souls and bodies with the Precious Blood of Jesus. Therefore, this is exactly the same as what the Blessed Mother said to us, “My poor house (=the Chapel) is a bathhouse for your souls and the house of salvation.”

After the hour of mercy, the eyes of many pilgrims were filled with tears, but their faces were filled with joy, hope, and trust.

We believe that the Lord and the Blessed Mother will always be with us and take care of us with Their hands of love and mercy even if the same pains and trials as the past come again. And since we learned about the meaning of consecration, we think that we have received the power, courage, and conviction to overcome any storms of life. Plus, we learned that pains and trials are also the treasures and gifts God has allowed so that we can become more sanctified and can accumulate merits in Heaven.

Following the session called the hour of mercy, many pilgrims gave testimonies on the graces they had received from Our Lord and Our Lady of Naju.

June is the Month of Our Lord's Sacred Heart and is also very significant for Naju because, on June 30 this year, we will celebrate the 19^th anniversary of Our Lady’s first weeping tears.

“All of my beloved children in the world! By following this Mother, who lightens your way as the Heavenly Prophetess, do not fall into disappointment and despair, be freed from attachments to yourselves with a special awakening, and, thus, be reborn with the supernatural love. Even if you face the hour of bloody persecution, you will be guarded and protected by the love which was bestowed upon you today, and you will find refuge inside my mantle. Therefore, offer yourselves up genuinely and totally and, thus, face the new Resurrection.”

We believe that the Blessed Mother’s above words will be realized as it is to all of you.

“If you follow my messages of love and put them into practice, great treasures will accumulate for other souls and yours. It will also be the way of saving the souls who would otherwise be lost with certainty. To the burning Sacred Heart of Jesus and my Immaculate Heart, it will become a comfort.”

Let’s make efforts to become the blessed children who accumulate treasures in Heaven by practicing the messages of love that lead us on the road to Heaven and by spreading them to others more fervently.